Sequence of podcast scripts

[batmanbury]

I've found myself stopping and starting podcasts, playing for a few short seconds, pausing and scrolling backwards almost endlessly. Sure, I'm doing this for my own benefit, and everyone learns at their own speed, on their own terms...BUT

The biggest complaint I have is the sequence of English and Japanese during conversations following the phrase 「今度は、英語が入ります。」

It seems in pretty much every one of the half English half Japanese lessons, the Japanese sentence is said first, then the English (and each time only once). For me this is a little irritating because I don't completely understand what I'm repeating (after I pause it) until after I hear the English. Then, I say "Ahh..." and usually need to rewind in order to hear the Japanese again because the next sentence is already on the way.

If, during these half and half conversations, the ENGLISH came first, I would know exactly what I'm about to repeat as it's being said. Then, I could simply pause and repeat it to myself over and over, or write it down easier, all without having to rewind.

Also, there's really something to be said for "Pimsleur-style" spaced repetition. I'm sure many here have gone through the Pimsleur lessons, possibly as a beginner, and found some usefulness to it. But as you progress, it becomes very stale very quickly. So, obviously JPod shouldn't do this to the point of annoyance, but I really think if at some point during podcasts, I was PROMPTED to fill in a missing sentence that I had learned, or was simply asked to say in Japanese "the following phrase," I would feel much more engaged with the speakers.

What does everyone think?

[Psy]

Interesting argument. I can imagine there are benes on either side of it, however since that is a line you hear in pretty much every lesson, it shouldn't be very long before you learn to recognize it and no longer require any kind of translation. Personally, the choice to have Japanese first is one I prefer because, as with watching Japanese movies with English subtitles, if you have a translation first, your mind is already prompted on the kinds of words you'll be hearing before they're spoken, shifting you into a mode where you're interpreting English into Japanese as opposed to simply listening and understanding Japanese straight out. In real life there will be things you don't understand, without translation, and you will have to survive based on the bits and pieces that you are able to grasp. You can learn either way, of course, but that's just my reasoning.

Spaced repetition via Pimsleur does work amazingly well, but you're right: it's horrifically boring. Also, the publisher hugely exaggerates the amount that it teaches, not to mention that I haven't once heard a conversation that remotely resembles anything they provide in their dialogues. It is useful insofar as vocabulary & basic sentence patterns, and for what I like to call "priming" you into a language so that taking more in-depth studies won't end up intimidating the bejeezus out of you.