Blog - First book and proficiency test
First book and proficiency test
Today I finished my first book in Japanese, 「長くつ下のピッピ」 (swe.: Pippi Langstrump, en.: Pippi Longstockings, fr.: Fifi Brindacier) (Amazon). Yeah!
Sure it's a book for kids with furigana over most kanji, but still it's the first time that I had the patience to read a whole book in Japanese.
I'm not much of a book reader in French or English either, and consequently I read quite slowly which usually makes me lack the patience to read a book.
Also, today, I bought the application guide for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. The deadline for applications is September 12.
I'm hesitating between going for level 3 or 2 (there are 4 levels, level 1 being the hardest). The descriptions make it seem like my Japanese may be in-between these two, so I have to choose between a maybe easy level 3 or a probably challenging level 2 (with risk of failing, especially since there may be quite a bit of kanji I don't know).
If I go for level 3, I can still take level 2 next year, and I'll at least have a certificate meanwhile... but I'm wondering whether level 3 is really worth taking. I'm not taking the test as a requirement for a job or school application, just for myself.
Then since failure doesn't matter maybe I should rather go for level 2?
Dilemma...
Posted on August 14, 2004 at 21:22 | Tweet
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Patrick, go for the 2.
I haven't done it yet, but I think you and I are at roughly the same level of Japanese (actually, I think yours is probably better than mine), and if that's so, you should definitely do 2. Everybody I know that's taken it (and who knows my skill level) has told me to take 2, because 3 would be too easy for me and a waste of time.
good luck!
Posted by Brent on August 15, 2004 at 01:46
Patrick - congrats on finishing your first Japanese book. I was recently at Kinokuniya LA, and I picked up an intermediate kind of Japanese story book also. Its quite a bit harder than the normal children's books stuff, but it still has furigana...phew. Anyway, my question was, where can I get books like the Pippi Longstocking thing in the US? I saw that amazon.co.jp has it, but as usual, I find that to be kind of onconvienient for me. Any ideas? Thanks!
~Nik
Posted by N!k on August 15, 2004 at 06:25
Patrick, you should try for 2. It'll mean a lot of studying (especially the kanji), but I think you have a chance of passing. I'm also feeling the dilemma. I'm thinking that 2 is probably too much for me. If I would have studied regularly all year I might have been able to do it, but alas, I've been lazy about it. The problem is, I think that 3 would probably be not that much of a challenge even for me, if I start studying regularly from now. What to do...
But I didn't realize we had to buy the application. Where do you get that, in a bookshop (like Junkudo)? I definitely don't want to miss the deadline.
Posted by Jean on August 15, 2004 at 11:57
Thanks to all for the heads up! Now I'll definitely go for 2級. :)
I haven't studied much (not at all!?) this year either but I'll whip out the books and study a bit until the exam!
Jean, yeah I only found out a few days ago about having to buy the application form. It's ¥500.
You can get it in any large bookstore. The list is here: http://www.jees.or.jp/jlpt/en/ (Junkudō is in there)
Here in Nakano we have two bookstores listed, but one had already sold out, and the other only had a last one on display (though they may have had more elsewhere).
You should hurry and get yours now!
N!k, don't you have a Little Tokyo around there? There should be a bookstore somewhere! I'd have thought that Kinokuniya would be your best bet for all of that, but I've never been around there so I don't know.
Otherwise there's always Amazon Japan like you said. Maybe not the cheapest option but their service is good.
(Btw, you had posted your comment elsewhere so I moved it here.)
Posted by Patrick on August 15, 2004 at 12:51
nik - you could also probably get the isbn # for a children's book and see if kinokuniya can order it for you. i'm not sure if that'd be much quicker or easier than ordering from amazon, but it might be worth a shot.
Posted by william on August 15, 2004 at 21:58
Slight nitpicking: In Swedish, Pippi Longstocking is
"Pippi Langstrump", without the f at the end ;)
I hope you do well on the test, whichever level you choose.
Posted by Johan Nystrom on August 16, 2004 at 10:19
Thank you for the correction, I now realized that I had copied that from a German site, oops! :)
And thanks for the good wishes!
Posted by Patrick on August 16, 2004 at 10:30
in the short time i have met you and the longer time i have know you ojnline i did not get a chance to assess what kind of a risk/play it safe person you are .. .
but given that the cert is not really needed right away ... heck .. go for 2 .. see it as a challange ... 3 would be playing it safe .. and geez .. what if you flunk 3 because of a bad day ?? that would be bad ..
so .. jsut do 2 and i guess you will pass
P (who is somewhere on level 28)
Posted by Peter on August 17, 2004 at 20:34
Thanks Peter! I've already circled level 2 on the form, so there's no going back. :)
Posted by Patrick on August 17, 2004 at 21:39
Good choice on going for level 2. Buy some of the books that are designed to specifically prepare you for that test.
By the way, I did level 2 twice (failed the first time), and I have to say its not easy at all. You will find kanji that you've never seen before, and word and sentense structure that you will have learned but will never even think about using. They make it nice and hard on purpose :)
The listening is easy, and so are the other parts, so just study those kanji like crazy!! No writing involved, only recognition, so just study study study and dont take the test twice like I did :)
Posted by Chris on August 17, 2004 at 22:11
Thanks a lot for the tips Chris!! Wow so you passed 2級, good job! :)
I've already got a textbook to practice for 2級 so I'll use that. I had actually forgotten about that book and was going to use some grammar books instead, so thanks for the reminder!
Posted by Patrick on August 17, 2004 at 22:24
kanji kanji kanji! That part is worth 40% of the test or something so know your little brushstrokes!! hah
Posted by Chris on August 24, 2004 at 15:55
Haha. :) I've just sent in my application yesterday, so now I can start feeling the stress a little.
I've began studying a bit lately and there's quite a bit of kanji that I have no clue about, so I better get some serious studying done.!
Posted by Patrick on August 24, 2004 at 16:22
Hi Patrick,
This page helped me a lot for the 2kyuu-test. All the kanjis, vocabulary lists and more. Check it out.
http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/Download.htm
Good Luck!
Posted by Henrik on August 31, 2004 at 21:56
Thank you very much! I'll check that out! :)
Posted by Patrick on September 1, 2004 at 01:00
Hi,
I have completed JLPT till 3rd level. Yonkyu score was 82% and Sankyu is 75%. now i m confused. Should i go for Nikyu? as i do job i can't get much time for studies. please guide me for that.
Thanx
nisha
Posted by Nisha on March 19, 2005 at 14:28
I'd suggest to get a text book for studying 2級 and use it to at least evaluate whether you're ready or not. And if you aren't, then when you have time to spare studying you can use that text book to learn.
Posted by Patrick on March 19, 2005 at 17:59