learning japanese

[mediawaz]

I want to buy Minna No Nihongo 1-1 (to study for JLPT N5) and it seems Kinokuniya sells two versions of Minna No Nihongo 1-1:

Minna No Nihongo Elementary 1-1 (Textbook) (Red Colour)

Minna No Nihongo Elementary 1-1 (translation & grammatical notes) (Pink Colour)

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between these 2 books?? Which is the better book that I should buy?

 

[dimitri_can]

I want to buy Minna No Nihongo 1-1 (to study for JLPT N5) and it seems Kinokuniya sells two versions of Minna No Nihongo 1-1:

Minna No Nihongo Elementary 1-1 (Textbook) (Red Colour)

Minna No Nihongo Elementary 1-1 (translation & grammatical notes) (Pink Colour)

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between these 2 books?? Which is the better book that I should buy?

Red color: Textbook.
Pink color: Grammar explanation + vocabulary for the chapter.

 

[LionPlushie]

hello. sorry for bumping lol.

jcs = jcss right?

is it better than ikoma? and what about pyaess?

i see a lot of people recommending ikoma tho.

 

[unfinished07]

Ikoma's passing rate for JLPT is very high, and up to recently, JLPT 1 passing rate is highest in SG
classrooms are new and big, teachers are good too

I'm obviously a supporter of Ikoma

But Bunka is quite good too. Many supporters in HWZ i think.

 

[lillyelf]

probably not the best place to ask, but is anyone here a current or recent MOELC Japanese language student or knows a Japanese language teacher currently teaching in MOELC?

 

[dimitri_can]

i have some contacts. What do u need?

 

[solarwings]

hello. sorry for bumping lol.

jcs = jcss right?

is it better than ikoma? and what about pyaess?

i see a lot of people recommending ikoma tho.

Jcs=Japanese cultural society
Level 5 is newly renovated. There are now 6 classrooms on lvel 5(correct me if I'm wrong), but level 3 was not renovated(rooms renamed room 7 & 8)
Student intake is once a year, registration in december. However, you can request to take placement test to get into higher level.
Jcs just started restructuring it's curriculum(probably take a few years to finish restructuring all levels) beginning with the beginner's classes this year.(because I saw people with the red minna no nihongo book and I also asked the staff. Think intermediate still using small white book though.)

 

[Hemera]

taking japanese

Hi

i just recently found out about this tread and is interested to learn Japanese. Currently I am taking the intro Japanese course at AOBA and plan to attain N2/N1 eventually. The people here seemed very knowledgeable about all aspects to learning the language in the tread..

Just want to ask:
Whether is it possible to skip some levels eg JLPT N4 and go for N3 straight after N5 with the 2010 changes? Or is being slow and steady really the best way?

Also, I'm currently waiting for my a levels results and planning to go to NTU Engineering, should be starting around June-August. Are you able to advise on whether i should take JLPT now or wait until i finish my uni first then start learning?

I want to learn Japanese because i wish to join a Japanese firm someday and immerse myself more into Japan culture. Partly, also because i wish to differentiate myself from the others.

My first post here, please be nice. TY

 

[dimitri_can]

Hi
Just want to ask:
Whether is it possible to skip some levels eg JLPT N4 and go for N3 straight after N5 with the 2010 changes? Or is being slow and steady really the best way?

Also, I'm currently waiting for my a levels results and planning to go to NTU Engineering, should be starting around June-August. Are you able to advise on whether i should take JLPT now or wait until i finish my uni first then start learning?

I want to learn Japanese because i wish to join a Japanese firm someday and immerse myself more into Japan culture. Partly, also because i wish to differentiate myself from the others.

My first post here, please be nice. TY

I personally advise u to do it slowly, although i have seen some who does it fast like 1 year to do N4, but their foundation and conversation skills are not stable. You can start learning now, but u should learn to juggle between your university studies and ur Japanese.

You can skip JLPT tests, but a test is there to help u to know whether u have missed any gaps in learning that level. =)

I have students who did N5 in the 1st year, N4 in the 2nd year, N3 in Jul of the 3rd year, N2 in Dec on the 3rd year and passed. It all boils down to how much effort you put in.

 

[Janetsk]

Assuming you have no background in Japanese at all, it isn't too late to decide which level to take after you have completed the Elementary course. Upon completion, you can take N5. If not, complete the Intermediate course and go for N4...

 

[plutoplace]

Ikoma's passing rate for JLPT is very high, and up to recently, JLPT 1 passing rate is highest in SG
classrooms are new and big, teachers are good too

I'm obviously a supporter of Ikoma

But Bunka is quite good too. Many supporters in HWZ i think.

Yes. Basically if you attend ikoma's lessons diligently, you can pass JLPT N1 in 1 or 2 attempts.

 

[unfinished07]

Yes. Basically if you attend ikoma's lessons diligently, you can pass JLPT N1 in 1 or 2 attempts.

yeah, i went for JLPT 2 directly after 1 year of full time studies in ikoma during my time there

 

[jeremiahtong]

yeah, i went for JLPT 2 directly after 1 year of full time studies in ikoma during my time there

Did you study Advanced full time?

 

[spacejoy]

bunka?

Hi all,

I just passed N4 after self-studying the Minna no Nihongo series last year. I "mugged" the intermediate series in about 1-2 months and passed by a mere hairline! Since it was just dead mugging, my conversational skills are pretty bad and I find that I am unable to speak Japanese in real-life situations.

I started learning the language at NUS and then continued with classes at Ikoma after I graduated from NUS. I find that the Ikoma classes do not focus much on conversational skills as compared to NUS, but I know that isn't a fair comparison given that we had 4 lessons per week back in university, and they really threw us into the deep end back then!

I'm however thinking of going back to a language school for lessons. I will repeat the N4 syllabus since I really don't think I've "gotten it" yet (heheh). From reading the forums and all it seems that Bunka focusses more on speaking skills than, say, Ikoma at the pre-advanced levels. Will that be true for the intermediate levels as well? Right now I feel that my learning of the language is quite "dead" as I don't have many chances to practice what I've learnt.

Thanks in advance!

 

[jeremiahtong]

Hi all,

I just passed N4 after self-studying the Minna no Nihongo series last year. I "mugged" the intermediate series in about 1-2 months and passed by a mere hairline! Since it was just dead mugging, my conversational skills are pretty bad and I find that I am unable to speak Japanese in real-life situations.

I started learning the language at NUS and then continued with classes at Ikoma after I graduated from NUS. I find that the Ikoma classes do not focus much on conversational skills as compared to NUS, but I know that isn't a fair comparison given that we had 4 lessons per week back in university, and they really threw us into the deep end back then!

I'm however thinking of going back to a language school for lessons. I will repeat the N4 syllabus since I really don't think I've "gotten it" yet (heheh). From reading the forums and all it seems that Bunka focusses more on speaking skills than, say, Ikoma at the pre-advanced levels. Will that be true for the intermediate levels as well? Right now I feel that my learning of the language is quite "dead" as I don't have many chances to practice what I've learnt.

Thanks in advance!

The Pre-advanced level at Ikoma is also known as the conversation class, where you reinforce all the grammar points learned in the Intermediate level. New grammar points like Onomatopoeia, contracted forms etc will be taught too.

 

[dimitri_can]

I started learning the language at NUS and then continued with classes at Ikoma after I graduated from NUS. I find that the Ikoma classes do not focus much on conversational skills as compared to NUS, but I know that isn't a fair comparison given that we had 4 lessons per week back in university, and they really threw us into the deep end back then!

Hi, it is DEFINITELY not a good and fair comparison. Cannot take apple compare with orange ma.

I'm however thinking of going back to a language school for lessons. I will repeat the N4 syllabus since I really don't think I've "gotten it" yet (heheh). From reading the forums and all it seems that Bunka focusses more on speaking skills than, say, Ikoma at the pre-advanced levels. Will that be true for the intermediate levels as well? Right now I feel that my learning of the language is quite "dead" as I don't have many chances to practice what I've learnt.

Thanks in advance!

In Bunka's beginner and intermediate classes, the focus is more on teaching grammar points, from what i know. In Pre-advanced classes, the teacher will go around the classroom asking you to do a translation or maybe ask you a question, then ask u to reply. If you cannot reply in x number of mins/secs, he/she will jump to the next person. then u have to wait for ur turn to speak up again.

If you want some speaking practice, one good advice is to find your classmate or friend who is willing to talk to you in Japanese. Just for reference, my beginner class students (only at chapter 10 minna no nohingo) start talking in Japanese on Whatsapp. It all boils down to personal effort

If you are doing lessons at Ikoma previously, your conversation skills shouldn't be that bad. What i think happened is you didn't revise your work weekly, am i correct?

 

[implicitypical]

hi there minasan

i am currently finishing up my int4 class with bunka (ends on first week of april), will either transfer to ikoma or stay on at bunka for PA1 while self studying for N4 this july. after reading through many bunka vs ikoma comparisons, am i right to say that while both are conversation centric, ikoma is faster in terms of teaching N3 grammatical forms? or is it just a consolidation of the grammatical forms learnt in intermediate as jeremiahtong mentioned?

also, after N4 this july i'm keen to take N3 in december this year, preparing by taking N3 prep class with either bunka/ikoma PA classes. will it be too rushed?

thank you! just want to explore the options that i have available.

 

[jeremiahtong]

hi there minasan

i am currently finishing up my int4 class with bunka (ends on first week of april), will either transfer to ikoma or stay on at bunka for PA1 while self studying for N4 this july. after reading through many bunka vs ikoma comparisons, am i right to say that while both are conversation centric, ikoma is faster in terms of teaching N3 grammatical forms? or is it just a consolidation of the grammatical forms learnt in intermediate as jeremiahtong mentioned?

also, after N4 this july i'm keen to take N3 in december this year, preparing by taking N3 prep class with either bunka/ikoma PA classes. will it be too rushed?

thank you! just want to explore the options that i have available.

I forgot to mention that additional grammar points like Onomatopoeia, contracted forms etc will be taught too.

 

[dimitri_can]

hi there minasan

i am currently finishing up my int4 class with bunka (ends on first week of april), will either transfer to ikoma or stay on at bunka for PA1 while self studying for N4 this july. after reading through many bunka vs ikoma comparisons, am i right to say that while both are conversation centric, ikoma is faster in terms of teaching N3 grammatical forms? or is it just a consolidation of the grammatical forms learnt in intermediate as jeremiahtong mentioned?

also, after N4 this july i'm keen to take N3 in december this year, preparing by taking N3 prep class with either bunka/ikoma PA classes. will it be too rushed?

thank you! just want to explore the options that i have available.

N3 in December will be too rushed for you. Suggest u take 1-1.5 yrs and aim directly for N2 instead.

 

[implicitypical]

N3 in December will be too rushed for you. Suggest u take 1-1.5 yrs and aim directly for N2 instead.

alright thanks! another thing, is self study enough for JLPT preparation, or would you recommend prep courses? just yesterday my bunka sensei was like saying that we have to go back and self study, esp on keigo because of the amount of time allocated to it in class.