JLPT Level 3/4 - Audio section

[halpin]

みなさん、

How many of the beginner lessons would be required to understand the audio from a level 4 JLPT? I understand that one's Japanese vocabulary should be around 700/800, Kanji 150 and I've had a look through some of the exams.

Also, how many lessons are required to understand the audio from JLPT level 3? Would this be breaking into the intermediate lessons?

Please bare in mind that I currently don't live in Japan, so these lessons are the main source of hearing 日本語.

Thank you.

[untmdsprt]

Can you find the actual test booklet of the tests? I have both the 2005 and 2007 booklets of Levels 3&4. These include the CD for the listening part.

A good site is http://jlpt.biz as it has test questions, and you can download past tests. You have to join though and post comments to accumulate points in which to download.

[Taurus]

I think this is a difficult question to answer. Without wishing to take anything away from Japanesepod, it seems to me that the lessons aren't structured around the JLPT syllabus. It seems to me that some of the elements of grammar/vocab etc. introduced early in the podcasts, aren't necessary till later stages of the JLPT, and vice versa. The podcasts seem to have a much greater emphasis on colloquialisms and informal Japanese for example, which will probably be much more help if you're trying to talk to Japanese people than if you're trying to pass the JLPT.

I think if you're trying to pass the JLPT, the most efficient way would be to consider a course that's structured with passing it in mind - something like the Minna no Nihongo series of books for example (which come with an audio CD). And, of course, the official past papers, which you can buy and which also come with an audio CD.

That said, one of the great strengths of the podcasts is the way they expose you to native speakers. One of the challenges of the JLPT is that the audio tracks are only played once, and the questions about them are intentionally tricky (there are lots of red herrings and so on). So the more you listen to Japanese speakers, the more chance you have of doing well in the JLPT.

And with that said, I should disclose that I haven't yet taken any JLPT exams, and I'm barely capable of speaking Japanese - I've just taken some past papers and found it easy enough to pass the JLPT 4 papers after finishing the first Minna no Nihongo textbook and using Jpod as supplementary/revision material.

[halpin]

Thanks to both of you for your input.

And, of course, the official past papers, which you can buy and which also come with an audio CD.

Could you please point me in the right direction on where to buy the audio CD with papers?

ありがとう

[Taurus]

These are the ones you want. But it's difficult to find an English-language site that sells them. The isbn is 978-4-89358-639-1. There seems to be a selection of past papers with audio CDs available here.

[halpin]

ありがとう！

[sashimidimsum7250]

TheJapanShop has quite a few JLPT books, including some of the ones mentioned:
http://www.thejapanshop.com/home.php?cat=73

I've ordered from them before and had no problems.

[gerald_ford]

I think this is a difficult question to answer. Without wishing to take anything away from Japanesepod, it seems to me that the lessons aren't structured around the JLPT syllabus. It seems to me that some of the elements of grammar/vocab etc. introduced early in the podcasts, aren't necessary till later stages of the JLPT, and vice versa. The podcasts seem to have a much greater emphasis on colloquialisms and informal Japanese for example, which will probably be much more help if you're trying to talk to Japanese people than if you're trying to pass the JLPT.

Excellent comments and exactly my experience. Before I studied for the JLPT, I was listening to JPod for a while, and I found it helped progress my speaking Japanese a lot with friends and in-laws, but when I took some JLPT practice tests, I still did poorly. It's just not JPod's emphasis, I hope they keep the format as it is. It's more useful in the long-run. If you integrate JPod though with other teaching aids, then you're in much better shape.

Also, for listening, I've found it helpful to just listen to Japan streaming media daily. I noticed that NNN (Nihon Terebi News) has a daily feed of the evening news, 30 minutes of good, fast, fluent speaking here:

http://www.dai2ntv.jp/news/realtime/streaming/

Of course, you're not expected to understand all, or even most of it. But with a lot of common words I study, just hearing them used over and over again in all kinds of different contexts is helpful. My wife told me this story of a celeb who moved to Japan and learned Japanese by watching lots and lots of samurai movies, which sounds funny, but did help (even though they sometimes used outdated vocabulary), but the point was that listening really does take years to master, and you can't cram for it. Instead, frequent and consistent exposure are the key.

For any language, listening is by far the hardest skill, and you just can't memorize your way to success. You just have to get sooooo used to hearing it spoken, that you don't have to expend any extra brain power processing it than you would English. There's no other way, and if you get that good, the JLPT listening section will not be too difficult even with its red-herrings (and they are sneaky).

So the more you listen to Japanese speakers, the more chance you have of doing well in the JLPT.

Amen to that. Exposure, exposure, exposure.

[lonna_senpai]

Gerald_ford thank you sooo much for the news link!!! I have been looking for one of those forever!!!

[jaboyak]

That link is so awesome... That, with Keyhole TV, will maybe get me past JLPT 2 by next year! Ganbatteimasu!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^