Consistency and inconsistency.
That’s my answer.
And it’s a bit of a lie, because inconsistency is a misnomer, really, but it sounds snappy, so I’m keeping it.
Bear in mind before I start, I only just passed N2 so I’m not an expert speaking from on high, but now that I’ve reached this point I’d still like to share what has worked for me, in the hopes it might help someone else.
First, consistency -
We hear a lot about this. This one is obvious- no matter what you do, there has to be a base of consistency, whether that means studying 10 minutes or 90 minutes, doing it every day is important. For me that meant WK most days, and now bunpro too. I am trying harder now (and almost succeeding!) in doing them every day. I do this by setting myself micro goals - just do 10 reviews every day, for example. Meeting these micro goals often snowballs into doing more, but even if it doesn’t, well I still did something!
But what do I mean by inconsistency?
I have frequently chopped and changed my study methods since I began studying Japanese. I’ve used:
- duolingo
- renshuu
- kanshudo
- wanikani
- bunpro
- genki textbook
- minna no ninhongo textbook
- shinkanzen master textbook
- kumon (a cram school)
- 1 on 1 lessons
- online lessons
- in person classes
- conversation classes
- language exchanges
- hellotalk
- a book club
- native reading materials
- various other random things
What benefits has this given me?
- the ability to meet myself where I’m at
- cross referencing (learned something with x resource, reinforced it through a, b, c and d resources)
- renewed engagement
- perspective
- understanding of my learning ability and style
- empathy towards myself and other learners when something isn’t working
Why have I changed resources so much?
As learners and as people we go through different seasons of life, and require different things of ourselves in those times. I started Kumon at a time when self motivation was low, and I really needed something that would just push me through grammar acquisition with minimal independent motivation required, and would hold me accountable. Would I necessarily say its the most efficient? Would I even recommend it? Well, it depends on who I’m talking to. But it was what I needed at that time in my life, and it worked wonders. I did it for about four months before burning out on it, and while I wouldn’t go back, it enabled me to meet myself where I was at and created a path down the line for more “efficient” learning when I had the emotional resources for that.
I’d also like to touch on “cross referencing” as a point. I really feel like learning with multiple resources according to my needs at the time has helped me significantly in synthesising the language. Again, I’m not yet a 180/180 N1 wunderkind, but all learning comes back around. I had gaps, but because I forged ahead and experimented, the gaps got filled. I mean, of course, I still have gaps, but don’t be afraid to have gaps- you can’t 100% a language anyway, so just keep swimming, and keep trying new things, and you will find your gaps and fill them because you feel motivated by the feeling of not understanding. Again, this gave me renewed engagement too, because I was keeping my study routine fresh, AND I was motivated by “I want to say this but I don’t know how” or “I want to read this book but this keeps coming up and I don’t get it.” This point is probably more useful for intermediate learners, but beginners too- don’t be afraid to change things up and play around without “completing” Genki 1 or something.
What I want to say by this is - don’t be afraid to take the winding path. Don’t be afraid to drop things and pick things up. Listen to yourself, and pay attention to your needs, and you’ll find that works much better than trying to follow an online guide on how to learn Japanese in two years, or something. Maybe using one resource IS what works for you, or maybe you’re like me and need to do a bit of everything. Whatever it is, one of the greatest parts of learning a language is learning how YOU learn, so embrace that.