The countdown is almost up on this year’s winter Japanese Language Proficiency Test, and thousands of people residing both inside and out of Japan are studiously preparing for this important rite of passage. So, with only a few days remaining before the big test, I have one question: are you taking it this year?
Since having several of my cost-cutting projects kiboshed by HQ in Tokyo, the Mrs. has encouraged me to start taking these tests in order to make myself more marketable to Japanese employers. If a company is not willing to use their employees skills and talents for the betterment of all, why stick around, right? As a result, I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese podcasts on the train, doing a lot of mock tests, and memorizing lots of vocabulary in order to get through this gruelling two-and-a-half hour test.
The Japanese Language and The New Math
A few days ago I was looking through the preparatory textbooks at the results from previous years’ tests. The data showed the number of people who participated, how many passed, and with what score they achieved. A little further back they broke down how much a person needs to study in order to pass any of the four categories that currently exist.
Here’s what they say (source):
| Level | Kanji | Vocabulary | Listening | Hours of Study | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | ~100 (103) | ~800 (728) | Beginner | 150 (estimated) | 60% |
| 3 | ~300 (284) | ~1,500 (1409) | Basic | 300 (estimated) | |
| 2 | ~1000 (1023) | ~6,000 (5035) | Intermediate | 600 (estimated) | |
| 1 | ~2000 (1926) | ~10,000 (8009) | Advanced | 900 (estimated) | 70% |
Really? 900 hours of study and I can be (essentially) pro at reading and listening? That equates to a little under one year of study at three hours a day. I’ve been studying for two years, and I’m nowhere near that level. Perhaps this is why I suck, but still. What little Japanese I’ve managed to absorb and use since landing in the country two years ago amounts to nothing in terms of what employers actually expect from their foreign staff.
Looking only at the Level 4 hours of study, I can see the estimated number of hours that I spent learning the different 助動詞 (Jodoshi – verb auxiliaries) and rules of conjugation for all the ～う, ～く, ～ぐ, ～す, ～つ, ～ぬ, ～む, ～ぶ, and ～る verbs, not to mention how to handle all of the different い and な adjectives in the various tenses. I’ll admit that learning a language is not something I can do easily (unless it’s a programming language), but aren’t these numbers a little too optimistic?
The Long-Overdue Push
I’ve been helping people improve their English for just over two years and, if there’s anything I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that people cannot become properly fluent in a language unless they’re willing to give up using their preferred language. While there are some exceptions to the rule, I’ve seen so many people spend untold sums of hard earned money to learn a language only to give up in frustration. I’ve often thought that the only reason why my Japanese progression has faltered is because I’m not able to use it during the day when I’m at work … but this is wrong. The reason I’m not able to progress in my Japanese is because I haven’t had a real need to communicate in that language.
Sure, I’ll sometimes have a conversation with people who will tolerate my “level” of Japanese, but it’s not enough. I’m not being forced outside of my comfort zone. After two years of living and working in this country, I should be able to take the Level 1 test. Instead, I’ll be taking a test that employers don’t even care about. Consequently, it’s time for a new challenge.
It’s time to put English on the back burner. It’ll get used only when I’m being paid to use it. Aside from that, I must use Japanese at every opportunity. I must listen to more difficult podcasts, talk to the in-laws more often, and give up thinking in English.
I hate being illiterate, and I hate being seen as a “typical immigrant”. I should be able to effectively communicate in the local language just as the immigrants to my home country are expected to do. This site will remain English, as will all of the posts, but the rest of me needs to really focus on the 日本語 so that I can move on to the next stage of my life. There’s no way I’ll ever be able to provide my family a comfortable life as a language instructor.
がんばれ！ 僕は14年前に1級を受けて簡単だと思ったけど、それまでに10年間ぐらい日本語を勉強していた（しかもその半分は日本で）。「2年間でもダメか」と落ち込まないで能力試験の問題集をひたすら読むことだね。「完全マスター」シリーズはいいらしい。
うあー… がんばります
What level are you going for? I’m not taking the test but I’m reasonably confident I could pass level three right now. I’m hoping this time next year to be reasonably capable of understanding common conversation and read actual books in Japanese, but maybe I’m being optimistic. At this stage I have no plans to take the test but I am studying from JLPT books cause I like their structure. I’m hoping to move onto level 2 stuff in January.
The test I’m taking isn’t the one I need to get anywhere I want to be … I’ll leave it there
Good luck with your Level 2 studies. I’m sure you’ll have little trouble assimilating the language.
I feel your frustration, it is difficult to transition to a language like Japanese. It’s probably easier with European languages where there is some degree of familiarity and common derivation of some words.
I read someone else’s Japanese language learning experience on another blog and they noted that there were long periods of frustration punctuated by moments of seemingly sudden enlightenment. Don’t be too discouraged, just keep plugging away at it. It will come eventually.
It’s the step ladder (the sudden feelings of progress that you can’t pinpoint on extra hours) progression phenomenon:
http://blog.havill.com/2009/05/ten-good-habits-for-learning-japanese.html
See last four paragraphs of #10.
900 hours refers to 900 hours of formal, classroom/textbook study. It does not count the (probably countless) hours of homework, practice, and out-of-classroom use that is supposed to accompany the formal education.
Good luck.
Ah, that makes more sense. 900 hours would be more honest than the number of hours my employer says a person need to go from zero English to full fluency (300 hours of in-class)
Good luck, Jason. I’m sure you’ll sail through this. Easy-peasy, Japaneasy!
I wouldn’t quite say “easy-peasy”, but it was certainly a lot easier than the mock tests that I’ve been practicing since June. Most of the grammar that I’ve had trouble using effectively was skipped during the test, and only once was I scratching my head during the listening test.
That said … now that this one test is over, it’s time to start studying for the very same level come this June
Gotta love it when test levels are moved down to accommodate the realities between JLPT 1 and 2….
Actually, the new test level is to address the proficiency jump between ３級 {san kyū} and ２級 {ni kyū}, not two and one. And the highest level, level one, starting next year, will be made slightly harder than the old １級 {ikkyū}.
This is the last year to take the １級, ２級, ３級, and ４級. Starting next year, the levels will be prefixed with an “N” to designate that the skill level does not correspond to the old levels. (Does the “N” stand for “new?” I don’t know):
Ｎ１級，Ｎ２級，Ｎ３級，Ｎ４級，Ｎ５級
Thanks for the clarification. If this is the case, then I should be able to try for Ｎ３級 this coming June, and Ｎ２級 six months later.
Well … that’s the idea, anyways. Whether it’s actually doable or not is something that I’ll need to strive for
The hours published by JLPT are in fact the number of study hours required to pass the test and have nothing to do with ‘class hours’..
I’ve been working for the International Education Center since 1992 in the language school section and I can assure you that the number of hours published is complete and absolute nonsense. Over the years we’ve encouraged JLPT to publish more representative study hours and can only come to the conclusion they resist to do so as it may discourage the number of people taking their test – the test is a cash cow so the deception continues.
Our research published in 2004 outlined the realistic number of hours required to satisfy the level 1 test. I don’t have the numbers in front of me now as I write this however it was broken down into three student sections: 1. Chinese students, 2. Korean students and 3. All other students.
As you may guess the difference between a Chinese student studying Japanese and an English speaker studying is drastically different with the English speaker requiring close to double the study hours. So how many hours does a Chinese student require to pass level 1… are you ready to be shocked… 2100 hours!!
Are you questioning this… well, you need not look further than the 476 licensed Japanese schools in Japan with college / university preparation courses. Virtually 100% of all Chinese students taking the Level 1 have completed a 2 year 1600 hour Japanese course within Japan at one of these schools. On top of that, the visa requirements state that students should obtain a level 3 before studying in Japan. This means they’ve already studied in their home country for a lengthy amount of time before arriving in Japan.
900 class hours anyway you cut is complete hogwash and the JLPT should be ashamed at publishing such false numbers.
**we’ll be publishing an updated Japanese studies outline this spring 2010.. if I remember I’ll publish a link here so you can read the actual number **numbers written above are just by memory of the 2004 study.
Thanks for the info, Robert. I’d like to see some of the revised numbers that you come up with