The Japanese lessons posted in this section will be useful for those who plan to learn the basics of the Japanese language on their own. If you have already sufficiently mastered the Japanese writing systems and phonetics presented in the section Introduction to linguistics- you can proceed to get acquainted with the materials of this section.

The course "Fundamentals of Linguistics" includes the main lessons (blocks 1.2 and block 3), designed for 6-8 academic hours of independent study each, as well as a number of additional exercises on the main topics of the course - block 4 (6 more additional lessons, calculated for 24-30 academic hours). These materials will provide general idea about the structure of the Japanese language. Each lesson includes several paragraphs: vocabulary, grammar, exercises and tasks with answers, hieroglyphics, as well as listening (“listening comprehension”). To learn more about the structure of the lessons, go to the block number 1 area at the end of the page. The final stage of the section "Fundamentals of Linguistics" is an online (interactive) test. With its help, the user will be able to assess how successfully he has mastered a particular amount of material. The procedure for opening access to site materials is described in detail in the Help section. Lesson materials are posted on the site in blocks, in accordance with the curriculum.

Materials available for study:

Block of lessons No. 1. Fundamentals of linguistics. Part #1.

Lesson Description:
Working with a flash simulator as one of the options for successfully mastering lexical material and hieroglyphics

Lesson Description:
Nouns. Nominative case. Personal pronouns. A simple sentence with nominal predicate. affirmation and denial. Interrogative sentence. General concepts about hieroglyphs, rules for their writing. Information table with inscriptions - the main features of hieroglyphic signs.

Lesson Description:
Demonstrative pronouns. Genitive case of nouns. Possessive pronouns. Interrogative sentences. Reading hieroglyphs.

Block of lessons №2. Fundamentals of linguistics. Part #2.

Lesson Description:
Japanese verbs. Simple sentences with a verbal predicate. Interrogative sentences with a verb as a predicate. Accusative case of nouns. Common sentences with a verbal predicate. Graphic elements hieroglyphs.The concept of a hieroglyphic key.Table of key characters.Information table with inscriptions for hieroglyphs

Lesson Description:
Numerals in Japanese. Counting system. Initial and limit cases of nouns. Joint case.

Lesson Description:
The most common cases of nouns. Common sentences with a verbal predicate.

When learning foreign language highlight several language levels, most often basic, intermediate and advanced. An even clearer criterion for the level of language proficiency is provided by international exam. For Japanese it is Nihongo Noryoku Shiken(Japanese 日本語能力試験, English Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)) - an exam in Japanese held in all countries by the Japan International Exchange Fund.

As of 2010, this exam has five levels of difficulty (5N). Each level implies a certain set of knowledge and skills in the field of knowledge of vocabulary, hieroglyphs, grammar, reading and listening. Let's take a closer look at their requirements.

The Nihongo Noryoku Shiken exam is held twice a year, in winter and summer.

N5. A basic level of

N5. The basic level implies a partial understanding of everyday Japanese.

Writing: knowledge of the hiragana and katakana alphabets and the 100 simplest kanji.

Vocabulary: about 700-800 words related to everyday situations.

Grammar: general sentence construction, questions in Japanese. Bundles, cases, conjugation of adjectives and verbs, pronouns and numerals.

For successful delivery of this level, it is enough to go through the first part of the Minna no Nihongo textbook, or sign up for.

Complete understanding of everyday Japanese. "Japanese for beginners".

Writing: 300-400 simple kanji in total.

Vocabulary: 1400-1500 words related to everyday situations (including those previously studied).

Grammar: most of the forms of the verb (condition, command, intention, obligation, permission, possibility, prohibition, desire, assumption, aspect and voice forms, forms of direction of action, polite speech keigo) and etc.

To successfully complete this level, it is enough to complete the first and second parts of the Minna no Nihongo textbook.

The level requires a complete understanding of everyday Japanese. Approximately requires knowledge of 600 hieroglyphs and 3000 words.

The grammar of this level includes various suffixes, conjunctions, particles and stable grammatical constructions, as well as verbal postpositions. (All levels above N3 will also add new alliances, particles and suffixes with various shades values).

Level "Intermediate". Understanding everyday Japanese and simple newspaper articles.

The second level is much more difficult than the third level, because at this level a fairly wide and varied range of topics is covered. Subject to regular studies, you can expect to pass this level two years after receiving the third level of Noreku Shiken. Most Japanese companies, when hiring, require a candidate to speak Japanese at this level and above, so obtaining the second level of Noreku Shiken is especially important for those who want to work in a Japanese company.

Hieroglyphs: 1000 hieroglyphs

Vocabulary: about 6000 words

Advanced level. Requires perfect Japanese language skills and implies a full understanding of complex newspaper articles, scientific texts, etc. This level is quite difficult to pass if you have not had experience living in Japan or long-term communication with native speakers

Hieroglyphs: 2000 hieroglyphs

Vocabulary: ok. 10000 words

Each level involves learning a lot of words. Our course will help you with this.

Learning Japanese is possible in two directions: a general course and a business course. General course Japanese is intended for both beginners and those who have already studied this language (they will be given an individual written and oral test to be placed in one of the existing groups).

The training consists of 5 levels, at the end of each of which enough knowledge will be obtained to pass the international Japanese language exam "Nihongo Noryoku Shiken". This course covers comprehensive study Japanese language: writing, grammar, vocabulary and Speaking, gives everyone the opportunity to join the culture of Japan. In the classroom, Japanese literature, audio and video materials are used, after passing each topic, it is written final test and a new topic begins.

1 level- designed for those who are just starting to learn Japanese. The knowledge obtained at the end of this level is classified as "to a certain extent the basic level of the Japanese language":

• reading - reading and understanding words, expressions and texts written in hiragana, katakana and basic characters used in Everyday life;
• listening - the ability to hear and understand the necessary information, spoken slowly in the form of a short dialogue on topics from everyday life.
• Also possession of vocabulary in the amount of 800 units and hieroglyphics in the amount of 100 units.

After completing this course, students can take the international exam of the fifth level.

2 level- confirms knowledge of the language at the household level in a small amount. The knowledge obtained at the end of this level is classified as "knowledge of the basic level of the Japanese language":

• reading - reading and understanding a text written in basic vocabulary and hieroglyphs on topics from everyday life;
• listening - the ability to understand most of the information, played slowly in the form of dialogues, on topics from everyday life.
• Knowledge of hieroglyphics in the amount of 350 units and vocabulary in the amount of 1500 units.

After passing it, you can take the exam at level 4.

3 level- Proficiency in the language at an intermediate level. A level sufficient for conducting conversations, reading non-specialized literature. Classified as "knowledge to a certain extent of the Japanese language used in everyday life":

reading:

1) reading and understanding texts of specific content written on topics from everyday life,

2) the ability to understand the main content of the newspaper headlines,

3) the ability to understand the essence of a text of a sufficiently high degree of complexity, written on everyday topics, if some sentences in it are paraphrased;

listening - the ability to hear and understand most of the specific content of a logically completed dialogue on everyday topics, reproduced almost at a natural pace, to understand the relationship between its actors.

4th level- confirms a high level of language proficiency, knowledge of the Japanese language at this level satisfies the requirements of employers when applying for a job related to the use of the Japanese language. In addition to knowledge of the Japanese language used in everyday life, it is characterized by the ability to understand the language used in a wider range of areas to a certain extent:

reading

1) reading and understanding newspaper and magazine articles, comments, simple criticism written in understandable language on a wide range of topics,

2) reading texts on general topics and understanding the course of the narrative and the meaning of individual expressions; listening is the ability to understand a logically coherent dialogue or news not only on everyday topics, but also on a wider range of issues at a pace close to natural, follow the course of the conversation, understand its content and relationships between participants, grasp the essence.

5th level- The highest level. Shows fluency at the media level. Proficiency in 2000 hieroglyphic units and 10000 lexical units is required. Characterized by knowledge of the Japanese language used in a wide range of areas:

reading

2) the ability to read works that are deep in content on a variety of topics, follow the course of the narrative and understand in detail the meaning of individual statements, listening - the ability to understand a long dialogue, news and public performance at natural speech speed different situations, the ability to follow the course of the conversation, understand its content and the relationship between its participants, understand in detail the logical structure of the conversation and isolate its main content.

Business course only possible if you already have basic knowledge of the language.

The duration of training at each level is 120-150 hours.

Japan. About the Nihongo Noryoku Shiken Exam (JLPT)

What is the Nihongo Noryoku Shiken Exam (日本語能力試験)?
Nihongo Noryoku Shiken(English, or JLPT) is an official Japanese language proficiency test conducted from 1984 for those who are not native Japanese speakers. The organization of the exam outside of Japan is handled by Japanese Foundation(The Japan Foundation) through its representatives - embassies, consulates, Japanese centers, educational establishments and everyone to whom the Foundation delegates the authority to conduct the exam JLPT in different countries. AT Japan Noryoku Shiken hosted by the Japan Association international education(Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, or JEES).
Goals pursued by people taking the exam Nihongo Noryoku Shiken differ depending on the level for which the examiners apply. AT JLPT to entry level N5) usually involves the most a large number of wishing. These are schoolchildren studying Japanese, students initial courses. Teachers usually encourage students to take the exam Noryoku Shiken elementary levels in order to get to know own experience with the examination system.
Among those who give JLPT high level (N2 or N1) a lot of people who intend to tie their professional activity With Japan and Japanese, enroll in Japanese university(although there is a special exam for admission to Japanese universities Ryugaku Shiken), apply for a job in a Japanese firm or participate in a program professional internship in Japan. In such cases, a certificate of success Noryoku Shiken is completely unnecessary.

How often and where is the exam held?
Noryoku Shiken Nihongo held twice a year: first Sunday of July and in first Sunday of December. However July exam JLPT is not held everywhere (in Russia only in Vladivostok and Moscow). Below in the table you can find out the exam location nearest to you (in Russia and the CIS). Full list you can find exam places.

What is included in the exam?
Exam JLPT defines " the level of communicative competencies required to perform certain tasks ", namely: (1) knowledge of the Japanese language, including vocabulary and grammar, and (2) the ability to apply this knowledge in practical communication.
Myself Noryoku Shiken is divided into several sections: Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading and listening.

Exam content is governed by the Exam Content Specification (出題基準, Shutsudai kijun?), first published in 1994 and partially revised in 2002. This document, with the exception of the English introduction, is written entirely in Japanese and contains lists of words, characters, expressions, and grammar for each level of the exam. According to the Specification, the exam is conducted in the form of a test, in which the applicant only needs to choose one option from several possible ones, and the applicant is not required to write anything in Japanese.

Regardless of the level, the exam consists of three parts:
1. vocabulary and hieroglyphics
2. listening and understanding
3. reading and understanding - grammar.
The maximum number of points is fixed, only the time allotted for each section differs.

Vocabulary and hieroglyphics
This part of the exam includes an average of 35-45 questions, in which the applicant is required to determine the correct character, select the appropriate katakana or hiragana entry, and also choose the most appropriate word for this sentence.

Listening and Comprehension
It consists of two parts, in one of which the applicant, when answering each question, must choose the correct picture from the four offered, using the information obtained from the dialogue, the recording of which is played during the exam. The second part is similar to the first, except that there are no pictures, and the answer options are read along with the dialogue. The record with the tasks is played once and under no circumstances can be returned to the previous questions.

Reading and Comprehension - Grammar
Contains 20-30 Japanese grammar questions and a similar number of sentence and text comprehension questions. This may include tasks where you need to fill in gaps in the dialogue or answer questions related to the content.

What are the requirements for each level of Noryoku Shiken?
Nihongo Noryoku Shiken divided into 5 levels N5 before N1, and N1- the most difficult. Before 2010 there were 4 levels, but due to too large a gap between levels 3 and 2, it was decided to introduce an additional intermediate level. To distinguish between old and new levels, " N", the first letter of New and Nihongo.
Below are the requirements for each of the levels. New Noryoku Shiken.

CRITERIA FOR NEW LEVELS OF NIHONGO NORYOKU SHIKEN




Fifth level (N5, former 4-kyu)
Despite the prevailing opinion that obtaining a level certificate N5 does not make sense, so many people who learn Japanese begin their ascent to the top Nihongo Noryoku Shiken right from him. Indeed, for serious practical application in most cases, neither level is sufficient N5, not even N4, but this does not detract from the value of the exam as such. Controlling activities are one of the most important elements of training, stimulating the student, setting him up for the result and allowing him to reveal previously unnoticed gaps in knowledge in time. So, for example, many applicants who come to the exam for the first time face great difficulties in listening and often receive a low score for this section. Obviously, it is much better to recognize and solve this problem during the academic stage than to suffer its consequences during the higher-level certifications, when a promising position may be at stake.
First and essential requirement to the applicant for a level certificate N5- the ability to fluently read hiragana, because without this skill it is impossible to meet the allotted time frame. As for words, hieroglyphs and grammar, on the Internet you can find numerous lists that allow you to easily navigate the requirements for knowledge of the material.
Speaking about domestic textbooks, it can be noted that the knowledge and skills sufficient to obtain the fourth level are mostly achieved after studying the 1st and 2nd volumes of the Japanese language textbook edited by I. V. Golovnina or 1st volume of the textbook "Japanese for beginners" L. T. Nechaeva. The material contained in these books does not fully cover all sections presented in the exam, so in the process of preparation it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the content of the tests and work out unclear points with the involvement of third-party literature.

Fourth level (N4, former 3-kyu)
Usually easily passed a year after receiving a level certificate N5 subject to regular practice. It is not uncommon for people who have just started learning Japanese to successfully pass the level exam. N4 after only one year of study. The volume of material in the first approximation corresponds to the 3rd and 4th volumes of the Japanese textbook edited by I. V. Golovnina or the 2nd volume of the textbook "Japanese for beginners" L. T. Nechaeva.

Third level (N3)
It occupies an intermediate position between the former levels of 3-kyu and 2-kyu (in a new way N4 and N2). Introduced to compensate for a too serious gap in complexity between them.

Second level (N2)
This level is already incommensurably more difficult than the previous one, and the topics covered in it are so diverse that it is very difficult to recommend literature that at least to some extent meets its requirements. In the case of regular and sufficiently intensive studies, it is possible to achieve a second level certificate two years after receiving the third, although many Japanese learners often take longer.
In most cases, the requirements for employment related to the knowledge of the Japanese language begin precisely with the level N2.

First level (N1)
Assumes fluency in the language. Getting it without constant language practice associated with regular communication with native speakers seems to be a very difficult task.

Certificate of Nihongo Noryoku Shiken
International exam certificate The Japanese Language Proficiency Test(JLPT) is considered by all employers Japan and many university ami (except for those who take Nihongo Ryugaku Shiken). When applying for a job in Japan the first thing that the vast majority of companies require is to provide a certificate of acceptance The Japanese Language Proficiency Test first level. This is the minimum requirement for a foreign applicant. Certificate Nihongo Noryoku cannot be falsified: on all forms there is an individual number that can be checked against international registers.

Organization of the exam
Nihongo Noryoku Shiken held twice a year on the first Sunday of July and the first Sunday of December; within the territory of Russian Federation it can be taken in Moscow, St. Petersburg (since 2008), Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Perm, Khabarovsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It is necessary to register for participation in the exam in the 10th-20th of September, and those applicants who cannot personally appear at the registration point and plan to send documents by mail must do this even earlier. In order not to be late with the submission of documents, it is recommended to follow the information on the website of the embassy Japan starting from the end of August. For full-time registration, you must have a passport and two 3x3 photographs.
The exam is paid, in Russia in 2010 the cost of the questionnaire was 100 rubles. The fee for the exam of the fifth level is 300 rubles, the fourth - 500, the third - 700 rubles, the second - 900 rubles, the first - 1100 rubles. (prices, today, due to inflation, may increase)
On the day of the exam, it is strongly recommended that you arrive early at the exam site, as due to a large number applicants may experience problems with the registration procedure and, as a result, long queues in which you can spend a lot of time. However, exam participants should not worry anyway, as each applicant has a personal seat prepared in advance, marked with a number that matches the number of his voucher. During the exam, you are only allowed to have two simple pencils for filling out the examination questionnaires and an eraser.
Exam results are sent by mail and usually reach applicants in late February - early March of the following year.

How to behave in an exam
During the exam, you must follow the rules established by the organizer. First, never be late. Second, respond quickly and accurately. But it's more about the rules. good manners. It is hopeless to dream about what can be written off or peeped into a cheat sheet, such attempts are mercilessly suppressed and minimized in advance: for example, all bags are folded at the entrance, and only a pencil and an eraser can be on the table. Answer options indicated by circles must be carefully painted over with a pencil. All forms are collected immediately after the allotted time of each part of the exam.

In order to enter Japanese universities, it is theoretically necessary to pass a special language exam - Ryugaku Shiken. But in most non-Japanese-speaking countries, it is not held, and in Russia this exam can only be taken in Vladivostok. Therefore, many universities in Japan accept students who have received the Noreku Shiken, or The Japanese Language Proficiency Test certificate. T&P collected useful information to help you overcome this challenge.

What it is

Nihongo Noreku Shiken - an international exam that allows you to determine the level of knowledge of the Japanese language foreign students. The exam has been held since 1984 with the support of the Japan International Education Association and remains the main and most popular exam for determining the level of Japanese proficiency. In Russia, the Japan Foundation is responsible for conducting the exam. More than 600,000 students take the exam every year.

Nihongo Noreku Shiken is handed over for different purposes: entry levels exams allow you to track your progress in learning the language and personally get acquainted with the structure of the exam. High-level JLPTs are taken by people who intend to somehow tie their later life with Japan: find a job in a Japanese company or take a professional internship.

The exam is taken without the use of computers, but it is entirely checked with its help. Upon successful completion, the student will receive a permanent certificate. international standard, which has its own unique number.

How to take

The exam was last updated in 2010. Now it is a standardized test of five levels of difficulty (from N5, which tests basic initial Japanese proficiency, to N1, which confirms proficiency in Japanese at a level comparable to that of a native speaker). The most popular level of the exam is N2.

Level N2 implies almost fluency in Japanese. A candidate for the certificate must have a good understanding of Japanese grammar, knowing more than 6,000 words that can support a conversation on any general topic. This level can be taken after an average of 600 hours of language learning.

The exam of any level consists of three sections: vocabulary + hieroglyphics, reading + grammar and listening. The tasks of each section are presented exclusively in test form. Only the complexity of each section and the time allotted for completing tasks depend on the level. There are no tasks to test speaking and writing skills in JLPT.

At levels N1 and N2, the sections "vocabulary and hieroglyphics" and "reading and grammar" are combined into one block, and they are given 105-110 minutes. After the first block, a break is made for 30 minutes and an audition is held - 50 minutes.

Vocabulary and Hieroglyphics + Reading and Grammar (105 minutes)

The section contains up to 45 questions for the correct definition of hieroglyphs and their synonyms. And also the skill of distinguishing the writing of hieroglyphs is checked: katakana and hiragana.

Reading and grammar

Contains 20 questions that test the ability to understand the meaning of texts. The candidate is also asked to choose correct word or a phrase to fill semantic gaps in texts and dialogues.

Listening - 50 minutes

Unlike the easier levels of the exam, N2 level listening requires not only hearing and understanding dialogues, but also understanding the logical connection within them. News is often used as listening material, and covers not only everyday topics, but also a wider range of topics. The recording with tasks is played only once.

What are points made up of?

You can get up to 60 points for each section, maximum amount points for the entire exam - 180. There is a minimum passing score for each section of the exam. The minimum percentage of correct answers in each section is 32%. If at least one section is solved correctly by less than 32%, then the entire exam will not be counted. The percentage of correct answers for passing the exam varies from 45% for N5 to 56% for N1.

How to register

Nihongo noreku shiken is held twice a year on the first Sunday in July and the first Sunday in December. You can register for the JLPT three months before the date of submission and only within a few weeks (for information on the dates of submission and registration, it is best to follow the website of the Japanese embassies). Passing the exam costs around 2300 rubles.

The results are available online two months after the exam.

Bookstores in Japan offer wide selection teaching aids preparation for Noreku Shiken of all levels. Entire series are often released, where each individual textbook is devoted to a specific topic: grammar, hieroglyphics and expressions that you need to know to successfully pass any level of JLPT. You can even arrange a mini-exam at home by purchasing a collection of tasks from previous years or a collection of tests, where the tasks go in the same order as on the exam: from hieroglyphs to listening.

How to prepare

Many exam preparation study guides are released every year, ranging from textbooks that cover all sections of the exam as a whole, as well as textbooks dedicated to a specific aspect of the exam.

Marina Shandra

student who took N2

To prepare for the JLPT, you definitely need to either take courses or solve exam options for previous years in order to fill your hand. When passing the JLPT, the speed of completing tasks is extremely important, because on average one question takes from 30 seconds to 1 minute. You need to train yourself for speed and from the very beginning of training, do tests for time. On the JLPT exam, the problem of time is just as acute as on the HSK exam, so the key to success in the exam is to manage time effectively, leave the difficult questions for later, and focus on those questions that seem easy to you and you are sure of the answer.

Try to complete the rest of the time. difficult questions, but if there is no time left, then answer at random, not a single question can be left unanswered - the probability of guessing the correct answer is 25-33% (in tests 3-4 answer options).

When preparing for an exam Special attention should be given to hieroglyphs. To memorize hieroglyphs, persistent training of memory, hands and associative thinking is necessary.

The ability to quickly comprehend and analyze a large body of text is critical to success in the JLPT. It is especially useful in listening, when you need to immediately watch and remember everything before turning on the audio recording. possible options answer so that you can listen to the recording while keeping them in mind.

For the JLPT exam, there are lists with the minimum number of words you need to know to pass the exam at any level. It would be a big mistake to start teaching them from there. They should be studied in context, so it is worth reading more all sorts of stories, articles, texts. These lists can only be used to identify gaps in the knowledge of certain words.

The main advice is to buy a separate textbook on hieroglyphics and words of one level or another and a separate textbook on grammar. A trained ear will help to pass the listening comprehension - listen to Japanese radio more, watch movies and programs, and communicate with the Japanese as much as possible.

Marina Bondarchuk

student

The main and most elementary advice: do not worry! I myself know many examples when qualified translators passed the 1st level, but did not pass, but there are guys who do not speak the language perfectly and successfully pass this exam.

Difficulties with grammar tasks should not arise if you first solve several test options and be sure that the level you have chosen is correct for passing the exam. Choosing a level is really responsible: after all, you need to be able to soberly assess your own abilities. When right choice there will be no problems with the execution of tasks. In principle, you can prepare for JLPT in just one month, having a good basic level of the language and only honing the format.