Japanese Profiency Test Pissing Contest

[kamome]

K. - Kamome .../{see W for WANKER

YEE HAWWWWWW! I made the list! This totally rawks!

Well, curiosity got the best of me so I had a look. Man, gotta say I'm honoured to be included in the list! I'm a lot newer here than most of the other inductees, and I even ranked a double-entry! Thanks Nerfo!!

Hey, if you get on the list, you're bound to get some interesting PM's and the occasional Necro-brand (TM) flame in the public forums, too! Who wouldn't be pumped up for that?

[Cubed]

Raise your hand if you have passed (L1)

I'm going to call bullshite on that.

I am not prepared to believe that until you post a picture of your pass cert, drpepper.

I assume you have a digital camera?

[Socratesabroad]

[FG Lurker]

K. - Kamome .../{see W for WANKER

YEE HAWWWWWW! I made the list! This totally rawks!

Well, curiosity got the best of me so I had a look. Man, gotta say I'm honoured to be included in the list! I'm a lot newer here than most of the other inductees, and I even ranked a double-entry! Thanks Nerfo!!

Hey, if you get on the list, you're bound to get some interesting PM's and the occasional Necro-brand (TM) flame in the public forums, too! Who wouldn't be pumped up for that?

Man, is that all I get? I've been getting his incomprehensible flames in public and via PM for ages already! Guess I was already on "the list" but it hadn't been made public yet... Meh, always good for a laugh, anyway.

[Molokidan]

Raise your hand if you have passed (L1)

I'm going to call bullshite on that.

I am not prepared to believe that until you post a picture of your pass cert, drpepper.

I assume you have a digital camera?

You're so defensive, dude. Just lighten up! And who cares whether he passed it or not? Many people have passed L1. Just focus on your own studies, it's a better investment of your time anyway.

[FG Lurker]

Raise your hand if you have passed (L1)

I'm going to call bullshite on that.

I am not prepared to believe that until you post a picture of your pass cert, drpepper.

I assume you have a digital camera?

You're so defensive, dude. Just lighten up! Many people have passed L1. Just focus on your own studies, it's a better investment of your time anyway.

I'd say the best investment of time is working to develop both Japanese skill and some other skill to combine with it.

Just being able to speak Japanese by itself is a nearly worthless skill. English + Japanese + good skills in a desirable area = Good chance at getting a high paying job in Japan. Take away the "good skills in a desirable area" part of that equation and the whole thing falls flat on its face.

[maraboutslim]

Besides, being able to pass level 1 does not equal "being able to speak Japanese well"! There are plenty of people who pass that test that can't have a real life conversation in Japanese as it is really used in daily life or in business. (just as their are lots of Japanese who can get high scores on the TOEFL or whatever and can't even introduce themselves or respond to "how's it going?").

[FG Lurker]

Besides, being able to pass level 1 does not equal "being able to speak Japanese well"! There are plenty of people who pass that test that can't have a real life conversation in Japanese as it is really used in daily life or in business. (just as their are lots of Japanese who can get high scores on the TOEFL or whatever and can't even introduce themselves or respond to "how's it going?").

Exactly!

The test is basically a Japanese version of Eiken -- not surprising since they are both designed by Japanese people. Writing the JLPT as an offshoot of some other study is fine, IMO, but making it the focus of study is bizarre.

[kamome]

Just being able to speak Japanese by itself is a nearly worthless skill. English + Japanese + good skills in a desirable area = Good chance at getting a high paying job in Japan. Take away the "good skills in a desirable area" part of that equation and the whole thing falls flat on its face.

Absolutely. If a J-Company needs someone who can speak Japanese, there are hundreds or thousands of natives who can do that. You've got to bring something else to the table or they'll have no reason to hire you. That's another reason why I haven't bothered to take the JLPT. I'd rather market my worth in my chosen profession (and just happen to speak/read Japanese pretty well) than be known as a Japanese-speaking guy who just happens to know some things in another area.

[Greji]

Just being able to speak Japanese by itself is a nearly worthless skill. English + Japanese + good skills in a desirable area = Good chance at getting a high paying job in Japan. Take away the "good skills in a desirable area" part of that equation and the whole thing falls flat on its face.

Absolutely. If a J-Company needs someone who can speak Japanese, there are hundreds or thousands of natives who can do that. You've got to bring something else to the table or they'll have no reason to hire you. That's another reason why I haven't bothered to take the JLPT. I'd rather market my worth in my chosen profession (and just happen to speak/read Japanese pretty well) than be known as a Japanese-speaking guy who just happens to know some things in another area.

I would say Kagome is spot on. Any of the myriad language tests make nice eyewash on the employment applications, but if it is for a Japanese Company, they are not going to except it, let alone believe it, since according to pops, no FG can speak or understand his language. When you go for the mensetsu, that is where you better be prepared to talk your best Japanese. If he is going to want you for your communication skills, that's where you have to sell yourself.

The tests are great for the world of academia and possibly for some foreign companies which don't have a lot of experience in Japan, however, they unfortunately don't have many practical uses, other than a yard stick to measure your abilities for yourself.

[drpepper]

Raise your hand if you have passed (L1)

I'm going to call bullshite on that.

I am not prepared to believe that until you post a picture of your pass cert, drpepper.

I assume you have a digital camera?

Eat This!

[Greji]

Raise your hand if you have passed (L1)

I'm going to call bullshite on that.

I am not prepared to believe that until you post a picture of your pass cert, drpepper.

I assume you have a digital camera?

Eat This!

Cubed, I think you better break out the salt and (dr)pepper!

[Cubed]

Can't really confirm that that's you, but that's proof enough I guess. Just checking.

There are a lot of bullshitters who are happy to say they passed this level, or that level but haven't really.

Just out of interest, are there any non-Chinese here who have passed level 1?

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Man, is that all I get? I've been getting his incomprehensible flames in public and via PM for ages already!

You are nothing but bullshit. I have never flamed you via PM, I have recieved about 3 pms from you as follows.

Yep, I thought you'd score high... The people I've met with the lowest bullshit tolerances (or best bullshit detection ability!) tend to have high IQs.

Charles why dont you make a donation and become a Premium Member of Fucked Gaijin.It would be good to have you as a member of our elite club.

I wonder what Charles will say if he ever sees AK's Pick The Dick Poll. He's climbed to 94% now I see! That's impressive.

And some other ones asking if I had a HIGH IQ. Flame away FUCKTARD Gaijin lurker. But for future reference dont post shit that is fallible.

The mods can check my PMbox if they like its all true.
Kamome I never flamed you via pm either, I asked you for help you unforgivable cunt.

[cstaylor]

That reads like some budding romance there... did FGL vote for you on "Am I Hot or Not"?

[Maths Dude]

FGL is a retard, along more than half of you other twits.

[drpepper]

Just out of interest, are there any non-Chinese here who have passed level 1?

um.... me?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! CONGRATULATIONS DR. PEPPER!

And thanks for posting that hilarious picture! It definitely gets my nomination for "FG Pic of The Year!!!" It owns and YOU RULE!!!

Cheers!

Thank you very much... you can see my wife in the back, just barely.. she was asking me what the fuck I was doing...

[Socratesabroad]

[sillygirl]

To those of you who got level 1:

[Socratesabroad]

[FG Lurker]

Blah blah blah

You're a sad sack Nerfo. Keeping all your PMs?

Yeah, you have a decent IQ. You just don't use it most of the time. Well, you're good to laugh at anyway.

Now, wtf are you still doing here?? You were bitching about how much you hate it... Is your life so pathetic that you have nothing better to do but hang out somewhere you hate? (It's rhetorical, I already know the answer.)

Anyway, thanks again for the include on your little list. Your pathetic posts always give me a chuckle.

[sillygirl]

'Scuse I for keeping on topic here...

Is there a huge diff between L1 & L2?

Is there a pill I can take where I can magically remember loads of kanji? LOL! Honestly, my listening and speaking skills are absolutely fine....but goddamn that squiggly fly shit......

[Cubed]

'Scuse I for keeping on topic here...

Is there a huge diff between L1 & L2?

Yeah, this is an interesting question. From what I can tell from the published percentages, the level 2 has been getting more difficult, and the level one easier (only very recently though).

I used to know a couple of Chinese students who aced the kanji recognition but could hardly string a sentence together and they passed level 2 with very little study.

If you're not one of those, passing level 1 is quite a feat (as is the ryuugaku shiken et al)

Drpepper and Socrates, how was the jump between level 2 and level 1? I'd be very interested to hear.

[drpepper]

'Scuse I for keeping on topic here...

Is there a huge diff between L1 & L2?

Yeah, this is an interesting question. From what I can tell from the published percentages, the level 2 has been getting more difficult, and the level one easier (only very recently though).

I used to know a couple of Chinese students who aced the kanji recognition but could hardly string a sentence together and they passed level 2 with very little study.

If you're not one of those, passing level 1 is quite a feat (as is the ryuugaku shiken et al)

Drpepper and Socrates, how was the jump between level 2 and level 1? I'd be very interested to hear.

It is kind of hard to quantify really. When you first look at them there doesn't seem to be a huge difference, unlike say L3 to L2. Both have basically the same kind of sections similar number of kanji etc.. but they fuck with on L1. If you look closer they really mess with similar meaning grammar or look alike kanji and the listening is full of twists to screw with you (like listing a bunch of shit and then the guy asks what was that third thing? which had little to do with where you thought the conversation was headinig). I only took L2 like the 2nd year I was here and didn't pass (I had an excuse though.. I had an arm wrestling accident the night before where I was abulanced to the emergency room.. next day I was all doped up on pain killers during the test) and didn't try the L1 until a few years later because my friend didn't want to take it alone. I didn't study much for L1 which may be a good thing since it was more about comprehension for me, I just used what I knew, they might list 4 kanji but only one is really used so I would choose what I knew, perhaps if I had really studied all the kanji more carefully I would have recognized several of them.. then I would have had to remember which was which!

[Cubed]

That's useful - thanks.

The reading and grammar sections are killers because of the sheer volume of stuff to read in the time.

Can you recommend any particular reading matter? What do you think got you through the test.

Interesting to know that you've made the transition between one and two. Can I ask (if it's not too personal), how old were you when you took levels/how many years between? (My memory for kanji isn't what it used to be!!)

[kurohinge1]

... Is there a pill I can take where I can magically remember loads of kanji? LOL! ...

Those pills work the other way - the kanji magically recognise you.



"Sillygirl, come out and play on the road with us ..."

[Cubed]

they fuck with on L1. If you look closer they really mess with similar meaning grammar or look alike kanji

I noticed this in recent L2 as well.

What the flying feck is the point of testing recognition of kanji with incorrect/fictional compounds? After all, you'll never be in a situation where you actually have to compare compounds with their fictional counterparts!

I suppose it does test your ability to recognise fictional Chinese character compounds - an invaluable skill wherever fictional people speak fictional languages ...

[FG Lurker]

When I was studying at school here (1996-1998) the story was that on each year one of the level 2 sections was taken directly from level 1. Of course they didn't tell you before hand which one that would be on a given year! The other sections were supposed to be at least somewhat easier than level 1.

The biggest difference was that the required mark to pass level 2 was 60% and for level 1, 70%.

This is all info from the 1997 test though, well out of date now. Could be exactly the same or could be totally different!

[nullpointer]

Just out of interest, are there any non-Chinese here who have passed level 1?

I once had a french colleague who passed Level 1. He had been in Japan for around 4 years when he did it.

[emperor]

I heard theres no real point in doing L3or4, as any prospective employer would only be interesting in seeing a L1or2 cert?

I think I could pass L3 easily enough, but would need to put in a bit of work for L2. I'll probably do it next year, once Ive graduated from uni and am in country so I can practice on a more intensive level while focusing on exactly what the exam will be testing on.