There is a new photo file
So as you all know, I am enrolled at the moment at a Japanese school. I attend school for four hours a day, and the course that I am enrolled on is designed to get me to pass the JPLT test, which is the internationally recognised test which determines Japanese ability. There are four levels, level four being the lowest, so of course, level 1 being fluent enough to live in Japan as a native.
I will not be aiming for level 1! My teacher seems to think that level 3 is a good target to aim for. The test is in December, so I have 5 more months of study before I sit it.
The major problem with the test is the Chinese kanji characters that the Japanese use in their writing. At the moment we have four hours a week set aside for the study of Kanji. In order to be successful at level three, I must know 300 kanji, and their meanings. This might be possible, but for the fact that near enough all kanji have multiple readings. The Japanese language uses Japanese, and also, the Chinese reading. This making it extremely difficult! The names of these types of readings are called "Onyomi", or Chinese reading, and "Kunyomi" , or Japanese.
Take the Kanji for WATER, for instance:
This type of kanji is one for the first that you might learn. The readings include "sui" (onyomi) and "mizu" (Kunyomi). For instance, if you wanted to write Wednesday, you would use this character. Also, if you wanted to write water, you would also use this character, but importantly, you would use the correct saying! You would not say Mizu-day for instance, but rather "Suiyobi". imagine how nightmarish this gets with the harder kanji!
But we have a good teacher and an excellent study programme, so I think we will all have a good shot at passing the exams, unlike conversation, which you can improve by talking with yourt friends, understanding kanji comes from basically just sitting down at the table, writing it correctly, and then trying to remember the readings, and using them in sentences- boring stuff!
More on this later.........
