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Sira,
This is why everyone takes so much times to learn it!
This guy learned 2000+ Kanji in 3 months, and was fully fluent in Japanese in 18. At first I was quite skeptic, but all the comment feedback says it... well works (It does.).
You get the hard things out of the way first. I guess you didn't read his site at all.
These are the ''Phases''
[[Quote from site]]
''As I｡ｯve already mentioned, I spent 18 months learning Japanese hardcore (still learning it softcore now that I live in Japan), and in that time I learned a lot about both Japanese and just life in general. I have lot to throw at you, and it｡ｯs best to do it piecemeal.
Right, let｡ｯs give you an overview of the method I used to learn Japanese to fluency in 18 months. There｡ｯs no real magic to this way of learning, but it is effective, and you or anyone else could repeat it.
Phase 0: Belief
Start believing you can do it (you｡ｯre thinking ｡ｰthat｡ｯs stupid; Khatzumoto has been eating stale sushi again; how is this a phase?｡ｱ, but you｡ｯd be amazed how many people set off on the noble journey of learning Japanese, but forget to first believe that they can reach their destination: what a dreadful way to start off!) But not you. You｡ｯre going to start believing that you can and will become fluent in Japanese.
Believing in yourself is essential, but by itself it obviously won｡ｯt get you anywhere. We know that ability is useless without motivation, but motivation is not a substitute for knowledge and knowledge is gained through daily action.
Phase 1: Get the equipment for daily action
(i) Immersion Environment
This is less a phase and more a continuing｡ｭthing. But it｡ｯs really crucial. It｡ｯs the center around which this ｡ｰmethod｡ｱ revolves. You basically are simulating being born and raised as a native speaker of Japanese.
(ii) SRS
Language learning involves lots of memorization, and if you want to memorize large quantities of information over a long time, then drop the paper flashcards, mate. You need an SRS: a spaced repetition system.
An SRS is a program that tests you on electronic flashcards (which you make), at a frequency that it determines is best for you. The goal is to make this frequency high enough that you don｡ｯt forget, but low enough that you don｡ｯt waste your time. So the system will show you the card as infrequently as possible. Sounds like common sense? It is, but it｡ｯs very powerful common sense. Truth be told, you could even manage it with paper cards, except that that would be a beastly, medieval amount of work to do. Trust me, I have tried managing paper flash cards in this way and it takes up too much time. Let the computer do it for you.
There are many SRS around and many are free. Let｡ｯs focus on the free ones. I wrote a web-based one called KhatzuMemo; it｡ｯs web-based only; it｡ｯs still under development, so it｡ｯs very short on features. Mnemosyne is offline only, no-frills but very reliable. Anki is the deservedly the most popular choice out there right now; it works both online and offline and boasts a rich feature set｡ｭit can be a bit unstable sometimes, but｡ｭI｡ｯm just finding fault out of jealousy. I used to use a commercial (not free) SRS called SuperMemo, it is perhaps the oldest in the field, but unfortunately its user interface is buggy and complex.
Ultimately, it matters less which SRS you pick and more that you use one.
Phase 2: Remembering the Kanji
Learn at least 2046 general use kanji in English, using James Heisig｡ｯs seminal book, Remembering the Kanji (RTK), Part I. Part II is unnecessary. Part III is good; you can do it right after Part I or mix it in with later phases if you want.
The idea is that given a single English keyword, you learn to write out every general use kanji from memory. Don｡ｯt argue with me, just do it. You｡ｯll thank me later. You input the stuff from the book into the SRS. If you think that｡ｯs tedious, then you｡ｯre right. But the data entry itself may help you remember better. If you want to avoid the typing, you can join the Remembering the Kanji Yahoo Group, people there have typed the stuff up for you. Alternatively, Reviewing the Kanji is a website where people learning kanji using Heisig｡ｯs book gather. I didn｡ｯt use it myself, but I hear great things about it.
Do not: pause in your kanji study. Do not: start learning Japanese grammar on the side before finishing kanji. Learn kanji first. If you｡ｯre going at like 25 kanji/day, then it will take 3 months. At 12 kanji/day, it will take 6 months. And that｡ｯs fine; if you｡ｯre a busy person with other commitments, then it｡ｯs going to take that much time. Stay the course. The sooner you start, the sooner you｡ｯll be done. Start today, and you will thank me later.
Phase 3: Remembering the Kana
Learn the 46 hiragana and katakana respectively using Heisig｡ｯs Remembering the Kana. Why do this after kanji? Well
You have needed kana until now, because you｡ｯll have been study kanji only.
After learning 2046 kanji, you will see the 92 kana for what they are: a walk in the cake.
You can learn kana in as little as a few hours. Probably 2-3 days. At most a week. Kanji will take several weeks, perhaps a few months. Do the task that takes longer, first.
Phase 4: Sentences
Learn to read aloud 10,000 gramatically correct, native-like Japanese sentences/phrases (confession: I only learned ~7500 in the 18-month period, but you are better than me).
Do not: learn individual words. Learn sentences
Do not: translate sentences. Understand them instead.
Do not: learn grammar rules. Do get a feel for grammar, do read about grammar if you feel like it, but learning grammar rules in order to use a language is like learning quantum physics in order to drive a car. Sure, grammar rules are the rules of a language like quantum physics is the rules of the physical world. But it｡ｯs not practical. You shouldn｡ｯt be thinking of grammar rules as you try to speak any more than you should be crunching Schroedinger equations as you speed down the highway.
You｡ｯre not a computer compiler, evaluating expressions based on rules. You｡ｯre a human being, and humans use a different logic. When you speak your native language, you generally are mixing and matching entire sentences/phrases. That｡ｯs what you want to do in Japanese ｡ｪ learn sentences, because not only do they give you the grammar, but also vocabulary and usage.''
Now, on to the real Kanji question... thing.
Question: ''Why Kanji first? don｡ｯt see how it could be much help without knowing how to read them.''
Answer: ''A lot of people don｡ｯt before they do it.
Short answer: Try it first, and you｡ｯll understand.
Long answer: kanji primarily have meaning. That｡ｯs why Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Korean｡ｭall can use the very same kanji despite pronouncing them completely differently. That｡ｯs why a single kanji in Japanese can have multiple readings. Because the meaning is the same. You can understand so much through ｡ｰonly｡ｱ knowing the meaning and writing. For example:
僂ｷNﾃ､ﾇ､｢､・S-11､ﾎ｡ｸYS｡ｹ､ﾏﾝ藩ﾍ僂ﾔOﾓ錦ﾐｾｿ・ｻ皃ﾎ｡ｸﾝ藩ﾍ僂｡ｹ､ﾈ｡ｸﾔOﾓ僑ｹs､ﾎzﾎﾄﾗﾖ｡ｸY｡ｹ､ﾈ｡ｸS｡ｹ､､ﾈ､ﾃ､ｿ､筅ﾎ｡｣
machine-type-name: model name
ﾝ藩ﾍ僂
transport-send-machine: transport plane
ﾔOﾓ・
establish-plot(plan): design
zﾎﾄﾗﾖ
head-writing-character: initial (letter)
ﾗﾔｼｺﾑ}ﾑu
self-ego duplicate-manufacture: self-replication
ｻﾉｽ
fire-mountain: volcano
ｻｨｻ・
flower-fire: fireworks
Parts of this example were taken from here.
When you know and understand the parts, a logical composite whole is often much easier to understand. When you don｡ｯt know the parts, you｡ｯre just lost. But what about readings, you say? I｡ｯd learn those later｡ｭSeriously. There is not enough un-fuzzy logic there, see for yourself:
ｻﾉｽ/､ｫ-､ｶ､・
ｻｨｻ・､ﾏ､ﾊ-､ﾓ
Pay particular attention to this:
One only has to look at the progress of non-Japanese raised with kanji to see the logic of [this] approach. When Chinese adult students come to the study of Japanese, they already know what the [individual] kanji mean and how to write them. They have only to learn how to read them. The progress they make in comparison with their Western counterparts is usually attributed to their being ｡ｰOriental｡ｱ. In fact, Chinese grammar and pronunciation have about as much to do with Japanese and English does [Khatz: no, really｡ｭthis is not an exaggeration]. It is their knowledge of the meaning and writing of the kanji that gives the Chinese the decisive edge. My idea was simply to learn from this common experience and give the kanji an English reading. Having learned to write the kanji in this way ｡ｪ which, I repeat, is the most logical and rational part of the study of Japanese ｡ｪ one is in a much better position to concentrate on the often irrational and unprincipled problem of learning to pronounce them. [Emphasis and silly side comments added].
Another thing I will add is that there are plenty of words you simply cannot grasp if you don｡ｯt know the kanji; the author of the book The Kanji Way to Japanese Language Power refers to it as a sort of glass ceiling. Not only that, but a lot of times in conversations in Japanese (and Chinese), when people hear a word they don｡ｯt understand, they will ask ｡ｰwhat｡ｯs the kanji for that?｡ｱ. Kanji is the foundation of Japanese. Kana themselves are nothing but kanji mutant children.''
:P
You finish the rest of the Kanji when/after sentences.
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