Need advice on what to DO while listening to audio lessons!!

[jettyke]

I am a free subscriber so I can only listen to audio lessons.
I just can´t just do nothing while listening to lessons, I always have to do something because I feel that I am being more productive that way and using my time well. so does anyone have any suggestions?

the activity should still let me focus on the lessons too.
Last summer I worked at the countryside or was helping my great-grandfather. or was listening on a bus, but right now I am staying at home so I have to do something, and damn, cleaning is so booring:(. I paint and draw and do Kanji calligraphy, but i never know what to draw, and it distracts me quite much.

[Taurus]

I go running, or work out with dumbbells - increasing the flow of blood and therefore oxygen to my brain, and consequently making me smarter and more receptive. Or that's what I tell myself anyway...

[Jessi]

If you mean like physically doing something, I think that doing some exercising like walking or running is a good idea. I often listen to podcasts as I take walks around the neighborhood

[maplewalnut]

はじめまして。

There was a study done not too long ago if I remember correctly that your brain will will recollect memories better while doing the same actions that you were doing while studying. For instance, if you were chewing gum while you studied Japanese and you had a test the following day, "they" suggested that you should chew gum while writing the test as well. This is why I've avoided doing nothing but having a drink and sitting at my computer desk to study. The last method I need to help remember vocabulary is to go hop on to the treadmill That being said, everyone has different study habits, so whatever works for you

I wouldn't consider sitting there and listening to audio lessons unproductive. You should try listening and writing down the characters while they go through the the pronounciations slowly--at least that's what I would do. Unless I felt I needed to do something else while studying, but I'm an extremist so if I study, I'm sitting at my desk studying...trying to avoid all the distractions of my computer at the same time

Good luck, jettyke-san.

[Taurus]

This is why I've avoided doing nothing but having a drink and sitting at my computer desk to study. The last method I need to help remember vocabulary is to go hop on to the treadmill

I intend to just start running up and down on the spot whenever I talk to anyone when I move to Japan (in just THREE weeks!).

[sakurakofahl]

Hi!
I like going for a walk somewhere quiet while listening. At home I usually write down the new words and when I have time (for example when the team are talking about something I already know) I look up the kanji (even rare and "nerdy" ones), research the characters' ethymology, write sentences using the new words/kanji and grammar, write in different styles (like typed or calligraphy style) etc.

[Sp3ctre18]

focusing on listening is definitely not a bad thing. I can kind of understand how you feel, but it's good to just listen.

As someone already suggested, you could also at least write down the hiragana (and any katakana) of what you're listening, both typing on computer or writing down on paper.

If you're only listening and trying to pick up what you can for listening/speaking, then there's not much more to do. If you're more serious about learning, then once you have your words written down, you can go google them and see if you were right, find which once may be written with kanji, learn the kanji, etc.

Of course, it would be preferable to get a basic subscription, because then you won't need to do all that googling. It would all be at one place, right here. They provide lesson notes and kanji close up PDFs, for transcripts, translations, kana readings, vocab, and some notes that may or may not have been in the audio. It's all there.

And it's cheap, most anyone can afford it especially if you sign up for like a whole year - it's the price of a few candy bars, a starbucks coffee, a movie at the cinema, and other *truly* worthless indulgences per month.

[jettyke]

thanks for replies.

I actually just found out my super effective method. I listen to the lesson audio file once, read the pdf through and write the kanji and work everything through, listen to the audio for the second time, and I have completed my lesson. It takes about 45 to 60 minutes for me and I remember the kanji and vocab quite well.

[Sp3ctre18]

yeah, that's kind of like what I do. I also make it a point everyday to write out all the kanji i've learned, at least, in the sentences I leanred to use them in. Some days I'll do it writing on my tablet into Notepad, another day I'll do it on paper, and some days i'll just type them out.


Just remember, if you're a free subscriber, except for maybe those intro lessons or the sample premium feed, you won't be getting those PDFs; you need a basic sub for that.

[Taurus]

Just remember, if you're a free subscriber, except for maybe those intro lessons or the sample premium feed, you won't be getting those PDFs; you need a basic sub for that.

And I think the pdfs are totally worth it. As I think I mentioned elsewhere on here, I listen to Jpod mainly to reinforce stuff I've learnt elsewhere, but there's still a lot of stuff in even the first beginners series that I'm unfamiliar with - phrases, and vocab mostly, more than grammar. Anyway, lately I've been reading through the pdfs in order and anything I don't recognise or understand is going straight into my Anki sample sentences deck and I really feel like it's helping me progress. (So, in answer to the original post, you could follow the lesson pdfs while listening, and then stick it all into Anki when you're done...)

[v4lthezeh]

I always listen while driving to and from work.

[Bissen]

I often do strength training while listening to Jpod.
I also walk the dogs or clean my room... pretty much anything that doesn't need a lot of thinking.