I’m not specifically studying for the JLPT, but I do want to try a practice N4 test sometime soon, then see what improvements there are in July.
I’m planning to contact a tutor on https://en.amazingtalker.com/ and work on speaking there.
Recently I’ve also tried playing games in Japanese, and will begin reading Teasing Master Takagi-san with the book club, as well as Kiki’s Delivery Service on my own in May.
I’m beginning to add and review vocabulary on Anki.
i’ve been quite happy with how my studies have been progressing, even when i’ve been dealing with bad health days and a busier schedule than expected. the kanji knowledge from WK is catching up to other areas, and starting to be really useful.
the biggest addition to my schedule has been reading (just manga so far). in particular i’ve been reading for fun, and while i do look up words and grammar i don’t understand, i’m content to get the gist of what’s going on. even though i don’t actually study anything, it’s opened up the world of learning through exposure. and in my experience exposure is an extremely powerful tool for learning languages. to be able to read is also extremely motivating!
as for the jlpt, i’m quite confident about the N5, and don’t know about N4. i’m not planning my studies for the jlpt, i see them mostly as a way to evaluate how far i’ve come. i will of course be checking the format of the exams beforehand, but that’s a task for the weeks before the exam, not yet for now.
@NathaLire thank you for organising this thread and keeping everybody involved! ^^
Today it’s exactly a month since I restarted doing lessons on WK after a burn out back in October, a 4-month break, resetting 10 levels back and defeating a massive review pile. I’ve been steadily doing 10-15 lessons a day and I finally feel that my kanji and vocabulary are progressing again.
I’m also (sort of) keeping up with three book clubs: FukaBoku, シメジシミュレーション and ゆるキャン△, so I’ve been reading regularly. I would like to read a book (not manga) before summer, likely 魔女の宅急便, but so far I’ve been procrastinating on that.
No grammar and no BunPro for me in the last months I really want to make a study plan for grammar, as it’s probably my weakest point for the JLPT. I got through the N4 grammar section with what “sounded good” thanks to my reading exposure, but I don’t think that would be enough for N3 and above. I’m a bit busy at work right now, so I will give myself a whole month to start planning a schedule and hopefully begin studying in May.
I’ve signed up for both N5 and N4 as I’m not sure what my level is.
My question is (and I’m sorry if this has been asked before): what grammar points from N5 and N4 does Genki not cover? Genki is my main source of study so I want to make sure I’m not missing out anything important. I know it doesn’t cover から and まで - anything else?
I was hoping someone else would have a better answer for you, but alas. The way I would do it would be to go down both these lists and note which ones you aren’t sure about or have never seen, then study them through whichever method you prefer.
You can actually just copy and paste the tables into a spreadsheet of your own if that’s how you want to do it. I’m doing that for the N3 list and marking them as I go. If I already know that grammar point I mark it green, and if I still have to learn it and make flashcards then I leave it uncolored. I’m working my way through all those now. That’s just my method though.
Thank you for these lists! They will be very useful.
I ended up using the “paths” section of Bunpro to filter out what I didn’t know.
I “learned” the Genki points and then they became stamped elsewhere on the site. Then I went to the N5 and N4 sections and looked at what ever was without a stamp. By process of elimination, I figured those are the things Genki misses.
These check-in posts were suggested by @banditraider and will be made bi-weekly (on Sundays). Please answer the questions over the indicated period (so, the past two weeks). Feel free to respond, whether you’re studying more casually, or even if you’re taking the actual JLPT! It might be a nice way to hold yourself accountable, or just see how you’re progressing over time (if you regularly respond). The format and included questions aren’t set in stone at all, so if you have any suggestions, please reply!
Q1: How have you been sticking to your study schedule during the past two weeks? (period 03/28 - 04/11)
I have stuck to my schedule 75% - 100% of the time
I have stuck to my schedule around 50% of the time
I have stuck to my schedule 0% to 25% of the time
I do not have a clear schedule, but I have studied Japanese regularly
I do not have a clear schedule yet, but I am in the process of making one
I have not started studying for the JLPT yet
Other (please comment)
0voters
Q2: Have you made any changes to your study routine (if you have one) or methods during the past two weeks? (period 03/28 - 04/11)
No
Yes, I have changed my routine so I spend less time on Japanese than I originally intended
Yes, I have changed my routine so I spend more time on Japanese than I originally intended
Yes, I have cut some methods from my routine
Yes, I have discovered new studying methods that I would like to add to my routine (please comment!)
Yes, I have decided to switch my focus to a different skill (e.g., listening instead of reading)
Yes, but I haven’t changed my routine/methods in any of the ways mentioned above (please comment!)
Other (please comment!)
0voters
Q3: How confident are you for the JLPT, right now?
Very confident
Fairly confident
Neither
Not very confident
Not confident at all
0voters
Q4: What is your strength in Japanese, right now?
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Vocabulary
Kanji
Writing
My skills are all at a similar level
I don’t know
Other (please comment!)
0voters
Q5: What is your weakness in Japanese, right now?
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Vocabulary
Kanji
Writing
My skills are all at a similar level
I don’t know
Other (please comment!)
0voters
All polls close in 2 weeks, just before the next check-in post.
Please leave a comment if you feel a question or answering option is missing/should be changed! Also feel free to leave any other comments you might have!
I managed to actually get around my goals a little bit more this time around, thanks to tips by @NicoleIsEnough, which @bearytoast also suggested (I’m trying to read some books along with reading club threads that already exist! This includes rereading some books I read before, but it’s nice to see how I understand a bit more now), @Scylie (I’m trying to rephrase my goals more to the x-effect that you mentioned! Also in the sense of, read at least x minutes a day and then try to keep the streak going ). @bearytoast I think you’re definitely right that if I forced myself to take some time everyday to do active learning I would probably get used to the routine more. As of now I have literally no daily routine, I think it’s really important that I get into some kind of schedule. The past week I’ve tried a little, but I suddenly got really busy with some other things and didn’t have the time. I hope to get to it more after the end of April.
So I read a lot more the past week, and listened a bit less. But I guess that’s not so much of a problem, it was actually necessary. I’ve also changed my goals a little since I seem to burn out really fast these days (also a bit busy with life etc., which is why I’m not very active on this thread either, though I hope to have more time again around May/June). Instead of focusing on active learning, I’m focusing more on just immersing myself in contents that are in Japanese. As a result, I don’t lose motivation as fast. Of course I’m still keeping up with Wanikani!
I’m so glad to hear that it helped motivate you to study! Did you manage to get back at it even with Monster Hunter Rise?
Wow, I really like how you’re working on so many different skills at the same time! Your study methods seem very balanced. Have you managed to find a tutor in the meantime?
That’s so good, it sounds like your schedule works really well, especially with how the kanji knowledge corresponds to other areas?
That sounds so good! I feel like reading really is the ‘wonder drug’ of language learning. Or maybe just exposure in general, as you also said I noticed it really helps for me to see both grammar and vocabulary ‘in the wild’, because it gives me an idea of which contexts it’s actually used in. In Japanese especially, this is so crucial sometimes with all these different words that seemingly mean the same thing, haha.
Wowowow! That must be a great feeling and since you’re also keeping up with book clubs, I imagine you also encounter lots of those kanji and vocab in the wild?
This is exactly what I’m also struggling with a little. Grammar is definitely my weakest point (I should probably include grammar as a skill in the next check-in ). Same as you I hope to have a stricter schedule ready for around the beginning of May. So far, I don’t have a clear idea of what it’ll look like yet, but I hope that I’ve gotten into reading a bit more at the time, so I’ll have a better idea of how to incorporate grammar effectively (instead of just, writing it down, but for example writing down grammar I encounter (someone suggested this I think but I forgot who I’m sorry))
Welcome!! And great, that’s exactly the benefit of this event compared to the ‘real’ JLPT, you can try multiple levels and see where you stand
I saw @banditraider already answered and you figured it out!! I’m not sure you already know this but just in case, there aren’t actually official lists of what can be on the JLPT, most lists that go around are based on previous JLPTs, so that means any lists you encounter may deviate from each other! I think they’re all super similar but just in case you notice some irregularities.
In conclusion, from the next check-in I’ll include grammar in the skills. I know it’s not really a common language skill in that sense, but considering there’s also lots of textbooks specifically focused on grammar, I figure it doesn’t hurt!
Yay, another check-in! I always like seeing how everyone else is doing.
Personally I’ve lowered my expectations for myself and have had more success this way. Grammar has been pretty fun so far. I’ve started creating my own example sentences focused on N3 grammar points and seeing how DeepL translates them. It’s surprisingly addictive and it’s good practice! I feel like it helps with vocab and recall.
Btw has anyone ever used ‘A Handbook of Japanese Grammar Patterns for Teachers and Learners’ before? It’s expensive but I’m thinking of ordering it soon.
Yes, and I prefer it to the Dictionaries of Japanese Grammar (I feel like I’m going to be burned at the stake for saying this haha). I like having everything in one book and I like the fact you don’t get the romaji.
Wait, another check in?? Has it been two weeks already? It feels like it’s only been a couple of days x.x Time flies.
I’m pretty busy with uni and stuff during the day, I’m already happy if I have some energy left to read a little bit at the end of the day (I’ve finally found a light novel that doesn’t give me a headache from having to look up an insane amount, so yay! That’s been pretty fun. Though I’m still very slow :D).
Most of my Japanese exposure right now is Netflix with jp subs, though. I feel like that takes the least effort, even if I only understand a limited amount.
If I decide to take the real jlpt in the future I should probably work on the whole structure thing.
But right now it’s just not really a priority, so I’m good with my messy approach
One thing I’ve noticed is that whenever I watch something like those “difference between grammar point X, Y and Z” videos, I enjoy watching them, but I also forget almost everything in it immediately
I understand the grammar points by themselves, and I get the differences while I’m watching the video, but the knowledge just doesn’t stick.
That might become easier with more exposure but in terms of the jlpt that’s only somewhat helpful since you can’t really control what you come across in the wild. Hmm.
I was planning to watch all of CureDolly’s videos in order once I’ve finished Tobira in a week or two and I think I might run into the same problem. I thought I would try taking notes and maybe turning them into Anki cards somehow…? SRS can be a great plan B when getting enough exposure to something isn’t a given.
That sounds like a good idea for sure!
The thing is that I don’t really know what to put on the cards.
Only grammar point → meaning doesn’t make sense because that’s the part I can usually remember.
But “list all the differences” (in either usage or meaning) seems a bit much and/or vague for one card?
Also… I might be too lazy >< I use yomichan to add words with only one click for a reason
I think I might try it some time though, just to see how it goes.
Let me know if you find a method that works for you!
Plan B would be to kind of just… ignore it until I actually need that kind of knowledge for an actual jlpt. And hope that by then I’ve gotten enough exposure to make things easier?
I’m not practicing writing or speaking right now anyway, and for understanding things those kind of nuances don’t really matter much (yet).
I think I might just try to wing it this time since it’s just a mock test, and then for next time I can adjust my method if necessary
I love making grammar flashcards, so I’ll share my method! I make mine with my own example sentence on the front, and on the back I have the meaning and rules for that
particular grammar point listed.
Generally I try to keep the grammar in these sentences very simple so I can easily pick out which part I’m supposed to be looking at. I haven’t had any problem knowing which part is the grammar I’m quizzing myself on.
When I read the front I assess what the grammar point is doing and what it means in context. In this case the たて part of 取りたて is saying the action was freshly done, so the flowers were freshly picked. After that I look at the back of the card and confirm if I was right about the grammar point.
It might not be the most effective method but there it is!
Thanks for sharing!
You are less lazy than I am
I think your kind of cards make perfect sense to get the gist of a grammar point.
It’s also probably pretty similar to the few Anki grammar cards I have, though I usually use Bunpro for grammar, so I don’t have a lot of those.
Do you do anything specific to keep apart similar grammar points?
The thing is that that’s more a basic meaning and not “you can use word X in situation A and B, and word Y which means the same thing also works in situation A but not in B because this and that”
Just as an example, I recently watched this video that explains the difference between とき, さい and ばあい.
One of the examples was that you can’t use 際 when you’re talking about a longer period of time in the past.
Like:
“This is the cap I bought when I went to Kyoto” 際 is fine
“This is the cap I bought when I was a kid” 際 sounds weird
That’s just an example but this is the kind of stuff I sometimes find hard to remember, or put on a card, because it’s so… specific?
Enough exposure will probably help with getting that ingrained on its own, but I’d assume that it takes a while to build up that kind of intuition.
I feel like in the last two weeks I have decided to switch my focus and study methods, which seems to be alleviating some of the unnecessary stress I was putting on myself. I currently want to mainly focus on grammar, but plan to kind of go with a mass exposure method, and then end of may/ June when I have more time go back through more slowly while doing example problems. I retain information better when I experience it “in the wild” and just having a sort of understanding of a grammar point will help me begin to recognize what I’m seeing and then I look it up to confirm. My current plan is to keep making my way through the Japanese from scratch Cure Dolly playlist and do Nativshark, and then I’m just going to read through and take notes on Genki 1 and 2, which I will return to in June to do workbook exercises. I also plan to read Teasing Master Takagi San with the absolute beginner bookclub, so I’m focusing on learning grammar and vocabulary for the book in the next couple weeks!
I did get back on the study path after a three day break with Monster Hunter Rise. Breaks I am realising are just as important as study days. I have a good routine of work, exercise, study and sleep.
Here’s what really helped me. At the start of this mock exam prep I set up my Japanese study journey on Notion. These are the main bits that help me stay focused:
My daily check in items (which I vary a bit week by week) I usually aim to tick as many as possible - I’m only partway through todays.
Sorry for the picture heavy post, wanted to share incase anyone else found this system useful. Notion has made organising and focusing my study effortless. Highly recommended.
I really want to make a study plan for grammar, as it’s probably my weakest point for the JLPT. I got through the N4 grammar section with what “sounded good” thanks to my reading exposure, but I don’t think that would be enough for N3 and above. I’m a bit busy at work right now, so I will give myself a whole month to start planning a schedule and hopefully begin studying in May.
). 
and since you’re also keeping up with book clubs, I imagine you also encounter lots of those kanji and vocab in the wild?
