# Datagengo

Datagengo (データ言語) is a new (experimental) method for learning japanese kanji.

Datagengo is an algorimically-generated list of lessons, each containing a batch of 20 kanji and just enough example sentences to learn those kanji in context.
The crux of the method consists in memorizing the example sentences and writing them down repeatedly on paper.

Lessons are in increasing difficulty according to JLPT levels and school grade indicated in [KANJIDIC2](http://www.edrdg.org/wiki/index.php/KANJIDIC_Project)
(the JLPT levels used are the old levels N4-N1 and not the new levels, see [this document](https://jlpt.jp/e/reference/pdf/guide2011_e_02.pdf) for correspondence).
Example sentences are sourced from the [Tanaka corpus](http://www.edrdg.org/wiki/index.php/Tanaka_Corpus).

## How to use Datagengo

### How to study a lesson

**High-level overview:**

1. Write down the 20 kanji for each lesson.
2. Write down all of the example sentences in the lesson from memory.
3. Check what you did.
4. Repeat every day for about 10 days.

**Detailed explanation:**

1. Write down the number of the lesson, the current date and time, and how many times you have studied this lesson (including this time).

2. Write down the 20 kanji composing the lesson.
   If possible, do this from memory, otherwise it's fine to look at the lesson page.
   Make sure that you are not mixing up different kanji and that you know the correct stroke order for each kanji.

3. If this is your first encounter with this lesson, just read the sentences and familiarize yourself with all of the sentences and the new words they contain, and be done with it.
   Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

4. If this is one of the first few times you are studying this lesson, re-read all of the sentences to ensure you have them in mind.

5. Close the lesson's web page, and write down all of the sentences in the lesson from memory.
   You can use the list of 20 kanji you just wrote to help you remember the sentences.

6. Return to the lesson's web page and check that you wrote all sentences correctly.
   If you have any doubts on stroke order or pronunciation, take the time to check.

7. Write down the time at which you finished studying the lesson.

8. If you have the patience, have a look at the "extra vocabulary" section at the bottom of the lesson's page.
   You don't need to actively memorize this, it's just so that you have the information that these words can be written using the kanji of this lesson when you encounter them elsewhere.

The overall process takes 10 to 15 minutes per lesson, sometimes less, sometimes more. Each lesson will take less and less time as you repeat it.

### Planning your study

I recommend studying each lesson for 10 to 12 days, every day, and adding a new
lesson about every three or four days. This means that you will have 3 or 4
lessons to study each day, which takes me between 30 and 45 minutes total
(that's why I'm suggesting that you write down the time when you
start/finish!).

If you are having a harder time memorizing the kanji and the sentences, you can
adapt the schedule to your learning speed. Here are some examples:

- Slowest: study each lesson for 12 days, add a new lesson every 6 days (average 2 lessons to study every day).
- Slow: study each lesson for 10 to 12 days, add a new lesson every 5 days (average 2 lessons to study every day).
- Medium: study each lesson for 10 to 12 days, add a new lesson every 4 days (average 2-3 lessons to study every day).
- Fast: study each lesson for 10 to 12 days, add a new lesson every 3 days (average 3-4 lessons to study every day).
- Extra-fast: study each lesson for 8 to 10 days, add a new lesson every 2 days (average 4-5 lessons to study every day).

The two parameters can be tuned separately according to your needs:

- How many days you will keep studying each lesson: you can reduce this
  if you feel that the last repetitions are becoming boring/useless, but those
  last repetitions will also become very fast and it's always good to do them
  as practice.

- How frequently you add a new lesson: being consistent with this will help you
  plan long-term. For instance if you are on average adding one lesson every 6
  days you will know all JLPT N2 kanji within a year, and if you consistently
  add a new lesson every 4 days you will know all JLPT N1 kanji in slightly
  over one year.

**Note that 65 JLPT N1 *jōyō* kanji, as well as 186 *jinmeiyō* kanji also
marked for N1 in KANJIDIC2, did not have an example sentence in the Tanaka
corpus and are therefore not included in Datagengo.** The list can be found
below the batch list in the level list, in the "missing chars" column, in rows
N1a and N1b for the *jōyō* kanji and N1-9 for the *jinmeiyō* kanji.  You might
want to study at least the 65 *jōyō* kanji separately before attempting to pass
JLPT N1.

### Which lessons should I learn?

Here is how the lessons are organized, currently:

- 000 to 005: old JLPT N4, current JLPT N5
- 005 to 014: old JLPT N3, current JLPT N4
- 014 to 051: JLPT N2
   - Lessons 014 to 043 (marked N2a) contain kanji learnt in Japanese elementary school.
   - Lessons 043 to 051 (marked N2b) contain kanji learnt in Japanese high school.
- 051 to 098: JLPT N1
   - Lessons 051 to 058 (marked N1a) contain kanji learnt in Japanese elementary school.
   - Lessons 058 to 095 (marked N1b) contain kanji learnt in Japanese high school.
   - Lessons 095 to 098 (marked N1-9) contain *jinmeiyō* kanji (for use in names).
- 098 to 105 (marked N0a and N0b): extra *jōyō* kanji not part of JLPT but learnt in Japanese elementary or high school
- 105 to 114 (marked N0-9): extra *jinmeiyō* kanji
- 114 to 126 (marked N0+): even more kanji, not part of JLPT, *jōyō* or *jinmeiyō*

If you are studying for advanced levels, make sure to check the character table
below the lesson list, and in particular the "missing chars" column, to know
all characters for which no example sentences were found in the Tanaka corpus
and which are therefore not included in Datagengo.


## Why this method?