English Language Learners

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Damkerng T.

23:00

Hee!

Anonymous

My study buddy's been telling me to "just get it over with" for years now

Anonymous

Like it's a given that I'll pass.

Anonymous

Last year only 23% of the folks who took it passed.

Damkerng T.

Are the tests from previous years available on their website?

Anonymous

Hmm.

Anonymous

23:02

Let's see.

Anonymous

Here are some sample questions for each level: jlpt.jp/samples/forlearners.html

Damkerng T.

Oh, which N should I click on?

Anonymous

N1 is the one I'm taking. N5 is the easiest level.

Damkerng T.

Ahh

Anonymous

Although the sample questions for N1 seem to start very easy, too.

Anonymous

23:04

I don't know if the actual test will be that easy.

Anonymous

I'm guessing the real test will be harder.

Anonymous

I can get all of these sample questions, though.

Damkerng T.

Yay!

Anonymous

They threw in some fancy words like 確たる

Anonymous

Which is actually an interesting word

Damkerng T.

23:09

It would be a bit strange if the real questions are noticeably harder than the sample.

Anonymous

In literary Japanese, there was a literary copula たり formed from と, which attaches to nouns, plus あり, a dummy verb

Anonymous

とあり＞たり

Anonymous

It had the noun-modifying form たる, which was in turn a contraction of と + the noun-modifying form ある

Anonymous

It is very similar to the modern な-adjectives, which were from に＋あり＞なり

Anonymous

And なる contracted to な, and there's all sorts of な-adjectives now.

Anonymous

23:11

But たる was always a literary form, and today it's all but vanished

Damkerng T.

But the test uses it.

Anonymous

So you can treat something like 確たる as a single (literary) word, though it's really a fusion of 確 (a Sino-Japanese word meaning "certain") + the copula と + the dummy ある

Anonymous

But if you know how the grammar works, then you can tell what the word means even if you don't know it.

Damkerng T.

nods

Anonymous

Everyone knows 確（かく） from words like 確信（かくしん）

Anonymous

23:14

@DamkerngT. Although it's still Modern Japanese.

Anonymous

It's using a literary form, but it can be viewed as more of a leftover than actual Classical Japanese

Damkerng T.

nods -- I like the UI of the sample test!

Anonymous

I don't think the test actually covers Classical Japanese

Anonymous

Which is too bad. I want the test to cover the exact set of things I've studied! ;-)

Damkerng T.

Hehe!

Anonymous

23:15

I haven't taken it before, but from what I understand

Anonymous

The hardest part is the reading comprehension

Anonymous

Most people who take the test say they have to rush through everything to finish within the time limit.

Damkerng T.

They have listening tests, too; I think they may play the sound clips for all the testers at once.

Anonymous

I think so. My friend said they don't repeat anything.

Damkerng T.

I think they speak rather clearly in the sample tests. Probably, it will be the same in the real test.

The chime sound in the test makes me think of air flights!

Anonymous

23:21

I can understand the audio fine on the website

Anonymous

Although it makes me want to grumble about the audio quality :-)

Damkerng T.

Oh, it sounds decent enough for me. A little better than average clips I use in my English practice.

Anonymous

Ah, the encoding doesn't sound very good, is all. You can hear the artifacting.

Anonymous

But there's no background noise and they speak clearly, so it doesn't interfere with comprehension

Damkerng T.

nods -- I rally like that chime!

Anonymous

23:24

Wow!

Anonymous

I went to N5

Anonymous

They talk really slowly! :-)

Damkerng T.

Oh, I'm on N5. :-)

Anonymous

With nice big pauses between everything.

Damkerng T.

Let me hear N1...

Anonymous

23:25

N1 was more like normal speed. Not especially fast, but not artificially slow, either.

Damkerng T.

nods -- They seem to talk a little faster than the N5 level.

Anonymous

Still not especially fast, though.

Anonymous

In real life, people often talk significantly faster than that.

Damkerng T.

nods -- They talk just about as fast as a typical audiobook!

(Well, I have listened to just one audiobook. :-)

Anonymous

I feel like the aliasing on the high frequencies makes it harder to tell ひ apart from し

Anonymous

23:29

The first recording on N1 begins with 女の人が新しい製品の企画書について男の人と話しています。

Anonymous

Which is onna no hito ga atarashii seihin no kikakusho ni tsuite otoko no hito to hanashite imasu

Anonymous

But that ひ sounds very similar to し

Damkerng T.

I heard seishin!

Anonymous

I think that's due to the aliasing on the high frequencies

Anonymous

However, the business proposal is clearly about a new product, not about a new, um, I can't come up with a translation for せいしん because it doesn't make sense in context... :-)

Anonymous

23:33

But 精神（せいしん） is often translated as "spirit" or "psyche" or such

Damkerng T.

As usual, the context helps a lot!

Anonymous

Yes, context forces you to hear it the right way

Damkerng T.

I think I'm really sleepy now. See you tomorrow! Thanks for the paper once again!

Anonymous

Ah! Rest well!

afzalex

My time to wake up now

5 am

Anonymous

23:37

Ah! Good morning!

Anonymous

Here in California, it's about 15:35 (or 3:35 PM).

afzalex

why you are still awaked?

Anonymous

I won't be going to bed until the evening.

afzalex

is it your daily routine?

Anonymous

My daily routine has been somewhat up in the air lately.

Anonymous

23:39

But right now I'm on a normal schedule, and I'll be going to sleep at night.

afzalex

ooopssss!!!!!

I considered PM as AM. my foult

fault.

What are your three weakness?

don't answer if you don't want.

I was just thinking what should I write!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous

For starters, I'm bad at answering questions about my weaknesses.

afzalex

I am very careless.

but I don't want to mark it.

Anonymous

Yeah, don't shoot yourself in the foot on that one.

afzalex

You also know japanese language.

that's coool....

Anonymous

23:45

A little bit.

afzalex

So you are a learner?

Anonymous

I've been learning Japanese for a while.

afzalex

don't be kidding.

you are very good in it.

you have more than 21,000 reputation.

that's pretty good.

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