So...I've been learning Japanese on my own and have very (very) slow progress. But recently, I started using a couple of apps that have launched my 日本語 (nihongo, Japanese) skills to the next level.
wanikani
Because of the spaced repetition software on this app, WaniKani starts off at a painfully slow pace and then continues to get more difficult at an almost exponential rate. This app is designed to specifically teach you to recognize kanji which is actually a great way to learn vocabulary in Japanese. It's completely worth checking out if you're serious about learning because it will kick your butt. It gets really tough after a while because it stacks up your vocab. You might well get to your dashboard and see hundreds of vocabulary waiting for you if you miss a few weeks.
hellotalk
this app has been crazy helpful for meeting Japanese conversation partners. it puts you directly with people looking to speak english (typically from japan) and also has a translation feature built in. Very helpful!
line
Line is another great app for talking to people in Japan. It seems to be the messenger app of choice there and after talking to someone for a while on hellotalk they might want to talk on line. I personally like the other app better, but with line, you can call and video chat as well, which is really nice for working on your accent and speech.
good luck in your learning! 頑張って！
These are what I am using, if you're using something else that you find helpful please let me know! upvote if you liked this post and please comment if you are also studying japanese!
thanks for reading,
xoxo,
Melissa
Good post with interesting information! Japan is my dream country that I would love to visit! But, I don't know about the Japanese language! This would be much helpful! Thanks a lot for sharing!
They also just came out with Duolingo for iphone, which is really helpful too. How long have you been studying?
I haven't studied Japanese! But, it's interesting! ;)