Going monolingual can be daunting, and just one look at your first definition is enough to send you racing for the hills. I swear it gets easier, but before it does here are some tips that I wish I had known before I got started. 1. Start with a simpler dictionary This is hands down,…
Read moreHere at Betterish, you’ll hear us preach ad nauseum about the benefits of Anki for language (or really, any type of) learning. But to really understand why the tool is so powerful, you have to dig in a little bit to learn what is behind the acronym. Or more specifically, the learning potential hiding in…
Read moreHopefully our article on getting yourself mentally prepared during the lead up to the JLPT has taught you how to use stick figure drawings to whisk away your worries. But even when you’re crammed into your tiny, tiny chair waiting for them to actually get on with the exam (or was that just my testing facility?),…
Read moreToday, I want to share with you a roundup of different tips I’ve found that will help you mentally prepare yourself for the big day. After all, what good was all that studying if you go and psych yourself out before you even get to the test site? So here are 6 tips to help…
Read moreAbout a year ago, I realized that suddenly everyone on the internet wanted me to go monolingual. You can’t possibly learn anything constantly translating, they said. Bilingual is a crutch that will slow you down, they said. Ten kittens die for every Anki card that has two languages on it, they said. Well I love…
Read moreKrystal’s Report: Victory is Mine! And it’s about damn time! I’d like to rub Jessica’s loss in her face, but to be honest, I’m pretty sure the combination of my straightening out my point system and her crazy class schedule are the main reasons for the win. Who am I kidding, I’m totally going to…
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Influent is a multi-language video game designed to boost vocabulary. The plot is minimal: you are a scammed inventor seeking to rebuild lost tech—an amazing 3D scanning dictionary that I would totally want if such a thing existed. By controlling the inventor, you interact with items to build your character’s gadget/invention. While this kind of…
Read moreMy father and I have bonded together over the movie The Rookie together at least 100 times. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s about Jim Morris, a high school baseball coach who promises to try out for the minor leagues if his underperforming team wins their division championship. To help them prepare, Morris gets…
Read moreHey world. I’m Jessica Jackson—late twenties American expat blogger living the shit out of life in Tokyo. I’d like to take a minute to give you some background about me, my language experience, and why I think Betterish needs to exist. First off, I’m part of that group that was exposed to the hype-filled beginnings…
Read moreAt the eikaiwa I work at, students always ask me why I like Japanese. I give them the usual polite load of crap about how it affords me the opportunity to better understand the Japanese culture, blah blah blah. The real answer? I’m not even sure I like it. I mean, let’s be honest. Is…
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