Japanese
こんにちは
In our Japanese class, you will not only learn the grammatical rules and sentence structure, but also the culture such as Japanese calligraphy, tea arts, theatre, yutaka and Wataiko (Japanese drum) etc...
This course also prepares you for Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). JLPT is a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers, covering language knowledge, reading ability, and listening ability.
Team
Doppo Narita
Lecturer
With academic qualifications and working experience in Law, Literature, Performing Arts and Education, Doppo Narita is the ultimate super guru to teach Japanese as he is knowledgeable in the Japanese language in both the logical and artistic parts, not to mention that he is also a native speaker of Japanese. You will definitely enjoy learning from him!
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Laws (Nihon University, Japan);
Bachelor of Fine & Performing Arts (University of Tennessee, USA); Literature Theatre (Japan);
Actors Training Course/Asian Synthetic Theatre Methodology (TTRP, Singapore);
Child Education Teaching License (Seitoku University, Japan)
Working experience: Theatre director, Radio Drama Actor, Film and TV Actor, Educator
Japanese Culture
We include at least one Japanese cultural session in every semester of our Japanese language course.
We will also conduct many Japanese cultural workshops such as Ikebana, Tea Ceremony etc.
Background
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験 Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken), or JLPT, is a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers, covering language knowledge, reading ability, and listening ability.
The test is held twice a year in Japan and selected countries (on the first Sunday of July and December), and once a year in other regions (on the first Sunday of December).
The JLPT consists of five levels. Until 2009, the test had four levels, with 4 being the lowest and 1 being the highest level of certification. JLPT certificates do not expire or become invalid over time.
Proficiency levels of JLPT
The JLPT has five levels: N1, N2, N3, N4 and N5. The easiest level is N5 and the most difficult level is N1.
Summary
N4 and N5 measure the level of understanding of basic Japanese mainly learned in class. N1and N2 measure the level of understanding of Japanese used in a broad range of scenes in actual everyday life. N3 is a bridging level between N1/N2 and N4/N5.
Linguistic competence required for the JLPT is expressed in terms of language activities, such as Reading and Listening, as shown in the table below. While not noted in the table, Language Knowledge, such as Vocabulary and Grammar, is also required for successful execution of these activities.
A summary of linguistic competence required for each level:
(1) Level N1
The ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances.
One is able to read writings with logical complexity and/or abstract writings on a variety of topics, such as newspaper editorials and critiques, and comprehend both their structures and contents.
One is also able to read written materials with profound contents on various topics and follow their narratives as well as understand the intent of the writers comprehensively.
One is able to comprehend orally presented materials such as coherent conversations, news reports, and lectures, spoken at natural speed in a broad variety of settings, and is able to follow their ideas and comprehend their contents comprehensively. One is also able to understand the details of the presented materials such as the relationships among the people involved, the logical structures, and the essential points.
(2) Level N2
The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and in a variety of circumstances to a certain degree.
One is able to read materials written clearly on a variety of topics, such as articles and commentaries in newspapers and magazines as well as simple critiques, and comprehend their contents.
One is also able to read written materials on general topics and follow their narratives as well as understand the intent of the writers.
One is able to comprehend orally presented materials such as coherent conversations and news reports, spoken at nearly natural speed in everyday situations as well as in a variety of settings, and is able to follow their ideas and comprehend their contents. One is also able to understand the relationships among the people involved and the essential points of the presented materials.
(3) Level N3
The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree.
One is able to read and understand written materials with specific contents concerning everyday topics.
One is also able to grasp summary information such as newspaper headlines.
In addition, one is also able to read slightly difficult writings encountered in everyday situations and understand the main points of the content if some alternative phrases are available to aid one’s understanding.
One is able to listen and comprehend coherent conversations in everyday situations, spoken at near-natural speed, and is generally able to follow their contents as well as grasp the relationships among the people involved.
(4) Level N4
The ability to understand basic Japanese.
One is able to read and understand passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji.
One is able to listen and comprehend conversations encountered in daily life and generally follow their contents, provided that they are spoken slowly.
(5) Level N5
The ability to understand some basic Japanese.
One is able to read and understand typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji.
One is able to listen and comprehend conversations about topics regularly encountered in daily life and classroom situations, and is able to pick up necessary information from short conversations spoken slowly.
JLPT Levels c/f CEFR Levels
Please click the image above to see the comparison between JLPT and CEFR Levels
