This page will give you a list of apps that have helped us get through Japanese :)
Recommenders:
Aya Sakonju
Kiely Quinn
1) Jisho
Computer website.
Search definitions.
Search in hiragana, kanji, or romaji.
Find example sentences.
Stroke order guides for kanji.
2) Satori Reader
Phone app.
Read free articles (membership is required to access more).
Hear each sentence read to you.
Click on nouns, verbs, particles, etc. to read the definition and grammar points.
Add new words to a study set to quiz yourself.
3) Memrise
Phone app.
Similar to Duolingo-- daily engagement with language learning.
Choose your level and complete lessons daily.
Set up daily reminders to engage with the app, ensuring that you're exposed to Japanese content every day.
4) Duolingo
Phone app.
Review what you've already learned.
Keep yourself engaged with Japanese language learning over breaks and holidays.
Set a manageable goal for yourself and carve out time to work on lessons every day.
4) Japanese
Phone app.
Look up words in romaji, hiragana, or by drawing it with your finger.
Using phone apps to write out kanji comes up with more accurate results compared to computer websites.
5) KanjiLookup
Phone app.
Search kanji by drawing with your finger, scanning with a camera, typing it, or using radicals.
Easily access your search history or save favorites for kanji that you often need to remember.
Reinforce kanji writing skills as you write out the characters to search them up.
See correct stroke order.
5) Google Translate with imawa?
Phone app.
Read long passages with less stress.
Click on any kanji you don't know and the dictionary will bring up the definition.
I wouldn't read off of this app in place of reading from the book because it defeats the purpose of reading from context.
This method is much better than using just Google Translate because Google Translate isn't able to accurately translate casual speech. For more academic texts, Google Translate from Japanese to English is almost perfect. However, that still defeats the purpose of learning to read so using "imawa?" will provide you with reading support while helping you to learn.
5) Texting and Emailing
Obviously, this isn't an app but texting, emailing, and speaking in Japanese to your friends and Japanese professors is really helpful.
Many of my friends and I tend to code-switch when we talk to each other so it naturally reinforces certain words and phrases. It also gives you good practice with using a Japanese keyboard.
When you speak to someone in one language that person will usually reply to you in the same language. If you email your Japanese professors, tutors, and language assistants, try using as much Japanese as possible because they're more likely to respond back in Japanese. This gives you a chance to pick up how they phrase things and learn new words. However, be careful because sometimes phrases professors use isn't appropriate for students to use.
5) ClassUp
Keep a copy of your schedule as a screensaver with classes written in Japanese so it becomes ingrained in your memory.
6) Rikaikun
Read any Japanese website by hovering your cursor on kanji, word, and particle to get the definition.
It doesn't work on:
Word
PDF
Images
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