๐ฅOptimize how you learn grammar๐ฅ
My method + the ultimate list of ๐ฏ๐ต Anki decks to boost grammar retention.
Hello again!
I often receive messages from people who struggle learning grammar, asking me how I manage to remember all the different structures ๐ตโ๐ซ.
To help all of you get rid of this problem, I have written this post to explain the only method that has worked for me to overcome this obstacle in my Japanese studies ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ.
Article structure:
First, I tell you about my personal experience studying grammar.
Then, I explain how to use Anki to fix this.
Finally, I share with you an incredibly helpful list of ๐ฏ๐ต Anki decks (N3-N1) so you can apply this method instantly.
Soโฆ letโs get started! ๐ช
๐ญMy grammar struggles๐ญ
When I started studying for the N3 in October 2021, I felt overwhelmed about the sheer amount of grammar points that my ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผ copy contained. As I went through the book, I realized that I was forgetting the grammar points that I had previously learnt. At the same time, I did not have the time to review all the previously studied lessons every day ๐ฅ.
I was very frustrated, and I thought that I was not smart enough to learn Japanese ๐. But I was determined not to give up. Thus, after my good experience learning vocabulary with SRS, I decided to solve my problem by reviewing new grammar structures on Anki. And it actually worked really well, with my N3 score reaching a whopping 180/180! ๐
๐ ๏ธImplementing the method๐ ๏ธ
Using Anki to review grammar is actually very simple.
You will first need to decide what textbook/grammar list you would like to follow and find its respective grammar deck. If it doesnโt exist, you can create your own notes all at once or as you encounter the grammar points.
Grammar note contents:
The target grammar structure & its syntax (these can be in separate fields).
One (or several) example sentence(s) to help you grasp how it is used.
An explanation (in ๐ฌ๐ง or ๐ฏ๐ต) of the grammar point. This can just taken from your textbook or a grammar dictionary.
Tip: having two explanations (a brief one and a more detailed one), can speed up your reviews, since you can check the long explanation only when you fail the card and need more context.And thatโs basically it! Now you just need to study the notes that correspond to the grammar points you learnt that day and keep reviewing them on Anki like vocabulary cards. ๐
Of course, if you are doing immersion the same principle applies, you will just have to study the grammar points that you encounter in the wild. ๐
Card template examples
For reference, here are two examples of cards that I often use:
Top: my personal decks.
Bottom: ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผๆๆณ shared decks.
๐Recommended ๐ฏ๐ต grammar decks๐
Now, I know that few people have time these days to make their own Anki cards from scratch.
Therefore, to make your life easier, I have compiled a list of decks that you can use to start using this study method. Of course, you can modify them according to your needs.
Now, there are three types of decks in this list:
The best decks for the rigorous ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผ series (N3-N1).
My personal decks that I have carefully built throughout the last 2 years as I encountered expressions from other JLPT prep materials. These are a mix from cards I created myself and from shared decks.
Two grammar โbanksโ that contain most of the grammar structures you might encounter throughout your studies.
๐N3 decks๐
ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผๆๆณN3 (Ankiweb): first grammar deck that I used. It contains all the example sentences for each of the structures presented in the book.
My personal N3 grammar supplemental deck: contains the grammar points I did not know after doing ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผ from the drill books:
ใใชใซ๏ผใใชใซN3ๆๆณ.
ใใฏใผใใชใซๆๆณN3.
ใใชใซ๏ผๆจก่ฉฆN3.
ๆฐใซใปใใ500ๅN3.
๐N2 decks๐
ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผๆๆณN2 (Ankiweb): contains all the example sentences for each of the structures presented in the book.
My personal N2 grammar supplemental deck: contains the grammar points I did not know after doing ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผ from the drill books:
ใใชใซ๏ผใใชใซN2ๆๆณ.
ใใฏใผใใชใซๆๆณN2.
ใใชใซ๏ผๆจก่ฉฆN2.
ๆฐใซใปใใ500ๅN2.
ใใฟใผใณๅฅๅพนๅบใใชใซN2.
ใฌใใซใขใใใใฌใผใใณใฐๆๆณN2.
๐N1 decks๐
ๆฐๅฎๅ จใในใฟใผๆๆณN1: based off a spreadsheet I found a while back that contains all the example sentences in the book.
My personal N1 grammar supplemental deck: contains grammar points I did not know from the following drill books (most notes include in the โIDโ field what specific exercise the expression appeared):
ใใชใซ๏ผใใชใซN1ๆๆณ.
ใใฏใผใใชใซๆๆณN1.
ใใชใซ๏ผๆจก่ฉฆN1.
ๆฐใซใปใใ500ๅN1.
ใในใ็ทๅๅ้ก้N1.
ๆฅๆฌใใใใใๆฅๆฌ่ชใใใใ.
N1ใใฎไธๅใงๅๆ ผใใ (ๆฅๆฌ่ชใฎๆฃฎN1).
๐ Bonus: Grammar โbanksโ ๐
Both of these decks are great to save some time making cards for grammar points that you encounter when studying:
Monolingual deck (sent to me by the awesome rubygagotoku on Instagram): explanations are solely in Japanese. It contains several example sentences per grammar point.
Japanesetest4you (Ankiweb): one example sentence per card, extracted from the well-known site of the same name. The explanations are in English.
Congratulations for making it to the end! ๐With this, you have all the necessary tools you need to boost your grammar retention! ๐
โAlso, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to post a comment down below and I will make my best to help you ๐.
See you soon with more valuable content,
~๐ฝ๐๐๐๐
Remarks
1๏ธโฃ My card templates are optimized for dark mode. This can easily be changed by modifying the CSS colors.
2๏ธโฃ The notes I create usually include in the โIDโ field in what specific exercise the expression appeared.
It is pretty intuitive, but just in case here is the notation & some examples:
๐ใใชใซ๏ผใใชใซๆๆณ: section_no.question_no, i.e. 2.10.
๐ใใฏใผใใชใซๆๆณ: drill_no.exercise_no.question_no, i.e. 25.2.3.
๐ใใชใซ๏ผๆจก่ฉฆ: drill_no.exercise_no.question_no, i.e. 10.4.1.
๐ๆฐใซใปใใ500ๅ: week_no.day_no.question_no, i.e. 3.5.320.
๐ใใฟใผใณๅฅๅพนๅบใใชใซ: drill_no.exercise_no.question_no, i.e. 25.2.3.
๐ๆฅๆฌใใใใใๆฅๆฌ่ชใใใใ: section_no.chapter_no, i.e. 8.3.
3๏ธโฃ I checked the cards for mistakes, but there might still be some typos in the explanations and cards with missing IDs. If you spot any, please let me know and I will correct them!๐
Hey! Mind sharing your Chinese grammar decks too? Appreciate it!
Did you study 1 card per grammar point (multiple sentences per card) or multiple cards per grammar point (1 sentence per card)