Chapter 5
Using Flashcards
You can use Dokusha as a study aid with its Flashcard mode. Two
separate flashcard lists are maintained: Dictionary Flashcards and
Kanji Flashcards.
Dictionary Flashcards
Dictionary flashcards can be created by looking up words with the dictionary, then selecting the Flashcard
menu option. When you want to quiz yourself on your flashcard list,
use the Tools/Dictionary Quiz menu option from the main reader
screen (or write a Z character in the Graffiti area). You will be
taken to the Dictionary Quiz screen.
A flashcard is displayed; you should mentally guess its pronunciation
and meaning. To check your answer, either press the Info
button or the Up hardware button, and you will be taken to the
dictionary information for the flashcard. From there, either press
the Done button or the Down hardware button to return to the
flashcard screen.
To go on to the next flashcard, either tap the displayed flashcard or
press the Down hardware button. Flashcards are cycled through at
random. You may occasionally get the same flashcard twice in a row;
this is normal.
When you feel you have mastered a particular flashcard, it can be
deleted by pressing the Delete button.
The Auto button in the lower right corner can be used to turn
"Auto Mode" on or off. When selected, flashcards are cycled through
at regular intervals without any intervention from you. You can set
the amount of time per flashcard in the Preferences.
The available menu options in the Flashcard screen are as follows:
- Show Count: Tells you how many total flashcards are in
your flashcard list.
- Delete All: Deletes all your flashcards.
- Snarf Kanjis: Goes through all your dictionary flashcards,
extracts the Kanji characters in them, and adds them to your
Kanji flashcards. Can be used if you want to quiz yourself both
on a set of Japanese words and on the Kanji characters that
compose them.
- Add Random Flashcard: Selects a word from the dictionary
at random and makes it a flashcard.
- Add 10 Random Flashcards: As above, but adds 10 words.
- Random Mode: Toggles Random Mode on or off. When Random
Mode is on, instead of using your flashcard list, the Dictionary
Quiz screen selects words at random from the dictionary.
Kanji Flashcards
Kanji flashcards can be created by looking up Kanji characters, then
selecting the Flashcard menu option. When you want to quiz
yourself on your flashcard list, use the Tools/Kanji Quiz menu
option from the main reader screen. You will be taken to the Kanji
Quiz screen.
The Kanji Quiz screen is esentially the same as the Dictionary Quiz
screen, except that single Kanji characters are displayed. You should
look at each presented flashcard, and try to remember the Kanji's
meanings, readings, and/or compounds (depending on what you are trying
to learn).
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