Comprehensible input
Comprehensible input for Japanese, with podcasts
Comprehensible input is a simple idea: you learn a language by understanding messages in it. Not by memorizing rules first, but by listening to a lot of Japanese that you can mostly follow. Podcasts are one of the best sources for it.
What makes input “comprehensible”
You understand most of it, from the words you know, the context and the speaker's tone, but not all of it. If you understand nothing, it is noise. If you understand everything, there is nothing new. The useful zone is in between. The idea comes from the linguist Stephen Krashen.
Why podcasts work well
Many Japanese podcasts are made for exactly this: hosts who speak slowly, use simple words and talk about everyday life. Nihongo con Teppei, Comprehensible Japanese and Easy Japanese Listening are well-known examples, and all of them are in Wakatta.
When it stops being comprehensible
Every listener hits sentences they can't follow. In a normal podcast app, you let them go. In Wakatta, you can hold a word, show the translation of a line, or tap “I got lost” to keep the sentence for later. A sentence you couldn't follow becomes input you can use.
Find your level
Shows in Wakatta are tagged from N5 to N1. A rule of thumb: if you understand less than about half of an episode, try an easier show. If you understand almost everything, move up a level.
Find a podcast you can almost follow
Free to start, no account needed. iOS and Android.
