If only I had known these things... | My JLPT N1 story + last minute studying tips

In this video I talk about my experiences and reasons for taking N1 (long ago) and what I think you can do to prepare if you only have a few weeks left before taking the test.
Let me know your studying tips and tricks in the comments below!
#jlpt #jlptn1

[@jinjurbreadman]

tips start at 5:40

[@InvaderSyd]

Would love to hear more about your studies in Japanese literature and career path! How you got started, where you went to school, etc.

[@deborahm6682]

Yeah me too! That seems so interesting!

[@jovanastudies]

obsessed with your bookshelf

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

you're not the only one…everyone who visits me comes for the shelf while pretending to listen to me speak😂

[@SandyGallia]

@@bunsuke.nihongo "I'm sorry, just came to see your bookshelf" 😂🤣

[@xiaofei89]

Thanks for making me feel better about having dozens of Japanese books

[@kylefenrick9168]

I appreciate your videos because you are getting to the point where you are almost a sensai. Those who get to that level, teach with every movement. Thank you for the help.

[@likelyowl]

I wish I saw this video before I took the test. I hate taking JLPT, I feel it is just a very limited window of language, in terms of vocabulary. I also took it because of grad school, but for me it was a little bit in advance, so I didn't feel extra motivated to do it. Especially because the vocabulary is hell and so out of the realm of language I usually dabble in. Also, I am good at reading, but the reading section was long, just like you said, and I gave up at that point so I read at my normal novel-reading speed (so, slowly) that I had to basically guess the last two questions. I will be subjecting myself to it again next year (I did pass, but the amout of points I got is embarassing to show that to my professor) so I will definitely keep your tips in mind.

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

Haha I feel your pain. Are you taking N1 next year? If so, I might have some good learning materials that I can send to you toward the end of this year...

[@andreamillington7042]

@@bunsuke.nihongo, would you mind sharing those materials with me as well? I think I've just passed JLPT N1, but, just like likelyowl, my score definitely won't be anything to be proud of!

[@joshlovesfood]

I started prioritizing reading books over learning Kanji through anki, I think it works much better for me, great tip!

[@Randomkloud]

personally, I use anki as like a storehouse for kanji I already know and recognise from just reading and encountering it in the wild. Every now and then I go through it just to see if i can remember it. I think it would feel vvery tedious to me to actually learn it in the first place from anki.

[@joshlovesfood]

@@Randomkloud That's a good idea too, but I find simply focusing on vocabularies doesn't aid in understanding Japanese, reading is more important for me because I get more intuition and the meaning from sentences. The key is to read the same books over and over until the vocabs are fairly easy. I also find things stick better too because there is a reference in my mind, rather than just memorizing random vocabs. Its been working for me!

[@Randomkloud]

@@joshlovesfood i agree with you that vocabulary is best learnt in context of a proper sentence. the main strength of anki for me is how I can't predict or remember the order things appear. My problem is that when i re-read material i notice i sometimes dont actually read the words or kanji because I've accidentally memorised the order in which the words appear. sometimes in anki I'll forget the readings but still be totally confident that i would be able to read it in an actual sentence. Basically just a tool to measure how familiar I am with a particular kanji or vocabulary. A not-insignificant part of it is also the dopamine boost when i get correct answers and just marvel at how much I can actually understand before wading into a new piece of text where I only understand 10% of the words. edit: oh, I should also mention that every kanji in my anki deck comes with multiple sentences (themselves containing kanji) using the kanji in different ways.

[@joshlovesfood]

@@Randomkloud I still use Anki for learning some things, lately Kanji kentei. I've been using Anki for years, and I think it is the best flash card system out there, for me though the collections get too big and I spend too much time reviewing cards, which doesn't improve my communication skills. I think learning Japanese is non-linear, and there are multiple ways to get there, sometimes we have to change up our strategies to suit our current needs. Sounds like you got a solid plan and you will know it all eventually. Best of luck!

[@Fatihkilic075]

I am also from the Netherlands! I like the gravity and sort of seriousness I see in your eyes when you talk about this topic. I have this image that you take your (Japanese) studies and your academic career seriously. Please enlighten us about the academic environment you are in and how you got there + difficulties. Would be interesting!

[@fabiothebest89lu]

Although you weren’t the typical NJLPT student because you were proficient already and had to prepare for the test in 1 month, I appreciate your advices about the exam. I’m a learner of Chinese and I would like to study Japanese as well. It is true that there are many resources available for beginners and you can offer more valuable advice for advanced learners, but since you have got a good experience and I trust your advice, could you give some advices for someone who has to learn Japanese from scratch? What are the best resources and methods in your opinion? If you intend to make more videos, I would personally be interested in these topics.

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

I think if you're an absolute beginner, then any standard textbook will do. They are usually a decent (albeit boring and linear (as in, not completely accurate)) introduction to how Japanese grammar functions. After finishing those you can go out and read/consume the type of media that you're interested in and adjust your understanding of the language as you go along.

[@tonyluvbalony6837]

These tips feel very similar to those for the Cambridge exam. Also, much like you said about JLPT, I don’t feel like Cambridge is a good benchmark for English proficiency either. Despite not partaking in the JLPT myself, I personally like to practice kanji with JLPT problems because they like to do things like giving multiple answers with the same phonetic marker but a different radical, or exceptions like 比較 where you ignore the phonetic marker

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I totally see the merit of JLPT materials for that purpose, especially because the multiple choice answers can help you reframe your understanding of the compound/kanji (or completely throw you off...). I'm curious: which books do you use to study kanji? I think it's awesome that you are doing it just for you, makes the process more enjoyable. Also, please allow me to nerd out for a moment on the example you gave. In the case of 較, I feel the phonetic marker is still relevant for two reasons: 1. コウ and カク are very closely related readings (you see similar patterns in 広 コウ vs. 拡 カク); and 2. in very rare cases 較 is read as コウ (for example in 較著 こうちょ and 較然 こうぜん, where it is used in the sense of あきらか or いちじるしい). I promise, I'm done now 笑. Thanks for bringing up this fascinating example.

[@tonyluvbalony6837]

@@bunsuke.nihongo thanks for the insights, since I started using the JLPT practice question, I’ve been using a mix of Tobira and online JLPT N2 sources, although to be honest my studies are a bit all over the place right now and I’m looking to design myself a consistent study program some time soon

[@ryo6146]

私は日本人で、「N1ってどんなもの？」と思ってPCでテストしててみたら、満点取れなかったです。 日本人なのにN1さえ取れないって、日本語ネイティブじゃないって事なのかな・・・？ っていうか、日本人同士でもN1相当の会話はしないよね？　無駄に語彙力が高い会話とかしないよ～ｗ

[@margaritatyamanova6762]

Thank you for video! It’s very interesting!

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

thanks so much! I really appreciate it:-)

[@sarah_vestal_77]

Thank you so much I want one day to pass the JLPT 1 it is my goal in Japanese but I want the N2 minimum ❤

[@OcadosLivros]

いいヒントですね。僕はN3を持ってて、N2を受けたいと思いますが。もっと多読したほうがいいけど、最近、問題は、わからない言葉が出たら、無視できなくて辞書で意味を探さざるを得ません。先生はどうやって多読をしますか。教えてください！言葉の習い、暗記など、どうしますか？

[@SpecialKapson]

これめっちゃ分かる。言葉をずっと調べて全然進めない

[@burntt999]

Omg, know exactly what your talking about… your thinking about the last question then you realize the next question is halfway done and you haven’t heard any of it because you were thinking about the one before it so you think oh shit! I can’t keep doing this! What did it just say? Oh crap!!!! We’re on the next question already !!! Nooooo

[@sarah_vestal_77]

You are from Holland すごいです私はフランス人女性ですありがとうございますこの動画最高でした👍🏻

[@brandonbaylon834]

Please help me to pass N1

[@EvgenyUskov]

any experience with kanken or nihongokentei?

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

Some with the 漢検 materials but not the test itself. I'm not sure if I'll do any focused study specifically to pass level 1 any time soon, but I'd rather dive into the Chinese and Japanese classics, make that my own, and then take level 1 in twenty years or so. 日本語検定 I haven't looked into that thoroughly beyond doing a mock test online and I think I did fairly well if I remember correctly. I believe you got level one in both right? So impressive! I'd love to hear more about your motivations. Let's do a call sometime in the new year if you're up for it.

[@EvgenyUskov]

@@bunsuke.nihongo yes, as it happens i managed to pass the first levels of both of them - for various reasons starting from looking for something related to Japanese language to entertain and challenge myself with, to trying to boost my credential profile to the limit (not that it confers any tangible or practical results, but still) while Kanken, especially its first level, is quite specific indeed requiring much time and focus - which may not always be compatible with other commitments or interests - i would highly recommend trying Nihongo Kentei - although it is held only two times a year, you can take two different levels on the same day, and they also provide detailed explanations of the questions (which is especially valuable for parts on polite speech where answers may not always be obvious or straightforward)

[@southcoastinventors6583]

I have question is it easier to take the test in Japan and by easier I mean can take at any time of the year baring holidays.

[@PaopuBlossom]

JLPT is available twice a year in Japan. One in the summer (July), once in winter (December). It's also usually cheaper than taking it in other countries where it's only once a year.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

@@PaopuBlossom Thanks for the answer.

[@cheese6760]

"atleast N1" D:

[@Mitsoukee]

Thing is, N1 is not the end of the road. It’s the beginning. Once you’ve reached that level, you’ll be able to start researching things at a much deeper level. I recently passed N2 and I’ve come to realize this now.

[@ElwingWitch79]

loved your story about your experience with JLPT,being anxious as I am I'd totally panick having so little time to prepare🥲

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

thank you for your generous comment! I'm not going to lie, it was a little nerve racking, but at the same time, I try not to get too worked up about things that are out of my control so during the test I was quite relaxed. Are you taking the test next month?

[@ElwingWitch79]

@@bunsuke.nihongo no,after 3 years of not doing it this time Milan is not hosting JLPT and in Venice (the nearest city) there were numbered seats,so I'll pass🤷🏻‍♀️