JLPT Archives | Japanese Talk Online

The Best Way to Study Grammar for the JLPT

By Niffer December 5, 2016 December 13, 2017 Japanese Grammar, JLPT N1, JLPT N2, JLPT N3

I have this bad habit of avoiding grammar every time I study for the JLPT. I’ll either avoid it altogether or leave it until the last minute. But now I’ve found a great way to study grammar for the exam! It takes a lot of work but is really effective. This is, I think, the best way to study grammar for the JLPT. 1. Buy Yourself a JLPT Grammar Drill Book Even if you don’t like spending money it’s well worth buying yourself a grammar drill book. Do this asap! I suggest starting this at least a month before the exam… Read More…

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More Tips for Studying for the JLPT N1

By Niffer September 27, 2016 March 29, 2017 Advanced Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N1, Kanji, Learning Methods

Over a year ago I wrote Tips for Studying for the JLPT N1 and Tips for When you Take the JLPT N1. The I gave general studying advice as well as what to look out for and tips for taking the exam. This post is all about some useful resources for studying for the JLPT N1. As I said before, I’ve noticed that some people find the N1 very easy and others find it a real challenge. Everyone learns differently and work differently, so some of what I’m suggesting will work for you, some might not. — How to Get Your Bases Covered+… Read More…

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How to Prepare for the JLPT

By Niffer July 9, 2016 December 14, 2017 Advanced Japanese, Beginner Japanese, Intermediate Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N1, JLPT N2, JLPT N3, JLPT N4, JLPT N5, Teach Yourself Japanese

Another session of JLPTs are over in some countries which means the next ones are only 6 months away in December! Whether you’ve just taken an exam or are taking one for the first time it’s good to start preparing for the next batch of tests now. What you study specifically for each exam will be different, but here are some tips for preparing for the JLPT. How to Prepare for the JLPT Have The Basics Covered It’s time to go back over the basics. It doesn’t matter what level you’re studying going over the basics can always give… Read More…

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JLPT N3 – Study Methods and Resources

By Niffer August 5, 2015 January 4, 2018 Intermediate Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N3

A long time ago I talked about taking the JLPT, but I felt like I was a bit vague when it came to beginners as there aren’t actually that many specific text books for the lower levels because there are plenty of others that cover the basics of Japanese. As a result I wrote this post on taking the JLPT N5 and another for JLPT N4 with what the exam is, resources and study methods (which is why the posts are very similar, and by very similar I mean practically identical but with the links updated and text changed slightly). This guide is exactly… Read More…

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Tips for When You Take the JLPT N1

By Niffer July 22, 2015 December 15, 2017 Advanced Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N1

The JLPT N1 is said to be an incredibly difficult exam even with years of studying under your belt, and a lot of it has to do with how good you are at exams rather than Japanese. I wrote previously about studying for the JLPT N1 and I even mentioned some other blogs which provide their own advice for studying for the exam. I’ve looked online but there are not many tips for taking the exam itself. So although many of you are probably masters of the exam by this point, here are some tips and tricks you can use when… Read More…

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Tips for Studying for the JLPT N1

By Niffer July 15, 2015 December 15, 2017 Advanced Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N1, JLPT N2, Learning Methods

For those that probably aren’t aware, I took the JLPT N1 exam a few weeks ago (July 2015). This was the first time I’ve taken the exam. I took the N2 in July 2013 in Japan and managed to scrape by it. I felt like I was significantly better prepared for this exam compared to the N2 and yet felt like the N1 had decided to clean house and use my face as the mob. It was painful. Whether I failed or managed to skim a pass I won’t know until September. But either way I plan on re-taking the… Read More…

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Try! JLPT Grammar Book

By Niffer July 8, 2015 March 15, 2018 Advanced Japanese, Beginner Japanese, Intermediate Japanese, Japanese Grammar, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), Review

The 「Try! 日本語能力試験文法から伸ばす日本語」or “Try! JLPT – Studying Japanese from Grammar” is the best Japanese grammar book I have ever used for learning JLPT grammar. I mentioned before that grammar is my weakness. I am so bad at grammar, partially because I don’t know English grammar (terms, I know how to use it naturally), and partially because I find it difficult and boring to practice. HOWEVER, this is the first time I’ve actually understood Japanese grammar and enjoyed learning them! Try! is a fairly new series of grammar books published in 2014, so unlike Nihongo Somatome and Shin Kanzen… Read More…

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JLPT – Hitting the Wall

By Niffer June 17, 2015 December 19, 2017 Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N1, JLPT N2, JLPT N3, JLPT N4, JLPT N5, Learning Methods

With only two and a half weeks before the JLPT for July 2015 some of you may be feeling a number of things. Stress, anxiety, boredom. Keeping yourself motivated is something I’ve written about in the past but I feel like at this point it would help to go over some points, and bring forth some new ones specifically for the JLPT. First of all DON’T PANIC You’re probably behind schedule and have found another 100 things or more that you need to study, but first thing is not to panic. Panicking causes stress and anxiety which begins to interfere… Read More…

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Japanese – Where to Start II

By Niffer December 3, 2014 February 26, 2018 Beginner Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N5, Learning Methods

“What do I do once I’ve learnt hiragana and katakana?” In a post last year I advised that the first thing a person starting to learn Japanese should do is learn hiragana and katakana. This post listed various resources you can use to study hiragana and katakana as each person is different in their study approach. It’s important to learn hiragana and katakana as it opens up so many more opportunities for learning the language and helps with pronunciation and reading ability. Since then I’ve seen a lot of people asking “what next?” It’s difficult to pick a direction when… Read More…

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Japanese Textbooks for Teaching Yourself Japanese

By Niffer June 15, 2014 March 18, 2018 Advanced Japanese, Beginner Japanese, Intermediate Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), Kanji, Learning Methods, Teach Yourself Japanese

“What text books should I use for teaching myself Japanese?” Using text books to learn Japanese can be tricky business because they are often made for class studying rather than self study, but it doesn’t mean they’re not useful if you can’t afford the time or money for classes. First of all when studying Japanese it’s good to know the answers to these questions: Why are you studying Japanese? What’s your goal? It could be to read manga, watch anime without subtitles, to be able to read/speak it while on holiday or for a possible career. Your answer will… Read More…

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NEW ~ JLPT N5 Memrise Course

By Niffer March 15, 2014 September 21, 2015 Beginner Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), Japanese Lessons, JLPT N5, Memrise

J-Talk Online Memrise JLPT N5 It’s done! I am thrilled to announce the J-Talk Online JLPT N5 course for beginners is finished! (I spent the last 2 days putting together so very happy I have it in working order.) In the last few weeks I made some posts about JLPT N5 I mentioned how memrise has courses for JLPT N5 and N4, but the courses has a lot of advanced kanji and were pretty random. Which is GREAT if you’re a higher level wanting to take JLPT N3 or if you want to over learn not necessarily for the exams),… Read More…

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JLPT N4 – Study Method and Resources

By Niffer March 12, 2014 December 17, 2016 Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N4, Learning Methods

So for those who don’t know I’ve talked previously about taking the JLPT but I felt like I was a bit vague when it came to beginners as there aren’t actually that many specific text books for the lower levels because there are plenty of others that cover the basics of Japanese. As a result I wrote this post on taking the JLPT N5 with what the exam is, resources and study methods (which is why the two posts are very similar, and by very similar I mean practically identical but with the links updated and text changed slightly). This guide is exactly… Read More…

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JLPT N5 – Study Methods and Resources

By Niffer March 5, 2014 March 27, 2017 Beginner Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JLPT N5, Learning Methods

I’ve talked previously about taking the JLPT but I felt like I was a bit vague when it came to beginners as there aren’t actually that many specific text books for the lower levels because there are plenty of others that cover the basics of Japanese. So this guide is made using those and other online advice for complete beginners wanting to take the JLPT exams whether it be for masochistic fun, to push your language ability, or for school. What do I need to know to pass JLPT N5? First of all it’s good to know what exactly… Read More…

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J-Talk Online Memrise Courses

By Niffer February 19, 2014 December 28, 2017 Advanced Japanese, Beginner Japanese, Intermediate Japanese, Japanese Lessons, Learning Methods, Memrise

So in the last few weeks I came across the flashcard program Memrise. I’d heard about it before but never really checked it out. It had been so long since I’d used AnkiDroid that I decided to try it out, and it is amazing! I entered in some vocabulary I was studying and managed to go over about 220 of them in a single weekend! When I hadn’t been doing much before hand this was a big confidence booster! So why is Memrise so great? Well for one thing putting vocabulary into a flashcard deck and getting other people’s is SO much… Read More…

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The JLPTs

By Niffer January 1, 2014 March 27, 2017 Advanced Japanese, Beginner Japanese, Intermediate Japanese, Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), Learning Methods

If you are studying Japanese, even if you are doing so for fun, you should do the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (or the JLPTs). Many people learning Japanese have heard of the JLPTs but don’t know what they are. They are 5 Japanese language exams that are held twice a year in July and December across the world. They test learners Japanese skills for vocabulary, grammar, listening and reading (no speaking or writing). Tests are multiple choice. JLPT N5 is the lowest and N1 is the highest. Beginner levels test your hiragana/katakana reading skills and higher levels test kanji. But all… Read More…

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