Studying Japanese

Deepen Your Experience in Japan and Learn The Language

| Where to Start | KICC | YMCA | Private Teachers | JLPT | Online Resources |

Where to Start

Some people who join JET already speak Japanese, others do not. No matter what your level you can always start learning, or keep improving. Especially because you will be living in Kobe, it may be relatively easy to get by without studying Japanese. But your experience here will be less interesting and not nearly as rich if you don't make some effort.

If you don't Speak any Japanese...

Start learning katakana first. Katakana is used to write words that have been borrowed from other languages. These katakana words are usually very easy to understand:

クリスマス　- kurisumasu - Christmas
チケット　- chiketto - Ticket

There are lots of these kinds of words and learning katakana will genuinely make things easier for you. After katakana, you can start learning hiragana and kanji.

Quizzes for katakana, hiragana, and kanji.

CLAIR Correspondence Course

At Tokyo Orientation you will have the opportunity to sign up for the CLAIR Correspondence Course. Each month you will receive a textbook by post and must complete the included test and mail your answer sheet back each month. If you finish the advanced course you will be eligible to take a course on either translation or linguistics offered by CLAIR.

Be sure to read about the correspondence course at Tokyo Orientation and decide if you would like to participate.

The KICC

Free Japanese Classes

The Kobe International Communication Center, or KICC, run volunteer teaching programs. Under these programs you can receive free Japanese classes in anything from kanji, to reading Japanese newspapers to basic conversation. Anyone can apply, regardless of ability, by going into the KICC and asking for an application form. Once you have specified your language level and what you would like to study, you will then be assigned a suitable teacher. From then on, you study one-on-one with your teacher for 2 hours a week at a time suitable to both of you, for a period of 6 months.

This is a fairly casual program and how useful it is depends largely on what your volunteer teacher is like. If you're lucky you could have a great teacher and a free source of quality Japanese lessons. At the very least it's a good opportunity to practice your spoken Japanese for a couple of hours a week.

Applying for a Volunteer Teacher

You can apply for a teacher at the KICC after you have obtained your Alien Registration Card. You can only apply on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of the month between 10AM and 4PM, which is unfortunately during work hours. If you talk to your vice-principal they may allow you to leave early to go and apply.

Other Services

There is a tack board at the KICC that is like a personals section for people seeking language partners. You are free to read them and reply, and post your own personal asking for language exchange. This is not be confused with applying for a volunteer teacher. It is meant to be a very casual way to meet Japanese people, and for them to meet you.

There is also an entire shelf of magazine publications in English. They have everything from Kansai Scene to The Economist. You are free to read these at any time but are not allowed to take them out. On the same shelf are various Kobe City publications about city services in English.

Getting There

The KICC is located on the 20th floor of the Kobe Kokusai Kaikan building.

See the Sannomiya Map to find out how to get to the KICC.

The YMCA

The Sannomiya YMCA, being part of an internationally recognized organization, offers a variety of courses ranging from beginner to intermediate, but can be slightly expensive.

See the Sannomiya Map to find out how to get to the YMCA.

Private Teachers

For a more structured approach you might be better off paying for a private teacher. When looking for one try the various Kansai publications; such as Kansai Scene, Kansai Flea Market, and Kansai Time Out. (the first two are available free from the KICC or Maruzen, Kansai Time Out or the KICC's Ajisai publication. It is however a good idea to ask around for personal recommendations from friends who have found decent teachers as you can never be sure of the quality of the individuals or language schools who advertise in these publications.

The JLPT

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or JLPT, is widely recognized proof of Japanese language ability (e.g. pre-requisite for foreign students entering a Japanese university).

Applying for the Test

Application forms for the JLPT can be bought in August/September for �510. You can get a form in Junkudo on the Center-gai shopping arcade, or in Kinokuniya, in the same building as Loft.

The form itself is in English, but the guidelines are all in Japanese, even for the lower levels. The best thing to do is to get a Japanese speaker to help you through it.

It costs �5200 to actually take the test. This has to be paid for by filling in the payment slip provided with the application form. Taking it, along with the cash, to the post office.

In addition to this, you have to pay to send your application by registered mail and for stamps to have your results sent to you. Everything included, the test costs between �6000 and �7000.

The JLPT is held once a year, generally on the first Sunday in December, at various test sites throughout Japan. Most likely you will be in Kobe and will probably take the test at Kobe or Konan University, although it's possible that you may have to travel to Kyoto or Osaka for certain levels.

Test Structure / Test Levels

The JLPT is a multiple-choice exam which tests candidates reading and listening abilities. There are 4 levels, 4 being the lowest.

Levels 4 and 3 are only really useful in that they allow you to set targets to gauge your progress.

Level 2 is generally accepted as a decent level of Japanese and is sufficient to gain access to a variety of courses and jobs.

You need Level 1 to be admitted into a Japanese university.

Preparing

There are many great books available to help you prepare. The Kanzen Master (完全マスター) textbook series are highly recommended. The books can be purchased at most major book stores.

The Internet is also crammed full of tips, past questions, and information for the JLPT. Although most sources are aimed largely at those thinking about taking levels 1 and 2. Check the online sources section below for some good websites.

Online Resources

Rikai-chan

This add-on available only for Firefox is one of the best tools ever created for reading Japanese online. Just move your mouse pointer over a word and a little window will appear with the English meaning. This tool makes reading Japanese online a much smoother experience.

Get Rikai-Chan:

1. Download the Firefox browser if you don't have it.
2. Download the Rikai-chan add-on.
3. Download the dictionary file for Rikai-chan.

Jim Breen's Online Japanese Dictionary

This is considered THE online dictionary to use for all your Japanese language needs. It has almost everything you need.

Click to see Jim Breen's Online Japanese Dictionary.

Guide to Japanese

This amazing website explains Japanese grammar in a clear and concise manner. It addresses many of the questions people who study Japanese often have. Paired with Rikai-chan this site is an extremely effective resource for learning Japanese.

Click to see Guide to Japanese.

Many Things

This page will have you learning kana, kanji, and vocabulary words in no time. The JLPT section is extremely helpful; it includes complete vocabulary lists for all 4 levels.

Click to see Many Things.

ALC

This site is especially useful for advanced speakers of Japanese. If you're having trouble understanding the nuance of a Japanese word, try looking it up on ALC and a huge list of example sentences will be provided so that you can be sure of the words meaning.

Click to see ALC.

Wikipedia Articles

A wealth of information can be found on Wikipedia about Japanese. As always, read Wikipedia with a critical eye because the articles can be edited by anybody.

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