My JLPT | 僕の日本語能力試験

As I have mentioned in some previous posts, I have been wanting to sit for the JLPT exam for a long time - in fact, I have wanted to sit for it ever since I studied Japanese at university. I remember after first year, some of my teachers said it would be a great exam for us to do to test our Japanese and also to gain a certificate. When my classmates sat for it and passed, I felt a little upset with myself that I hadn't also, but in those early days, my Japanese was quite weak compared to my classmates, so I probably would have failed. 

What is the JLPT, you may ask? It's the Japanese Language Proficiency Test - an exam which anyone can do to check ones level of Japanese proficiency and to gain an internationally recognised certificate which may help when finding work in and out of Japan.

My main reason for wanting to sit the test was to prove to myself what level I had achieved since my time at university. After uni, I took a break from studying Japanese as I felt it was too hard and that I wasn't getting anywhere with it. I would study so hard, and then at the end of the day, I would get so upset that I could barely string a proper sentence together. 

Little by little, my enthusiasm for learning Japanese increased. I became re-inspired by watching Japanese films, by listening to Japanese music, and also by watching YouTube videos of other people practicing their Japanese. Some of the vloggers were so good at Japanese, I felt as though improving my fluency was actually a possibility.

After deciding that I might be able to sit for the N3 exam, I bought the nihongo no somatome text books and spent one year studying. Nothing was sticking in my memory as I desperately tried to hold on to the week-by-week structure of the textbooks. I almost gave up, thinking that N3 may have been too advanced for me.

Then, I stumbled across the JET Programme on the net, and realising I may actually be eligible to apply, I got my papers together, sent them off, and WHAM! I was asked to an interview. Off I went - a year's adventure in Japan began - not just for me, but for my Japanese! 

I knuckled down before I left, revising and studying Japanese as much as I could. I noticed I had improved a little, until I arrived in Japan and realised how much of a learning curve was awaiting me. When people spoke to me, I found it so hard to understand them. It was like I had been thrown into a forest of foreign words. 

A few weeks later, something clicked. I could understand quite a lot of what was being said. I could read more than I thought I would be able to. I could pick up words and phrases quite quickly. However, I could barely speak with others, and my frustration continued to grow. This frustration made me want to stop studying altogether.

I decided I needed to push myself. Me and some of my friends decided we should all sit for the JLPT. Before we could get out of it, we sent off our money - 6,000 yen - or something like that. From that moment on, I spent whatever free time I had studying Japanese.

On the day of the test, I was so nervous. I wasn't sure if I had studied enough. I remember feeling as though I had concentrated mostly on vocabulary and kanji and had neglected grammar and listening practice. 

I sat down at my desk. My test sheet arrived. The clock started. I recognised most of the kanji! I knew or figured out the vocabulary questions! I understood the majority of the listening section - or so I thought... Then, grammar and reading came. The last three sections were so difficult. 

As I left the exam room, I was not so confident that I had passed.　I had studied so hard and spent such a long time believing that I would be able to pass N3. Had I studied in vain? You find out if I passed if you read a previous entry.

What would I do if I could go back?

I would buy the practice test to find out which sections I needed to work on. I thought I had studied vocabulary too much, but it turns out my vocabulary was still lacking somewhat. I also really should have focussed more on reading practice.

Has the JLPT exam helped me? 

I needed to know what level I was at, and once I knew, I felt much better. Studying a language on your own is great, but after a while, you need some kind of proof that you have learned things and improved your knowledge of the language. I am so glad I did the JLPT to give myself some closure.

I wrote this to remind myself of my experience. If anyone reading this finds it interesting, or wants to know more about my experience, let me know. :) 

Difficulties of Learning Japanese

Let us begin with my background to find out why I decided to learn Japanese in the first place. 

During the 80s and 90s, due to the bubble economy in Japan, Australian schools started providing Japanese language classes. We were taught greetings, very basic vocabulary, some hiragana, as well as information about Japan and Japanese culture. I remember we would watch an episode of a Japanese language programme which featured a character called Chibi and two ninja teachers. I loved seeing all the footage of Japan, from Mt. Fuji to the shinkansen. I remember my teacher explaining how Tokyo was due for a massive earthquake. From that moment on, I told myself that no matter how much I wanted to visit Japan, I would never travel there just in case the earthquake occurred while I was there. Fortunately, I was very lucky the two times I travelled to Japan.

After my time at primary school, and several years of very scratchy Japanese language and culture classes, I moved on to high school. We were given a choice to learn either Japanese, Italian and French. As my mother had some knowledge of French, I decided that was the best language to learn. It was only compulsory to learn a foreign language in our first year of high school, so I stopped learning French. It was only in the last two years of high school that I discovered a strong passion for languages and applied to learn French via a correspondence course.

After my final high school exam, I joined my friends for a drink and they suggested we spend the night watching anime. I had only ever seen Pokemon on television, and I doubt I even knew that Pokemon was anime. I also hated animation. That night we watched Laputa and I remember wishing the film would end. We drank on, passed out and the next morning, someone suggested we watch Spirited Away. The film started and I fell in love with it, and I remember thinking quietly to myself how it might be pretty cool to know some Japanese. Two of my high school friends who had studied Japanese for the Higher School Certificate were there, so I asked them if it was a hard language to learn. They said it was really difficult, but when I enrolled at university, I nevertheless decided to start studying Japanese seriously. I had no idea what a ride I was in for!

During my first year, I thought Japanese was an easy language. It all seemed so logical and well structured. Even after learning the first 20 kanji, I thought I’d be fluent in a year or two. Gradually I realised that in actual fact, it required rewiring ones brain completely in order to form a coherent sentence. I focused on kanji knowledge and neglected reading, speaking and listening practice. I was really good at remembering how to write kanji, and it was my strongest point. Sadly, however, I was falling behind in other areas and became so overwhelmed by the language by my third year that I chose not to continue learning Japanese at university.

I remember seeing my fellow students speaking Japanese so well in class. They were good at speeches and colloquial Japanese, while I was stuck struggling with formal Japanese. Thinking back, they were all into anime much more than I was, and had therefore learned a lot from watching it. It was very upsetting and frustrating for me, especially after having such a drive to learn the language in the beginning.

After a one year break from learning Japanese, I got back into it and decided to try and focus on my weak points. I made lists of verbs and grammar points, tried to watch more Japanese anime and dramas, and did my best to practice speaking Japanese. Once again, I felt as though it was an impossible task. I could barely say anything and when I did form a sentence, I was pretty sure it was wrong, even after spending a good few minutes trying to form it. Then there was the impossible task of learning the transitive/intransitive pairs. Not to mention the 250 kanji that I could no longer write.

Three years ago, I discovered Lang-8 and decided to try even harder than before to push my Japanese to a level that I would be happy with. I wrote myself a learning contract and agreed with myself to study hard and then sit for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N3 when I felt I was ready. In those three years I studied hard, wrote a lot of articles on Lang-8 in Japanese, travelled to Japan on the JET Programme, and sat the JLPT N3 exam. As I have mentioned in my previous post, I passed and am incredibly proud. 

So, to conclude, even though I have made progress, I am still disappointed at my level of Japanese. There have been so many obstacles along the way, and after having studied it for nine years, I am quite frustrated that I can only speak a little Japanese with confidence. I am constantly hesitating and trying to select appropriate vocabulary when I speak to people and instead of feeling inspired after having a conversation in Japanese with someone, I am left feeling quite saddened. I pushed myself a lot while I was in Japan, and I definitely made a lot of progress from having to speak and listen to Japanese every day. I am currently pondering whether I should write up a second learning contract and study as hard as I can for the JLPT N2 exam before I give up on Japanese completely. After this long journey, I would rather not lose everything I have learned.

In case you’re wondering, here is a list of the aspects of Japanese that I have found most difficult.

Vocabulary

I find it hard to determine which word is which when it comes to words that are alike. For example, words like kaishou kaijou shoukai etc.

Word Stress / Tone 

This is a topic barely touched on in textbooks. While I was trying to speak to people in Japan, I was often given a perplexed look because a word I had said had a different stress / tone than the one I had used. (For example, hashi can mean bridge or chopsticks depending on which syllable is stressed. Of course, the context would be quite obvious for the word hashi, but I came across several other words which weren’t so clear.)

Transitive / Intransitive Pairs: This is something one needs to learn by rote. After eight years, I still have doubts that I use the right verb.

This has been my learning experience with Japanese. Many others I know have much more success and aspects that I find difficult are aspects that they find easy to grasp. If I had any advice for those having difficulty learning Japanese, I would focus on:

1) learning vocabulary

2) recognising kanji over knowing how to write it by hand

3) speaking with people in Japanese as much as possible

4) writing in Japanese (on Lang-8)

5) learning grammar formulae

Update!

Oh my heavens. I have not written here for quite a while. I guess you could say I had a holiday from my blog for an entire year! An entire year spent in JAPAN! 

Yes, and I had a super time, just so you know. I guess I should have kept blogging and posted stuff about my daily life and awesome experiences there, but I stupidly didn't. What an opportunity lost. I was incredibly busy, in my defence. 

What did I do there? I taught English on the JET Programme. I also ate tonnes of yummy food, met an incredible number of wonderful, talented people who I will never forget, did a little sightseeing around Japan, and travelled to Thailand, Hong Kong, and South Korea! 

Oh, I also passed my JLPT N3 EXAM, which means I reached my goal from 2013! I must admit, I didn't do that well from the look of the results, but I'm so happy I passed it. I'm now wondering whether I should give Japanese a break for a few months, or return to my studies. I feel like I studied enough and as much as I possibly could when I was living in Japan. 

I wouldn't mind a teeny break from the crazy grammar.If that's the case, I may dedicate this blog to snippets of Japanese culture which I find interesting, rather than focussing on Japanese language so much.Have a nice day!

語彙の暗記

As I mentioned a few posts ago, because I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere with my Japanese, I decided to focus on Japanese vocabulary building rather than focussing on learning new grammar structures. I had thought this little strategy would help me out in all other areas of learning Japanese - listening, reading etc - however recently I have found it so hard to remember the vocabulary I am studying.

To do this, I made some flash cards and some vocabulary lists of words that I found interesting or applicable to myself and to today's world. For a few days, I felt inspired to study, but gradually I lost my enthusiasm and could no longer concentrate.

I did manage to absorbe one or two words - like 蛇口 and キモい and 怠け者, but the frustration of not advancing as fast as I want has been getting me down a lot. I have also become a little nervous about moving to Japan for a year and I think the fear of losing my normal, stable life here has caused me to deny my up and coming journey into the unknown. This denial has in turn caused me to avoid studying Japanese and given me an interest in other languages that I have been meaning to revise.

I remember the last time I was going to Japan, I spent a good month before my trip revising everything I could from my old Japanese textbooks to prepare myself. Once again, in the months leading up to my trip to Thailand, I focussed on learning as much Thai as I could. Those were quite short trips, and for this up-and-coming trip to Japan, I will be there for an entire year! It must be the fear of losing my current lifestyle that is preventing me from studying Japanese.

Deva has been shouting in my ear, telling me that I should just stop studying all together. After all, soon enough I'll be in Japan and will be practicing my Japanese every day! Despite Deva and his evil attempts to hinder my learning, I must force myself to study. Every word I gain will mean I will understand one more word when I'm either reading, listening or having to express myself in Japanese.

After an entire week of procrastination and filling my study time with gardening and cleaning the house, I will sit down tonight and study, study, study! I can do it! 

If you are experiencing the same troubles with your Japanese learning, please feel free to contact me and share your woes - and your advice if you have conquered this difficult stage of learning a foreign language. A friend of mine recently explained to me he felt he was completely stuck and couldn't make any more progress. Consequently he decided to stop studying and put his energy into practicing watercolour. I don't want this to happen to me! Let's all try hard and study as best we can!

僕は動機がない

ラメンを食べながら、少し日記を書きます。最近は忙しくなかったけど、何かをすること動機がなかった。書道は、よく練習していたけど、日本語の勉強はしなかった。先週ドラマのDVDを三つ買った！ちょっと日本語の聴解していた。僕は聴解練習をあまりしないので、聴解することは僕の日本語にとっていいと思っている。
ドラマを見ながら、もっと動機になる。：）

今朝、JETProgramの事務所からメールを受けた！十日までに、合格か失敗かしたことを言われる。緊張しているね！とても行きたいんだよ。同時に怖いだ。合格しなら、パートナーと犬から欠席することは難しいよ。

書道クラス

昨晩は書道クラスです！コースはまた始めたので、毎水曜日にシドニーへ行きます！前の先生は中国に帰ったので、新しい先生があります。新しい書くスタイを習う。このスタイルの名前は「隷書体」です。最後の学期では「楷書」を勉強した。楷書のほうが好きだと思うけれど、新しいスタイルを習う事もいいだと思う。

JETProgramの面接に合格する場合、日本学校の書道クラブに入ろうと思う。書道するのはとても好きです。それはリラックスのため、一瞬で本当にいるために、とてもいいだ。


ところで、日本の学校には、学生はフランス語かドイツ語を勉強しているの？フランス語とドイツ語のクラブはあるの？　僕は、勉強しているヨーロッパの言語を忘れたくないね。

何処と無く、インタネット接続が打ち切る。ですから携帯電話の接続を使ってる。：（

JETProgramの面接

今朝は僕のJETProgram面接がありました。質問によくに答えたと思います、でも僕は日本語のセクションをとても心配します。日本語で書いた作文が僕にくれました。彼女は作文を大きい声で読んでようにくれる頼みました。その後で、彼女は作文について質問をしましたが、作文を読んでいるときに、作文の意味に注意を払いませんでした。さらに、作文はわからない言葉がたくさんありました。僕が彼女の質問に答えませんから、もっと易しいの質問をしました。答えはよくかどうか、知りません。

質問はとても易しいんですから、心配しています。僕の日本語能力は彼らに見せて出来ませんでした。くれた作文の言葉を分からなかったのに、他のトピックについてだたら、よく分かりましょう。作文の文法はすごく易しかったです。：（

今日の分からなかった作文のせいは、僕の面接の合格機会を損傷しませんように。とても心配しています。

☆ENGLISH UPDATE☆

I just received my letter from the consulate telling me I got through to the next round of the JET Program application process! YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! I won't get too excited yet though. :P The next step... THE INTERVIEW! Wish me luck, guys! 一生懸命頑張りますよ！

So, how have my studies been going so far this year? Mm, not so good. All throughout the Christmas / New Year season, I've felt really apathetic and exhausted. I decided it was my brain demanding a break from my constant language study. Then off I went to Thailand for two weeks with friends. We had a wonderful time and I will try to write a little about my trip later.

So, now I am back, life is slowly returning to normal. I'm back at work on Friday, and even that mightn't happen as the business I work for isn't doing terribly well at the moment. I will be hunting for a new job - hopefully, HOPEFULLY in the media industry. If not, I will find a little cafe and hone in on my coffee making skills. 

Despite life returning to normal, I still feel a complete lack of motivation. I try to get up early, but my sleepy mind keeps convincing me that there's no point in getting up. I need to change my life somehow.  Maybe I'm still in holiday mode and just need a little time to settle back in to my world. 

In regards to my Japanese studies, I tried to do a little revision while relaxing by the pool in Thailand, but I don't think I absorbed much. Again on the plane, I tried to revise my grammar, but I don't feel like it helped. I feel as though my last post in Japanese must be really badly written... or maybe Deva is feeding me negativity pills again... grrrrr!

I'll have to study lots of Japanese in prep for my JET interview! :D

またね！

まだ十二月ですか！

皆さん！久しぶりだね。今週とても忙しかったですよ。JETProgramの申込書を先週の金曜日まで提出期限を守らなければならなかったね。金曜日の前にたくさん心配していた。火曜日に、仕事における推薦者(*)はなかったので、申込書を送る事は出来ないと思った。でも、水曜日に、リファレンスがいただきましたので、申込書を送った。合格しますように！
今日は久しく見たい映画をついに見た。テネシーウィリアムズの「欲望という名の電車」を見る事が出来る。見た事あるの？その映画を見なかったのなら、見てみてね。僕は、AppleTVで見た。AppleTVは動作してるとき、好きだよ。動作しないときに、とても立腹になる。

丁寧な言葉と砕け言葉を混ぜるのは、ごめんなさい！:(
じゃね！

* a written reference to apply for a job?