Q/A and advice for 2012/Future VCE Japanese Students

[tommyboy]

Hello Jibba-san! I'm a current student of Japanese, and I love it! However I struggle a little with the listening section. Any tips on how to get as much info from the listening as I can? I have 8 days until my exam, and I would spend each day listening to Japanese, but unfortunately I'm alternating days between French as well. :S But anyway, if there anything I can do during the exam to help me?

Thank you!

[jibba]

@tommyboy

It's hard to really cram listening as it is a skill developed over time rather than actual knowledge, but what you can do is cram some of the vocab in your textbook (Wakatta right?). I knew about 90-95% of the vocabulary in Wakatta, and that helped me a lot during listening.
Sometimes you get lost in dialogues, but it's important to persevere and try write down something even if you did not understand that word which was said, as that can lead to you getting the answer later (ie: looking it up in the dictionary, or just understanding it later).
I write in roomaji as its faster for me, but take notes however you find it more efficient.

Watch bits of japanese dramas and things on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6s2ijTvsPc
It might teach you something (like above video), and will help you remember vocab you saw in your textbook if it pops up. Try listen to the dialogue first then read the subtitles for words you didn't understand (if you can).
Lastly, of course do all the practice exams you can, you can try do JLPT 4 or 5 listening if you run out of VCE SL exams. Or do the listenings in Wakatta textbook, or download the Genki textbook (using google).

[Inhibition]

@tommyboy

It's hard to really cram listening as it is a skill developed over time rather than actual knowledge, but what you can do is cram some of the vocab in your textbook (Wakatta right?). I knew about 90-95% of the vocabulary in Wakatta, and that helped me a lot during listening.
Sometimes you get lost in dialogues, but it's important to persevere and try write down something even if you did not understand that word which was said, as that can lead to you getting the answer later (ie: looking it up in the dictionary, or just understanding it later).
I write in roomaji as its faster for me, but take notes however you find it more efficient.

Watch bits of japanese dramas and things on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6s2ijTvsPc
It might teach you something (like above video), and will help you remember vocab you saw in your textbook if it pops up. Try listen to the dialogue first then read the subtitles for words you didn't understand (if you can).
Lastly, of course do all the practice exams you can, you can try do JLPT 4 or 5 listening if you run out of VCE SL exams. Or do the listenings in Wakatta textbook, or download the Genki textbook (using google).

Could you post a link to that?
Also, any tips on how to answer in Jap? Both for listening and reading. Do you recommend answering it word from word or sumarising the main points and putting it in your own words (much harder imo)
Many thanks!

[jibba]

@Inhibition
(I'll PM you the link to Genki [against rules to post], i don't have listening files for Wakatta)

For answering in Japanese Listening, don't put in your own words, copy the grammars and words the way they say it.
For answering in Japanese Reading, put in your own words, change the grammars if you can and it's appropriate, and summarise the main points (usually that's what the final question will make you do)

[Inhibition]

@ jibba

Thanks for the speedy reply!
In re: Jap listening and answering in Jap though, how is it humanly possible to take in all that info AND still remember the way they said it.
You must have had some super memory
Also, if the recording for the listening task ends and we fail to produce an answer, what do you recommend we do? Panic? Guess an answer?

[jibba]

Haha yea, well it's more of a skill. The more vocabulary you know, the better your comprehension of the spoken phrase will be (and the more that will stick in your head).
Also, that's why you take notes like crazy, so you can pull as much info out as possible.

If you didn't get it, at least write something down from your notes and use your gut to 'fill in the blanks'.
eg: When i did my exam, I didn't quite get one of the answers but I correctly guessed 'Mother's Day' because he was doing something for his mother. 

[acciodraco]

Hello again!

Just wondering, what is the best way to study for the exam next week?

Thanks

[Inhibition]

Haha yea, well it's more of a skill. The more vocabulary you know, the better your comprehension of the spoken phrase will be (and the more that will stick in your head).
Also, that's why you take notes like crazy, so you can pull as much info out as possible.

If you didn't get it, at least write something down from your notes and use your gut to 'fill in the blanks'.
eg: When i did my exam, I didn't quite get one of the answers but I correctly guessed 'Mother's Day' because he was doing something for his mother.

Lol when I do take notes like crazy (I'm a pretty fast writer) I tend to write everything I here. How do I restrain myself so that I only take note of the important stuff?
Also, taking notes for responding in Jap is really challenging. I have a tendency to translate it to Eng in my head. How do you take notes in roomaji AND have some idea of the sentence structure that you're going to write?

[jibba]

I get what you mean about taking notes about everything you hear, I do that too. Maybe you can do that first listening, and second listening focus on filling in what you missed.

With the 'knowing the sentence structure of what you're going to write', with listening in Japanese, you should copy the sentence structure exactly the way they say it. The main purpose of that section is not to test your grammar, but your listening, so you don't need to re-arrange the grammar/sentence structure. So if they say '~した方がいい', copy that in the answers. Maybe you can add like '～さんは～～した方がいいと言ったそうです' if you want to use a bit more grammar, which might show that you understanding is better.

[Inhibition]

@ jibba
Just wanted to thank you for all you've done

To the 2013 Japanese cohort I wish you the best of luck for the exam!!!

Ganbatte~

[jibba]

@ jibba
Just wanted to thank you for all you've done

To the 2013 Japanese cohort I wish you the best of luck for the exam!!!

Ganbatte~

Thanks
Otsukaresama! Hope you all did the best you could in the final exam.


 

[RazzMeTazz]

Do you have any advice for a year 11 Japanese student who wants to improve their speaking?

My old Japanese teacher used to do alot of speaking exercises in class/games etc, but in my new class this year we just learn from the book and never do any speaking activities, so I'm worried that my speaking will not be strong in Year 12!

Also, can someone please explain to me when you have to use 'place + に’ and ' place + で’.
I have asked alot of my Japanese teachers that question, but the answer always seems to be a bit vague.
Thanks!

[Poplar]

Also, can someone please explain to me when you have to use 'place + に’ and ' place + で’.
I have asked alot of my Japanese teachers that question, but the answer always seems to be a bit vague.
Thanks!

I'm sure jibba can give better advice on speaking than me, but I can try to explain で and に.

Basically you use で for when you're doing something somewhere.
図書館で本を読みます。  =   I read a book at the library.

に is used when an action is not actually taking place.
きのう、デパートに行きました。  =   Yesterday, I went to the department store. (You went to the store, not doing something at the store)
東京に住んでいます。   =    I live in Tokyo. (住む, like いるand ある, is not considered an action)
ねこはだいどころにいます。   =   The cat is in the kitchen.
ペンはペンケースの中にあります。   =   The pen is inside the pencil case. (いる and　ある always go with に)

Also, you use 'time + に' for saying the time something happened or will happen.
毎日、8時に家を出ます。   =    Every day, I leave the house at 8.

This one uses both に (for a time word) and で (for a place where an action takes place):
12時にカフェでコーヒーを飲みました。   =    At 12:00, I drank coffee at a cafe.

...I hope that made some sense? Haha

[jibba]

Great explanation! Just adding on that, like Poplar said, で is used when there is an action going on at a location. Also you can use it when there is an event going on at that place.
ie: ソチでオリンピックが開かれています。(The Olympics are being held in Sochi) OR クラスでテストがあります (There is a test in class).

For に it's used mainly when there is something existing at a place.
ie: 駅の前にきっさてんがあります (There's a cafe in front of the station)

You can even use it for people
ie:学校に日本語の先生がいます。(There is a Japanese teacher at school)
But compare with で
学校で先生がじゅぎょうを教えています。(At school, the teacher teaches the class)

In the first sentence, the teacher exists at the school so you use に
In the second sentence, the teacher does the action of teaching at the school that's why you use で

[jibba]

Do you have any advice for a year 11 Japanese student who wants to improve their speaking?

Write a small self-introduction, and just general info about your hobbies, etc.
Then go on Language exchanges and say what you've written as a start, then try to communicate as best u can. You can do them in the city, or if you want, you can do them through Skype, etc. Check out japanguide.com 

The best way to practice is to talk with Japanese people.
I personally never did language exchanges until I went to uni. But I found I improved a lot, by making friends with Japanese people.