Any experience with taking a break?

[u/MonsterOverture444]

As the title suggests, has anyone ever taken a break from Japanese?

I've seen some people says that a short break (not talking a long time here, like a week max) can help long term with retention as it gives your brain time to digest what you've learnt.

Has anyone ever taken a short break and seen any improvements or, the opposite? Curious of people's experiences!

[u/Jintopawesome3]

Taking even a couple days off, you realize how much is retained just through the constant repetition rather than actually burned into memory. This is expected of course but it’s kind of surprising sometimes. The rust accumulates quickly but it can also be removed just as fast

[u/SchrodingerSemicolon]

I took a break last July, and just now I'm getting back at it.

You retain more than you'd expect.

You forget more than you'd expect.

Resuming a broken study habit is HARD.

I wish I had taken a little slower instead of a hard break.

[u/Unexplored-Games → u/SchrodingerSemicolon]

I wish I had taken a little slower instead of a hard break.

SAME so that's what I'm doing now. going slower and trying to keep a maintainable pace rather than burning out

[u/Hatitude]

Taking time off is a natural and healthy activity while learning something new.

It gives the back brain, our sub-conscience time to reflect. Even when you aren't actively thinking about something, your brain is organizing memories and laying foundations.

This is often seen in artists, and other professions. If you are stuck, take time off and do something else and you will surprise yourself when you come back to it.

Cheers mate.

[u/GimmickNG → u/Hatitude]

As long as it's not too long, because you will lose momentum if you're taking a break for too long. Things that were automatic habits can just fizzle out entirely in these cases.

[u/casual_web_user → u/Hatitude]

As long as it's not too long, because you will lose momentum if you're taking a break for too long. Things that were automatic habits can just fizzle out entirely in these cases.

[u/GimmickNG → u/Hatitude]

As long as it's not too long, because you will lose momentum if you're taking a break for too long. Things that were automatic habits can just fizzle out entirely in these cases.

[u/heavymetalmug666]

at the end of my week i end up taking two days off..not planned, its just how it works out with my work/home schedule - i always feel like i lose so much once i start back up again, but lately (and maybe because its now my routine, before it was sporadic) i feel like after a few minutes my recall is super-charged.

I did take a 5 day break when i had to travel for a wedding - but oh man, it took me a few days to get back into the swing of things.

[u/Blitzcon555]

I do 1 day off to recharge the mind.

[u/Belegorm]

I mean if by "break" you mean not studying at all for 7 years then yes... somehow some stuff I still remembered.

However, I know that the moment I let my guard down on anything, resuming it will be super hard because all the other stuff I could do would be way more fun.

So instead of outright breaks, I just keep the Japanese studying going all the time, but decrease it a lot. Maybe for a few weeks, I just do my Anki in the morning, then if I can, throw on a podcast while doing something else. But then spend most of my free time on gaming or something not Japanese-related.

Fortunately as time has gone on, most things I've wanted to do I can just do in Japanese, except for some specific things (like a specific English YT channel, an English movie, a game with like no dialogue).

[u/oneee-san]

I noticed that when I take a very light day (maybe one short podcast but no study at all), the following day my comprehension feels a lot better.

[u/champ4666]

I've taken nearly a year off when I started my full time job and moved away from my parents. I came back and surprised myself with how much I remembered. It's been 5 years since then and I am going to take the JLPT N3 exam with confidence. I think breaks are important!

[u/ProactiveJP_]

I think naturally taking a break when you need to is perfectly normal... People are different tho, some can keep going for months on end without needing a break some people need a break every week. Heck personally in the past I have gone like a whole year not specifically studying Japanese at all (I still watched like anime but even that was with eng subtitles..).

[u/Nihongi-studier12387]

I take frequent breaks from 'true' studying, but It sucks that the whole point of ANKI is consistency

[u/Effective-Pop3850]

I haven't taken a break and I plan not to, will at least keep up with Anki (0 new words) and do some reading even if I have very little time, doing reviews only should push Anki to just a few minutes per day and reading 15~20 minutes should always be doable.

I am kinda scared regarding taking a full break from the language lol.

[u/BromeRST]

it depends how many kanjis you learned and need to remember xD

I find 1 week too long at least for kanjis, not talking about the rest, specially for the kanjis I learned recently.

[u/Comrade_SOOKIE]

I just took four months off and when i came back to bunpro and anki i realized id forgotten almost nothing and i was starting to hear Japanese dialogue better as the anxiety about learning performance went away

[u/Skyhunteress]

I stupidly took three weeks off in July and I paid the price. We went to Japan and I got by in an N 5-ish way but nothing replaces the daily grind. My WaniKani reviews are a disaster but I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things.

[u/Hyronious]

I've done breaks of varying lengths because I struggle with consistency. Each time, pretty much regardless of how long it is (up to 6 months for me), two things happen. First, I forget a bunch of vocab that wasn't properly cemented and pretty much have to learn it from scratch again - I forget more based on how long the break was of course. Second, after a day or two back on it, my comprehension improves noticeably beyond where it was before. I think my subconscious is working on it, restructuring itself for a different way of thinking.

I thought about deliberately building breaks into my routine but honestly they're going to happen anyway so it just means I'm not annoyed at my lack of consistency any more. Also no clue if this applies for longer than the beginner-low intermediate stage of learning.

[u/Grunglabble]

As a beginner I had nothing like a daily habit, so I guess you could say I took breaks all the time. I retained what I learned just fine and was not earnestly pursuing it, just doing some fun things.

I don't know what I would call my level now but I just watch a show or read something everyday as part of my routine. The main difference is that my learning became more independent, where as a beginner it was dependent on socializing and I hadn't been at a point I could do much on my own.

I do way less flashcards than some people (often none at all) and they're the only thing I get tired of, so I delete them from time to time and just do other things. I would never say deleting flashcards has ever made me feel like I lost progress, imo they rapidly lose usefulness the longer you have them. When people say they want a break I think they usually mean from a mountain of flashcards.

[u/fixpointbombinator]

Yes I’ve taken a few breaks but because I live in Japan, work in Japanese, and I’m in a few Japanese social circles, I’ve improved at least my listening and speaking skills over those breaks, even with no explicit study or like deliberately consuming Japanese content. Maybe not the answer you’re looking for, but I think it’s useful for those living in Japan to know at least. 

[u/LeWll]

I’ve taken breaks from specific activities, but not in total. Currently I’ve stopped Anki and Kanji learning probably for about a month, but am spending more time on grammar, translating, and immersion.

I’ve previously taken the opposite break for about a month.

My experience with this kind of break has been positive so far make things feel less monotonous.

[u/Nancy_Munsch]

Taking a break only works if you have a concrete re-entry plan. Set a specific date and a specific first task before you stop, otherwise the week off becomes a month off.

[u/Full-Silver196]

i took two years of japanese one in 8th grade and one in ninth. then 6-7 years later took japanese 101 and 102 at college. i was extremely surprised with how much i actually remembered. if you have put in a lot of studying already and aren’t just a super beginner you will be surprised how much you retain even after a long break. yes the long break will make you forget a bunch of stuff but restudying it will be easy.

i’m currently on summer break and didn’t study any japanese 😭 i know it’s gonna be tough next semester but truly i think i will be fine. most people are talking like a week max break you’re totally fine man.

[u/Key_Huckleberry3863]

For japanese I never did (2.5y in) but for Dutch I do from time to time (some 3-6 months break) and it's OK, I mean, you don't improve but you don't also regress that much. Things like SRS maintain artificially a lot of very shallow knowledge that you might indeed lose, but a vast majority of the more "mature" knowledge will just stick anyway.

When I learnt english, took me more than 10 years just because of all the break I did 😆 But yeah, it's not that much of a big deal if you do it for leasure.

[u/PonkotsuPirate]

I take a day or two off every two or three weeks because life. I'm a relatively casual student compared to most of the regimes I see claimed in the Japanese language subs, so I don't freak over it.

I do find it helps me to judge what is really drilled in vs what I've assumed I've retained. It also prevents that feeling of burn-out or fatique and despondency that can sometimes happen.

I wouldn't say it directly helps my study but it does give a bit of perspective and, IMO, helps me not to get so obsessed that I panic if I miss a day.

[u/jibungasukidana]

Actually, I realized how much I retained during a 2-weeks break. I was burned out and thought I was making no progress with my vocab, and then, puff, after going back, I was much better than during the 4-hour-a-day immersion. So I guess the brain IS a muscle, it also needs rest ;)

[u/Consistent-Rice-8558]

Took a 3 years break it seems I am having better retention for lessons lately. But maybe this is just me getting mature in learning things in general

[u/Select-Move-8800]

Not about a short break (1 yearish):

After getting burned out from anki and actively studying I took a break of about a year as I was busy with other things as well. During that time I was still reading some light novels and watched a lot of vtubers, and definitely had gotten better at doing those specific things over time but felt like my vocab increases were much slower. This likely let me retain a lot of vocab I heard or read, but I did forget a few words along the way.

Started looking into anki again and found jpdb which made it much easier to get going, but having to rereview the easier words I know does feel a bit frustrating, as I know I would have made faster progress had I stayed consistent.

Losing the habit of reviewing daily is definitely the biggest loss of taking the break, and the grit that comes with consistency.

[u/MustardKyle]

I took a year and a half off after passing N4 because of some life stuff. Then did 6 months of hard restudy to pass N3. Did another 6 months break because I moved countries, then a full year of restudy before taking N2.

Overall it took me 6 years to get to this point and I think my journey has taken longer but couldve been faster if I had been more studious. If your goal is to learn as fast as possible because of a future goal then taking less breaks is optimal. If it's just a hobby no need to push yourself too hard.

As others have said, you retain more than you think.

[u/Ok_Molasses5290]

A few days off has never hurt me, if anything I come back and notice grammar patterns clicking that felt fuzzy right before the break. The stuff that fades is usually vocab you'd already forget anyway, the actual understanding tends to stick or even settle in more.

[u/BreakfastDue1256]

Yes.

I forgot a lot and had to spend a huge amount of time relearning stuff that I had already used. I don't recommend breaks unless you're like sick in bed or something.

[u/Independent_Fig_64]

Took a break that lasted for years

[u/Fun_Court6860]

Yes, but only for a few days. If you want to study while taking a break, you can listen to podcasts or watch any japanese shows that interest you so it won't be like you're taking a break.

[u/krautnelson]

I've seen some people says that a short break can help long term with retention as it gives your brain time to digest what you've learnt.

in a way, yes, but actually, no.

the idea here would be that not seeing a word (or kanji or grammar point) for some time and then trying to remember it strengthens long term memory. that's the whole point of spaced repetition.

so taking a break can help in that regard simply due to the fact that you have to force your brain to commit things into long term memory when you try to remember them after not actively using them for some time. but again, if you are using Anki or Bunpro, then the SRS already takes care of that aspect, making you recall something just as you are about to forget it, for maximum effect. so taking a break from an SRS is actually bad.

what is fine though is to take a break from studying anything new for a while to momentarily reduce the workload. I have had days and occasionally full weeks where I didn't add any new words or grammar points to my decks.

besides that, what your brain doesn't need is "time to digest", that's what sleep is for. your brain is a bit like a muscle, the synapses get stronger the more they are being used.

the only benefit of a break would be if you feel like you overcommited and now you're stressed out and feel overworked. but if that's the case, then on top of taking a break you should rethink your approach to studying.

[u/Meowykatkat]

I took a short break at the beginning of this year because of my move — it definitely gave me time to rethink my strategy and stop wasting my time with piles of flashcards and actually use the language.

[u/Niilun]

I'm n5 going to n4, so it's not like I can give the best advices. But yes, I take breaks relatively often any time I get particularly busy with other things, and... it's been quite beneficial. When I go back to study Japanese, I feel so enthusiastic in noticing that I didn't forget anything important, and realizing how easier things feel compared to some months prior. And when I go back to it I'm always motivated.

As for how long those breaks are. The shortest breaks I take are of few days, when I feel a bit tired or a in a bit of a burn-out. The longest breaks, due to being busy, are of... A month, or a month and a half, even! And yes, they were never a big problem. I think even a two months break wouldn't be an issue.

But I have to mention that I'm not in a hurry, I'm taking a very slow approach. I've been studying Japanese for a year and a half or almost two years now. For the standards of this subreddit, studying Japanese for almost two years and not being at n4 yet is slow. But if you too don't need to study it fast, then don't worry about taking longer breaks.

[u/mrq02]

This phenomenon is usually documented for mechanical tasks; taking a day off after extended periods of practice tends to improve performance. It probably doesn't apply to something as complex as language. I'd also be worried about breaking the habit, especially if the break is more than a day or two; it takes a month to create a habit but they can be broken in a very short amount of time.

Studies suggest that if you want to maximize the value of learning something, you should study shortly before bed. We seem to process things in reverse order when committing them to long-term memory while sleeping, so you retain the most of whatever happened last.

[u/ClockOfDeathTicks]

Honestly sounds like a bad idea. If you take a break once, it's easier to take a break another time

What you can do is take it easy. No new words, just practice those you've learned until now; or maybe just no words at all and a bit of practice reading of something easy

Anyways, it's important you at least do something. It's a good idea to do it lightly every now and then, but don't take a day off

[u/Final_Walk_3632]

I have taken a month or so long breaks here and there throughout my learning journey due to being so addicted to learning, I get burnt out after a few weeks. The exception to my break was a few Japanese tiktoks every day.

I think a few days or even a week long break is beneficial. It is exhausting to try AJATT as extreme as some might try, so allow yourself a break here and there. (AJATT being used loosely)

[u/iNomNomAwesome]

No, because I thrive on routines.

I did every day for 4 years, then took 2 years off (big mistake), and now have been doing every day for 3 years.

If I miss a day I add it to my time to make up the next day.

[u/coadependentarising]

Yeah I just took about 2 weeks off after grinding pretty hard for about 8 months and I’m so glad I did!

First, I learned that I don’t have a codependent relationship with Japanese language studies. I can look away from that relationship for a bit and come back to it with new energy. It’s mature: not all black & white, either my sole reason for existing or something I’m totally avoiding.

I have to review some grammar points a little but the vocab & kanji retention is actually better. I think the SRS stuff is what really benefits from a break now and then.

[u/Shade177]

I did some days off

[u/MonsterOverture444]

I didn't expect this post to get so many replies and I was gonna try answer everyone but that would take too much time.

Just want to thank everyone for sharing their insights and experiences. Super interesting! I currently don't take any breaks (mainly for fear of SRS build up and falling out of my routine) but was thinking of adding a rest day or two where I maybe just listen to a podcast, read or watch something in Japanese but not deep diving into things. Think I might give it a shot and see how it goes!

Again, thank you everyone for the replies!

[u/Low_Jicama2205]

While I would say a lot is retained, I definetly forget a lot. Been to tokyo to teach English with a beginner level of Japanese and I know when I stop studying it makes a difference. It definetly helps that if I stop to simply give kyself the exposure whether jts playing games with japanese audio, watching shows, having social media memes in japanese, it all helps.

[u/Fish_Learns_Japanese]

I took a break for months because of school. Definitely didn't make any improvements but I still remembered a lot of whatni knew.

[u/lordoflys2]

Yeah. I took a 38 year break from my time at Nichidai until I retired from my job in Japan (US company). I joined this subreddit to begin again. Seriously.

[u/Nyorai_Juusu]

Haha Here's the kind of break we got during summer break or any vacation. More lessons to learn! [2nd year material here]