NATIVSHARK
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Learning Japanese
Should I learn Japanese?
Should I use NativShark or a textbook?
How long will NativShark last me?
Is GENKI worth the money?
Should I learn two languages at once?
What are native materials?
Using NativShark
How should I answer flashcards?
What keyboard shortcuts does NativShark have?
Why is the audio so fast?
Can I take a break during my studies?
How do I change my profile picture?
What if I’m color-blind or have color vision deficiencies?
Should I start from the beginning after a break?
JLPT
How does NativShark correlate to JLPT levels?
Not a beginner
I already know kana, can I skip it?
What if I already know some Japanese? Can I skip content?
Extra practice
What are Review Sets?
What are Shadow Loops?
How can I practice conjugations more?
Building NativShark
Why doesn't NativShark use English-to-Japanese flashcards?
How are NativShark lessons laid out?
Who writes NativShark lessons?
Why is stuff color-coded in lessons?
How does NativShark teach kanji?
Who writes and translates the example sentences?
How do you determine what vocabulary is "useful" or "common"?
What types of flashcards do you have?
Why are there always sentences on the front of vocab flashcards?
Do the lessons contain audio?
Features and tools
What is a Unit?
What is a Milestone?
What are Daily Badges and Days Studied?
What is “archiving” and how can it help me?
What is the Review Threshold?
What is Avalanche Recovery?
What is the Comprehension Rating System?
What are Formality Markers?
What are "smart flashcards"?
Can I use NativShark as an app?
Does NativShark have a dark mode?
Subscriptions and Payments
How much does NativShark cost?
How do I subscribe?
How do I use a discount code?
Can I gift a subscription?
How do I redeem a gift code?
If I decide NativShark isn't for me, can I get a refund?
I forgot to cancel my subscription, can I get a refund?
Can I cancel or pause a subscription?
Custom Flashcards
How do I add furigana to custom flashcards?
How do I upload my flashcards to NativShark?
Japanese keyboards
How do I type in Japanese on Android? (type Hiragana & Katakana)
Linking accounts
How do I link my NativShark account to my Discord account?
I use another platform to study Japanese, can I transfer my progress?
Referral and affiliate programs
Does NativShark have a referral program?
Does NativShark have an affiliate program?
Community
  • Join our Discord Community
  • Check out our Instagram
  • Useful YouTube videos
On this page

    How are NativShark lessons laid out?

    As you progress through your studies with NativShark, you'll notice that the elements of a lesson are used in very particular ways.

    You don't need to know all of the ways a lesson is laid out. You'll pick up on it naturally. This can be a good reference though if you're curious. 

    Lesson layout

    Every lesson will have a succinct summary of what it's about:

    NativShark lessons are written by living, breathing human beings.

    Specifically, at a minimum, a lesson is written by a native speaker of the target language along with a student of the language who has achieved a high level of proficiency.

    These writers and other NativShark team members are often identified inside of lessons, and you can view their profiles:

    Target language explanations

    Imagine that this lesson is about ending sentences with もらえますか (could I please have) when you want to ask for things.

    If so, もらえますか would be highlighted in the callout color when it appears in an example sentence:

    If this lesson were appearing early in your study path, and you hadn't learned katakana yet, we would point out how to read the characters in the word メニュー menu:

    If the lesson were just about ways to use the (potential form) verb もらえる (to be able to receive), then we might put the か attaching to it in the callout accent color:

    We also have highlight colors which are used to identify parts of speech. For example, if we wanted to point out that the word coming before もらえますか is a noun, we could highlight it like so:

    In this lesson about もらえますか, I might mention that a sentence like this sounds problematic in some situations:

    For example, you wouldn't ask that if you're at a restaurant that obviously has menus. I'm not saying the sentence is correct or incorrect. It's just problematic.

    Or maybe I want to mention when you would use ありますか do you have. It's not the topic of the lesson, but it is related to the topic:

    Sentence elements

    Teaching an example sentence involves a lot more than just showing some Japanese and a translation.

    Take another look at this sentence:

    Aside from the full sentence and translation, we also have a literal breakdown of each word. These help us to better understand what's going on in a sentence, and they provide clues about how words are ordered in this language.

    We also have both female and male audio spoken at natural speed. By including two audio files, we can show that different people sometimes say things in slightly different ways.

    The formality marker to the left of the sentence provides us with a clue as to the type of situation in which this sentence might or might not be said.

    Some sentences have notes, too:

    Formatting is only one piece

    Creating effective lessons involves a lot more than making them look pretty.

    Concepts must be simple, which is why no sentence in a lesson in your study path should contain more than a single unknown part — which might be a new word, a new grammar topic, etc.

    That said, language must be natural, which is why only native speakers write our example sentences. The formality markers give clues as to the situation in which a given sentence would be natural to use. The audio is also recorded, checked, and chosen by native speakers.

    Additionally, explanations must be accurate. This is why we have a strict editing and review process. Writer pairs have had (often lengthy) discussions about the best and most accurate way to translate and explain things for every sentence of every lesson.

    It sounds like a lot of work, but our content team loves every minute of it.

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