Hiragana, Katakana & Kanji Learning Aids

Hiragana
After experiencing some katakana-related frustration this afternoon, I decided I should just go ahead and finish my hiragana workbook. I was already quite comfortable with hiragana, but I don't like leaving things unfinished, so I knocked out the last ten pages. The book I used was "Let's Learn Hiragana" and it was a pretty good resource. The book offers plenty of opportunity to practice writing and using hiragana, while building some basic vocabulary. It is probably best to focus on the characters only and just absorb the vocabulary that you can as you go along. Unless, like me, you're an overachiever and feel the need to log every word in a notebook. *sigh*

Katakana

I have the partner book, "Let's Learn Katakana," so tomorrow I will start on it. Vocabulary notebook notwithstanding, it should take me two or three days to finish it. I feel much better about my odds of success than I did earlier today. I think the barrier I was looking for was me. So I will remove myself and just let my writing hand and my eyes deal with the book while I send my overactive brain on vacation. Sounds anathema to learning, but I'm a dyed-in-the-wool multi-tasker and function better when tackling multiple things at once. So while I work on the book, I'll listen to some more of the lessons I downloaded from JapanesePod101.

I have these kana flashcards, too. They're pretty nice. I like that they give example words in kana, and the romaji version is on the reverse, so if you're progressing well, you don't get distracted by the romanized spellings. But, if you're just starting off, you can easily flip to the back for a quick translation! The stroke order for each kana is illustrated, too, as a handy resource while adding vocabulary words to your notebook...

Kanji

I started working on the "Let's Learn Kanji" book, but haven't made much headway on it yet. In all honesty, I got a little bored while reading about all the little bits and pieces. I jumped ahead and started writing the kanji and skimming through the meanings, which entertained me a little more. I'll have to go back to the beginning and plod through the explanations of the radicals, though. Should be easier with the kids at school so I can focus. I know--that's in total opposition to my earlier paragraph about needing distractions, but kids are more than just a simple distraction. They require action and can be more of a total disruption than a distraction. Especially when they're hungry!

I have this set of kanji flashcards, too, which cover Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Levels 4 and 3. The cards are color-coded by level, which doesn't help me at this beginning stage, but will be very useful when I get ready to drill for the respective exams. I mentioned in an earlier blog entry that I like to commit myself to things, and I have done it again. Registration opened today, and I signed up for the JLPT 4 in Atlanta this December. Overambitious? Maybe. But, I am confident that if properly motivated (i.e. faced with possible failure at something and/or the loss of the $40 registration fee), I will stay the course and study my heart out. And if I don't take it, or I take it and fail, it's only $40 lost. And my self-worth, of course. :)

Where to Find Them

I almost forgot! You can get the flash cards from J-List, as well as cards for levels 1&2. They also have the Genki series of books which quite a few people have used successfully.

The "Let's Learn" books can be obtained through Amazon.com or an assortment of other sites.

Google them up and find the best deal!