learning japanese

Kage82

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bumpz :s12:
Please refer to list below.
Interested buyers please PM me.
Thanks.

TITLE
Selling Price Original Price(Kinokuniya)

新完全マスター聴解日本語能力試験N1 
$26   $38.20

新完全マスター読解日本語能力試験N1   
$22 $36.70

「日本語能力試験」対策日本語総まとめN1語彙  
$19 $28.70

「日本語能力試験」対策日本語総まとめN1読解  
$19 $28.70

「日本語能力試験」対策日本語総まとめN1聴解
$26 $42.00

日本語能力試験N1語彙対策標準テキスト ― ス-パ-合格   
$24 $34.10

合格できる日本語能力試験N1
$35 $49.30

一発合格!日本語能力試験N1〈完全攻略〉テキスト&実践問題集
$29 $43.00

U-CANの日本語能力試験N1これだけ!一問一答集「文法」
$22 $35.40
 

Kage82

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bumpz:s12:
Please refer to list below.
Interested buyers please PM me.
Thanks.

TITLE Selling Price Original Price(Kinokuniya)
新日檢N1模擬試題大全(附MP3) $17 $25.21
新日本語能力試驗N1予測問題例(附1mp3) $8 $14.00
日檢N1聽解一次掌握!(書+MP3) [unwrapped] $15 $18.57
新日檢N1言語知識:文字.語彙.文法全攻略 $15 $23.77
新日檢N1模擬試題+完全解析(附MP3) $13 $20.27
 

damienloh

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I have attended Bunka's Elementary 1 a few years ago and now wish to start fresh to learn the Japanese language. The objective is to be able to converse well with native Japanese, read Japanese websites and watch Japanese drama. After surveying some Singapore learning websites, most offers the entire course for 5 years. Is it neccessary to study for 5 years? JLPT cert is an added advantage I suppose.

How's JCSS classes/ teaching style differs from Bunka's?

For JCSS the class is from Jan to Nov, a continuous learning. For Bunka, after end of current level, there is a time gap before next level class starts.

Thanks in advance for your sharings.
 

dimitri_can

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I have attended Bunka's Elementary 1 a few years ago and now wish to start fresh to learn the Japanese language. The objective is to be able to converse well with native Japanese, read Japanese websites and watch Japanese drama. After surveying some Singapore learning websites, most offers the entire course for 5 years. Is it neccessary to study for 5 years? JLPT cert is an added advantage I suppose.

How's JCSS classes/ teaching style differs from Bunka's?

For JCSS the class is from Jan to Nov, a continuous learning. For Bunka, after end of current level, there is a time gap before next level class starts.

Thanks in advance for your sharings.
damien, is time a important factor for u? Do you hope to finish the full course asap or...?
 

damienloh

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damien, is time a important factor for u? Do you hope to finish the full course asap or...?
Wish to learn as another language like English, looking at continuos learning and no rush in time. Maybe next Sept will go to Japan.

From your experience, better to learn from native Japanese or foreigner teacher (since they know the learning curve)?
 
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dimitri_can

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it has its pros and cons.

Native Japanese
--------------------
Japanese speaking.
Explains in Japanese and maybe some English at times.

Singaporean/foreign teacher
--------------------
Able to explain in English better.
In long run, might not be good...
 

chris888222

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I feel like learning Japs from scratch. Dunno anything about it... Any advice? Which school is the better one?
 

solarwings

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I think that for beginners, non-Japanese teachers might be better because they can explain the various aspects of the lanaguage better as they experienced the learning before.
However, as your level gets higher, might be better to have a native japanese as teacher(will be less tempted to switch to english?).

Anyone going for the japanese culture business test(jcb)? My sensei read out a few sample questions which sounded really difficult. :eek: There will be a seminar on a sunday soon that will introduce what it is..

I have attended Bunka's Elementary 1 a few years ago and now wish to start fresh to learn the Japanese language. The objective is to be able to converse well with native Japanese, read Japanese websites and watch Japanese drama. After surveying some Singapore learning websites, most offers the entire course for 5 years. Is it neccessary to study for 5 years? JLPT cert is an added advantage I suppose.

How's JCSS classes/ teaching style differs from Bunka's?

For JCSS the class is from Jan to Nov, a continuous learning. For Bunka, after end of current level, there is a time gap before next level class starts.

Thanks in advance for your sharings.

Do you mean Japanese Cultural Society Japanese Language School(JCS)?
I will share more about JCS, but I don't know anything about Bunka.
JCS has normal and intensive classes(twice a week) for beginner & intermediate.

Registration starts in december(check their website). There are around 5 levels -> A, B, C, CA, FA. They have a sixth level, SA, sometimes, but this year don't have.
JCS usually has big classes(more than 20?) to one teacher.
I guess you can say JCS is more traditional classroom based, but now there's a add-on conversation course you can go for if you register for a normal course(but you have to pay more and the slots are very limited)

Currently, they use internal textbooks(not sure about next year as they announced that they will be revising the curriculum). You can take a placement test for higher levels if you don't have JLPT cert.
First 2 levels use the small white book(初級). Advanced and above use the same big textbooks as their sister school in Shinjuku(中級I,中級II、上級I). There are many supplement handouts as well. Also, some sensei use the computer in class.

From intermediate(B), there's sakubun, and from advanced II(CA), there's report writing.
Oh yes, lower 2 levels have hiragana/katakana test and higher ones have kanji test.


I think my current class is quite fun and there's always laughter.
 

damienloh

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I think that for beginners, non-Japanese teachers might be better because they can explain the various aspects of the lanaguage better as they experienced the learning before.
However, as your level gets higher, might be better to have a native japanese as teacher(will be less tempted to switch to english?).

Do you mean Japanese Cultural Society Japanese Language School(JCS)?
I will share more about JCS, but I don't know anything about Bunka.
JCS has normal and intensive classes(twice a week) for beginner & intermediate.

Registration starts in december(check their website). There are around 5 levels -> A, B, C, CA, FA. They have a sixth level, SA, sometimes, but this year don't have.
JCS usually has big classes(more than 20?) to one teacher.
I guess you can say JCS is more traditional classroom based, but now there's a add-on conversation course you can go for if you register for a normal course(but you have to pay more and the slots are very limited)

Currently, they use internal textbooks(not sure about next year as they announced that they will be revising the curriculum). You can take a placement test for higher levels if you don't have JLPT cert.
First 2 levels use the small white book(初級). Advanced and above use the same big textbooks as their sister school in Shinjuku(中級I,中級II、上級I). There are many supplement handouts as well. Also, some sensei use the computer in class.

From intermediate(B), there's sakubun, and from advanced II(CA), there's report writing.
Oh yes, lower 2 levels have hiragana/katakana test and higher ones have kanji test.


I think my current class is quite fun and there's always laughter.

Thanks for sharing. JCSS = Japanese Cultural Society, Singapore. The last time I went there, it was the last day of JLPT registration. My impression was very cramp lift and reception, packed with students.

The JCSS classes run from Jan-Nov. Is there a break in between? They told me next year will have smaller class and 2.5 hours instead.
 

dimitri_can

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solarwings

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Nice guide, dimitri_can!

This was my strategy for Chinese and I applied it here to Japanese.
I did my JLPT roughly back to front.
When the paper starts, I first do a quick flip-through(just circling answers I know for sure) and then go to do the comprehension section before the vocabulary section. I feel that I should do the comprehension part while I'm still fresh.
At the end, I find that I have around 10 mins or so to check my answers.
My weakest section is vocabulary though.
 

unfinished07

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yes, vocab and grammar should be done first. it's either you know or you dont know, and u can finish them quickly. after that then go to the time consuming comprehension
 

solarwings

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Precisely because it is time consuming that I do comprehension first. =:p Persoanlly, the passages feel easier to comprehend as one's mind is fresh and not tired out from other sections.
But if I see any questions I know 'for sure' in my quick flipthrough at the start, I will circle my answer.
I skip filling in answer sheet for questions I'm not sure of, the first time doing the paper.
After comprehension, I go back and do grammar, then vocab properly(fill in answer sheet). Then I reread the comprehension passages and check my answers, before doing the same for grammar and vocab. Then check the answer sheet to be sure everything is filled in correctly.
 

XasakuraX

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Bunka i feel might be faster than JCS, if time is a concern for you.

Bunka uses their own textbooks, which I think are not bad, except they dun introduce Kanji in elementary textbooks, a pt which i think is to the students' disadvantage, imho.

However, Bunka uses a more grammar approach at elementary n intermediate, so if you think you might switch school later on, i wont suggest u go Bunka at all.

Time gap btw levels are still ok in Bunka, typically they hav a new nxt level class coming up in 1 or 2 wks' time after the ending of your current level. they also allowed u to enroll in the nxt level class if the class starts b4 the last lesson of ur current level.

Ikoma seems to have a more holistic approach. Major con (or pro, depending on how you view it) is that teachers there typically wont speak in English in class, so you are forced to use Jap to converse n listen. That's what I heard from my fren in Intermediate class, not sure if their basic classes also like that.

Then again, I feel Bunka's elementary classes were really good in building a strong foundation in grammar. So if you dun mind spending extra money, going bunka for elementary, then switching to Ikoma for intermediate might be better choice.

Y I said spending extra money is becos to go Ikoma intermediate, u need to take their placement test. Provided you finished Bunka's elementary, the chances are you will probably be placed in their Basic II class, instead of intermediate I, due to different textbooks used. Unless u r those super zai ones, then prob u can go Int I straight. hahaha.

my 2c
 
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unfinished07

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Bunka i feel might be faster than JCS, if time is a concern for you.

Bunka uses their own textbooks, which I think are not bad, except they dun introduce Kanji in elementary textbooks, a pt which i think is to the students' disadvantage, imho.

However, Bunka uses a more grammar approach at elementary n intermediate, so if you think you might switch school later on, i wont suggest u go Bunka at all.

Time gap btw levels are still ok in Bunka, typically they hav a new nxt level class coming up in 1 or 2 wks' time after the ending of your current level. they also allowed u to enroll in the nxt level class if the class starts b4 the last lesson of ur current level.

Ikoma seems to have a more holistic approach. Major con (or pro, depending on how you view it) is that teachers there typically wont speak in English in class, so you are forced to use Jap to converse n listen. That's what I heard from my fren in Intermediate class, not sure if their basic classes also like that.

Then again, I feel Bunka's elementary classes were really good in building a strong foundation in grammar. So if you dun mind spending extra money, going bunka for elementary, then switching to Ikoma for intermediate might be better choice.

Y I said spending extra money is becos to go Ikoma intermediate, u need to take their placement test. Provided you finished Bunka's elementary, the chances are you will probably be placed in their Basic II class, instead of intermediate I, due to different textbooks used. Unless u r those super zai ones, then prob u can go Int I straight. hahaha.

my 2c

yea, the teachers in Ikoma are told specifically not to explain anything using English. so the teachers have to either rephrase, or in elementary class cases, teachers have lots of actions. this is their 'total japanese' approach
 

dimitri_can

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yea, the teachers in Ikoma are told specifically not to explain anything using English. so the teachers have to either rephrase, or in elementary class cases, teachers have lots of actions. this is their 'total japanese' approach
Good and bad la... :p
 
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