I have a problem with recognition vs. recall when studying. I can guess the correct meaning using the multiple-choice column, but I can't recall it on my own. Should I focus on full memorization first, or will the repetition eventually build my recall? What's your strategy?
This is normal. Most people have a much larger passive vocabulary (recognition) than active vocabulary (recall).
My strategy is to focus on recognition. I think that enlarging the passive vocabulary makes it easier to work with Japanese in ways that benefit my active vocabulary.
I'm one of those folks that can absorb in the short term memory, depending how memorable it is, but long term is squat. I don't bother bruteforcing it because it's too much energy and the burnout comes too easily, which is more of a step back than the expectation of going forward. Sort of like building a Red Bull gliding vehicle, but this is designed to fail spectacularly. For some reason, Japanese at a glance is simple, but the only difficult part is the load of information, which means information that would be memorized to a degree, and it's a lot to take in all at once.
Instead, I just take the passive approach, not to be consistent at working on it, but trying to be consistent with the answers. Maybe not trying to do dozens of things all in one day, but maybe a couple that I'm up for. I do try to think before I answer, just like how I have to pause a bit to get used to the pattern and the pace. I expect that to take a while, maybe even longer than I should think. Eventually something will click, and that's because I can tell the difference with what I know well, and my weaknesses. It requires patience, but it will work. Knock yourself out if you really want to work harder at it, but it's going to exhaust you while you're doing it.
