JLPT Help?

[BamaFan2989]

Hey guys. I was reading about the Japanese Language Profiency Test. Does anyone have any helpful sites? What do you find useful for the test? I think this is a very good thing! Where can you take it. I never read that part! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

 

[Scrivener]

Call in at your local Japanese embassy/consulate or visit the Japanese department at your nearest university. The best text books you get in Japan, but take a look around some big book stores like Borders.

It's all reading comprehension and listening as I recall - no need to speak or write thank God.

 

[bentenmusume]

Hey guys. I was reading about the Japanese Language Profiency Test. Does anyone have any helpful sites? What do you find useful for the test? I think this is a very good thing! Where can you take it. I never read that part! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

No offense, but why are you so interested in the JLPT when you've only just started studying the language? As far as I'm concerned, the JLPT is pretty meaningless at the lower levels. It costs money, for one thing, and you'd probably have to travel somewhere to take it. And for what? A piece of paper that "certifies" that you know some basic greetings and words and a minimal set of only the simplest kanji? JLPT "certification" at level 4 (and I'd say level 3 as well) really means nothing, because the level of Japanese 'ability' needed to pass these tests won't allow you to actually do anything significant with the language.

If you're serious about learning Japanese, I'd suggest that you put your energy towards more practical studying and forget about taking proficiency tests for a while (or forever, unless you really have a reason to take one).

 

[BamaFan2989]

Yeah , I know this. I am not taking it today! I am gonna study though. I study everyday. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Emoni]

Unless you are taking 2 or 1 I hear, the test is near useless. You're not ready for either yet, so don't even waste your time thinking about it now. Just focus on studying.

 

[Keiichi]

Do a search on Jref. This topic has came up a few times already.
But if you're still beginning, don't worry about looking for helpful info for the test and just study until you're at a middle to upper intermediate level, unless you really intend to take the lower levels tests...

Keiichi

 

[MShingen]

You can do something at Level 3 since many people stopped at level 4.

 

[Mike Cash]

If you're going to spam us with a a "click here" link.....wouldn't it make a lot more sense to make the thing actually work? Or am I missing something here?

 

[BamaFan2989]

lol, Mike calm down. HAHAHA That's why I like you on this forum. For real though, What's up with the link???

 

[Glenn]

Maybe it's poking fun at the spam e-mails, etc.? :?

 

[bentenmusume]

I think it's more likely that he messed up the BBcode or tried to use HTML, which is apparently disabled in signatures. If it was supposed to be a joke, it went right over my head, and I don't imagine that too many others are amused.

I'm still trying to figure out what he meant by his comment:

You can do something at Level 3 since many people stopped at level 4.

...but I'm at a loss.

 

[Glenn]

<a href="Japan Forum">Japan Reference</a>

That's what the forum does with HTML.

And if he screwed up the BBcode, I would think that we would see some incomplete tags, like Japan Reference. Lastly, I was wondering the same thing about his comment, now that you mention it.

 

[TZed9]

If it was supposed to be a joke, it went right over my head, and I don't imagine that too many others are amused.

I'm still trying to figure out what he meant by his comment:


...but I'm at a loss.

Originally Posted by MShingen
You can do something at Level 3 since many people stopped at level 4


Too subtle? He is implying that the majority of people who start to learn the language give up (maybe that's too harsh: '...don't continue' maybe?), he is trying to make the point that to 'learn Japanese', level 4 is not really cutting it.

This is very probably true.

Maybe be he is saying: 'If you are serious about it, don't quit after a year'....

hehehe

 

[bentenmusume]

I'm still trying to figure out what he meant by his comment:

You can do something at Level 3 since many people stopped at level 4

...but I'm at a loss.

Too subtle? He is implying that the majority of people who start to learn the language give up (maybe that's too harsh: '...don't continue' maybe?), he is trying to make the point that to 'learn Japanese', level 4 is not really cutting it.

There's a difference between being "subtle" and failing to express yourself in an intelligible manner.
It's not hard to tell which one this was.

At any rate, if you read my post above, you'll see that I basically agree with what you're saying here. But it sounds like this guy is saying that merely because many people quit studying Japanese before reaching the level of proficiency needed to pass 3-kyuu, this somehow makes 3-kyuu "certification" meaningful. What _I'm_ trying to say is that, no, 3-kyuu "proficiency" still doesn't prove that you can function in any significant capacity in a Japanese-language environment, and is therefore still pretty meaningless.

Sure, maybe you've stuck with your studies longer than a whole bunch of other people, and you can give yourself a little pat on the back for this if you want, but don't think that you'll be impressing any potential employers with your 3-kyuu certificate of "proficiency", because you're still a long way from being proficient by any yardstick that counts.

 

[TZed9]

True true true.

 

[Fantt]

Would taking the 3-kyuu test aid in seeing what the entire testing procedure will be like when you take the 2nd or 1st kyuu exam? Environment, etc etc?