How do you determine your level

[percent20]

While I am undoubtedly a beginner, I am curios how you would judge your level?

Like

Beginner
Lower Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate/Advanced
Advanced


I add the lower inter mediate and intermediate/advanced because there is a point in wchicn you are neither a beginner or intermediate same with intermediate and advanced. So what is a good way to actually distinguish your level? (without using the podcast as a guide)

just looking for thoughts and opinions.

Thanks

[Rod Wadd]

It's hard to say, because some textbooks for example call themselves "advanced" while a different textbook will call itself "intermediate" while covering the same material. Even the highest level of the JLPT is in the middle range of the J-Test. What I think this means is that applying a label to your level might not be the most useful thing in the world, since everyone seems to interpret those labels differently. Rather, use them as a basic guideline to help you choose the material that suits your level.

[wccrawford]

The only way to know is to listen to one of the podcasts and determine if it's too easy or not. As Rod said, each site (and person!) will judge the level by different standards.

[gerald_ford]

I personally found it best here on JPod to start small (i.e. beginner lesson) even though I've studied Japanese before. I found that early lessons were easy, but still covered topics I was a little vague on, and in time I moved onto lower-intermediate and so on.

[Belton]

Well if you're trying to self assess ability there are scales that are normally used based on the practical skills you have.

The EU uses this scale
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/Langu ... entGrid/en
There is a similar version used by US language schools that has a slightly wider range, which I can no longer find.

Griffith University has some self assessment tests online.
http://www.griffith.edu.au/centre/call/ ... /japanese/
http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/lal/j ... frame.html

Essentially "I can read a newspaper" has more meaning than "I am Intermediate" The scales also recognise that you can have strong and weak areas.

How you'd map these scales onto jPod101 is another matter.
Maybe it would be useful if jPod were more explicit in the sort of competency required to make use of a particular set of lessons.
But the lessons mostly build on each other so starting at the beginning while daunting since there is so much material is as good a place as any; you will either review known material or learn new material. win-win.

[gerald_ford]

Hm, that's Griffith College test is pretty well-designed (though the pictures are hard to read). Sadly I barely got to Level 1.

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