My Top Three Applications for Learning Japanese 🇯🇵

Introduction

With so many applications, videos, and software out there, it can be a little overwhelming to weed out what works for every individual.  I’ve gone through a couple of them, so, please allow me to give you a brief summary of my top 3 (and not “top one-hundred-million”) applications that are straight to the point and have been effective in helping me, a beginner, improve all aspects of my Nihongo.

HelloTalk

One of the key features that HelloTalk offers to its users is the ability to connect language learners to their target language native speakers. (ie: If you’re learning Japanese, then you have plenty of opportunities to chat LIVE with native Japanese speakers).  You can either converse via one-on-one through text or talk, or via voice rooms, which are pretty much similar to public chat rooms.

This is perhaps the best feature of HelloTalk. 

Note, however, that not everyone is capable of successfully participating in certain voice rooms as this is completely dependent on your Japanese speaking level.  This means you should have some experience with the Japanese language and writing system prior to downloading this application.  Otherwise, you may have a hard time finding language partners or connecting with other people in your target language.  You are also limited to two hours a day, so that means you have exactly two hours to actively listen to or vocally participate in a voice room before you are automatically kicked out.  For some, this may suffice, but if you need a deeper breakdown, then a one-on-one conversation with a Japanese speaker who is WILLING to teach you is recommended.

Keep in mind, there is a pretty hefty fee to become a “HelloTalk VIP member”, (lifetime membership for $175 USD, $45.99 a year, or $6.99 a month, which is equivalent to a basic Hulu subscription) which only unlocks the time limit, allows you to see other people’s profiles that visit YOUR profile, and makes your profile more “exposed” to other language learners.  Another thing to note is that some Native Japanese speakers will teach you how to speak casually and may not teach you the formal way of speaking unless you know how to ask.

Which brings me to:  not everyone is going to correct your mistakes either.  And if they do, you will get a wide range of answers that may leave you even more clueless. At the end of the day, HelloTalk is a great application to hone in on your conversational skills and to learn new “slangs”.  Unfortunately, this app tends to be used for dating by some, so you may come across several random members looking into something a LOT MORE than a simple language exchange.

Widget

Widget is a to-the-point application if you have a knack for increasing your vocabulary on the go.

Once you set up the widget app on your phone, you don’t even have to open the application itself. This is because when it is set up on your iPhone widget screen, there is a small picture with kanji, hiragana, and romaji showing a word that you are learning. 

*With a nominal fee (about $8.00 USD), you have the option of changing the time frame to which the words shuffle on its own and you unlock the remaining categories of words.  You can choose whether to shuffle the words every day, every 20 minutes, every hour, and so forth.  You can even customize your word list and theme so it’s more appealing to the eye.  I usually save words that I haven’t had a good grip on yet and include them on my customized list for study.  From my experience, this is a good way to expand vocabulary without actually studying.  Effortless, repetitive, and random exposure is sure to get your mind to remember the word, the meaning, and the corresponding kanji character.  Read that again.

Personally, what I like to do is review words on the application by going into “test” mode when I’m on the treadmill or the stair master for about 10 minutes.  The feedback that this app gives is pretty simple and straightforward:  you either get it wrong or right.

So if you’re into increasing JUST your vocabulary without necessarily “trying”, this is a great application.  

IPPO

The main focus of this application is to assist and prepare Japanese learners for what is called a “JLPT” (which stands for Japanese Language Proficiency Test and has 5 different testing levels).

Although my goal at the moment isn’t to take the JLPT anytime soon, I have found that IPPO has helped me tremendously in learning grammar and in connecting my newly learned words into sentences.  Because every learner, such as myself, can learn basic phrases or a wide-list-full of random words.  The challenge is:  How can you correctly formulate sentences and apply this to the real world?

One of the competitive edges this application has is that it is absolutely free to register and there is a community of people, just like me, involved in helping each other and helping YOU. This application covers skills in grammar, listening, reading, and the new vocabulary of whatever is necessary to improve your language learning experience.  Ever heard of Wendy’s $4 for 4 deal?  Well, this is it..  but without the payment.

Every day that you sign in, you are welcomed by IPPO’s mascot (the hippo) with a short mini-test or quiz. There is a time limit on the test (about 6 minutes).  For myself, having this time limit fires up my motivation to get the question right and to focus better.  I did some research on the side, and according to a psychologist, Dr. Shilagh A. Mirgain, the brain’s response to a countdown creates a sense of urgency, and therefore, increases performance.  These interactive tests or training are delivered to you in areas of grammar, listening skills, and reading in a format that so happens to be used in the JLPT!

You don’t have to necessarily take the time-limited tests either.  You can choose an area (Listening, Reading, Grammar, Words) that you feel more comfortable training in.   You can train at any time and at any duration as well. Notice the word “training”, and not “studying”?  Believe me, IPPO feels more like training/exercising.  It’s definitely more interesting this way.  

Scroll down to the dashboard and you’ll see where you rank against other IPPO users.  Being on the low ranks, depending on what level you choose (JLPT Level 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1), helps you realize how far behind you might be.  What kind of motivation would this give you, knowing this?  Are you going to settle for ranking at #89 or are you going to change that?

By the way, IPPO also has a discord where there’s a section to practice your kanji knowledge and share tips and useful information with other users as well.

The only downside to the app is that you need a good internet connection to use it.  Otherwise, there will be times where, for example, pronunciation of new words while training won’t be played because your internet sucks.

All in all, IPPO is a fine application independently on its own and I’m happy to have come across it.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it!  

These are MY top three applications that should cover practical Japanese without a headache.

Have Fun!

-Adrienne