New Heisig Tool

I have authored a simple python-based tool that allows one to query with Japanese text and map the text to Heisig (author of Remembering the Kanji, or just RTK) keywords. Some might wonder what value it would be to someone to know the RTK keywords? Anyone who has studied RTK has created a map of the keyword to a story that contains elements that should bring forth the actual Kanji character. Going the other way from the Kanji to keyword is harder and really isn't that important. However, when studying Kanji compounds it is helpful to think of the RTK keyword components. For example: 家族 (かぞく) maps to the RTK keywords [house] and [tribe]. You can see the value in utilizing the keywords to recall the compound - some of course are downright obvious, some funny and others vague. The script is available here and basically runs as a server in the background.

And a bookmarklet for those who want to be able to select random text while reading and have the text mapped to keywords:

javascript:(function(){q=document.getSelection();location.href='http://localhost:8080/?decode='+encodeURI(q)})()

One month following the finishing of RTK

It has been one month since finishing RTK (Remembering the Kanji by Heisig). I still do reviews daily and test some 120 characters everyday. The reviews have been decreasing noticeably weekly, from 180/day when I completed to the current rate.

Was it worth it? Am I fluent yet? Can I read a Japanese newspaper yet?

Yes, it was worth it. No I am not fluent, nor can I read a newspaper. However, the path is clear and my Kanji fears have subsided since there are little characters that I see that I don't have some level of familiarization with and understand the basic meaning.

I have started on みんなの日本語 1 (minna no nihongo 1), which I started last year and made through half way, before stopping. The first half is pretty basic and most of which I am familiar with already, however, there is a drastic difference: the Kanji. As I progress through the text, some of the questions have been already answered - in hiragana only though. Now that I know Kanji, the vocabulary presented with Kanji in the text is easily recalled (e.g., かぞく - family, which is 家族, or in RTK keywords: house, tribe) and more importantly produced when I am answering workbook questions. This text should be finished in early September at my current molasses-like rate.

As far as studying Japanese, my time is still divided up studying RTK and みんなの日本語, however, I see and understand the importance and those can easily justify the required devotion. My sentences that I have been studying in Anki numbers only 130 or so, but should increase steadily as I have more time available and my study patterns normalize.