Project End - Conclusions

For the final week in this kanji, here are my learning totals: I managed to learn to read all of the kanji at a solid level, which I am very proud of. However, the kanji I can write still only amount to 96. (A reminder that this is out of 124).

The project as a whole, I feel has been very successful for my learning of kanji, for the simple fact that I actually learned some and that I set aside some time in which to do this. Being a student who normally does a minimal amount of study, this amounted to a big step forward to me, and has set up habits which I hope to continue into the future.

In terms of technology, I have a few different observations. As a learner of Japanese, I find it easier to memorise characters if I write them down multiple times while I am learning them. However, this is a technique more suited to pen and paper than to an application. Also, while the kanji learning apps out there are many and varied, most of them amount to little more than to 'stimulus, response, reinforcement' on an often-times predetermined set of kanji. It is imperative, therefore, that prospective users of this software choose an application that suits their preferences and needs. For my part, I found that the software, while useful for storing lists of kanji to learn, grew a little monotonous with continuous use, which is why I included my pen-and-paper approach into my challenge.

My engagement with the project, at times sporadic, could have admittedly been a little higher, as evidenced by my abandonment of my promised written passages. Though this is lamentable, it is also a symptom of my previous attitude to learning, which could be encompassed by the simple mantra of 'study for exams'.

Finally, I must acknowledge that the learning of kanji can only get easier, as I master more of the basic ones, and learn to differentiate the similar looking ones. And although this is an ongoing process, which will continue probably after I have finished university, I know that every kanji I cross off my 'to-learn' list brings me one step closer to being fully literate in Japanese.