This is an excellent list. Compared to the paper dictionaries and flashcards I saw expats struggling with 20 years ago, these tools feel almost like magic for the "Software" layer (Vocabulary/Kanji).
However, as a loan officer living in Japan, I see many people master the "Software" but fail because of the "Hardware" (Audio OS).
In Japanese, vowels (a, i, u, e, o) are standalone signals. We process them as language. But I've read that Western brains often filter them out as mechanical noise.
My advice: Use these tools to build your database, but don't forget to "update your BIOS". Unless you retune your brain to treat isolated vowels as Signal instead of Noise, the software won't run smoothly.
beautifully written advice!
a lot of focus is on data, but when it comes to conversation and pronunciation, a lot of the data seems to be missing the point.
pronunciation is vital to understanding.
However, as a loan officer living in Japan, I see many people master the "Software" but fail because of the "Hardware" (Audio OS).
In Japanese, vowels (a, i, u, e, o) are standalone signals. We process them as language. But I've read that Western brains often filter them out as mechanical noise.
My advice: Use these tools to build your database, but don't forget to "update your BIOS". Unless you retune your brain to treat isolated vowels as Signal instead of Noise, the software won't run smoothly.