![]() Are you learning it because you want to pursue a particular career? To travel to Japan, and be able to communicate fluently? To simply play games in the original language, or watch anime or dramas without needing to wait for subtitles? No matter what, it’s important to be passionate and invested in that end goal. It’s difficult, there is no getting around that, but it’s important to have a clear goal. in Japanese, only seven of my peers graduated with me. When I attended Florida State University, there were about 400 students in Japanese 101. It can be hard, when you hit a plateau, to keep going. I’m willing to bet there are a few people out there who met the same fate! What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated? To me, it was the most beautiful, bizarre thing I had ever heard, and from then on out, I was reading all about the country, the people, the customs, the history-I fell headfirst into obsession. That was the first time I heard the language, and right when it ended, I said ‘I’m going to learn this.’ That might sound a little overzealous for an elementary schooler, but hey, I was headstrong. Longer answer? I went to the video store during my Sailor Moon phase, and they had Sailor Moon S: Hearts on Ice with the original Japanese audio. What got you interested in learning Japanese? I’d recommend the Kanzen master books for the N1, as they compact a wealth of knowledge into easy chunks. Note the words you don’t know into Anki, or handwritten flashcards. Read essays, political news, cookbooks, newspapers, anything you can get your hands on. Read different things, not just manga or celebrity blogs. ![]() You have to be able to read and retain information very quickly-I’d guess 95% of those in the room finished RIGHT on time. The N1 is a monster, and the others in the room all reflected the same look of pure panic during the reading portion. The N1, I wasn’t so lucky-I failed the first time by three points! (You can’t imagine the pain.) It’s important not to overestimate your skill. I was in Japan for the N2, and passed on the first try, which surprised even me. Which of the JLPTs did you take? How long did it take you to reach the N1 level? How did you prepare for the N1? Do you have any general tips for JLPT preparation? Just writing them out a few times makes them stick in my head. As far as studying, I do, believe it or not! I like to read on topics I’m unfamiliar with, and list the unfamiliar words I find. ![]() However, at this level, context clues are easy to find, and kanji isn’t as mysterious as it used to be. I still run into unfamiliar words, unfamiliar kanji compounds, quite often. At N1 level, reading is no longer the difficult and daunting task it used to be, certainly-however, I want to expel this common misconception that those at N1 know everything. What is your current level in the language like? For how long have you been studying? A the N1 level, do you still “study”?Ĭurrently, I work as a translator, and this often means working with legal and medical documents.
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