I went to a Language school to get to N3. I quit a while ago and I definitely feel like im still improving but only by osmosis in a small way.
Has anyone taught themselves up to N2/N1 after formally being educated to N3? I dont think i could have got myself to N3 from nothing, but i kinda feel as if i could potentially at least get to N2 alone now.
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The JLPT is a test, so yes you can study by yourself and get N1. Just focus on Kanji, do practice listenings, and use the practice tests to prepare for grammar (probably the easiest part). If you’re talking about being functionally N1 that is going to take a lot of time.
Of course you can.
Yeah. That’s basically what I did.
I did it! went up to N3 during Uni and picked up the tests by myself afterwards. completed N1 from N3 in 3 years with passive/barely any studying. If you already live in Japan and make an active effort to use Japanese daily it comes naturally.
for studying I just play hour long videos of JLPT youtube classes aimed at south east asean trainees 2-3days before each test
Yes it is possible but you need discipline. And it takes time.
Imagine studying everyday at least 30 mins, plus watching lots of videos and podcasts. Then, your hobby would need to be reading japanese as well. And 30 mins or 60 mins a week with an online tutor wouldnt hurt (im paying around Y1000 for 30 mins in cafetalk)
Definitely. Self taught myself from nothing to N1.
As someone who went to a 日本語学校 for the N1, i think it’s possible. Having a teacher to explain the more complex grammar and subtle nuances is one advantage of school, but if learning on your own is better for your learning style then i think it’s very possible.
Yes. I did it.
Definitely possible. Depends on your effort and method, could take anywhere from 2-3 years or longer
Absolutely. I self studied to N1. I took N3 along the way and skipped N2 to take N1.
Depends if you have the time and discipline to do it. I use to self study and throw my into the metaphorical fire. After a few years in Japan, I decided to go to language school in osaka. Even took N4 to see where I was at. Failed by 1 point. 6months after entering language school, passed N3 first time up. Took N2 in the spring after that, failed with a 78. Took it again in winter failed with a 79. Passed This summer’s N2, so 3rd time up with a 91. Moral of the story, if you have the will and discipline, you can do it. But you’ll still need a native to help with natural sentence structures. Can’t stress this enough.
I think it’s more efficient to self-study for N2/N1, anyway.
My university course brought me up to just over N3. I decided to skip the N3 itself, though.
I ended up buying a bunch of study guides and worked through them over the course of a year. That, plus a bunch of reading in Japanese (probably ~2 hours a day), got me up to N2. Everything I learned went into Anki.
I followed the same strategy for N1, but also picked up some mock exam books prior to the exam and created a mock exam for myself (with the same time limits) about a week before the exam.
In total, it took two years and I passed both exams first time.
For N 2 you need to know 2000 kanji, for N 1 3000+.
Not meaning but usage and some N2/N1 words don’t translate 1 to 1. As well as grammar.
From N2 you also need to read essays and listen to business and academic presentations.
That said there is a surprisingly lot of books that teach for those tests. I recommend the 新完全マスター, TryN1/N2, and 日本語総まとめ series’ .
Yeah, N1 isn’t hard and is easy to study for by yourself, since there’s no speaking portion. Just hit the books.
Yes yes, there are websites and subreddits devoted to self study.
Just read a lot of books in subjects you find interesting and want to learn about. Look up words and expressions you don’t know, including the pronunciation. The good thing about Japanese is if you can read it (including the pronunciation) you can hear it and speak it. English isn’t like that because the pronunciation of words you may look up and recognize in a text often have no rational relationship to how they sound.
If you’re dedicated and put in the effort, anything is possible!
I got my N1 without any previous training from school or having any language certification, I learned my Japanese from years of experience from handling Japanese clienteles. So yeah it’s possible as long as you practice everyday, and actually use the thing you learned in daily life.
Yes. Got from zero to N1 in my home country before moving here, self-taught.
I can talk about almost any reasonable topic without much difficulty. Some Japanese people think I’m a Japanese person pretending to be a foreigner when I voice chat online (they might be fucking with me lol). To put it simply, I could forget English tomorrow and be okay in Japanese society. I’d be able to learn the necessary language for work or whatever through Japanese explanations. However, I’m fairly certain I could not pass N1.
On the other hand, I have met people whose Japanese is laughably bad but they have N1.
¯_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯ fuck me, right?
Yes. However please don’t skip n2 as it’s actually the most useful. I don’t remember anything useful from n1
If you have enough time, you can, at least I saw a few of my friends studied Japanese by themselves and never going and schools. They started with games and comics, and read those books as well as watching TV. From what I know, 2 people got N2 at first attempt and 1 got N1 at his first attempt. I can tell you that they’ve spent 15 years+ on this.
Yes it is. I was N4 and did N1 and passed a couple of days ago. Never went to language school.
I know a handful of people who have done it and that’s already more than you’d expect, so, yes.