I am on the verge of beginning my third year at university. With it I find for the first time that my test scores and such are going to actually begin to affect my final degree. So this year of all years I have to try hard (though having said that I haven't been slacking off either.

This year I am also going to be taking the Japanese language proficiency test. I'm going for the big one: the level 1. This is about as hard as Japanese tests come so this is going to be fun for sure. I am having a hard time securing the audio for the past papers though.

Also this year is the last time the current Japanese test will maintain the current content and format so it is my last chance to pass the current level 1 as it is. At the same time I really want to undertake learning Chinese but I fear if I do so I won't have time to study aptly for the JLPT. On the other hand if I don't start learning Chinese this year it's now or never. Unlike Japanese my interest in Chinese is only for communicating with friends. I have no intention of becoming fully fluent as I am with Japanese.

With my Japanese I feel like I am finally in the last straight. I won't have any more major leaps or hurdles now. It's just about learning a large volume of words and grammar but not ones distinct or particularly different from the ones I already know. I'm so close now...I can feel it.

The next 12 days mark the run up to the JLPT2. In the remaining time I have to cram in as much practice as I can get and learn as much grammar as I can. Ofcourse I learnt my lesson last time that just cramming is a bad idea so I have to also balance this with realisitcally how much information I can remember (not just for the test but after it as well as simply doing well on the test and then forgetting grammar is a waste of time).

I haven't booked my accomdation for the test site yet. I also have a presentation to prepare, a mid-term for speaking tomorrow and 4 consecutive speaking-meetings with various conversation partners this week. This is gonna be a very busy 12 days.

Once the JLPT is over I am going to have to change my plans and shift gears as I will only have about a month left in Japan and need to make something of it.

Starting this year for the first time in its' history the Japanese language proficiency test will be held twice a year, in other words not just in December but in July as well.

For those who don't know the JLPT is the biggest most officialist(I decree that should be a word) Japanese exam in Japanese examdom.

The summer test only allows prospective test takers to undertake level 1 and 2 (of 4 levels), level 1 and 2 being the hardest. I took JLPT2 back in December and bombed epically...perhaps not surprising given that I'd only studied Japanese for 16 months at that time. Between the last time I took it and this time when I will take it again (around 6 months) the amount of progess I've made is spectacular. To give you an idea: I first took the test and got 178/400 (240 being the pass mark). I then took a practice test in March to find myself with a much improved score of 258/400 which is a tight pass. 2 days ago I took another past paper (the 2003 paper which is regarded by some as the hardest JLPT2 in quite a few years) and netted myself a 308/400. It seems every two months or so my score jumps up around 60 points which is significant.

I have two weeks left and tbh I would really like to get above 360/400 but I would be content if I could improve my score 12 more to 320. At the very least I want to get 300. If I were to pass only marginally then I would be quite annoyed because I would still have a lot of level 2 grammar and such to learn before I could move on and truly begin with the level 1 stuff.

At this point I am very confident I will pass but it's merely of case of whether it's a good pass or a VERY good pass.

On a slight side note this is the last time the JLPT will be conducted in this way. After this summer the format of the test will change so that there is a new test between levels 3-2 as it appears the gap is too large (IMO a fair criticism, the gap between level 1 and 2 is big but merely more of the same type of stuff whereas the gap between 3-2 is not only wide but deep). The other rumoured changes are beefing up the level1 and making it more relevant to everyday life.

So is anyone going to be taking this test in July? Just me? Or are any of you contemplating taking the JLPT (of any level) sometime in the foreseeable future?

I recently got myself a PSP3000 along with a copy of...er...nothing.

TBH I got it mainly as an MP3 player but I've also been playing a few demos from the Japanese PSN store (given that I am in Japan atm and I would like to learn Japanese and play games at the same time). I am unable to buy things because my credit card just won't agree with the PSN registration process. However with that all said I am still playing some interesting demos. LocoRoco is very entertaining and tbh some of the most simple-minded but brilliantly designed fun I've had since Rhythm Tengoku Gold. Another standout title for me is Zettai Zetsumei; a game where you have to escape a city devastated by an earthquake. Sounds easy but you must escape hand in hand with the usual love interest. There are lots of dialogue choices that let you basically be a complete a-hole towards her or be caring and what not sothe romantic interest and character interaction is interesting.

Another game that I found interesting was "Diamond and Sound of Gunshot" which is a game where you play as a negotiator; a person who basically keeps people like terrorists talking on the phone (keep them calm, make sure the don't kill hostages). The demo basically uses this principle of negotiating in funny situations such as agreeing you base salary at a new job and even try to negotiate down your overly emotion co-worker. It has potential.

I am gonna get some online point card things at some point so I can get my grubby mitts on FF7 from the online store. Until then I am stuck twiddling my thumbs playing demos and trying to watch videos.

I say try because the actual process of watching videos on the PSP is a pain. First is the initial scramble of converting videos (thank you PSP9) but then there are other issues such as sounds dropping out once the video is converted and so on. A royal headache. Right now I am trying to watch various Japanese dramas on my PSP but am finding that the vocal sound track tends to get dropped.

これまで集中したのは読むことだけだった。まあ。。。読むことだけじゃなくて、話すことはもちろん、聞くこともやったけど、だいたいは読むことだった。

なかなかやったんじゃないか？自分は。。。

その凄い私はたった２ヶ月以内に漢字６００個を習った。新聞を読めるようになったほど頑張ったんじゃないか？

だが、話すことはまだ甘い。ぜんぜん話せないといわない。。。いやそうとは言えないほうが適切かな。

３ヶ月しか残っていない。頑張れば完全に上級になるはずだ。今の私は上級くらいなのは読むことだけ。本当にできるかどうかわからないが、トコトン進む以外道はないだろう？

３ヶ月

平凡人が２年間の日本語を話す練習は必要。

なぜが、この私は日本語が読めるくせにちゃんと話せないだろうか？もういい、悩んだり不満を言ったりはここで残させてしまう。そう、これは邪魔としていた悩みの墓場になる。

前に、前に、前に向くしかない。

諦めてたまるか？笑わせん。