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elkarlo
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 240
Location: Maryland
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 Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:41 am Post subject: |
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| Apsara wrote: |
I have no idea about the Kansai Gaidai placement levels, they aren't used as a standard measure of Japanese ability in Japan- I assume they use their own system. Squire22 and I were talking about the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, JLPT (sorry if you already realised that- I wasn't sure from your post). As you may know, it has 4 levels, 4 being the lowest and 1 being the highest. It doesn't test spoken Japanese, so you may find that you have a higher level of spoken Japanese than someone else at the same level.
I assume you would probably be close to passing JLPT level 3 from what you have said. There is an enormous leap from level 3 to level 2- so big in fact that from next year they will introduce a new level in between and the current levels 3 and 4 will become 4 and 5.
What I was saying with words like Prime Minister and insurance is that once you are in Japan, your priorities with vocab kind of change to reflect every day life here. At university I never learned words like rice cooker, cockroach or unburnable garbage, but they were words I heard very soon after arrival (garbage separating is a constant issue here- every city/ward has it's own regulations and woe betide you if put unburnable garbage in with the burnable). Insurance payments are something you will be making once you are living here, so I think it's a reasonable word to include even at lower levels for people living/planning to live in Japan. |
Ok, here is the link to to Gadai levels http://www.kansaigaidai.ac.jp/asp/03_academics/02/01/01.html I like them more as they are geared towards speaking and functionality, and not how well one studies for a test.
While the gaps in the JLPT are too big. 4 is a joke, ad means nothing as a test imo, while 3 means I can do some stuff in Japanese. Then 2 and 1 mean some real ability.
So I'm nearing 3? Ok I guess that makes sense. Not that I will be taking the test any time soon. As for adding in an additional test, good at least there will be a middle in all that.
I guess you're right. When I am there I will be using more daily life words. I like your example. |
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elkarlo
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 240
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:46 am Post subject: |
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| JL wrote: |
I'm going to take a different tack that most of you guys have been pursuing. Elkarlo, if you're going to touch down in Japan in about a month, I say it's high time to start ramping up your practical listening comprehension skills. Frankly, the vocabulary and grammar will come, as long as you do stick with it. But the biggest obstacle to engaging with Japanese, and immersing yourself into the language and culture, will be your ability to discern what is being said to you, and being said around you. Where exactly do you live? Is there any Japanese t.v. or radio programming for a few hours a day? When I lived in L.A., there were terrestrial t.v. broadcasts of Japanese programming for a few hours each day. The same for the radio. Also, you may have video rental shops for Japanese expatriots in your area. We have several here in Vegas, and there aren't even that many Japanese living here. Rent some Japanese serial drama installments and settle in with a bowl of popcorn. See if you can follow the plot's basic jist of "who is in love with who, but cheating with so-and-so."
YouTube might be useful too. Here's a commercial I know you've seen in English, in the States. Here's the J-version. The spoken Japanese is pretty clearly spoken. You can stop and start the vid as often as you need to until you can make out what is being said. Watching and listening to stuff like this should really help train your ear. Not to mention you will learn practical, everyday Japanese this way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifs32w8sVgc&NR=1 |
I like your thinking. I do agree with it. I need to up my Kikitori. I have to say that in a conversational setting that my mind takes a second to process the info and to make a correct response. So perhaps what you said to do will help me reduce that gap a bit more towards normal response time.
Also I should start using shows with no sub titles. Thanks JL ou're a big help. |
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JL
Joined: 26 Oct 2008
Posts: 241
Location: Las Vegas, NV USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:14 am Post subject: |
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| Well, it's just my two cents worth. Everyone learns differently. A lot of the stuff you've been discussing with the rest of the gang sounds pretty good too. But I do think working on listening comprehension will give you a big bang for the buck, once you're on the ground in Japan. |
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bluefrog
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Osaka
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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The single best thing I did that improved my Japanese was getting a part-time job at a bar. The atmosphere was so relaxed and I was hearing real conversations as opposed to prepared ones you get in in listening exercises or on TV. It also really helped my keigo by dealing with customers and talking to superiors (who were always more than willing to correct me)
I also joined a basketball team and got the same benefits as working a part-time job. I was also exposed to keigo there because of the hierarchy from coach to first year players.
I had a private tutor I met once a week to give me structure and you will have that at Kansai Gaidai.
One more thing I'd suggest is not joining a club on campus there if improving your Japanese is your goal. You will be exposed to Japanese, of course, but most people are English majors and will want to interact with you in that language. You want to get to the point where your Japanese is better than most people's English.
Last edited by bluefrog on Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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elkarlo
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 240
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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| bluefrog wrote: |
The single best thing I did that improved my Japanese was getting a part-time job at a bar. The atmosphere was so relaxed and I was hearing real conversations as opposed to prepared ones you get in in listening exercises or on TV. It also really helped my keigo by dealing with customers and talking to superiors (who were always more than willing to correct me)
I also joined a basketball team and got the same benefits as working a part-time job. I was also exposed to keigo there because of the hierarchy from coach to first year players.
I had a private tutor I met once a week to give me structure and you will have that at Kansai Gaidai.
One more thing I'd suggest is not joining a club on campus there. You will be exposed to Japanese, of course, but most people are English majors and will want to interact with you in that language. You want to get to the point where your Japanese is better than most people's English. |
This part to JL. No, I think you are right, listening comprehension is something that I should have worked on before I get there. As for the rest. I plan on cramming in a lot more vocab. I find that in country it's easier to pick up grammar. So I will have a have a lot of extra words, and be able to switch to grammar for a while. As I find that I need to switch between Verbs, Nouns+ajds, kanji, and Adverbs. I can't study them all at once and still learn.
To BlueFrog: I may look into some sort of PT job. But as for now my plan is to join a martialarts gym. I do think my Japanese is far to basic to be able to take drink/food orders. So that may be a stretch for me to do.
Oh I was at Gaidai last year. Which did help a lot. I'm going to be an ALT. I also noticed that most English majors didn't speak English. I was with a Karate club, and with my one semester of Japanese. I was speaking more Japanese than they were speaking English.
How much is a private tutor. |
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JL
Joined: 26 Oct 2008
Posts: 241
Location: Las Vegas, NV USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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Elkarlo,
You're definitely going about this with the right attitude. I'm positive you're going to succeed, whatever you do to learn Japanese. Just try out different things, keep up the enthusiasm, and kick butt! |
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bluefrog
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Osaka
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:56 am Post subject: |
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A private tutor runs from 2,000-4,000 an hour. I can recommend a great tutor in Hirakata. PM me if your interested.
Joining a martial arts club is great but people need to realize that Japanese take their hobbies very seriously and it can be more expensive than doing the same activities back home.
My basketball club required 50,000 entry fee for uniforms, leagues fees, etc... It was fun but I prefer a casual rec league. |
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elkarlo
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 240
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:32 am Post subject: |
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| JL wrote: |
Elkarlo,
You're definitely going about this with the right attitude. I'm positive you're going to succeed, whatever you do to learn Japanese. Just try out different things, keep up the enthusiasm, and kick butt! |
Thanks man. I've been once before, so I got my half@$$ing out of the way already=)
My plan now in general is to study at a level so that I will be almost burnt out by March 19th. Then when I get to Japan, I will only do light reviewing for the first 2 weeks. That way I acan adjust to living in a new area. While my Japanese will get a chance to de-load, and adapt to a native setting again.
Thanks for the encouragment. I am also getting tutored via edufire.com, so I do have some direction. Let's see how I do 2 weeks into being in Japan! |
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elkarlo
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 240
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| bluefrog wrote: |
A private tutor runs from 2,000-4,000 an hour. I can recommend a great tutor in Hirakata. PM me if your interested.
Joining a martial arts club is great but people need to realize that Japanese take their hobbies very seriously and it can be more expensive than doing the same activities back home.
My basketball club required 50,000 entry fee for uniforms, leagues fees, etc... It was fun but I prefer a casual rec league. |
Oh sorry for the confusion. I am going to the Chiba area. I was at Gaidai last Spring. Funny on the placement. I put ZERO interest in the Tokyo area. So they must have thought that I really wanted to go to Tokyo, and that I was being tricky=O
I am planning on doing Kakkutougi, which is pretty informal. Also I have everything I need to do it. So I am set. I have been competing in it on a pretty high level for years. So no hard start for me=) but thanks for the warning. |
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elkarlo
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 240
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILR_scale I used to this scale to see where I am. I am soldily in level 2, which is really disheartening. So I guess I still am no where near intermidate level yet.
Also I don't know about you guys but passive and causative are wrecking me. They wait for me after work and beat me up! Lots of other grammar comes easy, but not P+C. In fact they are giving me an Indian burn, and a noogie, right now! |
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