#minato.jp

[defiant-firefly]

Aight so I've been playing the apps I got for Minato.jp and uh

They're actually the best quiz apps for kana I've found? They're actually really decent???

They give you tips on how to tell the really similar ones apart and have designated quizzes for those same symbols so you learn to tell them apart which is really great and something I've not seen before. Also easy on the eyes and just kinda nice visuals which I've also noticed there hasn't been much of in the apps I've found.

They're pretty good. 20 outta 10 would recommend. I've not played the Kanji yet cause I don't really know Kanji but Hiragana and Katakana? Yeah I'm keeping these apps they're pretty decent.

Oh quick aside, they seem to be better suited as like a study aid rather than a learn from scratch thing but there does seem to be features on them to suggest you could learn from scratch should you wanna try it.

[defiant-firefly]

Okay so actually Minato.jp just explained the buttons weird apparently and I've been doing it wrong the whole time.

Anyway, you find the definitions for all this stuff in the study guide bit or the words section at the bottom. It's kinda weird how you have to actively search for the definitions but aight. Also no option to turn off romaji which is disappointing cause my eyes automatically go to read the Roman symbols and that doesn't help anyone

[defiant-firefly]

Okay so I went back to Minato.jp uhhh bad.

This is match the word with no repetition. If I were learning this with no knowledge of Hiragana or Katakana, this wouldn't teach me it. It shows you the tables for them then asks you to listen to all of them one after the other and then select the right symbol for the right sound right out the gate.

Now this isn't the best for me but may work for others so let's go to the next thing...

Learning the actual language. I'm on the very first course and this is ridiculous. It just told me the setting for a conversation and then asked me to link very vague pictures to the sound clip of someone speaking. They didn't teach you the fuckin words first. Just threw you in the deep end.

Just discovered I might be using the wrong buttons to navigate cause that's pretty poorly explained but it's also not telling me what anything means. Great. Real handy :/

[defiant-firefly]

Okay so the Minato.jp lessons for Hiragana seem like they'd be pretty good for beginners provided you can get the app for the repetition and stuff.

There is a typo in it though but shhhh

I'm just gonna power through the Hiragana excersises and maybe the Katakana before taking a peak at the other A1-1 lesson which is using this stuff in words and shit. Let's see how this goes

[defiant-firefly]

Ummmm okay Minato.jp is great for Hiragana but I'm lost on the actual like... Speaking, listening and reading thing they have going on for anything bigger than the alphabet.

Like I'm actually lost send help

[defiant-firefly]

Okay so a thing I noticed real quick.

Minato.jp expects you to learn 10 base characters plus the 10 modified characters in one go. I feel like that's a bit unreasonable for someone just starting out.

When I was learning I went by a book I had that seperated it into you learn the five base characters and then the corresponding modified characters for them which was a lot easier to digest I found so uh... Minato.jp prollys not for people that don't pick things up that quick or have bad memories and can't do 20 characters at least a day.

It does suggest you leave after the first set so all credit where it's due.

[defiant-firefly]

Gonna make a sandwich and either try Minato.jp out or do some writing who knows? Not me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[defiant-firefly]

Aight so remember that free Japanese course thing going around called Minato.jp? Just signed up for it instead of sleeping so let's see how this is.