alaart's log (Chinese, Korean)

[alaart]

Hard to keep daily updates, when one isn't progressing with the study routine. I was out and spoke lots and lots of Japanese, but I didn't "study" the last 3 days, apart from doing an assignment, didn't even do much Anki.

Today around 4 hours total, I just watched a bit of Drama, still 「お義父さんと呼ばせて」, and I studied most of the Anki cards that accumulated the last couple of days, the decks still haven't returned to normal, will finish wrapping that up tomorrow. I'm somewhat tired today, but I hope to get more study time in during the next couple of days.

[alaart]

Yesterday, I still watched a bit of that previous mentioned late night show with 田村淳, and they discussed again the topic of adultery. Maybe shows are not bad when you are tired, because there is no story to follow - and you can miss some stuff and still be fine, and its kind of easier from the vocabulary.

Today, I finished catching up to Anki, and I studied all the new words I added yesterday and today. I finished watching the 3rd episode of the drama 「お義父さんと呼ばせて」, and I began studying the Nihongo no mori JLPT3 grammar playlist on youtube, also added sample sentences to Anki. I already started studying this a year ago, also in February, but was too much into Chinese back then to really progress, so I'll work through the list this time, even though I already know a lot - but it still is useful to deepen the knowledge I have, and it is the start of learning grammar again, eventually the goal is to get fit for the JLPT.

I managed my goal of 5 hours today, but the next 3 days I have a lot of plans again, doesn't look like I will accumulate a lot of 6WC hours - but I will use the grammar and vocabulary I studied in conversation, so that is fine for me. Progress!

[alaart]

14th was Valentines day, big day in Japan and I also worked.
15th I met with a Japanese friend that I met in Germany 3 years ago, we went to an art Museum, not much English there, had to try and read the explanations in Japanese, I understood about half or maybe a bit more.

16th:
Today I went out with a group of Chinese learners I met on a Chinese event back in October, and they - all company employees - talked a lot about company work, which was very difficult, quite technical, and detailed. I normally don't count speaking Japanese, but I counted it for the 6WC today, it was a group conversation, so I learned a lot.

Apart from that only some Anki, so I didn't study much, but I socialized (in Japanese), which is fine for me. I will make an effort to catch up on the 6WC study hours starting tomorrow.

Ah, I ate Silkworm and Scorpion today at a Chinese restaurant - but I've eaten it before, so nothing too extraordinary.

Ah, and I also forgot I also had Spanish language exchange.

[alaart]

So I planned to study all day today, managed around 7 hours, which was my goal, so Yay! I continued going through the nihongo no mori grammar series, halfway through the first video playlist, there is another one it seems. I know maybe about 80% of the content already, kind of - but its passive knowledge, not to the level that I have been using most the grammar myself while speaking or writing. And also its good to go through the grammar to really get all the small details, because I'm normally a context learner. Learning grammar, I never do this - and I really think this could give my Japanese a big boost, will continue to work through that. So I write the sample sentences into Anki, and drill them - and I also added some from some Grammar pages I googled.

I studied a lot of vocabulary, and I continued watching a bit of the drama ( 「お義父さんと呼ばせて」) - now Episode 4.

I'd love to study everyday like this, but I also started organizing other things I have to do.. and they will interfere °_° , a lot of things that need to be taken care of.. oh and my health problems are pretty bad since mid last week. Pain is so strong, I'm waking up 3-4 times per night, but nothing to crazy, it's vacation, so I'll just sleep a little longer. Pain usually gives me motivation, so prepare for some more extra hours.

If I study like today everyday, I would still make my 6WC goal I guess

[alaart]

Just a bit today, did recap all vocabularies, and finished yesterdays drama episode, also studied some grammar. But my concentration to pick up new grammar has gone down already. Hope I will manage more tomorrow.

[alaart]

Went to the biggest university today, and participated at a "German conversation table" - there were some Japanese participants, the other Germans were the university teachers, was quite interesting - also I'm not really talking German often, promised to go there once in a while to support.

Yesterday after posting I decided to start a new drama on netflix 「ホリデイラブ」(Holiday Love). In there a happy family gets disrupted when the husband moves away for work, he there meets another women, and starts an affair, the thing soon blows up and various things happen.
This is quite a simple one so far, I watched an episode in just 1h 28m, compared to the other one that took me 2-3 hours? I watched the first EP yesterday, and the second today. Studied all new vocabulary. No energy for grammar today

[alaart]

I continued studying the Nihongo no Mori grammar series, and drilled sample sentences in Anki. I'm now at Video 27/38 - from the first series on JLPT3.

I also watched two episodes of aforementioned drama, I watched one of the 45 minute episode in 1h 38 minutes. So I'm still pausing a lot and looking things up, but I feel I'm getting faster. The drama vocabulary keeps repeating too I think. So I'm looking up words I have looked up before and add the context to the Anki cards, and each time there are more samples, they will eventually stick. I think particularly my Kanji recognition is improving from reading the subtitles.

I wanted to study some Kanji too today, but didn't have the energy. - but I discovered, I suddenly remembered Kanji I haven't studied for a long time too, so they are still somewhere in my brain

Scheduled some iTalki language exchange for Chinese, time to speak some Chinese again.

[alaart]

Finished the drama 「ホリデイラブ」. I watched 3 episodes the last 2 days. Otherwise had some work, and was a bit sick - I could have done more.

I must say, this input method is working - also my Kanji recognition went up from reading subtitles, and because I learn vocabulary in context, and put in sample sentences in Anki, it is like a mental rewatch of the drama, like recalling the scenes, and it really sticks and the vocabulary grows fast. It is just tedious, for example: 370 new cards since Tuesday... heavy Anki substance abuse.

I'll search for a new drama today, will keep it up.

[alaart]

User AndyMeg recommended the Anime ピアノの森　（Piano forest) back on page 6, of which I watched the first episode. Since it is about music, and I like music I will give it a shot. Plan to watch a couple more episodes soon.

Today I mostly studied the remaining videos from the first nihongo no mori JLPT3 list. I'm finished now. They had JLPT3 sample problems, and I got a bit discouraged - not because of the difficulty, but because I'll be too slow for the test, I just know it. And it is not like my JLPT3 comprehension is 100%, there are bits I don't get or want to deepen, all over the place.. Next I will do the remaining video series, and I can also borrow a JLPT3 grammar book from my roommate, but the goal is to eventually move on to JLPT2 material, but I feel a bit pressured. Maybe I should take a private teacher to explain the things I still don't get - but I'm a bit short on money. Will have to consider that.

As always drilled all new words in Anki and spent far too much time reviewing.

Also I decided to end my 6WC participation on Friday 28th - I have some things to take care of, and on early March I will travel to Tokyo to visit some Japanese friends I have met back in Germany.

[alaart]

Also I decided to end my 6WC participation on Friday 28th - I have some things to take care of, and on early March I will travel to Tokyo to visit some Japanese friends I have met back in Germany.

Actually after thinking it over, I decided to end studying today: In 23 days I studied just a bit short of ~92 hours, which is 4h/day - a bit short of my goal, but I went out a lot - so it is to be expected. I mainly worked on vocabulary, and improved a bit there - I also started working on grammar, so I can live with the result. I scheduled speaking Chinese with 3 people and wanted to use this as a start, but they all canceled their plans, I guess I was just unlucky - and I was just in the Japanese-flow anyway.

I will return to a low effort 1-2 hour routine for a bit, since I have to do some other things besides language studies for a week or two, and then I will be traveling. It was interesting to post daily, but I will return to posting weekly now.