My only weakness: Vocabulary

After taking the JLPT 4kyuu last december, I realized that my only weekness in learning Japanese at this level is that I don't know all of the basic vocabulary. Of course, since I have been doing self-study of japanese for the last few years, there are many holes in my knowlege of the language; and Vocabulary is the biggest.

Can someone provide me with some tips and guidlines to studying and memorizing all of the necessary basic vocabulary terms? Please.

go to japan. you'll realise you don't know how to say anything. in 3 or so months you'll remember the words out of necessity.

Saving that -- flash cards, dude. Hundreds, if not thousands. That's the only way to build your vocab up outside of Japan (I am convinced).

One other good way is through listening practice -- assuming you're using a textbook, any accompanying tapes/CDs or other tutorial materials should help drill the words in more deeply. At least I often find that I have no trouble coming up with a term from the English but recognizing it on the spot in a normal speed conversation requires slightly more effect, although in the end is more rewarding and useful.

I too have that same problem, I am now starting my second semester of Japanese and I am still trying to remember vocabulary from the first class and yet, learn the new stuff being taught.

But we mustn't let the evil vocab get the best of us. We must prevail!

Post-it Notes are good also. Stick them up around the house and connect sentences that normally go with the nouns to them; or adjectives. NO ENGLISH ALLOWED!

Bed:
I sleep on my bed;
My bed is blue

What does your bed have? Sheets, a pillow, a mattress, etc. Can you say all of these in Japanese? After that whip up some flash cards as GaijinPunch mentioned (put English on these of course), and take them on the road. When you return home to see your Post-its the exposure will help refresh your memory more. After you take them down, store them somewhere and try to post them in their correct spots a week later or so.

Hmm, maybe I should try this... Anywho, if any one else can add to this that would be cool. We could come up with all kinds of tricks to memorize words. Kiyotsuki! Ganbatte on all your Japanese learning endeavors. I wish you luck (not that you need it, of course!)

-Jeff

As I recall level 4 vocab is split evenly between expressions and actually words.
This changes in the next levels, there are less expressions to add just lots of words. most of which come from kanji.
So find a good Kanji book. The problem you have so far is you've memorised a lot of words without the help of the pictograph. Sure the 100 Kanji for level is a help.
If you use learning kanji as a way of learning vocab it's worth it. 2 birds one stone thing.
Sadly recognising words when read or heard is a big step away from having them pop out of your mouth on request. but it's a start.
I also like the idea of labelling everything in your house with post-its, wish I'd done that.

Don't get discouraged but one problem you'll face for a long while is the lack of reading material for a student at your level. (Reading in context helps re-enforced the vocab) Sure there are childrens books and manga but I feel these expect native fluency in the core language and have concepts that will be lost on a foreigner learner of japanese.
Put it this way I couldn't read a little hirgana picture book with any real confidence until I reached about 2kyuu level.(Maybe I'm just dumb)

Anyway, kanji is the way to go. you need to learn it anyhow, just push beyond the required lists for the silly jlpts.
oh and if the jlpts are your focus get a print of the jlpt vocab lists off the web then use a red filter/green highlighter pen thing to save producing flashcards.

err,
that's it.

Sarumo