Kanji Flip Review
We’re finally starting to see some decent Japanese training apps coming to the iPhone. Kanji Flip is one app in particular that I’d like to single out for it’s overall simplicity and effectiveness. If your mind works well with flash card training, you should put Kanji Flip at the top of your list.
It’s all very simple. The app presents you with a kanji. Tap the show answer button and you’re shown the reading and definition. You can then tap the right or wrong button. The app tracks which kanjis you have problems with and customizes training sessions based on this data.
Kanji Flip is a very complete package. 2230 kanji from the Japanese Language Proficiency Test are included as well as hiragana and katakana.
One thing I find lacking is the ability for the user to attach a mnemonic to each kanji. As students progress into the higher rank kanji, many of them start looking the same. A good mnemonic would further differentiate the kanji and help greatly with memory retention.
But overall, this is an excellent app for Japanese students of all levels. It focuses on the learning process without getting bogged down in application complexity. I give bonus points for its lack of romaji. And finally, the 3 dollar fee is miniscule especially when compared to the pricey Japanese learning materials from specialty bookstores.
You can check out the developer’s site here.
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Another app worth reviewing is Shinkanji.
Although you may want to wait until the next version reaches the appstore as it was submitted yesterday.
[...] Flip is a sister app of Kanji Flip, which I’ve also reviewed. Personally, I prefer to use Japanese Flip since you focus on a particular word and not on a kanji [...]