Study Material Books

First, there is no best choice for everyone when it comes to text books. A good text book should cover as many of the topics most people need as possible. Speaking from the perspective of someone who creates study materials, sometimes concessions must be made to complete a work.

I'm often asked "Which text book do you recommend?" Unfortunately, I can't give any advice without knowing details about your current level of proficiency, study goals, study methods, and so on.

In addition, each text book has its own characteristics. For example, even if intended for the same beginning level, the text book I would recommend differs for people who also want to study the written language versus those who don't.

If you want to know the best text book for you, first you should clearly state your study goals and preferences and then ask a highly experienced Japanese instructor for recommendations. Even so, selecting a text book is hard work even for a professional instructor. If the teacher you ask is someone who uses many text books, you can probably trust the advice they give, but, if this isn't the case, you need to be careful, because the instructor may lack credibility on this topic.

For instance, some text books aren't very good even though they may be famous in your country. Even text books are a type of product, and some text books have become well-known due to expert marketing and PR by the company selling them. I can't give specific book titles here, but if you're interested just ask me directly.

There's one more important thing. The best study materials for you differ depending on your study method. For example, if you've studied grammar yourself and want to practice conversation with an instructor, you probably need a textbook for practicing conversation. If you want to study for an exam, a book on grammar or a collection of past test questions is probably best for you.

Try to adopt the idea of "studying with a text book" rather than "studying a text book."


Textbook Genres
There are various textbook genres available. Roughly, there are 15 genres, listed below. Within each genre, textbooks are aimed at different levels and target different students.

Comprehensive textbooks, Textbooks for businessmen and trainees, textbooks for short stays, textbooks for overseas students, textbooks for children, reading comprehension textbooks, grammar textbooks, textbooks for listening and pronunciation, textbooks for writing (kana and kanji), essay textbooks, practice problem textbooks, textbooks for passing the JLPT , textbooks for passing the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students, textbooks for passing university entrance exams, and textbooks for passing other exams.

Selecting a textbook is not easy. Be sure to get the advice of a professional instructor. If you choose the wrong textbook, it can lead to decreased motivation, and this causes many people to quit studying Japanese altogether.


Materials Other than Textbooks
There are many other types of language learning materials besides textbooks. These include CDs, websites, audio media, movies, original materials produced by instructors, iPhones, and iPods. Finally, regardless of whether or not they are intended as study materials for Japanese language learners, Japanese books and magazines intended for Japanese people can also be used as study materials. For example, people interested in Aikido can use a book about Aikido to study, or a person interested in tattoos can use a magazine about tattoos.

I recently gave a Japanese language magazine about Internet security to a student who said he learned a lot from it. He works as a freelance security network specialist in the US and says he'd like to work in Japan in the future. I gave him this present, because he had passed the JLPT Level 2 test and I felt he could probably read Japanese fairly well. If he had been a beginner, I probably would have selected a textbook for beginners as a gift, rather than that magazine.

The thing I want to say here is that many materials can be used to study Japanese besides textbooks. If you're taking one-on-one lessons, you should make sure your teacher knows your interests and hobbies so that they can incorporate that information into your lessons as much as possible. However, take care to select something that matches your actual abilities.


Where can I buy textbooks?
Among Internet options, I recommend Amazon and BK1 because they both ship overseas. Note that it's easy to find books on the Japanese Amazon site not sold on the non-Japanese Amazon site. If you want to buy from a Japanese bookstore (Tokyo), I recommend Bonjinsha, a bookstore specializing in Japanese language materials.

Japanese Test

What kind of Japanese language tests are there?
Here is some information about some Japanese Language exams. Even if you are not interested in taking the exam, the information may help you to measure your current language level and to help you pursue your goal.


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Japanese Language Proficiency Test
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This is the most famous test among Japanese-majored students and business people. The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has been offered by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (formerly Association of International Education, Japan) since 1984 as a reliable means of evaluating and certifying the Japanese proficiency of non-native speakers.

The JLPT is offered in five levels (N1, N2, N3, N4, N5). (The old test through 2009 was offered in four levels - Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4). twice yearly, in July and December. However, certain countries/areas will only offer the test in December and not in July. Please check in their website.


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The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students
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The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is used to evaluate whether international students who wish to study at the undergraduate level at universities or other such higher educational institutions in Japan possess the Japanese language skills and the basic academic abilities needed to study at those institutions.

EJU takes the place of both the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the General Examination for Foreign Students (no longer administered as of December 2001), which many universities (undergraduate level) and other higher educational institutions in Japan previously required international students to take for admission. Starting in 2002, EJU will be administered twice a year (June and November) in Japan and other countries and regions. For a list of examination sites, check in their website.

* Note that there are some universities that base their selection of international students mainly upon EJU scores.


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J.TEST - Test of Practical Japanese
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The J.Test of Practical Japanese was introduced in 1991 as a test for conducting objective measurement of the Japanese language proficiency of non-Japanese. Based on the broad-based incorporation of the hearing test, this method effectively gauges practical proficiency in Japanese. In gaining employment or entry to higher level schools in Japan, or for use of Japanese in the performance of practical work, advanced proficiency in the language is a must. By taking the J.Test of Practical Japanese, it is possible to comprehend your current level of proficiency, and then determine your next objective. It might be good to take the test several times to comprehend your current Japanese proficiency as well as further grasp the language. Each year in January, March, May, July, September and November, you can take.
*Test Level A-D (Intermediate to Advanced) *Test Level E-F (Beginners)


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Japan Kanji Test (No English site available)
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Although this test is mainly for native Japanese, you can also take this test if you like studying Kanji.
*Levels are 1-10.


Should I take a test?
I recommend that you take a test. There are two reasons for my advice.
First, having a concrete goal, like a test to study for, can be beneficial because it increases motivation.
Second, although I often hear people say things like "I just want to be able to speak Japanese and have no interest in tests," you can't have a conversation in Japanese without knowing the basic grammar and vocabulary. Studying for an exam can be an efficient way to learn that grammar and vocabulary, so studying to pass a given test can definitely be useful in developing conversational ability.
If you were to practice conversation without understanding grammar and vocabulary, there are many cases where students who are capable of imitating the teacher in a lesson can't carry on a real conversation very well. Although I understand that conversational lessons can be more fun, and that many students withdraw from grammar and vocabulary courses, try putting some serious effort into it based on the idea that you can't build a tall building on a weak foundation.

Let's listen to the opinion of some people who have actually taken the JLPT test.

I have included what Cory-san has to say about his experience passing the last JLPT test.

Q1 : Which level did you take?
A1 : I took JLPT Level 3 (Now equivalent to JLPT N4).

Q2 : Is it your first time to take the level?
A2 : This was my first attempt at Level 3. I (barely) passed Level 4 the previous year.

Q3 : Why did you take the JLPT?
A3 : I took the JLPT to give me something to work towards. I study much better when I have a definite goal to attain. Studying for the sake of learning a language doesn't motivate me as much as studying for an exam does.

Q4 : When did you start preparations for the JLPT?
A4 : I started preparations for JLPT 3 in August.

Q5 : After you started preparations for the JLPT,
(1) how many lessons(*) in a week did you take?
(2) how many hours in a week did you spent on your self study?
A5 :
(1) I took 1 lesson a week.
(2) My weekly study times were highly inconsistent; I would estimate I studied on average between 10-15 hours a week starting in mid-August.

Q6 : How have you been studying for the JLPT?
A6 : I studied for the examination in many ways:
To help me prepare for the kanji section I used a program on my iPhone called "Kanji Flip" and a textbook series called "1 nichi 15 hun no kanji renshu" by ALC. The Kanji Flip program is convenient to use in on-the-go situations (like on a train), but the examples it gives on how to use the kanji are sometimes useless or irrelevant. The ALC book has great example vocabulary and uses them in sentences. I ended up combining the information from these two sources by typing a 100-page binder of detailed notes on about 300 kanji.

To help me prepare for JLPT vocabulary, I took three tests from previous years. Every time I came across a word I didn't know (which happened quite often, unfortunately) I underlined the word. After I was finished with the test I would go back and write the words and the English definitions in a notebook. I spent many hours at coffee shops doing this...

Grammar has always been my weakest area of Japanese, so I signed up for J-OS lessons to help me learn proper Japanese grammar. I worked from the Genki II textbook and workbook and quickly crammed a semester's worth of Japanese grammar in about three months.

I didn't usually study specifically for listening because I live in Japan, so I hear Japanese every day. But one thing that helps me to improve my general listening skills is to watch Japanese TV with the Japanese subtitles turned on. I've found that often times my eyes will catch what my ears couldn't. (For example: tanosisou desu vs. tanoshii desu)

Finally, I ate tonkatsu the night before the exam for good luck. I'm not sure if that helped, but it was a good meal!

Q7 : Would you recommend taking (studying for) the JLPT to other Japanese learners?
A7 : I highly recommend studying for the JLPT. It's an internationally known test for Japanese proficiency. You also get a cool certificate if you pass (or a nice bookmark/coffee coaster/dartboard if you fail).

Easy to Clear JLPT Exams

The most important thing for preparation of JLPT is to do a lot of practices.
And we are not referring to doing practices just one or two weeks before the test but months before or even a year before. It will definitely help you pull through the test.
Besides studying the required materials for vocabulary and grammar, another thing that I highly recommend is to practise on past year JLPT test papers.
Although the test format has already been changed, the content is still relevant.
I will give some tips and advices based on my past experiences and compile some resources which I think are useful according to the following categories...

1. JLPT Tips on Vocabulary 文字・語彙 (moji・goi)

Some people are afriad of this section, in particular the westerners. Probably because there are many vocabulary questions based on kanji characters which they are weak in. This is especially true in the higher level tests (N1 and N2).
There are no short cuts for this section and the only advice I can give is nothing but hard work.
Make it a habit to memorize at least 10 new words per day. If you can memorize more words the better. Memorize not only the meaning of a word but also how it is read (i.e. its reading in hiragana), because the test also consists question on how the word is read.
I know this is an extremely tedious and boring task. But hey, it works! If you are persistent enough, you can possibly increase your vocabulary by over 3000 in a year. I think that's fantastic.
The more Japanese words you know, the higher the chance of answering the vocabulary multiple choice question correctly.

2. JLPT Tips on Grammar 文法 (bunpou)

Grammar is the easier section in the test. This section tests how well you understand the grammar required for the level you are taking, in terms of meanings and usage. The usage refers to how each grammar is connected in a sentence, whether to use dictionary-form, te-form, present tense or past tense, etc.
So long you study and understand the meaning and usage of each grammar well enough, as well as practise a lot on the past year JLPT grammar questions, it is not difficult to score well in this section.
In addtion, having a good foundation in grammar also help you to understand the articles better in the reading section.

3. JLPT Tips on Reading 読解 (dokkai)

The reading section is more relevant to the higher levels (N1 and N2).
Many people are weak in reading and their total scores were often pulled down by this section because it carries the most marks. Probably there are many kanji characters in the articles that either they were not familiar with or have not seen before.
Besides, people tend to spend more time on this section and later found out they have little time left for other sections in the test. For this, I strongly recommend you to do the grammar and vocabulary sections first as the required time for those sections are more or less fixed and easier to complete. The reading section should always be left until you have completed the other sections.
If you are slow in reading, my suggestion is do the shorter articles first. This will mean to begin reading and answering questions from the back as usually the first 2 articles are the longest and contain the most questions.
The key in reading is not to understand the whole article, but to understand what the questions are asking for. Therefore, I suggest you read the questions first. Most of the time, the part related to the question will be underlined in the article and the answer can be found either a few sentences before or after it.
It is also essential to have a strong foundation in your grammar because if you don't understand the grammar well, you can easily misunderstand the actual meaning of the key sentences which contain the answer in the article.

4. JLPT Tips on Listening 聴解 (choukai)

Listening is considered the most difficult for most people because during the test you have only one chance to listen to each question and must answer it immediately, even if you missed the question or don't understand it at all. And there is no time for you to come back to the previous questions that you have missed.
Unless you are living in Japan, the only way to improve your listening skill is to listen to more Japanese, either through internet or CDs.
Besides listening to Japanese news and watching dramas (recommended for higher levels), the other thing you can do is to listen to CDs of the past year JLPT tests MANY times.
Perform the following as many times as you can...

1. Listen to the CD for at least 5 times without looking at the scripts.
2. After reading through the scripts once, listen to the CD for at least another 5 times.
3. Listen to the CD together with the scripts for another 3 times.
4. Without looking at the scripts, try to read out loudly while you are listening for another 3 times.

Although the above method is very time consuming, it is a very effective way for you to get used to the type of questions being asked in the test.

Socring Sections - JLPT

SCORING SECTION

1. Scoring sections and range of scores for each level

 Test results are given according to scoring sections in the table below. N1, N2 and N3 have three scoring sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)," "Reading" and "Listening." N4 and N5 have two scoring sections: "Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading" and 'Listening'.

Level	Scoring sections	Range of scores
N1	Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)	0～60
	Reading	0～60
	Listening	0～60
	Total score	0～180
N2	Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)	0～60
	Reading	0～60
	Listening	0～60
	Total score	0～180
N3	Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)	0～60
	Reading	0～60
	Listening	0～60
	Total score	0～180
N4	Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) ・Reading	0～120
	Listening	0～60
	Total score	0～180
N5	Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) ・Reading	0～120
	Listening	0～60
	Total score	0～180

2. Correspondence between test sections and scoring sections

Test sections in the test and scoring sections in the test results correspond as given in the table below.

In test			In test results
Level	Test sections		Scoring sections	Range of scores
N1 N2	Language Knowledge(Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading		Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)	0～60
			Reading	0～60
	Listening		Listening	0～60
N3	Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)		Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)	0～60
	Language Knowledge(Grammar)・Reading		Reading	0～60
	Listening		Listening	0～60
N4 N5	Language Knowledge(Vocabulary)		Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading	0～120
	Language Knowledge(Grammar)・Reading
	Listening		Listening	0～60

 3. Determination of pass/fail

In order to pass, (1) total score needs to be at or above the point required for passing (overall pass mark) and (2) score in each scoring section needs to be at or above the minimum point required for passing (sectional pass mark). If there is even one scoring section where the score is below the sectional pass mark, examinees are determined to have failed, no matter how high the total score he/she might have.

Scoring sections of N1-N3 and N4-N5 are different. Overall pass marks and sectional pass marks for each level are shown in the table below.

Level	Total score		Scores by Scoring Sections
			Language Knowledge （Vocabulary/Grammar）		Reading		Listening
	Range of scores	Overall pass marks	Range of scores	Sectional pass marks	Range of scores	Sectional pass marks	Range of scores	Sectional pass marks
N1	0～180 points	100 points	0～60 points	19 points	0～60 points	19 points	0～60 points	19 points
N2	0～180 points	90 points	0～60 points	19 points	0～60 points	19 points	0～60 points	19 points
N3	0～180 points	95 points	0～60 points	19 points	0～60 points	19 points	0～60 points	19 points

Level	Total score		Scores by Scoring Sections
			Language Knowledge （Vocabulary/Grammar）・Reading		Listening
	Range of scores	Overall pass marks	Range of scores	Sectional pass marks	Range of scores	Sectional pass marks
N4	0～180 points	90 points	0～120 points	38 points	0～60 points	19 points
N5	0～180 points	80 points	0～120 points	38 points	0～60 points	19 points

※The above standards were adopted beginning with July test in 2010 (December test in 2010 with N4 and N5).

Examinees will be judged to have failed if they miss a test section. Although they will receive a Score Report, it will not show scores for any test section, including those that have been taken.