Learn Japanese for free: November 2023

Sunday, 19 November 2023

Review #5 | Rikai-kun | Learn Japanese For Free

This week's review is for the Extension Rikai-Kun. I would recommend the extension for all levels of learner.

Rikai Screenshot from my PC (2023, As applicable) LJ43

What

Rikai is a free PC extension. The extension is essentially a digital vocabulary tool. It helps you to find vocabulary in Japanese on your webpage.

For example, if you highlight N as a hiragana, it will bring up the variations of this character's definition, grammatical features such as verb forms and usage sometimes in spoken language. If you hover over a Kanji, this will change to first incorporate the Hiragana and then the Kanji version of the grammar and definition in your highlight box.

You can switch between words using the shortcuts shown above in the screenshot. By changing between the 'dictionaries' option under shift/enter, you can bring up Radical, Grade, Frequency, strokes and examples, with relevant learning points for different methodologies. I again recommend Heisig.

Screenshot 2 (2023, As applicable) LJ43

Where

Available on PC, with Chrome.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/rikaikun/jipdnfibhldikgcjhfnomkfpcebammhp?pli=1

Who

Erek Speed is credited as the creator/uploader of the Extension.

When

Available 24/7.

Why

This app is tecommended if you are looking to fit in vocabulary learning more easily. Playing around with the CSS can also get this to work for youtube.

Update, you might be best trying Yomitan instead as I am not sure how well supported Rikai is anymore.

Socials

Email : learnjapanese43@gmail.com

Wikimedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:LearnJapanese43

Discord : @learnjapaneseforfree

Tiktok : @learnjapaneseforfree

This review is part of the Learn Japanese for free project. I have, do not and never will derive any profit from this project. Please send any requests, questions or further information about free tools for learning Japanese to learnjapanese43@gmail.com which is checked every 2 weeks.

Sunday, 5 November 2023

Review #4 | Anki Deck | Learn Japanese For Free

This week's review is for the Ankideck #2894932. I would recommend the Deck for beginner to intermediate levels of learner who are following the Heisig/RTK method to learn Kanji.

Shark Tank in Okinawa (2012, CC3.0) JordyMeow

Who

This Anki deck is part of an older learning method created by Niko from NativShark who I believe has since moved onto a new learning programme which embarrsingly I cannot remember or find the email detailing all that!

What

I personally recommend this deck as it is essentially a free version which follows Heisig's methodology which is incredibly time saving. You may want to make your own primitives list, but this should take an few hours at most, as there are only a few hundred of these.

Why

When I tell you, the number of hours and years I wasted writing, rewriting and forgetting Kanji, trust me this just works a whole lot better to have at your fingertips than having to manually find, write and remember 2500 different Kanji entries from the RTK series books, which are unfortunately, not free, but they are pretty cheap and a definite buy if you are serious about learning in my opinion.

The deck is simply a learning tool, but it does just make life easier overall, and Heisigs method is also proven to work, and a very popular method amongst self-taught learners as well, unlike as my friends going through the Degree route to learn Japanese have informed me, that they simply rote learn their way through Kanji but come out the other end unable to even hold a basic conversation at the end as their entire learning time was spent wasted on learning banal or exam related work. So if you are coming to this project on the back of that, Hi! Welcome to the start of being able to find resources for free and that you can actually apply to real life situations.