u/readerbear_app

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a project I've been working on for the past couple of years called Readerbear. I actually shared an early version of the app in this subreddit a while back here when the app was still in its initial stages.

I'm a Japanese learner myself (passed the JLPT N2), and built Readerbear to solve the problems I kept running into while learning through real content. Every feature has come from my own study experience and feedback from other learners.

Some of the things I wanted to solve were:

• Accurate splitting of Japanese text, with in-context grammar and kanji information
• A discovery system that recommends content based on my current level and interests
• One place where I can import content from YouTube, Netflix, books and more, then study them on any device
• Built-in vocabulary tracking and spaced repetition, so I can effectively remember new words I encounter

It's designed especially for learners who are ready to move beyond textbooks and start learning through real content.

If you have some constructive feedback to share, I would be happy to extend your free trial.

https://readerbear.app/

I've always thought that using video games to learn Japanese was less practical given there's no instant way to lookup a word.

However recently after picking up a Japanese copy of Persona 5 Royal, I realised it was better than I expected! The majority of the game has audio for each line of dialogue as well as the ability to open a history of past dialogue with repeatable audio. The repeatable audio is great because I can lookup words in romaji/kana based on what i hear, instead of always needing to lookup by kanji.

If a game is comprehensible enough I honestly think it's a great source of immersion, given some can be hard to put down 😅

What's your experience like learning Japanese through video games? I've seen it's possible on desktop to use a text scraper for instant lookups, but I also like the idea of being able to learn with something more physical like a Nintendo Switch.