Learning a foreign language has its own advantages and more so if you are learning Japanese.
Apart from getting ahead of others in a career, it can also help in personal development in many ways. If you plan to immigrate to Japan for a better career or get admission in any of the Japanese Universities, clearing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) can be highly beneficial. A good score in these tests can help you get preferential immigration treatment for highly skilled foreign professionals for the government.
Now let us look at the different Japanese Language levels according to this proficiency test.
Let’s start with getting introduced to JLPT
JLPT is the proficiency test taken by people whose native language is not Japanese and who are learning Japanese as a foreign language. This test is divided into five levels namely N1, N2, N3, N4 and N5 where N5 is the easiest level and N1 is the most difficult level.
Competency in the Japanese language is based on multiple parameters. We will discuss the crucial ones here.
The competencies are measured on three elements which are
- Knowledge of Japanese language vocabulary and grammar for communication
- Reading and
- Writing, to be able to use the acquired knowledge in everyday tasks where the language is required.
There’s nothing called easy in Japanese but your first set[ is called N5
Starting from the so-called easiest level N5 to the most difficult N1 level, let us understand what is expected from a learner taking these tests.
N5 or the beginner level is where you are expected to learn the basics of Japanese grammar and learn Hiragana, Katakana and 100 Kanji when it comes to reading and writing. This is the level where you can understand some basic Japanese.
How about scaling a level down to N4?
N4 is also considered to be a beginner level where you are expected to know approximately 300 Kanji and 1500 Japanese words. At this level, you can listen to and comprehend conversations related to daily activities provided that it is spoken slowly.
What about one still down?
N3 is the level where you are expected to know roughly 600 to 700 kanji and 3000 to 4000 Japanese words. At this level, you can listen and comprehend most everyday conversations spoken at a nearly natural speed and can also grasp the relationships among the people involved. This can be considered as the Intermediate level.
Beware as you move closer to the level ‘Ace’
N2 is the level where you are expected to know 1000 kanji and 6000 words. This can be considered as the upper intermediate level where you can comprehend orally presented material at a nearly natural speed which is related to everyday conversations, news reports and everyday situations in varied settings.
The Ace- Level N1
N1 is the proficient level where you are expected to know 2000 to 2500 kanji and more than 10,000 words. At this level, you can understand Japanese in a variety of circumstances. You can read and write topics on a variety of subjects and even understand oral material in a broad category while clearly understanding the relationships among people involved.
How does knowledge about Japanese language levels help?
A clear understanding of the JLPT levels helps you study in an organized manner as you are aware of what is expected of you at each level.
Knowledge of levels helps you in the following aspects:
- If you are learning Japanese for professional reasons, the JLPT scores give your prospective employer an insight into your Japanese proficiency levels.
- They are also helpful if the university that you are applying for has a prerequisite for attaining a particular Japanese proficiency.
- If you are just learning for personal reasons these scores can be helpful in self-assessment. Y
Levels of a language help you build you advance in your language learningÂ
You can even choose to learn Japanese based on the level you are at now and decide the level that you would like to move to.
How to make progress in your Japanese language level
From free online video tutorials to books and study material, there are many options available to learn Japanese. However, it is always a good idea to learn a new language from an expert in the field. At Multibhashi you can find experts who help you learn the language based on your current proficiency level and assist you in making progress to the next level.