Words?

I don’t think it had any practical value but it did help me pass N3.

Before you could understand books, or at the same time (mb another type of input, not particularly books)?

Did you mean that you would understand 30% of The Wire’s dialogue in English or Japanese? Your post gives me an impression of someone who speaks fluent English, especially considering that you are learning another language (Japanese) using English translations/explanations. The Wire does have some slang words, but I’m sure you’d understand close to entirety of it in English.

Study N5 level first. At 1.2k it sounds like you have already done that.
After that, how you get better at watching Japanese shows is by watching Japanese shows.

I can watch anime and come across one word I don’t know an episode- with Japanese subs. My listening ablitity is awful cause bunpro/wanikani are reading not listening questions.

For music videos, reading along with lyric videos is a better metric than listening comprehension. They have metaphores and are pronouced oddly to fit the melody. ‘ablitiy to sing along to a lyric video’ and ‘ability to understand a song’ are vastly different.

Just like flashcards. I was bored at work so I would just power through them.

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Absolute nonsense. I have only maybe 1.5k words and I can go to bar and more or less hold a conversation. Am I having the deep meaningful talks about life? No, but I can converse at maybe a jlpt4ish level.

Immerse, immerse and immerse. At a certain point you gotta take the lunge and as someone earlier said, realize you wont understand everything all at once.

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I mean what was your level of grammar back then? Could you understand a lot from spoken language? Could you enjoy books (if you used yomitan or lingq as a dictionary)?

I mean I’m just curiose what was your level back then

But maybe it’s another thing, you just immerse, and then after you’ve reached a point you can start using anki to progress rapidly)

But I guess balanced use of time on each stage is necessary, including talking, writing, listening and reading (in the first place for us I think), deliberate attention. Idk, I’m still changing strats all the time time

It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away.

Just in case anyone else out there read the topic title and started thinking of that song.

@Noxsora There is an option in bunpro in which instead of doing the classic fill the gap in the phrase, you just listen to the phrase and then mark if you understood it correctly or you struggled. I started using it for cramming when there are certain words I just can’t remember. I feel like its good for listening practice

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If we talk about words, this is what I listen for https://youtu.be/iuF6CpML3IQ?feature=shared

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Absolutely in terms of balance. I studied teaching English as a second language and currently work as a teacher of such. Those skills go both ways and its crucial, even though it is hard to always remember, one set of skills will ALWAYS be better than another.

So going back to what OP said, he wants to understand without thinking, he would need to under like a solid year or two of sole listening immersion. Just to really implement into his head general ideas and meaning when he hears them. Of course this comes at a lack of reading skills. But alas, as I mentioned, that lunge must be took, and knowing that one will not understand very much at first.

Shit, just in that, I meet someone new and have a hard time understanding them simply because they speak ever-so-different from the person next to them. Anyway, I can rant but yea, Deliberate attention and a changing of how and what you study. Because like muscles, the brain can learn to remember patterns which will make it seem like you’re learning and using a lot when really its not quite doing the trick.

Wouldn’t agree to much on that, because reading and speaking helps listening a lot, idk how much, but with reading it’s basically helps understanding meaning, speaking helps understanding as well, because if you can say something, you most likely can here it. As well as learning words, with not enough of them listening a huge amount (at least of not near language) shouldn’t be to productive.
That is why I think neglecting one can slow the process down in others as well. Not sure though

I know 10K + words and still look up tons. Even 20k words is nothing

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no way do I read novels tho so 20k might be enough

I’ve seen a paper saying 20k for novels is 98% comprehension

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I agree completely, but I’m saying that if he were to forgo taking the slower route of learning to read, he would need constant immersion. And while I didn’t say it which is on me, I ment to imply speaking would be used as well. A solid year of living and speaking with Japanese people in constant use of Japanese, to understand without to much thought. Even then, that’s debatable to the extent that would be understood. But the fact that he’ll have context(to an extent) will also go hella far.
The part I lack is having immediate context within words if I’m not expecting them, which only more listening will fix. I can know the words all I want, but if I’m unable to listen I cant do anything, which only a bunch more speaking can fix. And again, I agree that learning to read/write is important, within regards to japanese and other character based languages. It would slow the average person down(hour to hour of studying time) it most certainly CAN be skipped.