JLPT in London 2008

[Belton]

well I think the various levels of JLPT are worth doing just for a sense of achievement and as an external official validation of the time and effort you've spent.

If you find JLPT impractical have a look at the test JETRO administers
http://www.jetro.go.jp/uk/japanese_language/

Business Japanese including 2 oral components. Tested in November in the UK. It strikes me as a very practical test. and also way beyond my abilities and interests. ( I find business stuff boring and incomprehensible in English. I doubt it being in Japanese would make it any better.)

[Flamehearted]

well I think the various levels of JLPT are worth doing just for a sense of achievement and as an external official validation of the time and effort you've spent.

I really 100% agree with this - I started with 4kyuu, then did 3kyuu and this year am doing nikyuu. It makes me sad when people belittle 4 and 3 kyuu as they provided a great goal for me to hang my Japanese learning on. More than that it lets you stagger your learning rather than mastering everything at once.

[Javizy]

I think that really depends on what your goals are, and how you like to study. I just want to learn all aspects of the language quickly and efficiently, and studying on the terms of the JLPT seems to put a lot of limitations on that.

If you spend a year only studying JLPT4 material, you only know 90 or so kanji, and if you continue down the JLPT track, you won't know all 2000 for years. This is similarly the case for grammar and expressions you'd encounter even in your average Doraemon issue. Personally, I'd find that very demotivating.

I get much more reward from gradually understanding more real Japanese from radio, books, comics, etc, than from any tests, but I do think things like the JLPT can be of use as part of a broader study scheme.

[Belton]

Having a qualification can be useful. It's an easy way to prove some sort of ability. You may have great skills but without that piece of paper getting to prove them can be problematic. There aren't that many exams you can just pay a fee for and sit. Often you have to attend an institution and meet entry requirements.

I think in Japanese your options are JLPT, JETRO and the kanken.
With the kanken being a test for Japanese people so it would be a very valid indication of a real mastery of kanji.

Effectiveness or how broad or narrow the syllabus is, is beside the point.
It's a test of what you've done. And the nature of an actual test is different from an online assessment. But £60 can be steep to find out something you're already sure of.
It takes effort regardless and I don't see the point in belittling that effort (not necessarily in this thread but it happens in various forums). A certificate on the wall and a line on your CV is as valid a goal as wanting to read comics or watch TV. and nor does one have to exclude the other.

Eventually, if Japan gets serious about teaching their language and having immigrants there might be more practical and task-based tests available. or tests that are more flexible so they can accommodate various study paths. But for now JLPT is what we have.

Good Luck to everyone sitting the tests next month and I hope your efforts pay off.

[hairlet]

I was going to travel from Manchester to London on Sunday for this exam, but I found out that the trains are totally screwed over the weekend. Believe it or not, the earliest train on Sunday from Manchester reaches London at 13.09!!!

So this is a headsup. If anyone is travelling by train to the exam, check the train times. I'm having to travel down on Saturday and stay overnight. You may have to do the same.