JLPT level 2 and new website

Been a while since I updated this blog, and there are a couple of things to report. Firstly, I passed the JLPT level 2! Yippee for me. I was actually a little surprised by this as I was only taking the test to see what it was like thinking I might be in a position to pass next year. Anyway, it turns out you only need t o get over 50% to pass because the test has become more difficult, which is exactly what I did, just. Anyway, a pass is a pass, and I'm pleased with it.

The other news is to report on a new site I've been using to study Japanese. Actually, this isn't a specific study site, it's a news site. It's called FNN News, and they have a lot of short video clips uploaded on their site, and the good thing is that they have the script printed below the video. This is priceless, because trying to catch the meaning of the video without the script is very difficult, but with the script you can, with the help of a trusty dictionary, make out the meaning of what the clip is about. My method is to watch the clip through once, then to read the script, looking up any words I don't know, then to watch the video again while reading the script, and to finally watch the video one more time without reading. By the final time I find that I'm able to understand what is being said, and I start to think about other things, e.g. the character of the people talking, or the reason for this news story, as if I were watching the clip in English. It's good stuff. Thanks to my teacher, Taka Sensei, for introducing this site to me.