What is JLPT and how to pass it?
If you want to learn more, than keep on watching!
皆さん、こんにちは！Welcome to my channel Nihonno Neko!
Here we talk all about Japanese Language learning and today’s topic is JLPT or Japanese Language
Proficiency Test.
Now what it is, is the standardized test that has 5 levels in it, fifth being the easiest
one and first being the most difficult one.
And all of those tests have 5 section in them.
So Kanji, grammar, vocabulary, listening and reading.
So in order to pass JLPT you need to make sure you are covering all of those 5 sections.
Now the books that I personally like to use are these ones (Nihongo Sou Matome) and I
used them for third, second and now I’m using them for the first level.
By the way, I’m not sponsoring those books, it’s just something I use personally.
What I really like about these books is that they have interwoven information, so the grammar
that is in the grammar book would come up in the reading and then kanji from the kanji
book would come up in reading as well and so you have all this comprehensive idea of
things that you need to know.
However, if you have noticed I’m showing you just three books and so in these books
I’m focusing on Kanji, Grammar and reading.
And the reason being i feel like just drilling vocabulary never really worked for me.
I prefer much better to read the text, write down all the new words, have those words in
the context where you understand how it’s used and so forth and so on.
That personally worked much better for me.
But you might want to ask, what about listening?
So for listening I’m actually using an app for Iphone and I believe there is an equivalent
for Android as well.
I’m going to leave them on the screen as well as in the description below, so you guys
can check them out.
And what I enjoy about this app is that that is actually tests from previous years.
So you can listen to a specific format that is going to be in the test, practice specifically
how to answer, how to manage those and this way be really prepared for the test.
When you practice listening this way, really practice taking notes.
Because listening by itself is one thing, taking notes while you are listening and focusing
on what is going on completely different thing.
So especially for the second and the first level, taking notes while listening - really
really important skill.
Speaking of apps, would you want me to create a separate video about Japanese language related
apps?
Let me know in the comments below!
Now the next topic that I want to talk about is Grammar.
I know I mentioned this book before, however I believe the book alone is not enough.
Because it has really brief explanation and not a lot of practice for you to actually
master the grammar and at the end of the day you want to make sure the grammar to make
sure that you not only pass the test, but actually learn and use it.
For that I really recommend watching nihongono mori channel.
I really enjoyed their content for N2, I watched Takepan all day long and it really helped
my grammar and my grammar score was quite high.
So I really recommend them.
I know they have videos for different levels of JLPT as well, I’m not too familiar with
them to be honest, but N2 that was just gold for me really.
Another thing that you want to consider for grammar practice is actually create your own
sentences.
Because when you just have to you know to choose between two options is one thing.
When you are thinking about creating your own sentence with your own words, thinking
about what this grammar structure is actually representing and so forth and so on, that
creates much deeper understanding for you how to use it.
Another thing that you need to consider when preparing for JLPT is time.
Because some people can, you know, read the text, take some time, understand it thoroughly
and then answer the question, you don’t have that luxury when it comes to JLPT.
The JLPT designed the way, that you just read text once answer the question and move on.
Otherwise you just not gonna be able to complete all the text and therefore not have enough
points.
So my suggestion here is two fold.
One, in the books that I recommended after each chapter they have a practice test of
15 minutes, where you can see if you are completing everything in time.
But!
I also want to stress that having a small test of 15 minutes is one thing, having giant
test like JLPT, which is a marathon of several hours, especially when it comes to second
and the first level is a completely different monster.
And so staying focused for that amount of time is very different from staying focused
for 15 minutes.
So my suggestion here, especially when it comes close to JLPT, to the time that you
going to take the test, take the time and spend hours reading.
You can also practice using official workbooks available on the JLPT.JP so you can actually
check if you are able to concentrate for that long.
And this leads me perfectly to my next point, which is this: make sure you have a watch
with you!
You want to know how much time you have left, where you are with your stuff.
I certainly have been guilty of, you know, letting too much time pass even when I had
the watch and than scrambling in the very last moment and then writing just to have
those answer sheets filled and then failing and then...You know, I was able to pass N2
only from the third try, which is embarrassing, but that’s what it is.
And than on the third try it was like “Yaay”, so I hope you do better than me.
If you have any questions leave them in the comments below, I would love to hear from
you!
I have a video every Sunday for you and I see you next Sunday than! じゃあね！
Really have them in the consent, in the content...
Thanks for watching and Good luck with JLPT!