The JLPT is primarily a reading comprehension test. You don't need to be able to read at all to speak Japanese, but you need to be able to read quickly and have a pretty deep understanding of fairly difficult texts to pass N1. To do that you need to know a lot of things that aren't necessary for daily conversation. Contrary to popular belief, most of the texts in N1 are excerpts from real Japanese texts, they do not use fake textbook language. If you read a lot but you never practise outputting and you don't listen to much everyday conversation, of course it will be hard for you to output smoothly in casual everyday conversation. That's why there are people who can speak smoothly in everyday conversation but can't pass N1, and people who can pass N1 but struggle to speak smoothly in everyday conversation. I don't think it's fair to say that one person is better than the other, speaking is a skill and reading is a skill, they both take time and effort, it just depends on peoples personal goals.
Well, at the end of the day. People want to see your qualifications than Oh man you can speak or you can do it. You can't just go inside the company and fill the form saying i am qualified.
That man from India who self-studied for one year and then passed N2 is really inspiring. Also, I heard from JapanesePod101 that if you really want to learn Japanese, watch JDrama instead of anime, because conversations in dramas there are more realistic and not over exaggerated (although I know people who learned through anime). To all the peeps out there who are learning Japanese, let's do our best! Wonderful video! すばらしい! ✌️
You guys misunderstood him. He started learning Japanese in 2010, and passed JLPT N3 by the time he went to Japan in 2013. From there he studied for one year and passed JLPT N2, then another year to pass JLPT N1 which was in 2015. Total amount of time to pass N2 was around 4 years, NOT one year. Seems normal to me.
naturally these all not just highly driven individuals but also highly intelligent people. But, I am not convinced one an get to N2 level in one year, by self studying alone from the very beginning, He might have (and the rest of them) studied in Japanese or Chinese for years before that.
I think JLPT is helpful, as a guideline on what path should you take when learning japanese. First you learn basic grammar and ますform, and then gradually you move towards casual form and then formal Japanese. Of course its easy to say 'just go watch anime/drama/read manga/talk to people' but not everyone have a lot of free time. This is how a lot of people study english too. We both study at school and immerse a lot. Studying at school help (most) people to be able to talk and understand english.
But it can also be a different case on other people. I learn English mostly by myself even though we do study basic English at my school, but it does not help in any ways at all. Plus not just me, but majority of the kids at my school can't even understand anything about English. Hearing music, hearing people speaking English in dramas and movies is what helps me the most. Reading wasn't really helping as much either. Writing does help but at the same time not as much compared to hearing music and watching english content with subtitles.
@@runicover7227 when u re interested in something you tend to be curious and seeks for the answer about things you dont understand well, you re way more immersed into it rather than when you did it in the school, cuz they gave you thing that unknown to you and doesnt explain about the shit they re showing you or maybe it's too fast for you brain to capture the meaning in every single things. Happened to me often, late to process it in my head and everything become totally stranger and meaningless since you can't catch the tail nor the head.
Another thing that i would also like to highlight is, kids attention span is amazing. They can read same book 100x without feeling bored. I still remember my cousin was able to remember the entire script of a movie because she watched that same movie thousand times, so that probally helps too. But as an adult, even spending 2-5 hours on one anime makes me feel guilty because there are other useful thing that I can do.
Learning grammar is useful as identifying speech patern. Of course you will get used to it the more you listen/read, but the earlier you are exposed and aware of the sentence pattern, I think it helps you to understand what the speaker really want to say and it also helps you to construct your own sentence
Excellent video! I love how you get opinions of Japan from so many foreigners. One thing I think would be a good idea for a video is what foreigners have to do to when arriving in Japan to live. Things like: - finding a place to live. - finding a doctor, dentist. - getting a driver's license. - other basic necessities for living. 頑張ってくれてありがとう
Within Tokyo, finding a place really isn't too hard, there's foreigner friendly services but also japanese services that you can use. Finding doctors and dentists also isn't that hard, you Google it, and then use Google maps to navigate, I've only been to japanese speaking doctor's but there's also English speaking doctors. As having a car isn't really a thing in most people don't have a license, depending on your home country you can just Transfer your license into a Japanese one or have to retest. 👍🏾
@@weilaiyvn_DEACTIVATED depends on where you from, I'm German so actually the Japanese license is bit cheaper than the German one, but if you compare it to I.e. countries in Africa or the US it'll be definitely expensive.
@@c.i.j.5457 in Brazil, the license for car cost ~ R$ 2,000.00 (~ US$ 400.00), if you get approved in the theory and practical exams - what usually don't happen (the re-test cost around 200 / ~ US$ 40). The minimum wage here is ~ R$ 1,200.00 (~ US$ 240) - after the taxes ≈ 950 (~US$190) and the average person don't earn more than 1.8k (US$ 360). The Brazilian RUclipsrs that lives in Japan that I watch, have said about it, of transfering the license from Brazil. So looks more easy to get, but I also guess that tend don't be hard after a time working in Japan to attend to license (I wander the person just need to understand some Japanese to go through the course).
For everyone in the replies why don’t you think you can? Do you never practice. I’m trying my best to talk but I just learned what JLPT is today Lmoa so obviously I’m still a very baby beginner
I would love to see you talk to Japanese language teachers. The way Japanese is taught in schools to foreigners has a lot of flaws, but I think only some teachers realize this. Those same teachers really don't like the JLPT and don't think it should used to decide someone's worth at a job, because not only is there no conversational/speaking test, but it also doesn't display how well someone can adapt to Japanese culture in interpersonal relationships. I wonder if Japanese language teachers who are Japanese have a hard time teaching their own language, too.
Those are the reasons why I don't see myself doing the test. It's not available where I live and even if it was, I still wouldn't take it since I don't even plan on moving to/working in Japan, just visit. This is just hearsay so correct me if I'm wrong, but I hear the test also features only multiple choice questions which makes it very easy to BS the entire thing which makes you seem better than you really are. Imagine being a foreign student in a Japanese program. If you can't handwrite the language, how will you do the exams? The Japanese people handwrite theirs while the foreigner is cut some slack because they can't. That's not fair; you should have thought about that before enrolling. I've also heard that higher levels like the N1 employ (useless/outdated) words that Japanese people hardly ever use if at all. Finally, language certificates like this never expire which means your language skills can get rusty, but the paper says otherwise until it becomes apparent. All in all, it doesn't prepare you for any situation and I honestly see it as nothing more than bragging rights on paper. If people want to go for it, they're welcome to. I'm just expressing my honest opinion.
One thing to keep in mind is JLPT is simply a language proficiency test. It's just a signature that proves you have the potential to be proficient in the language, not that you are native Japanese. Think similarly to a degree in Software Development for example: having the degree proves you have the potential to learn development, it doesn't mean you can start at a job and just know how to do everything. In particular when you compare culture with JLPT, that's like saying a person should know how to do business with external companies just because it's an aspect of IT development work. Often times a company won't hire you to write software if you don't have a degree proving you can do the basics and prove you can put in the effort to learn, not so different from a Japanese company requiring you to prove you can put in the work to learn the necessary language.
The way any language is thaught in Japan is full of flaws 😅 that's why most foreigners don't learn Japanese and most japanese don't learn anything except for japanese 😵 I've got some Japanese teachers in my inner circle and honestly it just seems to be hard to teach a foreign language if you never learned one. And don't get payed enough to do research on how learning actually works.
Big difference between N1 and N2. N1 involves high level written Japanese (reports, news, thesis, etc) where N2 is only up to practical conversational phrases. Generally speaking, learning Japanese = learning Japan culture, so it is highly recommended to stay in Japan to understand how phrases and the way of sayings are made of.
I started studying japanese at a language school in Japan in October 2019 and passed N 1 in December 2020 so 14 months later. I honestly think studying by yourself can be way more effective than classes, as long as you have a proper way to check your progress and pronunciation. Also make sure to know why you study japanese. Do you just wanna pass the JLPT? Then there is no need to waste time learning how to write Kanji. Do you want to work in Japan? Then maybe think about studying business japanese too, there is actually a business japanese test for foreigners that might make job hunting easier after getting a nice score. Do you just wanna talk japanese and understand anime & read manga ? Then you should focus on the skills necessary for that. There's tons of people who study without a goal or a point of focus and don't really track their process, this really makes it harder for you to stay motivated and focused on a long term goal. Learning Japanese definitely isn't easy, but it is a fun journey as long as you embrace and trust the process. It is definitely worth it :)
@@howohowo2048 thank you! Yeah it was everything but easy, waking up at 3 am and do study sessions before school, after School, after my part time shift etc. But it's definitely possible as long as there's a fixed goal in front of your inner eye. Thanks for the message and good luck with your japanese journey! 🤞🏾
@@c.i.j.5457 You're so helpful, thanks 🙏 I've heard about it this week, but didn't remember the name. I'm gonna save it here, because I guess this can be useful for me, and your information abou it being available only in Japan was really helpful. I'm gonna search more about.
@default I guess it depends on how you define studying, if studying to you only means sitting in front of a textbook, 1-4 hours a day, if you consider using the language with a higher level of focus (listening to podcasts, actively watching japanese shows, talking to strangers etc.) I'd say 6-12 hours a day.
This was really helpful…I’ve just started self studying Japanese in hopes of moving there to work in 9 years time…it’s really good to see people from other countries speaking the language so well that it gives me hope that i can get there one day
It’s just how things will likely work out. I plan to leave my current job in the next 4ish years once I’ve got good IT qualifications to get an IT job with a higher skill ceiling. Then do that job for 5-6 years to get the experience I need to confidently do the same or similar job over in Japan. On the side of course studying the language and visiting the country itself every so often.
Cool i am a software developer in germany since last year (arouns 1y experience) i started learning japanese this january and might move there in a few years for some time
Written tests like TOEIC, JLPT, DELF, and school test don't reflect people's capacity in holding conversation. It merely tests their knowledge by the book. That's why I know people who has B2 language certificate who can barely hold a proper/naturally flowing conversation. I had a foreign friend back when I was in elementary. In our school we had to learn 3 languages, Indonesian (mother tounge), English, and Javanese (local language). I can speak Javanese pretty good even from when I was a kid. However, during the written Javanese test, I scored lower than my foreign friend who speaks 0 Javanese. He basically remembers the structure of the language itself, while for natives, it's all about muscle memory and practicallity of the language.
This is true, and it makes me reflect on how I learned my native language vs my school education in my language: we all learn our own language through use and conversation around us as children, but then we have to add on the separate component "learning how to read", and then another component "learning proper grammar." Makes it seem both more and less daunting to realize that we were all fluent in our native languages before we technically could speak "properly/formally" with knowledge of grammar rules and structures, and to realize that native speakers will mess up or ignore their language's formal grammar rules all the time anyway. The formal structural knowledge and conversational fluency are definitely separate "muscles" to practice and use when you're learning or using a language.
Hm, I only ever got to B1 but for DELF at least you do have an oral examination that mimics natural conversation. Which I found really hard tbh because in school after a while we stopped training natural speech and just moved over to just analyzing literature, nobody who didn't have native connections to French was able to comfortably hold a conversation after 5-7 years of classes. It's just sad
@@MintySomething yeah natural conversation is a matter of practice. fortunately now there are plenty of language exchange apps that you can get for free! you should definitely start using them once you reach b1 or you'll be stuck at the technical stuff (which happened to me)
The advice the Indian man gave about paper tests was spot on! Don't believe just passing a test translates to being a good speaker. You need to get out and talk with Japanese people and watch Japanese dramas.
Nice video. I moved to Japan six months ago, never taken JLPT but I decided to try for N2 in July. These interviews had some helpful tips and also info for improving my conversation abilities which I'd like to work on as well. Thanks!
Currently studying for the N2 (after failing twice) and I totally get what the Indian guy was saying. I have friends who passed the N2 and yet their conversation ability is barely conversational. I simply consider the JLPT as a job hunting tool. Good luck to everyone studying!
I am currently learning German, with Japanese being on my bucket list. Seeing the native German speak such good German gives me further motivation to learn Japanese, and clear the N1 one day.
Thank you, this was helpful and very motivating for someone learning Japanese. It made me consider utilising all the tools and opportunities around me more. If I go to Japan I may give language school a try like the Indian gentleman to improve my Japanese further 🙂
Hi Takashi san, I watch all your vids from India. I have been slowly studying Japanese but when I crack N2 in first attempt, imediatly after returning from a 3 moth work trip in Japan, I Realised that more than any mode, being in Japan hastens learning and even passing. I have attempted N1 a couple of times but just unable to pass losing marks in dokkai and choukai. I am very sound in Kanjis and have the kuse of noting kanjis and looking up meanings. Though I feel ashamed, I am still trying and hope to pass as N1 is a ticket to other exams in Japanese I wish to take. I watch J-drama, animes along with news and note expressions and words and likely new grammar usages. I agree with the Russian lady who said nuances and writing styles differing from foreign methods. I have felt that when doing dokkai or choukai.........So the best way for confidently pass N1 wuld be to be in Japan for at 3 moths and absorb words, speech nuances and word usages!! If I dont pass , I think I will do that! I have a dream to work in Japan and passing N1 is a must for that industry!
i did JLPT when i was about 13, so high school in australia, and honestly i was really stressed, since most people there were adults and i didnt think i would be able to pass. i'm really happy that i did, and i hope that people who want to achive a N1 pass try their hardest! i think i had an advantage as japanese is my second language, however i struggle at kanji so honestly this wasnt easy. anyway, if you want to try and get an N1, please keep trying and i hope you are able to achieve your goal!
@@nhunguyen1766 @nhunguyen1766 ok, honestly it would be quite hard, but if youre dedicated and are willing to learn, then i think you can. this is going to be a bit lengthy but bear w me!! 1. you should practise everything, but if you want to learn to learn basic japanese first i recommend learning in this order: hiragana, then katakana, then words, and then simple kanji, and then keep going to more difficult kanji. and of course practise speaking throughout. 2. use online/app resources, and books and study items! workbooks are helpful and i used one called "shin nihongo no kiso" as well as for kanji i used apps for kanji kentei which is a japanese kanji exam. 3. sounds cliche but watching jdrama and anime WITH SUBTITLES. also, jdrama is more realistic in terms of how they speak. (plus theyre very good.. haha) 4. talk to real japanese ppl! im happy to msg u in japanese on insta if you want, my @ is monika_lhj. or, you can try find online spaces or people you know irl to practise conversations. so basically, yes it is completely possible to self teach japanese, and even tho it was extensive hope my tips help you 😭😭
@@Retronize84 yes i agree! if you know the meaning of the kanji, its easy to figure it out with clues. for example, something relating to water will often have a "sanzui" (氵) which means its related to water.
Your channel and content make me miss Tokyo so much. That guy is totally right though, I've found that with enough effort and intrigue communicating with everyone there helps immensely with learning how interact and understand the language. Picking up by sound is always easier than text for me though
Thank you for this videos, they're really helpful! I started learning japanese as a hobby a couple months ago and I grew to really like the language. The places, the culture and art had always attracted me too, so I really appreciate this interviews, they're like a little window to Japan. I hope I can go visit it some time soon, seems like a very interesting place.
Thank you so much for this. I really can relate to the german woman. I too wished I started sooner. Well, in my case, it was about learning. I was learning japanese as teenager but then I stopped because everyone told me to focus on western languages more and live in west. And that's what I did, I gave up on japanese, despite me wanting to go to Japan for a long time and I regret it a lot. Living in western countries isn't for everyone. And the worst part is that there is a stereotype that everyone will fit in there. But I never did, I lived in the west because of the opportunites that my country will never have but I suffered and was unhappy. The thing is that everyone expect to fit in in western countries and those who actually don't will blame themselves that there is something wrong with them. Like in Japan for example people know it's difficult because of the culture and society but if you don't fit in the west you will blame youself why can't you fit somewhere where everyone does and I thought there was something wrong with me for years because of that. So now that I'm making friends from the distance with Japanese and I got back to studying japanese again, I will just wait till Japan opens and just try to come. So I too regret that I was scared of Japan because everyone said so. But then again, maybe if I came when I was younger, I would be probably idiolizing Japan too much like a lot of people do and be disappointed, hard to say. But I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has similiar feelings in your videos. I see a lot of foreigners with similar mindset like I do and I don't feel so out of place.
Thanks for sharing your comment. I agree with you when you wrote "Living in western countries isn't for everyone." I can feel the same, and also it's not easy trying to change or being enough brave to leave everything. I am thinking to go in Japan and I am little scared because I should learn a new language and I'd stay very far from my home, but I don't know why I feel that I will go there, because I am so attracted by their culture and behaviour.
@@alessandromike9684 I understand that very much. I'm from east europe, the economy here was always bad so a lot of east europeans know a lot of languages because the only decent jobs here are those for foreign companies. That's how I ended up living in west as well. The pay was good but I always felt lonely. I'm an extrovert and yet unless i was being a people pleaser, I could never keep friendships with westerners, to the point I was so lonely I started with self harm. I hated the food, the treatment I got. Not everyone knows but there is a hierarchy in Europe and you are treated in a certain way depending on where you are born. That's why you see a lot of east europeans and russians in japan. We have destroyed economy, war and a lot of us don't have the drive and aggressiveness that you need to survive in the west. In west you need to buldoze through people or be a people pleaser if you want to be happy. Yes, i could wear blue hair but i didn't fit in anyways. As for your fear, I understand it, look through youtube and see what experiences people have, maybe try to make some Japanese friends through twitter or gaming and think about it if you can handle being away for a long time. As for me, now because of the war, we all have lost everything, you have nothing to lose if you don't have anything and I was always lonely so it's nothing that would be new to me even if it would be hard for me there.
@@alessandromike9684 Thank you, you too and if you don't find your happiness, it will be still worth the experience. Learning about different cultures and experiencing them instead of being stuck in your own cultural bubble will help you grow as a person.
So good and interesting video!! I am in Japan since 1 year and half and am still studying to pass the N2 .. It would be also very helpful to put japanese subtitles if you can haha Thank you so much ✨
Thank you so much for watching I made a few videos about learning Japanese And this time I interviewed people who can speak Japanese really well, I mean really well So I decided to interview them all in Japanese And it was interesting and fun for me who learn English!
Learning English that would be better. No matter where you go, you can only communicate in English with those are not your compatriots. That is straightforward. I want to learn Japanese speaking instead of learning reading. I demand Local Japanese teaching me oral their native language. That is their dialect to speak with their family. I don't have to learn anyway. Noone can force me to do something I don't want to do. It depend on you. English is an international language. Just to learn English well. You can convey with foreigners in English. Whatever where you go. 🤘😷
Sir, why when you say Thank you is so fast? What kind of thank you in Japan u say? I always hear ありがとう、ありがとうございます and ありがとうございました But when you say thank you, i think that is ありがとう、but that not same… I’m sorry for my bad English, i just starting learn Japanese…I’m Indonesian Chinese…thanks :)
This was encouraging, I have great speaking ability from studying via RUclips and trips to Japan (although vocab is still small), but I really want to pass N2 since it's needed to work in most cases. It feels weird being able to speak but having virtually no reading or specific grammar and vocab knowledge where I am 100% not ready for JLPT, but I hope doing so will improve my language skills further.
It's interesting that most companies want at least N2 of not N1 but I also know of many people who passed but can't have conversations comfortably. Having a large knowledge or being able to read passages quickly doesn't necessarily mean that someone is capable of using the language comfortably
Takashii what about making a video on how to practice japanese conversation as I'm learning Japanese by myself and i don't have anyone here for practicing japanese Hope you like this idea and will make a video on it in future😊
I took the JLPT exam in 2014, it didn't have speaking or writing test (unlike European language test) that makes it a bit easier, you can concentrate on learning reading the Chinese characters. JLPT is only about reading, not about writing or speaking skills. Also, since it's a multiple choice exam, you could pass by luck while it's almost impossible in EU language exams.
I have a very humble knowledge of Japanese, so I think I'm not very fit for saying this but the first lady's speech was magnificent. I'd never say she's a foreigner, she spoke very clean Japanese (I think).
N1 is super useful if ya wanna study or work in a full Japanese environment (although for the most part you'd be better off working online wherever you are, everything is better than most JTC). Other than that, the test itself is useless, full of grammar questions which aren't really necessary to convey feelings or exchange information, and yes it has lots of kanji - which arguably have their benefits, but it's a royal pain to up that reading speed to say, a level of a Japanese high schooler (that's the level of N1). Personally it truly depends on what you wanna do it with - if you simply wanna know Japanese, don't even go near that test, just make friends and talk, and watch shows. The scoring system for the test is so misleading that it's simply frustrating if you wanna have an easy run it at it - there's no real way to jump the hoops in it it except actually knowing the answers to all the 'hard' questions (cuz they're worth more points). It is possible to get lucky though, if you guess enough hard questions correctly.
Hi, I’m new here. I’m liking it so far. Will watch more and subscribe. I’m learning Japanese now and it’s been 6 months and I still can’t remember most of the grammars let alone speaking and writing in the language. I feel like i’m not making any progress and that frustrates me the most. Knowing these people learning Japanese for years making it somewhat a relieve to me because well, it is a hard language to learn. And I wasn’t alone. Thank you for making the video. It does help boost my spirit and confidence to take my time in learning and just having fun with it.
Hey, try to get a language buddy (there are several websites on the internet). If you have someone, who is a native speaker/very advanced to just talk about daily things, you will start to understand when to use which grammar structure and it will be easier for you :)
@@carolinmeyer4921 hi! What a great suggestion. I must be overwhelmed I didn’t think of this. Thank you so much for the suggestion. Will look into it and start finding a buddy that can help asap. Thank you again😊
I started learning Japanese back in August 2021 and now I’m studying for JPLT 5 but, back last year I wasn’t serious, I finally got a Genki workbook and a JPLT N5 Kanji Book
You can watch Anime for learning Japanese too but make sure to do it concurrently with reading Japanese textbooks for Kanji and Grammar learning and then practice reading via JP Light Novels, Manga and Japanese video games all in Japanese language.
I’m half Japanese half Brazilian born in Japan but when I was 4 years I move to Brazil so a basically grow up in Brazil and inside my home I usually speak mixed Japanese and Portuguese since I was a kid , with my mom more in Japanese and with my father 90% Portuguese and the other 10% it was when I was speak with both and right now I’m living in Japan and I really have a lot of difficulty in memorize the letters , for the other people is really weird because I can speak very well without problems but when they ask me if I can read and write and I say I can’t they look like WTF and this really make me feel like a shit so if someone have some tips to how to memorize better principally hiragana and katakana or kanji too this wanna help me a lot !
don't learn hiragana, katakana and kanji only separately, use these in words or sentences! This really will help you to remember :D and the more difficult ones because they looks similar like ねれわ/めぬ/シンツソ, practice writing and reading (in words) them until you get the differences.
Textbooks based study is very different when doing conversations. I hardly cant apply what ive been learning in language school vs daily convos. So you really need a lot of self study practice, watch Japanese films, and reading to be able to be jouzu.
Im german and am currently learning Japanese but I have mad respect that youre trying to learn german, its a tough language and Im glad its the language I grew up with because I cant imagine the struggle foreigners must have, since german is a pretty intuitive language (der die das for example). Best of luck on your journey^^
That's actually very interesting, at least in my opinion. But it sounds like, according to all three of them, that the fastest way to learn Japanese is to talk to Japanese people in real life. But the dilemma is, in most cases, if I want to work/live in Japan as a foreigner, you need to obtain at least N3 to be able to find a job... language school is another way but quite an expensive option...
Wow you're lucky to have such a talented sister since she can help you in your studying, and what better motivation that having someone close to you watching over you Btw is your sister interested in translating a cute manga?
one way that i learned also kanji, is from my chinese friends since they can read it also like same meaning, its very helpful when i took the exam in jlpt.
Passing the JLPT becomes all the more important nowadays, because many job openings mention this requirement : "JLPT N1 or equivalent". They don't even consider interviewing candidates who don't have N1. The market is becoming saturated and competition is increasing. There are more skilled people available than before, so N1 acts as a filter for the employers.
Depends on the job and the company. I would imagine that it's less likely for an international company for an abroad job than working for a Japanese company domestically to require the N1 cert.
The fastest way a guy can learn japanese is from group study that consists of nerds as a nerd myself I would love it also the best thing to keep learning is seeing japanese listening it over again when you dont wanna like speaking
I have been studying Japanese for 4 years now ( using Marugoto textbook). Japanese is my third language and I think it is easier than English :D I am going to take N3 this year :)
Learning a foreign language is awsome whatever it is. Currently, I learn English every single day and I'm inspired by people who can speak several languages. I also want to be of them and I hope I can speak fluent English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean someday.
Idk about other places, but university language courses in Canada really suck. It's soooo slow. Unless you're in a language school, and there is not that many of these. My bachelor is languages-focused, but I still follow the same classes as the old ladys who have time to kill and students who have a hole in their schedule to fill. I was only taught the "masu" forms of verbs, which is so goddamn stupid because you can figure out the masu form from the regular form but not the other way around. When I figured out that these were not the regular forms (because we were not even told that "masu" was only the polite form), the class assistant told me that "if you travel to Japan, that's how your gonna talk to workers in shops and strangers". I guess it makes sense if you're taking a class so you can manage whilst visiting Japan, but this was a University course within my international studies and modern languages major ?? We also had to learn the onyomi and kunyomi readings of each kanji we would learn, which is dumb as shit and unproductive, and many people in the class would pass beginner 2 class with like, 80%, and would not even be able to read numbers or differenciate で and へ. I guess moral of the story is don't pay thousands of dollars for useless uni classes made for bored grandmas and weaboos.
JLPT is still necessary but I think you also should watch daily news, J-dramas, listen to Jpop and Japanese podcast every day. 毎日一生懸命日本語を勉強します。皆さん、頑張れってください
I'm going to take N2 test this July, but I know I'm not good at speaking, but I will use all my power in learning for the test, the output of being fluent in speaking is number 2
JLPT is about reading, writing, and listening. And spoken Japanese is often very different from written Japanese because it can rely on the content in a conversation so that you can skip a lot of word and also avoiding using rigorous grammar.
I studied Japanese for over one year before coming to Japan. Now I've been living here for almost 10 months (and of course learning the language at a school), so I'm going to take the JLPT exam for N3 in july and I'm so nervous about it, like it feels really difficult for me, specially for the 読解 part 'cause I tend to read so slowly, but these people actually passed N2/N1 even before moving here, I'm atonished but looking forward to keep learning this language as deeply as possible. Great video and greetings from Motosu, Gifu-ken!
These people make me feel really stupid. I was in Japan for 11 years and I failed N1 in my last year in Japan. I only ever got to N2. In my defense my conversational Japanese was excellent and I worked all in Japanese … but I could never get the motivation to really sink my teeth in to the N1 textbooks. I think I’m just not a good studier.. real respect to these guys who passed so fast. 👏
Studying for N2 right now. I can't stand watching dramas because I find them incredibly dull and boring, especially since I don't care about romance, so I just watch anime. But, since anime ppl tend to speak more clearly and often extremely crashly (if that's a word, i don't really care ab english rn), I want to try using dramas since everyone says it's a more accurate way of Japanese and the stuff is less cut and dry as to hearing and right away understanding, ie. it sounds more native. How could I go about finding a drama that is actually interesting to me, someone who loves action and can't stand romance? XD
I'm curious about this, does someone speaking in Japanese from say, India or Russia have an "Indian" or "Russian" accent to Japanese people? To me it sounds like fluent Japanese but I'd be interested to know if a native Japanese person notices.
Isn't this like with English, for example? If the person wasn't raised in a English speaking country but then learns English, they almost always have the accent of wherever they are from.
I only watch this for the wow factor. I am 80% celtic, brought up in Wales and now living in France. So I watch this for nothing to do with the Japanese language just seeing how well people learn A language. Merci
i think the real problem is finding people to talk to, i mean with your voice. I downloaded an app that allows me to talk to japanese people an writing isn't too much of a problem but it's because i can stop and think how to write something. Speaking requires a faster thinking and that's the real struggle, also i don't feel confident to call them and i don't even have too much time to do that so yeah, now that i finished university i can only rely on books and youtube videos
I started studying japaw language now 3months to go before taking exam jlpt and jft and other 2 exam s as kaigo. I'm studying n5and n4 now . Hopefully someday i can passed and passed the n3,n2 and n1 ofcourse.
TOKYO GUIDEBOOK
takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide
The JLPT is primarily a reading comprehension test. You don't need to be able to read at all to speak Japanese, but you need to be able to read quickly and have a pretty deep understanding of fairly difficult texts to pass N1. To do that you need to know a lot of things that aren't necessary for daily conversation. Contrary to popular belief, most of the texts in N1 are excerpts from real Japanese texts, they do not use fake textbook language. If you read a lot but you never practise outputting and you don't listen to much everyday conversation, of course it will be hard for you to output smoothly in casual everyday conversation. That's why there are people who can speak smoothly in everyday conversation but can't pass N1, and people who can pass N1 but struggle to speak smoothly in everyday conversation. I don't think it's fair to say that one person is better than the other, speaking is a skill and reading is a skill, they both take time and effort, it just depends on peoples personal goals.
Very accurate summary.
Apparently you need N1 to study in Japan, maybe some jobs also require N1, so that's the main reason people do it
@@gumifox True
Well, at the end of the day.
People want to see your qualifications than Oh man you can speak or you can do it. You can't just go inside the company and fill the form saying i am qualified.
@@gumifox isn’t it enough N2 lvl to study or to work in Japanese company?
That man from India who self-studied for one year and then passed N2 is really inspiring. Also, I heard from JapanesePod101 that if you really want to learn Japanese, watch JDrama instead of anime, because conversations in dramas there are more realistic and not over exaggerated (although I know people who learned through anime). To all the peeps out there who are learning Japanese, let's do our best!
Wonderful video! すばらしい! ✌️
Yeah drama is better than anime to learn Japanese for sure!
Yes he was like superman for learning languages so cool :D
You guys misunderstood him. He started learning Japanese in 2010, and passed JLPT N3 by the time he went to Japan in 2013. From there he studied for one year and passed JLPT N2, then another year to pass JLPT N1 which was in 2015. Total amount of time to pass N2 was around 4 years, NOT one year. Seems normal to me.
naturally these all not just highly driven individuals but also highly intelligent people. But, I am not convinced one an get to N2 level in one year, by self studying alone from the very beginning, He might have (and the rest of them) studied in Japanese or Chinese for years before that.
@@HamabaJuJu please read my comment above.
I think JLPT is helpful, as a guideline on what path should you take when learning japanese. First you learn basic grammar and ますform, and then gradually you move towards casual form and then formal Japanese. Of course its easy to say 'just go watch anime/drama/read manga/talk to people' but not everyone have a lot of free time. This is how a lot of people study english too. We both study at school and immerse a lot. Studying at school help (most) people to be able to talk and understand english.
But it can also be a different case on other people. I learn English mostly by myself even though we do study basic English at my school, but it does not help in any ways at all. Plus not just me, but majority of the kids at my school can't even understand anything about English. Hearing music, hearing people speaking English in dramas and movies is what helps me the most. Reading wasn't really helping as much either. Writing does help but at the same time not as much compared to hearing music and watching english content with subtitles.
@@runicover7227 when u re interested in something you tend to be curious and seeks for the answer about things you dont understand well, you re way more immersed into it rather than when you did it in the school, cuz they gave you thing that unknown to you and doesnt explain about the shit they re showing you or maybe it's too fast for you brain to capture the meaning in every single things.
Happened to me often, late to process it in my head and everything become totally stranger and meaningless since you can't catch the tail nor the head.
I learn Japanese from RUclips. At mid level RUclips is the best source to learn. I will never ever attend the JLPT test.
Another thing that i would also like to highlight is, kids attention span is amazing. They can read same book 100x without feeling bored. I still remember my cousin was able to remember the entire script of a movie because she watched that same movie thousand times, so that probally helps too. But as an adult, even spending 2-5 hours on one anime makes me feel guilty because there are other useful thing that I can do.
Learning grammar is useful as identifying speech patern. Of course you will get used to it the more you listen/read, but the earlier you are exposed and aware of the sentence pattern, I think it helps you to understand what the speaker really want to say and it also helps you to construct your own sentence
Excellent video! I love how you get opinions of Japan from so many foreigners.
One thing I think would be a good idea for a video is what foreigners have to do to when arriving in Japan to live. Things like:
- finding a place to live.
- finding a doctor, dentist.
- getting a driver's license.
- other basic necessities for living.
頑張ってくれてありがとう
Within Tokyo, finding a place really isn't too hard, there's foreigner friendly services but also japanese services that you can use. Finding doctors and dentists also isn't that hard, you Google it, and then use Google maps to navigate, I've only been to japanese speaking doctor's but there's also English speaking doctors. As having a car isn't really a thing in most people don't have a license, depending on your home country you can just Transfer your license into a Japanese one or have to retest. 👍🏾
@@c.i.j.5457 right on. Thanks for that info!
I've heard that driver license is expensive there.
@@weilaiyvn_DEACTIVATED depends on where you from, I'm German so actually the Japanese license is bit cheaper than the German one, but if you compare it to I.e. countries in Africa or the US it'll be definitely expensive.
@@c.i.j.5457 in Brazil, the license for car cost ~ R$ 2,000.00 (~ US$ 400.00), if you get approved in the theory and practical exams - what usually don't happen (the re-test cost around 200 / ~ US$ 40).
The minimum wage here is ~ R$ 1,200.00 (~ US$ 240) - after the taxes ≈ 950 (~US$190) and the average person don't earn more than 1.8k (US$ 360).
The Brazilian RUclipsrs that lives in Japan that I watch, have said about it, of transfering the license from Brazil. So looks more easy to get, but I also guess that tend don't be hard after a time working in Japan to attend to license (I wander the person just need to understand some Japanese to go through the course).
"some people pass N2 but can't have daily conversations" I feel attacked lmao
me 😭 i even feel embarrassed when writing because i forget so much.... i need to keep a diary or smth
Me too😢.. thats why when they asked me my japanese level i dont mention im N2. I just say elementary japanese level
I barely passed old JLPT N2. Can't talk shit beyond 3rd grade level kid.
For everyone in the replies why don’t you think you can? Do you never practice. I’m trying my best to talk but I just learned what JLPT is today Lmoa so obviously I’m still a very baby beginner
I would love to see you talk to Japanese language teachers.
The way Japanese is taught in schools to foreigners has a lot of flaws, but I think only some teachers realize this.
Those same teachers really don't like the JLPT and don't think it should used to decide someone's worth at a job, because not only is there no conversational/speaking test, but it also doesn't display how well someone can adapt to Japanese culture in interpersonal relationships.
I wonder if Japanese language teachers who are Japanese have a hard time teaching their own language, too.
Those are the reasons why I don't see myself doing the test. It's not available where I live and even if it was, I still wouldn't take it since I don't even plan on moving to/working in Japan, just visit. This is just hearsay so correct me if I'm wrong, but I hear the test also features only multiple choice questions which makes it very easy to BS the entire thing which makes you seem better than you really are. Imagine being a foreign student in a Japanese program. If you can't handwrite the language, how will you do the exams? The Japanese people handwrite theirs while the foreigner is cut some slack because they can't. That's not fair; you should have thought about that before enrolling. I've also heard that higher levels like the N1 employ (useless/outdated) words that Japanese people hardly ever use if at all. Finally, language certificates like this never expire which means your language skills can get rusty, but the paper says otherwise until it becomes apparent.
All in all, it doesn't prepare you for any situation and I honestly see it as nothing more than bragging rights on paper. If people want to go for it, they're welcome to. I'm just expressing my honest opinion.
One thing to keep in mind is JLPT is simply a language proficiency test. It's just a signature that proves you have the potential to be proficient in the language, not that you are native Japanese. Think similarly to a degree in Software Development for example: having the degree proves you have the potential to learn development, it doesn't mean you can start at a job and just know how to do everything. In particular when you compare culture with JLPT, that's like saying a person should know how to do business with external companies just because it's an aspect of IT development work. Often times a company won't hire you to write software if you don't have a degree proving you can do the basics and prove you can put in the effort to learn, not so different from a Japanese company requiring you to prove you can put in the work to learn the necessary language.
The way any language is thaught in Japan is full of flaws 😅 that's why most foreigners don't learn Japanese and most japanese don't learn anything except for japanese 😵
I've got some Japanese teachers in my inner circle and honestly it just seems to be hard to teach a foreign language if you never learned one. And don't get payed enough to do research on how learning actually works.
@@michaelrespicio5683 I believe the passing certificates issued by JLPT expire after 2 years.
@@c.i.j.5457 100%
Big difference between N1 and N2. N1 involves high level written Japanese (reports, news, thesis, etc) where N2 is only up to practical conversational phrases. Generally speaking, learning Japanese = learning Japan culture, so it is highly recommended to stay in Japan to understand how phrases and the way of sayings are made of.
I started studying japanese at a language school in Japan in October 2019 and passed N 1 in December 2020 so 14 months later. I honestly think studying by yourself can be way more effective than classes, as long as you have a proper way to check your progress and pronunciation. Also make sure to know why you study japanese. Do you just wanna pass the JLPT? Then there is no need to waste time learning how to write Kanji. Do you want to work in Japan? Then maybe think about studying business japanese too, there is actually a business japanese test for foreigners that might make job hunting easier after getting a nice score. Do you just wanna talk japanese and understand anime & read manga ? Then you should focus on the skills necessary for that. There's tons of people who study without a goal or a point of focus and don't really track their process, this really makes it harder for you to stay motivated and focused on a long term goal. Learning Japanese definitely isn't easy, but it is a fun journey as long as you embrace and trust the process.
It is definitely worth it :)
@@howohowo2048 thank you! Yeah it was everything but easy, waking up at 3 am and do study sessions before school, after School, after my part time shift etc. But it's definitely possible as long as there's a fixed goal in front of your inner eye.
Thanks for the message and good luck with your japanese journey! 🤞🏾
Hi! Can you say the name of the working focused japanese proficiency test?
@@weilaiyvn_DEACTIVATED BJT : business japanese test, but as far as I know the test ist only available in Japan 🗾
@@c.i.j.5457 You're so helpful, thanks 🙏
I've heard about it this week, but didn't remember the name.
I'm gonna save it here, because I guess this can be useful for me, and your information abou it being available only in Japan was really helpful.
I'm gonna search more about.
@default I guess it depends on how you define studying, if studying to you only means sitting in front of a textbook, 1-4 hours a day, if you consider using the language with a higher level of focus (listening to podcasts, actively watching japanese shows, talking to strangers etc.) I'd say 6-12 hours a day.
This was really helpful…I’ve just started self studying Japanese in hopes of moving there to work in 9 years time…it’s really good to see people from other countries speaking the language so well that it gives me hope that i can get there one day
9 years? Why so far out?
It’s just how things will likely work out. I plan to leave my current job in the next 4ish years once I’ve got good IT qualifications to get an IT job with a higher skill ceiling. Then do that job for 5-6 years to get the experience I need to confidently do the same or similar job over in Japan. On the side of course studying the language and visiting the country itself every so often.
Cool i am a software developer in germany since last year (arouns 1y experience) i started learning japanese this january and might move there in a few years for some time
Hard work never fails! Good luck to everyone who's planning to take JLPT N1!
あんたここにも居んのかい？
Written tests like TOEIC, JLPT, DELF, and school test don't reflect people's capacity in holding conversation. It merely tests their knowledge by the book. That's why I know people who has B2 language certificate who can barely hold a proper/naturally flowing conversation.
I had a foreign friend back when I was in elementary. In our school we had to learn 3 languages, Indonesian (mother tounge), English, and Javanese (local language). I can speak Javanese pretty good even from when I was a kid. However, during the written Javanese test, I scored lower than my foreign friend who speaks 0 Javanese. He basically remembers the structure of the language itself, while for natives, it's all about muscle memory and practicallity of the language.
This is true, and it makes me reflect on how I learned my native language vs my school education in my language: we all learn our own language through use and conversation around us as children, but then we have to add on the separate component "learning how to read", and then another component "learning proper grammar." Makes it seem both more and less daunting to realize that we were all fluent in our native languages before we technically could speak "properly/formally" with knowledge of grammar rules and structures, and to realize that native speakers will mess up or ignore their language's formal grammar rules all the time anyway. The formal structural knowledge and conversational fluency are definitely separate "muscles" to practice and use when you're learning or using a language.
Hm, I only ever got to B1 but for DELF at least you do have an oral examination that mimics natural conversation. Which I found really hard tbh because in school after a while we stopped training natural speech and just moved over to just analyzing literature, nobody who didn't have native connections to French was able to comfortably hold a conversation after 5-7 years of classes. It's just sad
@@MintySomething yeah natural conversation is a matter of practice. fortunately now there are plenty of language exchange apps that you can get for free! you should definitely start using them once you reach b1 or you'll be stuck at the technical stuff (which happened to me)
The advice the Indian man gave about paper tests was spot on! Don't believe just passing a test translates to being a good speaker. You need to get out and talk with Japanese people and watch Japanese dramas.
This was a nice video to watch and inspirational to those who are studying Japanese. Keep up the great content Takashii.
Nice video. I moved to Japan six months ago, never taken JLPT but I decided to try for N2 in July. These interviews had some helpful tips and also info for improving my conversation abilities which I'd like to work on as well. Thanks!
Currently studying for the N2 (after failing twice) and I totally get what the Indian guy was saying. I have friends who passed the N2 and yet their conversation ability is barely conversational. I simply consider the JLPT as a job hunting tool. Good luck to everyone studying!
I am currently learning German, with Japanese being on my bucket list. Seeing the native German speak such good German gives me further motivation to learn Japanese, and clear the N1 one day.
一年ってすごい努力ですね。尊敬します💦！
Omg, nice to see you here, Lorreta! I love your channel content!
ね～、私も思いますよ。
Thank you, this was helpful and very motivating for someone learning Japanese. It made me consider utilising all the tools and opportunities around me more. If I go to Japan I may give language school a try like the Indian gentleman to improve my Japanese further 🙂
This Indian guy who appeared in the second speaks Japanese absolutely at a native level.
Amazing!
The content so far has been really good for someone who wants to live in japan. Very bare bone and honest
Thank you for this video! I thought N1 was only a level that people who are born in Japan reached but now I am inspired to work harder at studying!
Definitely not, as long as you keep up with a good study habit and find a way to use japanese, it's really not too hard
@@c.i.j.5457 foreigners will never be as good as a native doing the same thing.
Hi Takashi san, I watch all your vids from India. I have been slowly studying Japanese but when I crack N2 in first attempt, imediatly after returning from a 3 moth work trip in Japan, I Realised that more than any mode, being in Japan hastens learning and even passing. I have attempted N1 a couple of times but just unable to pass losing marks in dokkai and choukai. I am very sound in Kanjis and have the kuse of noting kanjis and looking up meanings. Though I feel ashamed, I am still trying and hope to pass as N1 is a ticket to other exams in Japanese I wish to take. I watch J-drama, animes along with news and note expressions and words and likely new grammar usages.
I agree with the Russian lady who said nuances and writing styles differing from foreign methods. I have felt that when doing dokkai or choukai.........So the best way for confidently pass N1 wuld be to be in Japan for at 3 moths and absorb words, speech nuances and word usages!! If I dont pass , I think I will do that!
I have a dream to work in Japan and passing N1 is a must for that industry!
I love your videos! Thank you for always posting!
Very inspiring video. Thank you for posting this and interviewing these wonderful people.
i did JLPT when i was about 13, so high school in australia, and honestly i was really stressed, since most people there were adults and i didnt think i would be able to pass. i'm really happy that i did, and i hope that people who want to achive a N1 pass try their hardest! i think i had an advantage as japanese is my second language, however i struggle at kanji so honestly this wasnt easy. anyway, if you want to try and get an N1, please keep trying and i hope you are able to achieve your goal!
Do you think it's possible to self-study Japanese? I really need an honest answer pls
@@nhunguyen1766 @nhunguyen1766 ok, honestly it would be quite hard, but if youre dedicated and are willing to learn, then i think you can. this is going to be a bit lengthy but bear w me!!
1. you should practise everything, but if you want to learn to learn basic japanese first i recommend learning in this order:
hiragana, then katakana, then words, and then simple kanji, and then keep going to more difficult kanji. and of course practise speaking throughout.
2. use online/app resources, and books and study items! workbooks are helpful and i used one called "shin nihongo no kiso" as well as for kanji i used apps for kanji kentei which is a japanese kanji exam.
3. sounds cliche but watching jdrama and anime WITH SUBTITLES. also, jdrama is more realistic in terms of how they speak. (plus theyre very good.. haha)
4. talk to real japanese ppl! im happy to msg u in japanese on insta if you want, my @ is monika_lhj. or, you can try find online spaces or people you know irl to practise conversations.
so basically, yes it is completely possible to self teach japanese, and even tho it was extensive hope my tips help you 😭😭
@@Retronize84 yes i agree! if you know the meaning of the kanji, its easy to figure it out with clues. for example, something relating to water will often have a "sanzui" (氵) which means its related to water.
Finally you made the video 😀thanku Takashi ❤️from India
Do make more videos on student facing problems or part time jobs scholarship
🙏
Your channel and content make me miss Tokyo so much. That guy is totally right though, I've found that with enough effort and intrigue communicating with everyone there helps immensely with learning how interact and understand the language. Picking up by sound is always easier than text for me though
Thank you for this videos, they're really helpful!
I started learning japanese as a hobby a couple months ago and I grew to really like the language. The places, the culture and art had always attracted me too, so I really appreciate this interviews, they're like a little window to Japan. I hope I can go visit it some time soon, seems like a very interesting place.
Thank you so much for this. I really can relate to the german woman. I too wished I started sooner. Well, in my case, it was about learning. I was learning japanese as teenager but then I stopped because everyone told me to focus on western languages more and live in west. And that's what I did, I gave up on japanese, despite me wanting to go to Japan for a long time and I regret it a lot. Living in western countries isn't for everyone. And the worst part is that there is a stereotype that everyone will fit in there. But I never did, I lived in the west because of the opportunites that my country will never have but I suffered and was unhappy. The thing is that everyone expect to fit in in western countries and those who actually don't will blame themselves that there is something wrong with them. Like in Japan for example people know it's difficult because of the culture and society but if you don't fit in the west you will blame youself why can't you fit somewhere where everyone does and I thought there was something wrong with me for years because of that. So now that I'm making friends from the distance with Japanese and I got back to studying japanese again, I will just wait till Japan opens and just try to come. So I too regret that I was scared of Japan because everyone said so. But then again, maybe if I came when I was younger, I would be probably idiolizing Japan too much like a lot of people do and be disappointed, hard to say. But I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has similiar feelings in your videos. I see a lot of foreigners with similar mindset like I do and I don't feel so out of place.
Thanks for sharing your comment. I agree with you when you wrote "Living in western countries isn't for everyone." I can feel the same, and also it's not easy trying to change or being enough brave to leave everything. I am thinking to go in Japan and I am little scared because I should learn a new language and I'd stay very far from my home, but I don't know why I feel that I will go there, because I am so attracted by their culture and behaviour.
@@alessandromike9684 I understand that very much. I'm from east europe, the economy here was always bad so a lot of east europeans know a lot of languages because the only decent jobs here are those for foreign companies. That's how I ended up living in west as well. The pay was good but I always felt lonely. I'm an extrovert and yet unless i was being a people pleaser, I could never keep friendships with westerners, to the point I was so lonely I started with self harm. I hated the food, the treatment I got. Not everyone knows but there is a hierarchy in Europe and you are treated in a certain way depending on where you are born. That's why you see a lot of east europeans and russians in japan. We have destroyed economy, war and a lot of us don't have the drive and aggressiveness that you need to survive in the west. In west you need to buldoze through people or be a people pleaser if you want to be happy. Yes, i could wear blue hair but i didn't fit in anyways. As for your fear, I understand it, look through youtube and see what experiences people have, maybe try to make some Japanese friends through twitter or gaming and think about it if you can handle being away for a long time. As for me, now because of the war, we all have lost everything, you have nothing to lose if you don't have anything and I was always lonely so it's nothing that would be new to me even if it would be hard for me there.
@@ganndalf202 Thanks. I hope that you will find your happiness, you deserve it.
@@alessandromike9684 Thank you, you too and if you don't find your happiness, it will be still worth the experience. Learning about different cultures and experiencing them instead of being stuck in your own cultural bubble will help you grow as a person.
@@ganndalf202 too long.
So good and interesting video!! I am in Japan since 1 year and half and am still studying to pass the N2 ..
It would be also very helpful to put japanese subtitles if you can haha
Thank you so much ✨
Yeah really
Japanese subs would be sooo helpful!
Thank you so much for watching
I made a few videos about learning Japanese
And this time I interviewed people who can speak Japanese really well, I mean really well
So I decided to interview them all in Japanese
And it was interesting and fun for me who learn English!
Learning English that would be better. No matter where you go, you can only communicate in English with those are not your compatriots. That is straightforward. I want to learn Japanese speaking instead of learning reading. I demand Local Japanese teaching me oral their native language. That is their dialect to speak with their family. I don't have to learn anyway. Noone can force me to do something I don't want to do. It depend on you. English is an international language. Just to learn English well. You can convey with foreigners in English. Whatever where you go. 🤘😷
Sir, why when you say Thank you is so fast? What kind of thank you in Japan u say?
I always hear ありがとう、ありがとうございます and ありがとうございました
But when you say thank you, i think that is ありがとう、but that not same…
I’m sorry for my bad English, i just starting learn Japanese…I’m Indonesian Chinese…thanks :)
@Riku!! uhmm not really even in the cities they could hardly understand english
Any drama that he would recommend for beginners Japanese learners ?
This was encouraging, I have great speaking ability from studying via RUclips and trips to Japan (although vocab is still small), but I really want to pass N2 since it's needed to work in most cases. It feels weird being able to speak but having virtually no reading or specific grammar and vocab knowledge where I am 100% not ready for JLPT, but I hope doing so will improve my language skills further.
It's interesting that most companies want at least N2 of not N1 but I also know of many people who passed but can't have conversations comfortably. Having a large knowledge or being able to read passages quickly doesn't necessarily mean that someone is capable of using the language comfortably
Takashii what about making a video on how to practice japanese conversation as I'm learning Japanese by myself and i don't have anyone here for practicing japanese
Hope you like this idea and will make a video on it in future😊
You can talk to yourself or assume certain situations and try speaking. Also think in Japanese which you usually maybe doing in your native language.
I took the JLPT exam in 2014, it didn't have speaking or writing test (unlike European language test) that makes it a bit easier, you can concentrate on learning reading the Chinese characters. JLPT is only about reading, not about writing or speaking skills. Also, since it's a multiple choice exam, you could pass by luck while it's almost impossible in EU language exams.
I have a very humble knowledge of Japanese, so I think I'm not very fit for saying this but the first lady's speech was magnificent. I'd never say she's a foreigner, she spoke very clean Japanese (I think).
Very inspiring! I hope to be on the same level one day!
Loving Your Video Such A Down to Earth Student of collage Enjoy Your Videos 🔥❤️ As Always
I need more content from the Indian guy. He's fantastic!!
N1 is super useful if ya wanna study or work in a full Japanese environment (although for the most part you'd be better off working online wherever you are, everything is better than most JTC). Other than that, the test itself is useless, full of grammar questions which aren't really necessary to convey feelings or exchange information, and yes it has lots of kanji - which arguably have their benefits, but it's a royal pain to up that reading speed to say, a level of a Japanese high schooler (that's the level of N1). Personally it truly depends on what you wanna do it with - if you simply wanna know Japanese, don't even go near that test, just make friends and talk, and watch shows. The scoring system for the test is so misleading that it's simply frustrating if you wanna have an easy run it at it - there's no real way to jump the hoops in it it except actually knowing the answers to all the 'hard' questions (cuz they're worth more points). It is possible to get lucky though, if you guess enough hard questions correctly.
I think most people know this. N1 is more for a hobby or bragging rights. I am studying for it for absolutely no reason. Just something to achieve.
very encouraging video. Thank you!
Hi, I’m new here. I’m liking it so far. Will watch more and subscribe. I’m learning Japanese now and it’s been 6 months and I still can’t remember most of the grammars let alone speaking and writing in the language. I feel like i’m not making any progress and that frustrates me the most. Knowing these people learning Japanese for years making it somewhat a relieve to me because well, it is a hard language to learn. And I wasn’t alone. Thank you for making the video. It does help boost my spirit and confidence to take my time in learning and just having fun with it.
Hey, try to get a language buddy (there are several websites on the internet). If you have someone, who is a native speaker/very advanced to just talk about daily things, you will start to understand when to use which grammar structure and it will be easier for you :)
@@carolinmeyer4921 hi! What a great suggestion. I must be overwhelmed I didn’t think of this. Thank you so much for the suggestion. Will look into it and start finding a buddy that can help asap. Thank you again😊
Ahh sometimes I feel the same, I’ve been learning for 8 months now
I started learning Japanese back in August 2021 and now I’m studying for JPLT 5 but, back last year I wasn’t serious, I finally got a Genki workbook and a JPLT N5 Kanji Book
You can watch Anime for learning Japanese too but make sure to do it concurrently with reading Japanese textbooks for Kanji and Grammar learning and then practice reading via JP Light Novels, Manga and Japanese video games all in Japanese language.
I’m half Japanese half Brazilian born in Japan but when I was 4 years I move to Brazil so a basically grow up in Brazil and inside my home I usually speak mixed Japanese and Portuguese since I was a kid , with my mom more in Japanese and with my father 90% Portuguese and the other 10% it was when I was speak with both and right now I’m living in Japan and I really have a lot of difficulty in memorize the letters , for the other people is really weird because I can speak very well without problems but when they ask me if I can read and write and I say I can’t they look like WTF and this really make me feel like a shit so if someone have some tips to how to memorize better principally hiragana and katakana or kanji too this wanna help me a lot !
don't learn hiragana, katakana and kanji only separately, use these in words or sentences! This really will help you to remember :D and the more difficult ones because they looks similar like ねれわ/めぬ/シンツソ, practice writing and reading (in words) them until you get the differences.
Textbooks based study is very different when doing conversations. I hardly cant apply what ive been learning in language school vs daily convos. So you really need a lot of self study practice, watch Japanese films, and reading to be able to be jouzu.
たかしさん、こんばんは！いつも素敵な動画ありがとうございます✨私も中国人向けに日本語講座の動画作ってるので参考になります！これからも楽しみにしてます♪
Hi Takeshi! You should do an interview with LGBT people in japan! It would be interesting to watch!
It's so inspiring seeing non-native speakers pass the N1. I hope to pass the N5 one day.
今、ドイツ語の勉強に苦戦している私にとっては、こうして日本語を流暢に話されている外国人の方々を、尊敬しています👏
どれだけ努力すればここまで上手く話せるようになれるのか...😭
Im german and am currently learning Japanese but I have mad respect that youre trying to learn german, its a tough language and Im glad its the language I grew up with because I cant imagine the struggle foreigners must have, since german is a pretty intuitive language (der die das for example). Best of luck on your journey^^
Very nice information. I wanna take N1 this coming July. Wish me luck. 🙏
For the people asking which dramas to watch, the one I would recommend for beginners is "Terrace House".
Great video,the last German girl was beautiful 😍 ❤
But Russian girl much better🤗
Great interview cuz I am studying JLPT now to go to Japan next year. Hope working holiday visa would be open this year.
That's actually very interesting, at least in my opinion. But it sounds like, according to all three of them, that the fastest way to learn Japanese is to talk to Japanese people in real life. But the dilemma is, in most cases, if I want to work/live in Japan as a foreigner, you need to obtain at least N3 to be able to find a job... language school is another way but quite an expensive option...
Thank you so much, this video is very interesting and informative.
loved it and your channel is growing so fast!!
My sister passed N1 with perfect score 😭
now I have been studying Japanese for couple month in still learning N5 level, がんばります！
Hahaha it would take u atleast 4 year to reach n2 or n1
Wow you're lucky to have such a talented sister since she can help you in your studying, and what better motivation that having someone close to you watching over you
Btw is your sister interested in translating a cute manga?
i love your accent ! thank you for making these amazing videos!!
Very informative as for me who is in N5 level. まだまだです 😆
very solid video thanks
Im passively aiming for n1! And master the informal form of the language
These two are probably better than me at Japanese, despite having grown up with the language - daily study really pays off. They're so impressive.
one way that i learned also kanji, is from my chinese friends since they can read it also like same meaning, its very helpful when i took the exam in jlpt.
thank you for posting these videos! they help me learn more about japan and japanese language!
Passing the JLPT becomes all the more important nowadays, because many job openings mention this requirement : "JLPT N1 or equivalent".
They don't even consider interviewing candidates who don't have N1.
The market is becoming saturated and competition is increasing.
There are more skilled people available than before, so N1 acts as a filter for the employers.
Depends on the job and the company. I would imagine that it's less likely for an international company for an abroad job than working for a Japanese company domestically to require the N1 cert.
Really enjoy your channel. Thanks!
Love From Bangladesh 🇧🇩💜
Thanks very helpful 👍
The fastest way a guy can learn japanese is from group study that consists of nerds as a nerd myself I would love it also the best thing to keep learning is seeing japanese listening it over again when you dont wanna like speaking
I have been studying Japanese for 4 years now ( using Marugoto textbook). Japanese is my third language and I think it is easier than English :D I am going to take N3 this year :)
どこの出身ですか？
@@alexee4776 カンボジアです。知らないかもしれません。
@@rithyheng6634 そうですか
今グーグルしました
字がおもしろくてきれいですね
お国では英語が話せる人が多いですか？
9:00 how would talking with friends help you pass JLPT a multiple choice reading and listening timed test
you are great and i learned lots of thing.
Learning a foreign language is awsome whatever it is. Currently, I learn English every single day and I'm inspired by people who can speak several languages. I also want to be of them and I hope I can speak fluent English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean someday.
Thank you for your hard work ☺️ you got a new subscriber.
Peace ✌️ keep up the great work.
Idk about other places, but university language courses in Canada really suck. It's soooo slow. Unless you're in a language school, and there is not that many of these. My bachelor is languages-focused, but I still follow the same classes as the old ladys who have time to kill and students who have a hole in their schedule to fill.
I was only taught the "masu" forms of verbs, which is so goddamn stupid because you can figure out the masu form from the regular form but not the other way around. When I figured out that these were not the regular forms (because we were not even told that "masu" was only the polite form), the class assistant told me that "if you travel to Japan, that's how your gonna talk to workers in shops and strangers". I guess it makes sense if you're taking a class so you can manage whilst visiting Japan, but this was a University course within my international studies and modern languages major ??
We also had to learn the onyomi and kunyomi readings of each kanji we would learn, which is dumb as shit and unproductive, and many people in the class would pass beginner 2 class with like, 80%, and would not even be able to read numbers or differenciate で and へ.
I guess moral of the story is don't pay thousands of dollars for useless uni classes made for bored grandmas and weaboos.
JLPT is still necessary but I think you also should watch daily news, J-dramas, listen to Jpop and Japanese podcast every day. 毎日一生懸命日本語を勉強します。皆さん、頑張れってください
お疲れ様です。😊
インタビュー面白かったですね！ありがとうございます。We made the interview in February? It was still cold! I'm still wearing a scarf 😂😅
お疲れ様です！
ありがとうございました！
I'm going to take N2 test this July, but I know I'm not good at speaking, but I will use all my power in learning for the test, the output of being fluent in speaking is number 2
Good luck
JLPT is about reading, writing, and listening. And spoken Japanese is often very different from written Japanese because it can rely on the content in a conversation so that you can skip a lot of word and also avoiding using rigorous grammar.
Don’t think there’s writing but other than that I agree
same goes with hindi
I studied Japanese for over one year before coming to Japan. Now I've been living here for almost 10 months (and of course learning the language at a school), so I'm going to take the JLPT exam for N3 in july and I'm so nervous about it, like it feels really difficult for me, specially for the 読解 part 'cause I tend to read so slowly, but these people actually passed N2/N1 even before moving here, I'm atonished but looking forward to keep learning this language as deeply as possible. Great video and greetings from Motosu, Gifu-ken!
These people make me feel really stupid. I was in Japan for 11 years and I failed N1 in my last year in Japan. I only ever got to N2. In my defense my conversational Japanese was excellent and I worked all in Japanese … but I could never get the motivation to really sink my teeth in to the N1 textbooks. I think I’m just not a good studier.. real respect to these guys who passed so fast. 👏
Studying for N2 right now. I can't stand watching dramas because I find them incredibly dull and boring, especially since I don't care about romance, so I just watch anime. But, since anime ppl tend to speak more clearly and often extremely crashly (if that's a word, i don't really care ab english rn), I want to try using dramas since everyone says it's a more accurate way of Japanese and the stuff is less cut and dry as to hearing and right away understanding, ie. it sounds more native. How could I go about finding a drama that is actually interesting to me, someone who loves action and can't stand romance? XD
Great video again man!!
4:04 so people saying that you need to study useless grammar points for N1 that rarely if not never used at all in Japanese is real.
I'm curious about this, does someone speaking in Japanese from say, India or Russia have an "Indian" or "Russian" accent to Japanese people? To me it sounds like fluent Japanese but I'd be interested to know if a native Japanese person notices.
Isn't this like with English, for example? If the person wasn't raised in a English speaking country but then learns English, they almost always have the accent of wherever they are from.
well he lives in japan ppl who lives in england have british accent
I only watch this for the wow factor. I am 80% celtic, brought up in Wales and now living in France. So I watch this for nothing to do with the Japanese language just seeing how well people learn A language. Merci
This is some quality video
This is true story. I pass n4 just because i watching anime and learn grammar from marugoto online and youtube. Still i want to be able to try n1 😁
I am going to attempt N1 in summer. Don't think I'll pass it but I'll give it my best try!
i think the real problem is finding people to talk to, i mean with your voice. I downloaded an app that allows me to talk to japanese people an writing isn't too much of a problem but it's because i can stop and think how to write something. Speaking requires a faster thinking and that's the real struggle, also i don't feel confident to call them and i don't even have too much time to do that so yeah, now that i finished university i can only rely on books and youtube videos
The dog in the background at 2:28 so cute
Hey,I love your channel !!!!
I started studying japaw language now 3months to go before taking exam jlpt and jft and other 2 exam s as kaigo. I'm studying n5and n4 now . Hopefully someday i can passed and passed the n3,n2 and n1 ofcourse.
great videos, please talk about japanese favourite food in japan
九回に亘る滞日歴計半年のラトビア人のN1取得者です。興味深い映像ありがとうございます！
彼らの日本語の発音は素晴らしいです。🤩👍
Interview the Polynesian people in japan, how they live in japan and if they think Polynesians should or should not move to japan
ありがとうございますこのインタビューです。
メキシコから御挨拶です今年はN4を受けようと思っていますこの動画を見るに限って本当にインスパイアになるために日本語を勉強続けますから。
一所懸命5年間中日本語を勉強しています