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Post by 魔 on Jun 4, 2014 11:07:45 GMT
I've been using Rpg Maker vx ace. I'm making a little world to study in. Here's some of what I've done on it. At the moment you can buy the full version for $1 here(1day 6hours remaining) - link (it's the steam version, so you'll need to download and sign up to steam to use it) Steam
You can get the free lite version here - link
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Post by Jembru on Jun 8, 2014 2:03:38 GMT
That is awesome! Looks like I'm a bit too late to get it myself, but it looks really good. Does it take long to set up? I've actually ordered a game that's sorta like this (okay it's nothing like this and isn't in any way an RPG or an RPG generater.. but you CAN input your own information so erm.. yeah), from Japan. It's for the DS and is like a virtual planner, so I can input all my weekly tasks and study timetable and record my progress. Well... I THINK that's what I can do. There was very little information available on what it actually does, but from the screenshots I've seen, it looks that way. I ordered it about 3 weeks ago, so I don't expect it to arrive any time soon.
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Post by 魔 on Aug 7, 2014 22:51:24 GMT
I found this nice thing today. Video in Picture for VistaConfirmed is that Video in Picture 0.2.9 works in both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows computers that can run .Net Framework 2.0 or higher (Windows Vista). It lets you open windows that stay on top. You can resize them and watch videos while being able to still click the other webpage. Now I can watch videos as I learn words. There's also this one that I haven't tried - ontopreplicaRequirements You will need the .NET 4.0/4.5 framework and Windows Vista/7/8 with Aero enabled (also known as Desktop Composition, which is always enabled on Windows 8). Another nice thing is that you can resize the window and cut things off. Here are some Doraemon episodes with chinese(maybe) subsWith the video thing, I can cut the subtitles off. before: after:
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Post by Jembru on Aug 11, 2014 17:57:42 GMT
I found this nice thing today. Video in Picture for VistaIt lets you open windows that stay on top. You can resize them and watch videos while being able to still click the other webpage. Now I can watch videos as I learn words. There's also this one that I haven't tried - ontopreplicaAnother nice thing is that you can resize the window and cut things off. Here are some Doraemon episodes with chinese(maybe) subsWith the video thing, I can cut the subtitles off. before: after: That looks so handy. I must confess to wasting a large proportion of what should be study time, watching minecraft lets plays (admittedly often in Japanese, but also the Yogscast get an unhealthy amount of airtime on my PC). It would be nice to be watching Sjin planting flowers in the corner of my screen while I'm copying lang-8 feedback into my notebook. I unfortunately don't use vista, apparently.. JP says this machine has windows 7, so I probably need to search around for something similar that I can use. Great find as ever though D.
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Post by 魔 on Aug 11, 2014 19:29:23 GMT
The second one I linked works for windows 7. I haven't tried it. Looks like it might be better than the other, so I might try it some time.
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Post by Jembru on Aug 11, 2014 19:55:01 GMT
Oh it does! Thanks for telling me.. honestly, when it comes to technology, I just can't manage these things for myself ^^ Just sitting down to play the latest chapter of the Walking Dead but if I have time afterwards I might take a look. As I type this, I'm watching Sjin's farm, or rather, I'm listening to it. It would be so cool if I could be glancing at the screen as I type. Ah on the subject of Youtube videos and saying as this is the resource thread. Does anyone else know of Comical Reina's channel? I mentioned her to Rin last week and she seemed reasonably impressed. If you don't like the sound of screeching children, then it might be hard on your ears at times, but she's a Japanese lady living in Canada. She is raising her child bilingually and makes some fun videos where she speaks to him in English and in Japanese. It fills in those gaps in your knowledge that are missing because your parents didn't speak in Japanese to you when you were 3! She also posts her live chats where she speaks in Japanese and English, trying to translate as much as she can (although she neglects Japanese quite a lot), it's great because you already know what she's saying before she speaks in japanese, which helps you to tune into what she's saying. Then she makes tutorials in Japanese where she talks about tips for learning English, all of which are handy tips for us Japanese learners too (I've been following her advice and it's really helpful!). There are even videos where she chats with a Japanese friend... there's so much to choose from. She speaks super fast in Japanese (unless she's speaking to Tony of course), as fast as anyone you meet ever will, so it's great practice. Check her out!
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Post by lechinmaru on Aug 13, 2014 14:41:32 GMT
This is a good idea! Arigato gozaimasu! I use this to study and learn new things but you have to sign up. >_< It's very useful though. *nods* www.japanesepod101.com/index.php
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Post by Jembru on Aug 16, 2014 0:14:06 GMT
Can anyone recommend a textbook (or series) that is aimed at JLPT candidates but written entirely in Japanese, so that it's graded to the level of the reader? It's basically for next year when I start trying to study monolingually and study written/formal forms. I'm hoping to find something for grammar and ideally something with sample reading passages. I've decided I'll start from N2. I'm not planning on sitting the exam, so I figure anything important that I'm missing from N3, would come up elsewhere sooner or later, so I can patch up the gaps as I come to them.
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Post by Jade on Aug 16, 2014 0:23:08 GMT
They have some English, but the 日本語総まとめ books could work. The grammar one has English translations of sentences, but the explanations of the grammar are all in Japanese. The reading practice book has maybe one or two words in English under the passages for people unlikely to know the words but it's pretty much all in Japanese.
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Post by Bokusenou on Aug 16, 2014 2:38:47 GMT
Can anyone recommend a textbook (or series) that is aimed at JLPT candidates but written entirely in Japanese, so that it's graded to the level of the reader? It's basically for next year when I start trying to study monolingually and study written/formal forms. I'm hoping to find something for grammar and ideally something with sample reading passages. I've decided I'll start from N2. I'm not planning on sitting the exam, so I figure anything important that I'm missing from N3, would come up elsewhere sooner or later, so I can patch up the gaps as I come to them. 日本語総まとめ series is good like Jade said, but I found their level kind of low compared to what was on the exam. The 完全マスター series for 2級 was what I mostly used, and they really helped me pass N2. I would see if the old 2級 ones (for both, or either) are cheaper, since you're not using them as test prep. Kanzen Master is completely in Japanese. Soumatome has some English for hard words. EDIT: Here's a preview for Kanzen Master. The Soumatome Amazon link about has previews for them.
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Post by Jembru on Aug 16, 2014 2:55:07 GMT
Thanks Jade and Bokusenou! I'll see if I can find either of those. I did find something in the Japan Center's store, but it was a practice workbook. I might still get it, but I need explanations of grammar too, so it won't be enough on its own. Bokusenou I remember in your JLPT guides you mentioned that getting the old JLPT books is a lot cheaper, and as you say, that should be fine since I'm not sitting the exam, but I can't remember, is the old 2kyuu harder, or easier than N2? If it's a bit easier, that would mean I'll skip less N3 stuff, but harder and maybe I'd struggle a bit to much...
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Post by Bokusenou on Aug 16, 2014 4:40:04 GMT
Jembru I found N2 a bit easier than the 2kyuu practice tests I found, but maybe N2's focus is just a bit more on practical, everyday Japanese while 2kyuu was more about slightly less common words. They're both mostly the same though. I do remember some people saying that the N2 kanzen master grammar books had less grammar points than the 2kyuu ones, which is interesting. Did you try the practice questions on the JLPT site? www.jlpt.jp/samples/n2.htmlThey basically show off the question types. The "star symbol" question in the grammar section, the last question in the reading section where you have to skim a flyer with lots of info, the listening question where the question is said after the dialogue were introduced in N2. I think the reading question where there are two viewpoints and you have to answer what they agree/disagree on was too. Here are past 2kyuu tests so you can compare. www.ngoilaibennhau.net/jatest/index_4.php
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Post by Jembru on Aug 16, 2014 4:51:47 GMT
I'll check out the second link when I'm not on my phone... But yeah, I tried all the JLPT sample questions about a year ago out of curiosity. I remember finding N2 a lot easier than I was expecting with a surprising amount of furigana, but I do think they selected easier example questions to encourage people to part wth their money. I got quite a lot more wrong on N3 actually! Lol I put that down to the fact I spent the first year of studying (since starting up again I mean), studying from a podcast that was predominantly covering N2 grammar, so I possibly know a bit more specific N2 grammar than I do N3. Or I did a year ago at least. Hopefully the gap has closed a little since then! ^^
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Post by chocopie on Aug 16, 2014 17:51:23 GMT
There's a comparison of old vs new JLPT on p.4 hereI used the 2級 soumatome books for N2 (it was the first year so there were no N2 textbooks as I recall), and passed so I guess the levels are still the same? I've browsed the Kanzen Master books but I chose Soumatome over them because: 1) Soumatome had funny illustrations, Kanzen Master was all text and I find studying grammar points quite boring. 2) I preferred the layout of Soumatome - It's divided up into weeks and you study one double page spread per day. Each day has a mini test and one big test at the end of each week. No need to put any effort into deciding out to use the textbook. Kanzen Master seemed to be just a long list of grammar points and example sentences followed by a big test. 3) The Soumatome books have English translations of their example sentences and I had an interest in translation.
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Post by Jembru on Aug 18, 2014 11:13:13 GMT
Thanks Chocopie, that was very helpful. You really have a point in fact, about English translations being useful. I think that while I'll keep all my notes and write in my day planner in Japanese, I won't avoid English altogether in textbooks. I actually love how the dialogues are translated in that Shadowing book you recommended. They're not literal, but rather worded how we'd say it in English so you really get a feel for what the speakers are feeling when they use particular phrases. I've never seen anything translated so consistently like that before.
That said, after digging about I can only find Kanzen Master (nikyuu version on ebay for £32), so I'm going to grab that and the book I saw on the Japan Center's website. That book was a workbook based on the current N2, using sample questions and with key language points explained in Japanese. There's a theory book in the same series, but they don't have it. So I figured I'll just get the workbook and then I can dip into Kanzen Master for explanations of grammar. They might not match up exactly, but if I can't find the answer in kanzen Master, I'm sure you, Rin and Jade will be willing to help me when I'm stuck!
I'll have to wait until Friday though, because that's payday! Hopefully they'll both still be available. I just want to get them now so I can put them away and concentrate my on surviving Christmas.
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