There was a post earlier in the week comparing learning Japanese to playing an RPG. It wasn't very well received, but I found the idea somewhat amusing. I don't agree with the post though, I think learning Japanese is more analogous to playing a fighting game (your experience may vary).
Textbooks = Character tutorials
This is where you learn your moveset in a safe environment with various scenarios available to demonstrate the purpose and efficacy of each move.
Anki decks = Combo trials
These are curated lists of strings that seem like they would be useful to know. As a newcomer you probably won't have any idea how useful each one would be in practice, so you end up trying to memorize them all just in case. Some people tell you that it would be more effective to make your own list to study, but it starts to feel like you spend more time making it than you do actually practicing.
Passive Immersion = Gameplay streams and videos
This is where you get to watch and listen to other people be good at the game. Though the permeability of the dividing membrane is questionable, you hope that you can absorb some of that proficiency via diffusion.
Active Immersion = Training mode
This is where you intently dissect and study real world examples to understand exactly how much you suck at the game. If you're here by yourself, it's usually either because you lack the resources to get a coach or because your social anxiety makes it difficult for you to find someone else to practice with.
JLPT = Arcade Mode
This is a controlled environment for you to apply what you've learned, available in various difficulties. You can unlock achivements for clearing it on each difficulty, but people only really care if you beat it on the hardest one. And even then, they may laugh at you for bothering with it in the first place. Also, if you ask anyone who's beaten the hardest difficulty whether or not it prepared them for online play, they'd probably say no.
Conversations = Online play
This is where you get your shit kicked in because the above training methods didn't actually teach you the fundamentals you need to succeed. You struggle to get anywhere with your canned responses as your opponents quickly adapt and strike blind spots you never even imagined during training. If they're nice, they'll go easy on you or comment on how well you did after the match, but somehow it just makes you feel worse. (Un)fortunately, one of the best ways to learn the fundamentals is by getting your shit kicked in online. If you manage to avoid quitting after thinking about how much time you've spent trying to get good at this one particular skill, you'll eventually rack up enough mmr to match up with the pros and still get your shit kicked in.
by jisinnimaiti