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JLPT (level 2) tips?
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the yellow brick road



Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 25
PostPosted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 3:36 pm    Post subject: JLPT (level 2) tips? Reply with quote
Anyone have experience they want to share with level 2? What are your tips? Thanks Laughing
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starteacher



Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 237
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The JLPT is worth it

Last edited by starteacher on Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:47 am; edited 1 time in total
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
It is only from JLPT2 (and JLPT1) that I began to really appreciate Japan and all its facets.


This was true for me as well- a lot more opened up to me work-wise and and just personal fulfilment-wise when I stopped cruising and made the effort to get my Japanese up to 2kyuu level and beyond.

My advice for the test- do lots of practice tests, especially for the reading and grammar section, where you time yourself strictly. Many people advise doing the grammar section first and trying to get it done in less than the allocated time so you have extra time to do the reading, which for me at least is by far the most challenging part of level 2. I found that that strategy worked really well for me.
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the yellow brick road



Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 25
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I been hearing the reading section is hardest.

I been studying grammar first and memorizing a lot of little grammatical rules. I am also studying kanji.. somehow I need to get my hands on some old tests and try them out.

Any other tips?
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Canuck2112



Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 239
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The reading section was insane when I wrote it. I got the feeling that nearly nobody could finish it. I'd recommend doing a lot of scanning practice on your reading exercises. You won't have time to thoroughly analyze each line.
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fat_chris



Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Apsara and Canuck2112, thanks for the advice on how to approach the reading section of Level 2. In my preparation for this test, the reading section is definitely the most challenging part for me.

I am currently at a pre-2 level (2010 N3) but I am going to sit the test on July 5th as a practice run. I plan to sit 2kyuu again in December. At the moment I simply need the time to fully prepare for it in order to obtain a satisfactory result.

I agree with starteacher and Apsara: I am finding that as my level nears 2kyuu, many facets of the Japanese language and culture are opening up to me. This is exhilarating. It encourages me to do more and more and more with the language (some day, newspaper reading).

Best of luck to all in your language study and preparation for the JLPT!

Regards,
fat_chris
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I managed to finish the reading section in the actual JLPT2 test with a few extra minutes, but only because I had done the preparation and timed myself strictly on all the questions. If you spend too long on any one question it sets up a domino effect where you get increasingly behind time, which isn't good. Better to give your best guess and move on than spend too much time on one or two questions.
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Zzonkmiles



Joined: 05 Apr 2003
Posts: 309
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I passed 2-kyu in 2006. What I'd recommend is focusing on your strength and use that to get you to 60%. For me, it was kanji recognition. So my path to 60% consisted of the following:

1. Score really, really well on the kanji/vocabulary
2. Hold my own on the listening
3. Not have a disaster with the reading/grammar

Basically, I knew the reading/grammar section was the hardest part, so I made sure to offset this as much as I could by racking up as many points as I could on the kanji/vocab section and breaking even on the listening.

The Kanzen Master books are really good for grammar. The 2-kyu book has a green cover and can be found in most bookstores. For reading, I'd recommend reading news sites in Japanese (such as CNN) or Japanese blogs and social networking sites.
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robertokun



Joined: 27 May 2008
Posts: 199
PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm really glad to find a JLPT thread on here right now. I have some questions, too, although they don't deal with