LeitnerDS and tinyxml

I have been working on my SRS implementation for the Nintendo DS (named LeitnerDS) and thus far, I have the deck management code working fine reading my deck, schedule, etc. I decided to rip out the tiny xml parser that I wrote and release it separately, since it is useful and my older library (picoxml) had some issues that have since been solved in tinyxml. In any case, you might find my tinyxml code useful for embedded systems.

Hacking Anki to Add RTK Keywords

Initial work is complete and it works well. Current implementation adds a title over the Kanji in the Question component only. To see the keyword you have to hover over the specific Kanji you are interested in. More later.

EDIT: This is now available in downloadable plugins as rtkize.

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.

Finished with 2042+ Kanji

I have officially entered and tested the last of the 2042 (actually 2044 characters are in my Anki deck). Thus I am finished lugging Heisig's book around with me, however, I am not finished studying Kanji so to speak. I still am devoting several hours per day on reviews and don't see that changing anytime in the next month or so.

Since I am finished with adding new Kanji, I can begin my next phase of studies. Already I have changed my plan to match reality. The next three months will be composed of two items: (1) Minna no Nihongo I, and (2) Continue daily reviews of Kanji. I have chosen to focus primarily on Minna no Nihongo (みなあの日本語）as opposed to water down my time with other supplementary materials. More later.

3 Year Plan, revision 1

A plan without revisions is one that dose not reflect reality, and as expected here are my first revisions as I near completion of RTK1, my studies of Jouyou Kanji (2042 characters).

Background prior to this regimen: Basic speaking, hiragana, katakana and about 200 Kanji.

In summary, here is a quick guide to my strategies and resources.

Online Resources
[1] kanji.koohi.com - forums and RTK story sources
[2] lang-8.com

Software
[1] Anki (SRS Implementation)
[2] Kanken 3 (Game)
[3] Nintendo Homebrew SRS - NDSRS

Strategies
[1] All Japanese All the Time (AJATT)
[2] Remembering the Kanji (RTK)
[3] Spaced Repitition System (SRS)
[4] Conqueur My Surroundings (CMS)

Books/Media
[1] Remembering the Kanji 1 (Kanji)
[2] Remembering the Kanji 2 (Kanji On readings)
[3] Remembering the Kanji 3 (Advanced Kanji)
[4] Minna no Nihongo I, II (100-150 hrs each)
[5] Minna no Nihongo Chukyu I
[6] *Kanji Odyssey 2001
[7] *Kanji Book 1/2, Intermediate Kanji Book 1
[8] *Let's Learn Japanese II (Radio Japan)
[9] *Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication
[10] *manga: doraemon, Sgt. Frog
[11] Read Real Japanese Fiction: Short Stories by Contemporary Writers
* Primary sentence sources

Other sentence sources
[1] jlptstudy.com (JLPT 4/3)
[2] Smart.fm core 1-22 (1-10 30 days/each;11-2240 days/each)
[3] Tae Kim

Miscellaneous
[1] Pictures of signs, menus, maps, etc

Year 1, Goal: Jouyou Kanji, Basic Fluency
.........................................

March - April (2 months):
-Study ~1000 Kanji characters; using Anki (an SRS implementation).


May - June (2 months):
-Study ~1000 Kanji characters; using Anki (an SRS implementation).

2009/Q3:
-Minna no Nihongo I (create 3-5 CMS sentences for each pattern)
-Start Anki deck for counters/days of month/etc
-Start Kanji Town (Study/Review)
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Add sentences from jlptstudy tagged jlpt4
-Start writting weekly in lang-8 diary
-Core 1,2,3

2009/Q4:
-Minna no Nihongo II
-Continue Kanji Town (Review)
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Add sentences from jlptstudy tagged jlpt3
-Core 4,5,6

2010/Q1
-Minna no Nihongo Chukyu I
-Start adding new 191 Kanji characters to be added to jouyou.
-Start adding signs, menus to sentence deck
-Continue Kanji Town (Review)
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Core 7,8,9

Year 2, Goals: Intermediate Conversation
........................................

2010/Q2
-Continue Kanji Town (Review)
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Source Kanji Odyssey for sentences/Kanji compounds
-Nihongo Chukyu J301 (intermediate text)
-Core 10,11,12

2010/Q3
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Nihongo Chukyu J501 (intermediate text)
-Core 13,14,15
-JLPT 4/3 exam
-Kanken 10/9 exam
-Start RTK3, slow pace 3-5/day (300-200 days req)

2010/Q4
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Start book: Read Real Japanese Fiction
-Core 16,17,18

2011/Q1
-Continue daily RTK reviews
-Continue book: Read Real Japanese Fiction
-Core 19,20,21

Year 3, Goals: Advanced Conversation, Intermediate Business
...........................................................

TBD; in short: more intermeidate studies, expanded vocabulary in technology, math and business.

1k Kanji

Well, I have hit the milestone of 1k Kanji. Nothing really big about it, other than in my head it is an amazing number. I never believed I would know the meaning and be capable of producing on demand one thousand Kanji characters. I finally have a methodology that will lead me further in my Japanese studies and from my current point of view, seems feasible. Thanks to Heisig's RtK, SRS and my cohort. Below are my Anki stats with respect to Kanji coverage:

The 1004 seen cards in this deck contain:
1004 total unique kanji.
Jouyou: 958 of 1945 (49.3%).
Jinmeiyou: 26 of 287 (9.1%).
20 non-jouyou kanji.

Jouyou levels:
Grade 1: 68 of 80 (85.0%).
Grade 2: 94 of 160 (58.8%).
Grade 3: 101 of 200 (50.5%).
Grade 4: 109 of 200 (54.5%).
Grade 5: 95 of 185 (51.4%).
Grade 6: 89 of 181 (49.2%).
JuniorHS: 402 of 939 (42.8%).