Hi visitor! This is the new Skritter newsletter. Look for it on the 15th of each month. In this issue: learning stats, site changes, user interview, and a contest!
Monthly Stats: Hours spent: 2,572 // Items studied: 2,233,017 // Characters learned: 47,170 // Retention: 91.8%
Last Month's Work:
Coming Features:
Definition and Reading Practice
Our most-requested feature is now online! You can now study definitions in Japanese and Chinese on Skritter. Reading practice is working for Japanese and is coming for Chinese in January.
Japanese Launches: 1/30/2010
For a long time, Japanese learners have been second class citizens on Skritter, but that's about to change. We're fixing a lot of bugs, adding content, and planning to launch on Jan 30th.
New Practice Page
We've been working on a redesigned practice page for the past few months, over which time we have ironed out the bugs. On December 7th we made it the default practice page for everyone!
Audio-Only Prompts
Definition practice is done and reading practice is nearing completion. So it shouldn't be too long before users will finally be able to write characters and tones based only on audio clips.
Added Japanese Vocab
We have added a number of new textbooks for Japanese learners. The new comers are as follows: Nakama 1 and 2, Tobira, and the Japan Times' Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese.
Continue Adding Japanese Vocab
We've added a few new textbooks recently. Next on the list for Japanese textbooks are Yookoso!, Minna No Nihongo, Progressing from Intermediate to Advanced, and the JLPT lists.
User Interview: thinkbuddha
Will Buckingham
We asked this Skritter veteran and philosopher why he was learning Chinese, if he had any interesting stories, and how he managed to be so motivated, and this is what he told us:
"Why am I learning Chinese? The official reason I give is that I'm a writer, and I'm writing two books that require that I know some Chinese. The first is a collection of short stories, and the second is a philosophy book. But if I'm being absolutely honest, I'd say that it is probably the other way round and the books are a pretext for learning the language.
I've been to China only once ... I took a jeep up the Khunjerab Pass in Pakistan, Chinese visa in hand, and walked across the border.
I've been interested in China for years, but it's one of those interests (like playing the accordion) that I've taken a long while getting round to. I've been to China only once. Twenty years ago, at the age of eighteen, I took a jeep up the Khunjerab Pass in Pakistan, Chinese visa in hand, and walked across the border. There was political unrest in China at the time, and they turned me back. In all, I probably spent ten minutes on Chinese soil. I came back home and vowed, one day, to go to China again, and to learn Chinese. But somehow I got involved in other stuff. Writing books. Studying. Getting into philosophy.
Just over a year ago, I decided to finally make good on my intention to learn Chinese. Skritter came along just at the right time, and it has astonished me how quickly I've managed to get a grip on the written language. I try to practice an hour a day, when work permits.
Next year, I'm heading to China for six weeks. By the time I fly to Beijing, I'd love to be able to read 孟子 and 孔子 in the original. But I'll settle for being able to read the menu well enough to order 饺子."
Will maintains his own awesome site that you can check out here. If you would like to share your Chinese learning story, contact us!
This Month's Challenge
This month we're proposing a challenge to all you Chinese and Japanese learners. If you practice every day between now and January 15th for at least 10 minutes, we will send you a free Skritter t-shirt. There are three designs to choose from, and we can accommodate different sizes and styles. This means no slacking on your studies, not even for the holidays!
Contenders will get an email on January 8th (one week from the 15th) to remind them of the glorious reward awaiting them. We will announce the champions in the next newsletter. You don't have to be a paid member, you just have to show your true grit and determination!
That concludes our first ever newsletter. If you have any thoughts on how we can improve it, by all means let us know (you can respond to this email). We answer all feedback quickly and would love to hear from you. Now go forth and learn!
The Skritter Team
You should add george@skritter.com to your safelist.
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