Wednesday, November 11, 2009

テースト テースト テースト…  test test test..

Less than a month to JLPT test... ren's preparing for the dreaded date.. yups.. i'll be taking this year's JLPT level 4.. for those who doesn't know or not sure.. Wikipedia says..
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験, Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken), or JLPT, is a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify the Japanese language proficiency of non-native speakers. It is held twice a year in East Asia and once a year in other regions. The JLPT has four levels, with Level 4 the most basic and Level 1 the most difficult. The Japan Foundation estimates that approximately 150 hours of study are necessary to pass the Level 4 exam and 900 hours of study are required to pass the Level 1 test, although the figures may be significantly higher for native English speakers. In 2008, the Japanese government announced a plan under consideration to use the JLPT to screen applicants for long-term and permanent resident visas. The test is held on the first Sunday of December each year.
Wiki is very useful eh? lolx.. saves me from all the explanation.. that basically sums up the whole JLPT thing.


8 years series has overtaken the desk.. >.<


Some of ren's history with japanese language. not a lot. but still long. = =

Actually, i've been studying japanese for close to 3 years.. (gasps! XD) Although it sounded like a lot but to be honest, its one and a half years of ultra-slow learning from a lousy school that shall not be named and one year of a proper language school education, which im grateful of. well, even the jap teacher from the 'slow' school asked me to look for a better school outside.. which i did eventually. XD i din blame her. its really jus how their curriculum were planned. Of cos, armed with a year of japanese language education definitely aided me greatly in absorbing new grammer and vocab.. after an interview in the new school, i was allowed to join an on-going class that's half-way thru the course. but i chose not to and opt for a new class instead as i wanted to revise and see wad i've missed out. ^^

Indeed, the first half of the course was a breeze.. but when it came to new grammar and particles.. it's really a struggle to remb, when compared to the old vocabs that etched into my brain. but somehow, i managed. thank God. =D which brings me to now.. preparing for JLPT and doing past year's papers.. the paper comprised of 3 sections: Vocabulary section, Listening Comprehension and Grammar. Listening comprehension is definitely the hardest for non-native speakers like us. But if you have been having a healthy dosage of japanese doramas and movies, kamen riders XD, J-pop music and animes (seldom now), you'll have a slight advantage. =)

Learning the language has undoubtedly deepened my love and understanding of Japan. Other than helping me and tako ard Tokyo, it also let me understand any japanese shows more, other den relying on subtitles.. you'll be surprised how much the meaning differs at times. ^^. Able to read japanese magazines like Dengeki & Hobby J and gunpla manuals (tho it doesnt need any language understanding XD) are also a big plus! finally, it's also small steps towards my ultimate dream of working or living in Japan; JLPT is used to gauge your japanese proficiency  by your employer.



After all these rantings... hahahaha.. im jus trying to tell you guys that i'll be busy with my JLPT preparations these days and unfortunately, unable to produce any gunpla works/posts... tho i mite play with it a little to destress. things are jus postponed. hope you understand..  ^^. Gomenasai. ごめんなさい。i think i'll do some simple posts when i have the time.. and maybe some tweaks in the layout, more accessible to some posts etc.. Any other suggestions?? =D feel free to let me know! i'll see wad i can do..

Yups.. thanks again.. for the well wishes to Tako.. =D and for reading this boring post.. As always, THANK YOU. ^^

Do you pple have any experience learning a foreign language? Share with us! =)


(^^)"   レンです!  じゃね!

10 comments:

  1. good luck !!! with your test

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  2. go for Level 1 ren!! you can do it! since you are doing something cool like this i will forgive the lack of gunpla post lol j/k *looks at Tako-chwan for hand painted gunpla updates!* haha but really, being fluent in Japanese must be awesome, keep it up! ^_^b

    hmmm back in high school i had to take spanish and i barely passed, then took spanish 2 and well... can you believe i got 0 points?! my brain can not remember foreign language material T_T but i want to learn Japanese to watch shows without subs, read magazines, and live in Japan too *and have Japanese gf maybe? hehehe* lol

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  3. @rockleelotus: oooh, pressure. i guess i'll be buying the paints, brushes tonite. hopefully everything turn out fine, as i can really be clueless at times. HAh

    thou the learning's quite crazy but i love the fact tat i am able to understand & converse some Japanese now. One day! i will try to stay (long term) in Japan. so go give it a shot, armed with japanese language knowledge, who knows, when u pop over to Japan, may find yourself a Japanese gf. (at least u tried.)

    wow, u tried spanish?? i guess remembering vocabs and spelling is tough. cool. i want to learn some french. somehow european lang seems quite romantic. HAh.

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  4. @ rockleelotus Ah I had a very good Jap penpal once too bad we lost touch!!! Malaysia Girls are quite good though ^^ (my wife to be from there haha:D)

    I did take Japanese language doing my year 2 at university but somehow they cram everything into one semester....very tough! Watashi no nihongo wa sibei jialat!! It will be every otaku's wildest dream to be in Japan (not to mention the cheap gunpla...)Then again, for gunpla manuals you don't need to learn Jap though ^^

    Anyway good luck with all this study!

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  5. @moemoekyun: thanks alot!! =D

    @rockleelotus: lolx. level 1 seems very far away away away... yes.. thanks for your kind understanding.. XD i hope i'll be fluent someday.. =)

    wahh.. you took up spanish! cool.. last time i tot of taking up latin.. becos of its history in english language. haha. well i think maybe if you realli liked japanese language, you'll be able to absorb faster, i think. =X hahaha. or you can jus find a japanese gf, and get the 'Green card' to japan! lolx. do consider taking the language if you have the time! good luck!

    @chubbybots: wahh a jap penpal... so coooool. im trying to find jap pple to befriend. LOLX. *desperate alr* jkjk. hahaha. trying to seduce rockleelotus?

    woah.. you oso learn jap!! haha.. yes. they say when you learn english, you start with a frown, and end with a smile as you progress. but when you learn japanese, you start with a smile, and end with more frowns as you progress.. lolx. very good usage of Japanese-hokkien there! ya.. To wildest dream come true! =D

    ren.

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  6. Good luck with your test.

    Took a Japanese language class few years ago, but sadly no one to practice with afterwards, and to salt to the wound... The place that I'd attended, closed down...

    Cursing people on the road (who's blocking my way) in Japanese is "good" stress-reliever. LoL. XD

    Ganbatte-yo. ^^

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  7. @bd77: oh man! i feel for tat! erm, i will mutter in japanese whenever i got irritated by various pple (like pple who behaves like obstacles in crowded places, pple (girls) who are noisy..) oh dear, i sound like an evil person. it DOES serve as a stress-reliever. LOL.

    oh, i used it in an alt situation too. sometimes when i go shopping for clothes, i tend to ask Ren if i look nice or should i buy the top in japanese. HAHAH. (esp when the salesgirl is too friendly and sticks too close-by, because paiseh to give bad comments abt the top.)

    @chubbybots: i love ur japanese hokkien!! LOL.

    @ Ren: learning Japanese language is like LOTR, i am Frodo!!!!!!!

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  8. Often used Japanese sentence when nearing a traffic light with 5sec left: Mada. Mada na. IKUZOU~! *accelerates* +_+

    p.s. I often do that when there's no other vehicle in front.

    p.s.s. mind if I add your link into my blogroll? XD

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  9. Hello bd77, i forgot to intro myself, watashi wa Tako desu. LOL. (i tend to forget to sign off.)

    Tat's cool, please do so only when there's no vehicles or pedestrains in front eh. HAH.

    Oh sure! thanks for popping by and added you also.

    tako ('O')9

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  10. @bd77: hey thanks! lolx. jap is indeed very useful when you dun wan pple ard to noe... ya. me often talk to myself in jap too. XD or when me and tako wanna look at something or someone interesting.. lolx. sometimes only to find tt they're japanese and may have heard us... X.X hahaha....

    ps. ya. tako usually dun sign at the end.. tt's why she's called tako. XD

    ren.

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