It’s that time of the year again, when there’s a chill in the air, a tense anticipation gripping everyone you meet, people are already rushing to make their preparations for the big event, and the countdown begins…
No, I’m not talking about Christmas. But the Mt. Everest, Holy Grail and Olympics combined for Nihongo students….the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)!
People are once again visiting the Japan Foundation in droves, lining up in front of the overworked photocopying machine, getting their hands on anything and everything related to the JLPT.
But why not save yourself the Hassle, the Money, and a few Trees by taking a couple of these study suggestions?
KARAOKE Yes, you read that right! Learn by Karaoke. You know the lyrics by heart. You sang them over and over again when the music plays. Why not know the kanji as well? And there’s no need to spend bucks on Music21. All you have to do is surf on over to You Tube.
Why not go a step further and TRANSLATE lyrics? There are a bunch of songs waiting for you to practice on at animelyrics.com. And they have both kanji and romaji versions.
MANGA A friend of a friend told me that she passed the 2kyuu by reading Manga only. She didn’t take classes, didn’t open Kanzen Master, didn’t even take a single mock exam. For myself, a phrase I found in a manga bugged me so much that I kept thinking about it. The following week, it was one of the questions that appeared in a mock exam. One day, I was showing a page to someone who has studied nihongo for many many years than I have. She pointed to a kanji and wondered what it was. I replied readily, “Sugoi”. And I could only do that because it always appears in Manga.
There’s no reason either to spend too much in ordering volumes from Japan. The internet is full of FREE scanned manga. Even better, why not join a Scanlation Group? These are groups made up of fans which translate and edit Japanese Manga and turn it into an English version. You can study AND be known world-wide. There is nothing like the feeling of making someone happy only because you translated it into something they can understand.
GAMES Just a month to go to the JLPT and I’m telling you to play games? YOU BET! With the advent of the Nintendo Dual Screen (NDS, DS) getting hold of Japanese games has never been easier. (There are also Play Station games available in Japanese.) And the best part about it is each Japanese game usually has an English version. You can switch between versions and learn what the Japanese means without even resorting to a dictionary.
You could just be a kanji away from saving a kingdom or winning the love of your life. And pass the JLPT while you’re at it.
But I still need mock exams! Say no more. This site has all JLPT exams since 1991 to 2006. Including the Listening part! You can’t photocopy that at the Japan Foundation.
Listening part: http://www.ngoilaibennhau.net/jatest/ Vocab & Grammar here: http://www.ngoilaibennhau.net/jatest/index_4.php
But I don’t have time for any of that! How do I find out the minimum I need to know for my level?
Why don’t you VISIT - http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/Download.htm Meguro Language Center has kindly compiled all necessary vocabulary for each level and offered it free to download on their site. And if you need flashcards, there’s no need to buy 700 pesos sets from Fully Booked. You can get it all here - http://jlpt-kanji.com
I wish review classes didn’t meet just once a week. You can sit in on free Japanese online classes at http://edufire.com . And with the JLPT so near, a lot of review classes have sprouted up. You can get your class fix at any time of the week without going anywhere.
I just can’t seem to be able to memorize anything! Why not try - http://smart.fm ? It has various courses for studying different nihongo-related topics. From popular culture (not only anime but also Jpop songs!) to various JLPT levels. Including even Grammar. How does it work? Each course has its own study list.
Click on “Start” to begin “I know!” Items from the study list will be shown one by one; including sentence examples, audio samples and even pictures to help you remember. Then it tests you 3 times about a certain word. Its meaning, how is it spelled, and what does its kanji looks like. Fail once then you’ll have to go through it all over again. And you can’t proceed to the next item until you get the first ones right.
And if you’re feeling Super-Confident, you can try the ultra-fast Brain Speed Game. The object of the game is to select the correct answer between 2 choices as fast as you can. And the faster you become, the shorter the time limit becomes. Your score is compared with other game takers, and the one who gets the Highest Score is shown for everyone to see.
But if going through the study list item 3X each time is too tedious, you can just cut to the chase and go to - http://renshuu.org
My sensei told me to watch NHK for prctice, but I don’t have cable… Not a problem! http://nhk.or.jp streams it online, for FREE!
This is the first time I’ve heard of Japanese Language Proficiency Test…what is it? The JLPT is administered once a year - worldwide, by the Japan Foundation in cooperation with other cultural exchange/ educational institutions, in order to evaluate and certify the Japanese language proficiency of non-native speakers. The test comprises of 4 levels:
Level 4 : (lowest level) one should have at least 150 hours of Japanese study
Level 3 : at least 300 hours of Japanese study
Level 2 : at least 600 hours of Japanese study
Level 1 : (highest level) at least 900 hours of Japanese study
Where do I begin? You have to start with a VERY GOOD Nihongo school. It is best to have a solid foundation in Basic Nihongo before you can climb up the ladder of JLPT. And WE can help you with that FIRST STEP! The NIHONGO CENTER FOUNDATION, INC. prides itself with the most effective curriculum, Fun & Innovative teaching methods and Professional language instructors. Our Nihongo courses are from Basic to Advanced (which is the JLPT Review) —- for working professionals, students, teachers, nurses, caregivers and even for kids! We teach Real and Useable nihongo. Don’t just take our world for it, you can call the Embassy of Japan and inquire for a Japanese language school — and they will give you this number: 735-3179.
YOU: (dialing 735-3179….. ringing)
735-3179: Konnichiwa. This is the Nihongo Center, How may I help you?
I don’t need any of those. I have my own resources. Awesome! Why don’t you let us know all about it? Your idea could be the next blog entry here.
contributor: Angela Monica de Guzman, (Miki no A.D. sensei) Faculty Member She handles Elementary Japanese 1, 2 & 3 classes at the Nihongo Center Foundation, Inc. A PIJLC proud alumna, having JLPT Level 2 under her belt, she’s preparing for JLPT Level 1 this December. You will definitely see her at DLSU for the JLPT on Dec. 6