External Resources

TextFugu doesn’t try to be something it’s not which is why we’ll use some (free) outside resources to help you along in learning Japanese more effectively. There are just some website out there that do a really really good job doing something and there’s no sense in trying to recreate that (mostly because it wouldn’t be as good… and it would take a lot of time away from the things that make TextFugu great).

This page is a list of the resources TextFugu uses so that you can have quick access to them whenever you need them. There’s also a short explanation telling you what each resource does. Depending on where you’re at in TextFugu, you may or may not have come across any of these (some require you to be a little more advanced!). Regardless, feel free to check them all out. They’re great!

Japanese Language Exchange / Correction

• Lang-8: This site is perfect for getting content that you’ve written (in Japanese) corrected by native Japanese speakers. Using this site, you will be writing short stories, essays, notes, etc., and get them corrected. One of the big shortcomings of learning from a textbook all on your own is that there’s nobody there to correct what you’ve written. Lang-8 solves this problem brilliantly, meaning TextFugu can assign you writing practice and you can get it (pretty reliably) corrected for free!

Flashcards

• Smart.fm: For online flashcards, Smart.fm is one of the best resources out there. People can create and share flashcards, and it keeps track of what you’ve learned (and whether or not you should review something). It has a nifty interface with audio, example sentences, and more. A lot of TextFugu vocab practice is done here. I simply give you a link and you start studying. Simple as that!
• Anki: Unfortunately, Smart.fm doesn’t always display things correctly (especially images, at least right now), so I’m creating Anki decks for things as well. Eventually, you’ll have the choice to use Anki or Smart.fm, but there are some situations where you can only use one or the other (I’ve been using Anki with the new kanji section, for example, but will port everything to Smart.fm as well, soon). To use Anki, you have to download the application. Luckily, it’s available on almost every imaginable platform! Just download it and you’ll be able to open the .anki files available in some sections.

Those are all the “resources” TextFugu uses to make your Japanese learning experience easier. I’m sure a few more will be added over time, but I want to keep things centered on the best of the best so things won’t be added lightly!