Presented two weeks ago, I am pleased to announce the release of the new vocabulary tool for Japan-Activator.com.

Operating on the same principle as the vocabulary module available for JA Sensei on Android, this new tool integrates a spaced repetition system (SRS). This scientific system optimizes and personalizes your revision sessions so that you never forget a word, even months or years later. When the tool detects that you have not reviewed a word for some time (calculated according to your past results), you are quizzed again to reactivate the item in your memory.

In any case, if you don't what the SRS is, read the Help section in the tool to get more explanation. This is an extremely effective way to learn your vocabulary without wasting time.

Several categories of words available

The tool contains a little more than 5,400 words for now, already enough to reach a very high lexical level. The categories currently available are:

• Lessons: Learn words encountered in lessons
• Theme: the words sorted by themes facilitating targeted learning (such as for a personal passion, a professional need, etc.)
• JLPT: If you pass the JLPT exam, the N5 level is 100% available and N4 very soon (the others already contain a few hundred words, but they are not finished yet, we're working on them)
• Reading Assistant (JA Audiobook): prelearning the words will drastically improve your aural comprehension
• Review: a special category that includes all the words you need to brush up today. You don't need to navigate through different lists to make your revisions any more.

Know that if you learn the vocabulary of a category (eg lessons) which also exists in another category, the tool detects it and you never learn the same word twice. In other words, when you learn words by topics, for example, you also improve your statistics for JLPT or other categories. This truly represents your personal mastery of the Japanese vocabulary.

Integrate your private notes and comments

Although many words already have comments that give more explanation, you can also add your own comments. Some people will write down, for example, a mnemonic note to remember the item more easily. Feel free to use this new feature according to your needs.

If you include a comment in the words found in the lessons, your comment will also appear when you open the vocabulary page in each lesson.

Synchronization with JA Sensei

If you have JA Sensei for Android, know that you will be able to track your vocabulary statistics in this new tool on the website, too. Both are perfectly synchronized, and you can learn on Monday on Japan-Activator and the next day on JA Sensei maintaining your overall progress. Remember to log into your account on JA Sensei and to use the "Synchronization" feature in the application settings.

Statistic page

The statistic section of the tool gives an overview of items learned. The number of words you don't know yet is shown in gray.

By learning a new word, it will turn red. It doesn't mean that anything negative. Red is quite normal, it indicates that you know the word but not very well. This word will appear in your review session the next day, and the revisions will gradually be spaced out if you answer right. It will then become orange, then green after a few weeks.

• Red: words to revise within 3 days
• Orange: words to revise within 4 to 10 days
• Green: words to revise by more than 10 days

Of course, the goal is to turn the words green. But each passing day increases the risk that you forget your vocabulary, and green words will turn orange again and then red. This is normal, no need to revise the words too soon if you already know them. The tool will manage your review sessions automatically.

Access to the tool:

• From the "Vocabulary" button in the menu
• By clicking on this link