How to study Japanese effectively
What actually helps when learning Japanese, from daily habits and spaced repetition to immersion, and how to keep track of your time.
There is no secret method for learning Japanese, but there are habits that work better than others. Here is what most good learners end up doing, in the order we would suggest it.
Consistency beats intensity
Twenty minutes every day does more than four hours on a Sunday. Memory needs repetition over time, and a habit survives busy weeks. Pick an amount you can keep, even on a bad day, and protect it. Fifteen to thirty minutes a day is a good starting point, with a longer session once a week.
Start with hiragana and katakana
Learn the two kana alphabets first. Everything else, textbooks, apps and reading, depends on them. Don't get stuck on romaji.
Use spaced repetition for words and kanji
Spaced repetition means reviewing something just before you would forget it. The intervals get longer as the item sticks. Tools like Anki do this for any cards you make, and WaniKani does it for kanji. The daily reviews are short, but they add up.
Learn words in sentences
A word on its own is easy to forget and hard to use. A word in a sentence comes with grammar, with a typical situation, and with other words you already know. When you add a card, add the sentence you found it in.
Learn grammar from a book, then meet it in the wild
A textbook such as Genki, a free grammar guide such as Tae Kim's Guide, or an online course such as Japanology gives you the structure. Then you need to see the same patterns in real sentences until they feel normal. A grammar practice tool like Bunpro helps with the second part.
Get input you can almost understand
The best listening and reading material is slightly above your level: you understand most of it, and can guess the rest. A common rule of thumb is around 80 to 90 percent. Much less, and it is noise. Much more, and you don't learn anything new. Start with material made for learners, and move up. You can find ideas in our list of resources.
Use the language, even badly
Reading and listening are not speaking. Say sentences out loud, write short diary entries, and talk to someone as early as you can. You will make mistakes. That is the point.
Track your time
What you measure, you tend to do. Logging your minutes makes your habit visible, and shows which skills you are neglecting. In Futoji you log a session by topic, grammar, kanji, vocabulary, listening, reading, writing or conversation, and see your week at a glance. If your chart is all kanji and no listening, that is useful to know.
A simple week
- Daily: 15 to 30 minutes of reviews (words, kanji, grammar).
- A few times a week: a lesson or a chapter of your textbook.
- A few times a week: listening or reading something slightly above your level.
- Once a week: a longer session, and a bit of speaking or writing.
Change it to fit your life. The best plan is the one you will still follow in three months.