Hi All!
Today we would like to introduce a new feature: Topics!
Topics has been designed to help you get more out of individual lessons, fill in the gaps that are not covered in traditional Bunpro grammar points, and introduce you to new content, as well as to challenge you to apply what you have learned.
Starting From N5
When studying grammar points one by one, there are many places that we would often like to include additional information, but are unable to do so while keeping each grammar point self contained.
This can include many things like -
- Comparisons
- Relevant grammar discussions
- Introductions to broader topics such as vocab/listening
- Broader cultural/language related concepts
- Etymology
The list goes on and on…
Topics was created to bridge-the-gap, and provide a more holistic perspective of the grammar you have learned. Let’s jump straight into the next section to take a look at the flow.
The Flow 
First, you will be presented with an introduction. This introduction will tell you the set of grammar points that are being covered in the overall Topic, and give you an extremely brief explanation of them so that it is clear why they are being grouped together.
Next you will see the grammar points listed individually, and are given the option to learn them in full, one by one. We recommend this style, as the next section assumes that you have already done this.
In the Details section, we take that grammar that you have just learned, and expand on it in whatever way is more appropriate to discuss in the format of an article, rather than on your first introduction to that grammar point. As mentioned earlier, this can be anything from comparisons between similar grammar points, to etymology or expositions on how the Japanese language works in a broader sense.
Lastly, we give you a reading passage immediately that only uses the grammar that you have learned up to that point in the Bunpro path. It will always include some of the new grammar points that you have just learned as well. Naturally, these all include images and human audio as well.
Keep in mind, these Topics have been written and designed to be done in order. So just like with standard grammar, if you jump between Topics, you may come across some things that are assumed knowledge by that point!
Bonus!
As Topics have given us a perfect opportunity to step outside of the JLPT and focus on some things that really matter but are often left neglected, we have included, and plan to continue including, many bonus articles that will take your understanding of Japanese to the next level. These Topics traditionally do not include grammar points. Instead, they dive straight into the meat of the Topic.
As we can see here, this particular Bonus Topic handles particles, and is designed to give you a better idea of how Japanese grammar actually works, beyond just (A) = (B).
Although this Topic has much more useful information than we can possibly show in one screenshot, here is just a preview of what you may find. It is our hope that our passion for Japanese comes across in these Bonus Topics, and that they introduce novel and fun concepts in a comprehensive way.
Naturally, they almost always include a reading section too!
Real-life situations, grammatical concepts, counters, language-style expositions, how to make the most of Bunpro. If you can name it, you’ll find it here.
Access
All topics are accessible here, or via the Topics link in the top navbar.
Please note that while this is currently in a semi beta phase while we gather feedback, you do not need to be opted into beta features to access it.
Goal
In addition to giving us an opportunity to expose learners to concepts that fall outside of the regular JLPT, Topics have been created largely as our first step toward making Bunpro a more comprehensive and holistic learning service.
What this means is that we are putting additional effort into helping learners have a more well rounded understanding of Japanese and to feel confident in their language abilities.
Future Plans
Outside of our current plans to continue making and releasing Topics all the way through to N1, some of the key items that we would like to highlight are listed below.
-
Themed Vocabulary
As we have mentioned on the forum recently, we are currently in the process of rebuilding our JLPT vocab decks into more appropriately paced, themed decks with individual themed sections. All sentences in N5 Topics have been written with these new lists and themes in mind, but we have yet to release it as a connected tool. This is something that will be coming soon, and will make learning vocab alongside grammar easier! -
Reading encouragement
Part of the reason that we included reading passages as part of the primary practice activities in Topics is due to us wanting to present users with an immediate challenge with what they have just learned, and encourage further usage of the existing reading passages that we also have. -
Additional tools
Although the Practice section of Topics only includes reading passages at the moment, we are also working on other types of interactive language application features. -
Integration
We are currently in the process of building several other large-scale projects that will link with what we have in Topics. Unfortunately I cannot be more specific on these just yet!
Although we have only released N5 Topics, regardless of where you are at currently, we believe these articles will have something useful for you!
As always, thank you all for your ongoing support! This is only one of several large projects that are slated for release this year, but we are looking forward to all of your feedback on it!
Keep in mind that this is Beta and V1, so if you find anything that seems out of place, feel free to let us know! We are currently still waiting on the last couple of image files for a few articles, but they should all be there pronto!
Happy studying everyone, and I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! 
