8月27日
ゆるコンピュータ科学ラジオ #2~3 (1h 5 min)
10 Likes
I listened to almost all of the podcasts by this YouTuber/ Japanese teacher. I need to redo them with subs next as there were some above way above my understanding and others where I didn’t understand everything.
7 Likes
Aug 28, Mon of Week 10 of Summer Q3 2023 
コンビニ人間 (0:54-1:00, 6 min)
YUYU, 2 new episodes. サムネイル caught me off-guard.
Rebuild podcast (27 min)
9 Likes
8月26日 (日)
卵 短編 (Kurzgesagt - ~4 min)
Learn Japanese with Noriko 51 (~7 min)
Tobira audios (~10 min)
8月27日 (月)
秋に美しく咲かせる為のバラの夏剪定解説 (ガーデンちゃんねる) (~22 min)
Let’s talk in Japanese 2 and 3 (~21 min)
Tobira (~10 min)
Yesterday I started some Kurzgesagt, and this week’s video is quite enjoyable. Also started ch 6 of Tobira, which focuses on religion. The Shinto/Buddhism related vocabulary is not so familiar to me, so I ended up dedicating a bit more time for the texts yesterday and today. Otherwise, today I tried 2 recommendations (one from the What do you listen to for Japanese practice? thread, and the other from the N3 thread if I remember right). The Let’s talk in Japanese is nice because he rates the difficulty of his episodes, which I appreciate. I will probably listen to it more often. The video about gardening was… tough. Harder then the content I’m used to, and quite niche too. But overall a great learning experience for me, to push my limits.
11 Likes
August 28th
Today I watched this N3 grammar video from 日本語の森
It was a good way to review N3 grammar, and I was pleased that I recognised almost all of the grammar points.
11 Likes
8月28日
FF14ことりのリンクシェル通信 3 episodes (1h 3 min)
And another new podcast 
. I really wanted to start this one from a while ago, had it saved for a few months. It’s about FFXIV (Final Fantasy 14) so as a player I’m naturally going to enjoy this one a lot. It’s two players talking about anything game related, pretty much. The first two episodes the host had the absolute worst mic and it was a bit challenging to understand her at times because of that but pretty good overall. Then the third episode she has a proper mic already so all good. It’s relatively recent, started last year but on a weekly schedule so it has something like 70-80 episodes, but it should keep me entertained for a while. This is definitely one of the podcasts that I’ll catch up with along with YUYU, eventually.
10 Likes
Aug 29, Tue of Week 10 of Summer Q3 2023
YUYU, 2 new episodes
コンビニ人間 (1:00-1:30, 30 min). With reading along, but not in a transport. Now caught up with IBC primer and prior reading (incidentally).
9 Likes
8月29日
FF14ことりのリンクシェル通信 3 episodes (1h 7 min)
10 Likes
August 29th!
Today I listened to this JLPT N3 Language Knowledge test video.
A lot of it was reading aloud text that was on screen so it was fairly easy listening-wise, but I’m currently umming and ahhing about doing the N3 in December so I’m trying to gauge how likely I am to pass it. Honestly, I don’t think I’m going to have a strong chance of passing it. I got 9/10 in this video though, which is pretty positive?
My Mistake: The first question is the one I got wrong. Are かなり and とても really the same? I’ve always thought of かなり as “quite” and とても as “very”…
My original plan was to do the N3 in July of next year, but this December the exam is being held in my hometown for the first time since Covid, so it would be a great chance to go home and visit friends and family as well as sitting the exam.
I really can’t decide what to do, but registration opens on August 31st, so I need to make my mind up soon I guess!
12 Likes
Off-topic N3 thoughts
Sorry for the unsolicited advice, but I felt like sharing some thoughts about it 
When thinking about doing something like this, I try to ask myself a bunch of questions:
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Can I afford the time and money? This is the #1 dealbreaker, of course.
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How high is my chance to pass? If it’s high, then go for it. If it’s not so high, then:
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Can I learn something from taking it anyways? Eg. get more clarity on where you need to improve, get more familiar with the test in and of itself in order to feel less stressed out the next time around, get more motivation for studying, etc.
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Do I enjoy taking the test? Some people (including yours truly) actually enjoy taking tests!
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Will it be (mentally) bad for me if I fail? This is of course a difficult topic, and I cannot really advise on this, but as our world is a competitive one, it might maybe be helpful to practice being not as affected by a negative outcome? And I think JLPT might be a good playground for this as it doesn’t have dire consequences for most people.
Anyways, just a few thoughts. Looking forward to seeing which decision you are going to end up with 
7 Likes
8月29日 (火)
ことのは日本語の会話 (26 min)
Autumn in Japan 日本の秋 - Intermediate Japanese 日本語中級 (~7 min)
Tobira audios (~5 min)
8月30日 (水)
Learn Japanese with Noriko 53 (~8 min)
YUYU 213 (~21 min)
日本語の聴解のためのpodcast (あかね) 184 (4 min)
JLPT N3 Language Knowledge test video, thanks @lucylavelle for sharing 
Yesterday I listen to this week’s ことのは日本語の会話 which was about job hunting in Japan (就活). Quite interesting to compare to my current experience as someone job hunting in a different country! Today I started with Noriko, but got recommended random episodes of other series I follow so I ended up just listening to a few during lunch. And checked the N3 video. Tomorrow or whenever I have time, I also want to start the FFXIV podcast 
I didn’t know there was one!
12 Likes
Aug 30, Wed of Week 10 of Summer Q3 2023
YUYU, 3 new episodes
A vlog from 日本語の森. Yeah, watching with sub intently.
A Kurzgesagt with sub. The current one. I don’t really expect the content…
11 Likes
8月30日
FF14ことりのリンクシェル通信 3 episodes (1h 4 min)
11 Likes
August 30th!
I watched 2 videos of N3 listening test questions today.
In the first one I got a slightly underwhelming 4/7.
I’ve misplaced the link to the second video, which was shorter with only 3 questions, in which I got 2/3. So I had a pretty similar mark of 60%-ish in both videos, which isn’t great, but is also not so terrible that it doesn’t feel like I could improve by December…
Off Topic N3 rambling
Thanks @NicoleIsEnough, for your advice. It’s always very welcome!
I can afford the test (it’ll probably be my Christmas present from my husband 
), and it doesn’t interfere with work as I don’t work on Sundays. And the fact I can visit my family at the same time makes the travel definitely worth it - I’d probably travel down on Friday after work, spend Saturday with family and then take the test on Sunday so that would be pretty nice.
My chance of passing… Uncertain!
I think my language knowledge and reading might be ok, though I’m a bit of a slow reader. I think by December I’d be ok.
Grammar is a bit more of a concern since there are definitely some points I get muddled with, and there is a good chance they’ll be things that come up in the test like わけがない / わけではない
I also struggle with those questions where you have to pick which word goes in the position with the star. But again, the test is still a while away and this is stuff I can drill and get lots of practise with.
Listening is the big worry. My listening skills lag behind my other skills. I’m not too bad in real conversations - but with comprehension questions I struggle. Especially the ones where the questions and answers are both spoken so you don’t know what the potential answers are until after you’ve heard the question.
Again, its months away so there is practise time, but I’m not confident that I can improve enough in ~3 months.
That said, there is value to taking the test even if I fail - as you said it may show me where my weak points are, and being familiar with the test format etc may help me pass in July even if I fail December because it’ll be less stressful. I wouldn’t say I enjoy taking tests, but its not something I dislike - taking the N4 was weird because of the fact that I was sitting an exam for the first time in about 15 years and it felt a bit surreal, but that strangeness will disappear after a few tests I expect!
You are right that my main hurdle is a fear of failure, despite the fact I know that there are no real consequences to failing. I imagine I’ll be upset if I fail, especially if I work really hard to prepare.
But as you say, maybe thats something that I need to work on in general, and this is an opportunity.
So I think my mind is made up - I’m going to try to get a place for the test when registration opens tomorrow and just do my best.
If I fail, I’ll try to see it as a practise run for the July test, since thats when I was originally planning to aim for.
Thank you for the advise, it really helped me think it through
12 Likes
August 31! Finished! Apart from the late start, I listened to some type of Japanese every single day. Some days, especially when I was tired, it was “only” some songs in Japanese. Other days it was Japanese learning youtube videos or podcasts.
Happy to have joined! How’s everyone else feeling about getting to the end of the challenge? 
13 Likes
Aug 31, Thu of Week 10 of Summer Q3 2023
YUYU, 2 new episodes
本好きの下剋上 1 : Prologue, 新しい生活 (0:00-0:30). Well, I read a little of syosetu first.
Summary 
- Cop Craft 1, reading + audiobook
- 予言の島, reading + audiobook
- コンビニ人間, reading + audiobook (0-40%)
- YUYU podcast (95 episodes from June)
- 6 Kurzgesagt with sub
- うたわれるもの series and Fatal Twelve mostly have audio, but they are considered heavily reading.
I still can’t consider Rebuild podcast listening very successful. Also that YouTube history without sub.
コンビニ人間 may work, but I need to read along (without pausing is OK). Maybe 予言の島 too.
10 Likes
Some more N3
@lucylavelle I really like how you addressed all of my points! That gave me the feeling of having been able to contribute to your thought process with kinda relevant points, and I’m happy about that
Yay! How did it go? 
5 Likes
8月31日 (木)
Learn Japanese with Noriko 54 and 55 (~10 min)
Let’s talk in Japanese! 3 and 4 (~18 min)
まいこ先生のまいにちすこし日本語を 494 (~16 min)
Everyday Japanese Podcast 176 (~10 min)
I can’t believe we’re at the end of this challenge already. How time flies…
So, my initial goal was to increase my listening practice, and regain the habit I had of listening to podcasts. I also wanted to continue with Kurzgesagt, and explore other media such as anime or movies.
In the last two months, some of the things I’ve achieved are:
- Practiced my listening everyday
- Watched 3 Kurzgesagt videos, with complex scientific subjects
- Watched 8 anime episodes (できる猫) without subs
- Regained my habit of listening to podcasts. I have, amongst others, listened to >50 episodes of Learn Japanese with Noriko and >30 episodes of ことのは日本語の会話
Overall, I’m very pleased. I’m still not sure what are my goals next, but one of them will definitely be to listen to at least 1 podcast a day. I will also reflect a bit more during the next few days.
12 Likes
August 31st!
Today, I watched the first 4 videos in this series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLINFE8v4DOhsnhC58pqjXBCSNpU66tTG8
Listening is my weakest skill in Japanese, and there are lots of words that I know when I read them, but fail to understand when I hear them. So I thought maybe listening to N3 vocab would be helpful for my listening comprehension.
Final day of the challenge! I managed to listen every day during this challenge, and finished the first season of an anime watching with no subtitles at all which feels like a fun milestone! (Though for the sake of full transparency, it was an anime adaptation of a manga I’ve read, so that helped me a lot with following what was going on.)
I’m planning to listen every day throughout September, but I’m going to take a break from posting every day. I’ll be lurking in the threads though, so I look forward to seeing updates from anybody who is carrying on!
More N3 things
@NicoleIsEnough I applied! The website says they aren’t processing the applications until the 4th, so I guess I won’t know if I got a place until then, but I emailed my application 35 minutes after registration opened so hopefully I was fast enough!
Thank you again for your advice and support
10 Likes
It’s the official end of this challenge! Congratulations to everyone who participated, hope you had fun. Feel free to continue posting throughout September if you wish, until the next challenge starts in October.
By the way, if someone wants to take over the running of the challenge, the offer still stands.
As for me, I think I managed to listen to Japanese, let me count, yes, two days since this challenge started. 
Of course I knew summer isn’t a good time for me, listening-wise (even my reading suffered a little). I plan to restart reading along with audiobooks this month, and I’ll also try and watch more movies/series, so I expect to post here occasionally with my impressions.
13 Likes