Progress map?

[erok1999]

How do I know if I am progressing at the expected level? I have been over the Beginner lessons (1-30) several times but there is still some issues that still need addressing. I am much better listening and comprehending than I am speaking. What about past tense, verbs, etc? It would be helpful to know that if a student is at Beginner #40, he/she should know these specific words, particles, verbs etc.
Should I have all hiragana and katakana memorized by now?
It would be good to have something measurable to work towards.
Thanks!

[JonB]

I am much better listening and comprehending than I am speaking.

this is normal - I have been living/learning here for almost 6 years and it is definitely still true so don't worry about that too much...

[erok1999]

Thanks for your reply/post. I understand that Japanese is a life-long learning experience but I want to be sure I am on the right track. Often times, words are said in a lesson that I do not remember being introduced - or are not in the notes - so I wonder if I missed something in a previous lesson. No big deal I guess. This is the best Japanese learning site ever and I want to be sure I am poised in the best position to capitalize on it all.
Thanks for your reply....

I am much better listening and comprehending than I am speaking.

this is normal - I have been living/learning here for almost 6 years and it is definitely still true so don't worry about that too much...

[SDSkuld]

I have the same feeling of falling behind, especially when I review my vocabulary flashcards, but I can tell that I am learning, even if it's slowly, so I keep at it!

[Bucko]

Best way to informally keep a record of your progress is to keep a diary of some sort. I've been keeping a written diary for over a year now with random entries on anything I can think of - trips, opinions, essays on various topics etc.

You could try keeping an audio diary too to help you speaking. Then every three months go back and see how far you've come. You'll be able to see when new words, sentence patterns etc were introduced to you and how well and often you've been using them

[JohnCBriggs]

I am sure there are better ways to measure progress, but here is something I have enjoyed.
There is a piece of software called "World Talk" for people studying Japanese. It has entertaining graphics based quizzes. When I first got it, I had to pause the screen and write down each hiragana, then look up each word, then try to figure out the questions and answers. After a few months, I finally scored 2000points.
Now, I periodically go back and try the software again (perhaps every six months). Typically, I can score the full 2000 points in about 1 day now. However, there are still some things that I don't understand.
So this has been my informal way to gauge progress.
じゃ　また
ジョン

[erok1999]

Thank you all for you replies! I look forward to studying here with you.
Eric