Meet the Ultimate SRS Study Platform,
Kitsun.io Shea Sakamoto (Chiba)
In the past four years that I’ve been studying Japanese and copying the study techniques of the people I look up to, what has been clear to me is that the more earnest a language learner is, the more essential a spaced repetition software (SRS) is in their independent study arsenal. Compared to frequently reading (and re-reading) notes and other learning materials, routinely going through a deck of words set up to make full use of the spacing effect is a faster and more efficient strategy to study vocabulary until you’ve memorized them. SRS are computer programs modeled after the evidence-based learning process of using physical flashcards. I have first discovered its power and effectiveness through WaniKani, a web app with a cult-like following that helps you learn most of the 2,000 jōyō kanji and almost 6,000 vocabulary words in as little as a year’s time through a gamified SRS experience. However, after living and teaching in Japan for a while, I wanted a program that I could tailor to my lifestyle. While WaniKani has been a great foundation, there were things I would come across again and again in real life that I needed to learn sooner than the Crabigator would let me. With this, I turned to Anki, which has regrettably made me want to throw my computer 8
out the window because of my lack of basic coding knowledge and my need for efficient yet still visually-appealing study materials. Even if it is a free product (with an iOS app for $25 that can be substituted with AnkiWeb), it just made more sense to me to direct all the time and energy it took towards learning something new to my actual Japanese studies. Luckily, I discovered Kitsun.io. Kitsun, to me, is basically what Anki could have been initially if it weren’t for the high learning curve. Kitsun is an SRS-based study platform that makes the process of creating personalized study decks uncomplicated while also pleasing you aesthetically and experientially. It’s cheaper than WaniKani, and is basically the smarter, cooler, and way better version of Anki. They have a 14day trial, different price plans and an annual lifetime sale at the end of each year. Incorporating Kitsun into my study routine has contributed to my motivation, flow, and overall ability to keep valuable knowledge. In fact, it is because of Kitsun that I have developed a habit of reading native Japanese material daily and have just recently read for 100 days straight— something that I have never done before (and never thought I could do).