こんにちは! I’m glad you are joining me in reading all about this Japanese learning platform. As a student myself, I have to say the frustration of trying to find a learning system that is just organized is a bit difficult. But when I see one that is so neat, it honestly gives me an energy boost to jump right back into the language.
So what are we going to talk about today? Nihongo Master. What! Nihongo Master? Can I really master Japanese? Well, they said you can. I personally find that the title of master sounds super appealing to me.
Anyway, back to reality. I was BEYOND excited to try this out and that brings us to today. So sit back and let’s go on a learning adventure, shall we?
If you are stepping into creating your own account, it is important to note there are different payment options open to your liking. Whether it be a month, 6 months or a year, you can choose how long you’d like to spend learning. Totally up to you!
Once you create an account, you get to the main page. Okay, don’t get too worried… yet! (I hope…). The main page can be a scare honestly. SO many functions to look at. Just breathe… it will be fine. In fact, the very first lesson explains EVERYTHING for you. From learning to use the classroom, trying drills or even accomplishing some super achievements, it’s all in there so be sure to do your reading.
Next, you can jump straight into your first lesson, which of course for a new Japanese learner, would be to learn the Hiragana alphabet. For anyone stepping into a new language, some may argue that it’s quite acceptable to skip learning the alphabet and just plunge right into conversation.
However, with already having stepped into Japanese myself, my biggest piece of advice is to NEVER skip the alphabet. Not sure how to explain it, but it’s going to help you a lot! So let’s start from the very beginning, which is a very good place to start (did you catch that Sound of Music reference?). Your hard work will pay off!
Once you click a new lesson, the greatest feature I appreciate is that they give you lesson objectives. What a great way to know what you are about to step into and be prepared.
Repetitive Learning:
Now sooner or later, you may be tasked with attempting a drill, which is based on the repetition of everything you learnt in the lesson. Set your drill mastery level and begin!
My confusion soon came after I completed it the first time as there was no button to move on. Do I have to force these drills the full 5 times to then move on?
Finished it 5 times perfectly, but still no button indicating I can move on. Apparently, if you go back to your classroom, you will see that the drill was mastered, but personally, I would have loved a button taking me back there, because I somehow thought I would lose my progress by the way I did it.
Feeling Confident?:
For each new skill, find a quiz that tests all aspects of it. This is totally up to how you feel about the language itself but I decided to just do it for fun. Do it well and you get some awesome badges at the end!
Cute cultural tips:
This is by far my favourite part because it uses such adorable manga graphics to portray what is being thought. Take for example this bit of vocabulary and learning that also comes with some cultural knowledge.. Being a huge fan of manga myself, this is a huge win over my heart for sure!
Going all out on being extra with the Vocabulary section, you can always play the pronunciation, and after practicing on your own, there is an option to record yourself. A great way to check if you are doing it well! Right?
The Dictionary:
A useful component of any learning, but most intriguing would be the extra kanji list portrayed to the right. While you’re looking up new words, upgrade your kanji knowledge at the same time (knowledge is power)!
If you venture further into clicking the addition buttons next to a word/phrase, it gives you a super function of adding this to a study list or drill. I personally like the idea of the study list as it’s a superb way of compiling learning material into a set location for my easy finding.
Practice sheets:
Now if there was anything I 100% love about Nihongo Master, then it would be this right here! I cannot tell you how much I was blown away by this!
Once you click on a kanji (in the dictionary) that you would like to save in a practice sheet, go to your practice sheets and download the PDF. At first, I really did not know what to expect, but as I opened it, I was seriously astonished by the quality of it. So well laid out, showing the stroke order and you can print them and practice.
Furthermore, I’ve always wanted Kanji practice sheets, but the fact that you can make this however you would like makes it super personal and all the more reason I love this tool. (100% love it).
Community Functions:
You may have noticed by now, there is an array of additional functions. Do you have a competitive side like myself, or just love making new friends? Create a team with online learners and gain points for your team. The end goal… not quite sure yet, but it sounds fun!
There are even leaderboards that show your ranking amongst all learners, which in itself is motivation to diligently ace your studies and get your level up!
Do you have further questions? Use the discussion button to voice your views or what you would like to ask.
Podcasts:
A lot of people look forward to podcasts as a listening tool to further improve themselves when it comes to learning a language. However, for Nihongo master, it seems you can have the best of both worlds.
There are many based on how to say/how to conjugate in the Japanese language, but you will come across some recordings as well based on the culture, festivals or even notes on Japanese fashion.
I’m quite unsure of the regularity of these podcasts as the last recorded one was done almost a year ago, but nevertheless, you can browse through the prior ones for extra knowledge.
The End:
Well, possibly not the final end but it is for sure the end of our blog today.
Overall, the practice of slowly introducing new vocabulary to you with repetition has captured me. It worked effectively and is quite something I look forward to for future learning.
The only downside is I would have loved buttons that lead you to your next lesson so you would be able to keep with the flow.
What was given is just a mere scratch of the surface, as true learning and acquiring knowledge can only happen if you take the lead!
Ready to take your learning to the next step then? Use our discount code: ARIGATOJP at checkout to get 25% off! By signing up, you even get a 7-day free trial. Go for it! Happy learning!
Featured image credit: Nihongo Master
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