and all forms of the copula (desu, deshita). Katakana is used primarily to write words borrowed from Western languages.
This comprehensive set includes the 110 syllabic units (i.e., mora) in hiragana and special pronunciation for some hiragana (particles, double consonants). Also included are the same syllabic units plus several special representations for innovative pronunciation in katakana.
Each card features an individual kana character and six example words that include the character. (The exceptions are the lesser-used kana that have fewer than six examples in widespread or relevant current use.) Most examples are typically written in kana only, as in authentic use, but there are cases where words typically written in kanji, or a combination of kanji and kana, are provided. Words are selected on the basis of how common and practical they are, and are ordered by complexity level.
How to Use the Cards: Best Learning Strategies
The flash cards work on the same principle as that used to teach Japanese children their Japanese, in that they begin first with teaching the hiragana (used for native Japanese words), followed by the katakana (for words of imported origins, including those with a distinctive Japanese flavor, like bebīkā, “a stroller/pram”).
The organizing ring allows you to select and group the cards however works best for you. You can conveniently carry with you the specific cards you’re currently working on—take them to work, on errands, and so on. See more below on taking advantage of your everyday “down time” to learn!
Reading and Remembering
The front of each card shows the card number in the set, the kana character itself, and the related words using that kana. The back of the card offers you a mnemonic to help in learning it, and gives the reading of the kana in romanization, along with the related words’ romanizations and English meanings. Some cards include important learning tips as well. After you succeed in initially grasping the kana, you’ll of course place your focus on the Japanese text itself—that is, the front of the card—flipping to the back of the card only to check your progress, or whenever you get stuck and need a reminder.
The mnemonic phrase and image offer you a way to quickly remember the character and its pronunciation.
As mentioned earlier, keep in mind that mnemonics work in a very personal way. You may think up additional mnemonics that will work well for you.
Don’t forget to put the wall charts up where you’ll frequently see them. Use them as a reminder to practice and review.
Pronunciation and Listening
It is ideal if you begin to learn to read Japanese after having already learned some of the spoken language. This follows the same principle as that of Japanese children learning how to read after they’re already speaking. For the student who has not had such instruction, it is important to learn the Japanese pronunciation represented by the romanized symbols by hearing them read by a native speaker, or by listening to the accompanying audio files.
Repetition
Repetition is key in learning a language. It improves memory and fluency, builds up confidence, and helps with application. We recommend that you move beyond an isolated character and practice recognizing it in meaningful words as soon as possible. This helps develop your scanning skills, which is essential for reading.
At the beginning, you won’t know many kana, so you may not recognize the others that form the related words. Don’t worry! Just work through the cards covering the basic hiragana and katakana, reviewing the characters you have already covered, and noticing the kana you know in the related words. You will start recognizing more and more.
“Looping back” to previously studied cards is an essential part of remembering characters. We suggest that after covering three cards, you loop back to the first two before moving on to the fourth, and after covering six cards, shuffle all six cards and see if you can identify each. You can choose your own pace to work at, but make sure you “loop back” frequently and avoid “linear” learning.
Writing
Once you become comfortable reading some of the words, you are then ready to start writing practice. Writing is best
practiced on paper printed with grid-like boxes, so that you may use one box for each symbol. This helps you ensure that you’re writing the strokes in the correct positions relating to each other, and that you’re writing the characters at consistent sizes.
In Japanese there are specific rules about the correct direction and order in which to write the strokes that make up every character. The writing charts on the fronts of the kana cards indicate that information. The basics to keep in mind are:
• From top to bottom.
• From left to right.
Again, we recommend that as soon as you master writing an individual character, you move on to practice writing it in frequently used words that include it, instead of practicing the character in isolation. After all, the goal of reading and writing Japanese is not to merely recognize individual symbols, but rather to comprehend authentic texts. All of the Tuttle card sets are designed to help you achieve this goal.
Using the Cards Your Way
Try to find the most comfortable way to use the cards for you. Mix and match the various ways of learning mentioned above—listening, reading, writing, speaking—to help you master each kana. For example, you may find that listening to the audio disc, and repeating the Japanese aloud, works well for you during your rushed morning routine. Perhaps at a quieter time later in the day, you’ll again review some cards, then grab a pencil and write out the kana as you remember them. Be sure to check your work against the card, so that you can discover and fix your mistakes very quickly. Practice hearing, reading, writing, and speaking until you are confident you know the kana by heart—practice makes perfect! Above all, don’t forget the essential practice of “looping” (see above).
You can choose your own pace at which to work, setting a target to learn the kana at a speed that suits you. But try not to go too fast or slow—trying to do too much too soon will cause confusion and may result in forgetting the contents of some cards previously learned in the rush. An overly cautious approach may cause you to forget the contents of some cards between review sessions. Find the best balance for you.
There’s a reason that flash cards have been used as a key tool in Japanese learning: they really work. But you need to put in the time; frequent review of the cards will definitely speed up your learning process. These cards are easy to carry around, so try to take advantage of your “down time” to review the kana—and if you don’t have a pencil handy, just use your finger to trace the shape on your hand! Doing that helps to tune your mind to Japanese, and lays the groundwork for your next levels of learning.
Finally…
Learning a language is about repetition at each stage to build up confidence, application, and then moving on to learn more! These kana cards are geared towards helping you achieve this goal. You can check that you have mastered the kana cards by shuffling the pack and testing yourself on random cards. Be honest—do you know each
