Struggling to learn vocabulary, am I doing something wrong?

Bunpro
#1

Hi everyone,

I’ve been using WaniKani for a few months to learn vocabulary and after the initial learning curve, the mnemonics really helped things stick for me. I recently started using BunPro. Grammar lessons are going fine and I can gradually assimilate them but I’m really struggling with vocabulary. Without mnemonics, it’s much harder for me to remember new words. That said I really like that Bunpro introduces vocabulary in context, through example sentences. It helps me notice new words and understand usage but I still have trouble retaining them.

Is this normal when starting Bunpro? Do you have any tips or strategies that helped you with vocabulary?

Thanks!

3 Likes
#2

i think it’s normal to struggle a bit when you’re starting as you’re getting used to so many new things, i hope you don’t get discouraged, with time it will get eaiser as you will start making connections between the sounds and kanjis, i say this from experience as someone also doing WK.

i think it’s helpful to write the words down. for me, i noticed i retain the information better when i do smaller batches and not do all my words of the day in one sit. that way i let all words have “their moment” if you want and also i feel like it’s easier to recall them.

i normally do 20 words a day and divide them in groups of 4. i write the word in japanese and by looking at the definition and example sentences, come up with my own way of explaining the meaning. i like to say the word out loud because i think it helps with recalling during the quizzes and also read the example sentences to feel like im 〜using it.

  • i also try to think of situations in which i would use the word if it’s too specific or weird lol

  • if im struggling a lot, then i spend time writing sentences that use that word so i get familiarized with it.

  • if it’s a bunch of words i’m struggling with, then i’ll do a cram session with like 10 sentences for each word so the meaning and writing sticks.

i’m not an expert, but i hope this helps :slight_smile:

8 Likes
#3

Learning raw vocab is rough. When I learn vocab on Bunpro that I know some or all the kanji, its always way easier to remember. But also exposure helps tons. Even if you dont think you’ll understand, I learn a word and get flashbacks of tons of situations where I’m like “wait a second I get it now…”. So, I would say dont get discouraged. Vocab is definitely overwhelming.

2 Likes
#4

Seconding the idea of writing down new vocabulary, I do this with everything I learn through WaniKani and it really helps! I also pace it out so I only learn 5 items a day and only during weekdays so that weekends can help me curb review hell before it becomes unsustainable.

Also I think you just need to accept that vocabulary can be rough because there’s so much. I know there are loads of words I just won’t remember without seeing it over and over, but that’s also the beauty of vocabulary. The important things you will come across again and again - be it through example sentences on Bunpro, immersion, or studying other stuff. Eventually it’ll all click into place and stick around, so don’t get discouraged! :slight_smile:

#5

Since you said you like the wanikani mnemonics and learn well with them, i’d suggest making your own mnemonics and writing them down in the notes field. Sounds like a lot of work, but thinking about a good mnemonic is a pretty active learning style with a high retention rate, writing it into the note field helps you, in case you forget it later. It can be hard at first if you’re not used to making your own ones, but with a bit of practice it becomes quick and easy :slight_smile:

#6

Maybe I’m a bit of an outlier here, but what works for me is… just getting vocab wrong for 6 days in a row and at some point it suddenly starts sticking in my brain. The power of repetition.

3 Likes
#7

Yeah, for a learner, I think repetitions until it sticks is the most powerful tools. Keep doing over and over again is simply how we learn things.

2 Likes
#8

Personally, I think BunPro makes vocab way harder than it needs to be. I understand and appreciate the value of teaching the nuances of a word, but I think they go too far - to the point of being counterproductive to learning some of the vocab.

It is great at teaching persistence and patience, though. Learning Japanese is really f***ing hard. Pushing through the difficulty and giving yourself space to be wrong are essential lessons, in life and language learning.

Preaching aside, use the Cram feature. I spend more time on that than I do the daily lessons. Each Lesson is a block of 50 words that correspond with the progress tracker on your dashboard. So, if you’re working on the N5 vocab and your progress tracker says 200/1100, do the Crams for Lessons 1 - 4 (manageably, of course).

It won’t stick learning it in a silo, though. You need practical/real world exposure. I highly recommend you make reading and listening part of your daily practice. Tons of resources out there for both for all levels. Happy to leave recommendations if you’d like.

頑張って！

#9

It’s probably easier on Wanikani because you also have the kanji to remind you, so even if you couldn’t quite remember 勝負 means match/game you might recognize 勝 as “win” and that’ll jog your memory.

My favorite technique is to think of the very first think that comes to mind with the sound, for example 勝負 is しょうぶ. That immediately makes me think “Show Boo” and then I think of showing something to Boo from Monters Inc. “Show Boo the match” and I picture hanging out with Boo and pointing to a TV with a football match on.

Or my favorite was 天気予報 weather report. I already knew 天気 was weather, so to remember 予報 I think “yo ho” sounds like pirates, so I imagine a pirate giving the weather report.

The good news is that after a while you don’t need the mnemonic anymore and at some point you naturally forget you ever needed it.

I’ve started Korean recently and the sounds are so completely foreign to my English ears that this is the only way I’m possibly able to remember any vocab, otherwise it’s just a mess of gibberish to me!

#10

One thing I do frequently is search WaniKani for kanji that’s new in the Bunpro vocab, then look at the mnemonic (sometimes it requires going to a specific vocab word, depending on if the reading is different). The more you progress in WaniKani the more you’ll see mnemonic themes repeated, so putting them in new vocab becomes (slightly!) easier.

I agree with other posters that repetition is best through; it often feels like I’ll never remember a word, especially the kana only ones, and then one day it begins to stick.

#11

Thank you all for the great advices! I think I will take the time to came up with / find mnemonic for the words that don’t sticks in Bunpro. Slowly building step by step!

1 Like
#12

Thanks for offering! Regarding the ressources, I am currently reading graders from Tadoku (https://tadoku.org/japanese/book-search?level=l-start). Anything else you would recommend?