How to use Free Software to learn Japanese, and more.

Our Immersion Learning Toolset

February 03, 2021 — Tatsumoto

Ajatt-Tools

At Ajatt Tools we're developing tools to help you connect with another language. We hope that they and other libre projects developed by the community will help you in your language learning journey.

Overview

Technical instructions on this site are intended for GNU/Linux users, but most of the software I list here is cross-platform. If you're not using GNU/Linux yet, you should be able to use the tools on any OS in the meantime while you're preparing to switch.

Our software recommendations

I deliberately advocate for free/libre software. Quitting Windows is like quitting tobacco. Tobacco is bad for your health. Likewise, non-free software is bad for your freedom.

The point of free software is that we have control of our software and our computing. A system with a back door doesn't qualify.

If you think you can't be bothered to install the GNU operating system, bear in mind that it only takes about 20 minutes to do so. It will take you years to master a foreign language, so it's a good investment.

GNU/Linux

GNU/Linux is a suitable replacement for Windows or macOS.

I favor Arch Linux and distributions based on it, but any other distro is fine as long as it's not overly complicated or difficult to use as a daily driver. If you've ever used a Debian-based distro, you know how slow the package manager is. On the other hand, the package manager used in Arch-based distros is one of the fastest package managers out there.

Possible options:

  • Arch Linux. The default installation is very minimal, installation steps have to be executed manually.

  • EndeavourOS. A successor of Antergos, a lightweight distro close to Arch Linux. A really good, user-friendly starting distro. Video.

  • Garuda Linux. A rolling release distro based on Arch Linux with Chaotic AUR enabled by default.

  • Manjaro. Aims to be user-friendly and offers lots of goodies out of the box.

  • Parabola. A fully free/libre equivalent of Arch Linux.

    Parabola doesn't ship proprietary firmware and uses the Linux-libre kernel. Devices that require proprietary blobs will not function. A lot of WiFi-cards on laptops are affected.

    Software packages tend to be outdated, especially the kernel.

  • Hyperbola. A distro that aims to be stable and secure, as well as fully free/libre.

  • Artix. Arch Linux without systemd.

Alternatives suggested by our members:

Also read: Reviews of All Linux Distros.

Anki

Create, manage and review flashcards to remember the words, phrases, and grammar points you've studied.

mpv

mpv is a video player with support for user-scripts.

mpvacious

Make instant Anki cards from movies and TV shows.

impd

Passive listening is one of the key components of the AJATT method, so it is useful to make it as convenient as possible. impd is a small tool for managing background immersion. Create condensed audio, automatically add episodes of TV shows you've watched to your mpd playlist, and archive audio that you've listened to enough times.

GoldenDict

Goldendict is a libre dictionary program for GNU+Linux and other operating systems. It offers an easy-to-use interface and supports a variety of dictionary formats. It allows users to quickly look up words and phrases, create Anki flashcards, and can especially help during and after the monolingual transition.

GoldenDict can be enchanced by adding external programs as dictionaries and displaying their output in the search results.

qolibri

A QT-based EPWING dictionary viewer. Qolibri lets you search multiple EPWING dictionaries at the same time, so for any word you look up you get a list of different definitions. Since using a Japanese to Japanese dictionary can be difficult for beginners being able to see one word described in multiple ways makes it easier to understand what it really means.

External resources:

crqt-ng

Yomichan

Look up unknown words with the hover of a mouse and make Anki flashcards with a single click.

ames

Anki Media Extractor Script. Allows you to easily add screenshots and audio recordings to your Anki cards.

subs2srs

A small utility that allows you to mass-generate Anki decks based on your favorite foreign language movies and TV shows to aid in the language learning process.

Android

Having a mobile device is not strictly necessary for learning Japanese, but it can be handy. It can be used to review Anki flashcards when you're not home. You can use it for passive listening if you load it with condensed audio. Some people are even able to do active immersion on Android, though I think it's a torture with such a small screen.

Not all Android phones or tablets are safe to use out of the box. If you do own an Android device, be sure to install F-Droid, which is an application catalog for libre programs. Liberate your device by flashing a new aftermarket ROM with no Google applications. GrapheneOS is a popular choice, but requires a compatible phone. If aftermarket ROMs are not available for your device, you could at least obtain root access and get rid of Google Play and other Google applications.

F-Droid can be flashed using TWRP (or other Android recovery) or installed as a Magisk module to allow for automatic background updates.

Most Android devices can't be fully liberated because they depend on non-free drivers and firmware. These drivers control things like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, microphone, camera.

Don't buy iThings, you can't install a free OS on them. Most Anki decks linked on this site come with ogg/opus audio and webp images. These formats are not supported on iThings.

Some people would like to completely reject mobile phones because they are surveillance tools.

Further information:

Tags: guide