The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT or Nihongo noreku shiken) has been offered by the local foundation, educational exchanges and services of this country (former International Education Association) since 1984. It is considered the most reliable means of assessing and certifying the level of knowledge for those who are not native speakers. Immediately after the development of the test, Noreku shiken was used by only about 7,000 people. In 2011, there were already 610,000 people taking the exam, making the JLPT the largest Japanese language test to be conducted in any country.
Development history
As the number of candidates for testing has increased over time, the interpretation of JLPT results has expanded from measuring language skills to the assessment required for promotion. It is also used as a form of qualification. Suggestions for improving the conduct and preparation of Noreku shiken were submitted by interested people around the world.
To ensure that the JLPT is always current and accurate,implementing organizations introduced a revised version of the test in 2010. This new exam takes full advantage of the most cutting-edge research in Japanese pedagogy and reflects the vast amount of data accumulated since it was launched over 25 years ago.
Goals and organization
Nihongo noreku shiken is held worldwide to assess and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers.
Outside the country, the foundation conducts the test in collaboration with local institutions. In Japan, the exam is supervised by various educational organizations.
Noreku shiken certificates provide many benefits, for example, they are a kind of academic credit, help with certification in schools, and allow you to get a job in companies.
Benefit of the test in Japan
Points earned on testing provide benefits to those wishing to immigrate to this country.
Those who pass JLPT N 1 receive 15 points, N 2 - 10 under the state system for accruing preferential immigration services for highly qualified foreign specialists. Persons with a score of 70 and above receive the corresponding benefits.
Key Features
The exam allows you to determine the level of communicative competence necessary to perform various tasks.
First of all, Nihongo noreku shiken attaches great importance not only to suchkey skills, such as determining the level of vocabulary and grammar of the Japanese language, but also the ability to use all this in real communication. To perform various everyday tasks that require certain skills, both knowledge of the theory and the ability to actually use it are necessary. Thus, the JLPT measures general communicative competence with three elements:
- determining the level of language proficiency;
- reading;
- listening.
All these skills are part of the preparation for Nihongo noreku shiken.
Evaluation
Despite attempts to ensure a clear sequence of tests, it is inevitable that the degree of difficulty at the same levels differs slightly in each session. The use of "raw scores" (based on the number of correct answers) may lead to different interpretations for individuals of the same ability depending on the difficulty of the tests. Instead of raw scores, so-called scaled scores are used when conducting Noreku shiken. The system is based on the alignment method and allows you to take the same measurements regardless of the time of the test.
Scale grades allow the JLPT to more accurately and fairly measure language proficiency during the test.
Success or failure on tests does not explain how students can use Japanese in real life. For this reason, Noreku shiken offers the "JLPT Can-do Self-Assessment List" as a reference for interpreting the results.exam.
A survey was conducted that included items about what activities are possible for students using the Japanese language. About 65,000 people who took Noreku shiken in 2010 and 2011 took part in this study. The results were analyzed and a list prepared based on the responses received.
Students and anyone else can use it as a reference to get an idea of what successful students can do with knowledge of Japanese for the Noreku shiken level test.
Degrees of difficulty
JLPT has five levels: N 1, N 2, N 3, N 4 and N 5. The easiest is N 5 and the most difficult is N 1. It is designed to measure Japanese language proficiency so thoroughly, as much as possible. There are tests of varying difficulty for each level.
Nihongo noreku shiken 4 and 5 measure basic Japanese comprehension in the classroom (in language courses). N 1 and N 2 define the skill of understanding the language used in a wide range of different situations in everyday life. N 3 is the link between N 1/ N 2 and N 4 /N 5.
Linguistic competence required for JLPT is expressed in language activities such as reading and listening. Knowledge, including vocabulary and grammar, is also required to successfully complete these activities.
Level N 1
Languagecompetencies at this stage are represented by the ability to understand the Japanese language used in various circumstances.
The level of reading is determined by the ability to work with articles that differ in logical complexity and / or abstract works on various topics, for example, newspaper and critical materials, the ability to understand their structure and content. Written materials with deep meaning on various topics are also used. The ability to follow their narrative, as well as comprehensively understand the intentions of the authors, is determined.
The level of development of a competency such as listening is determined by the ability to understand orally presented materials, such as sequential conversations, news reports and lectures, which are delivered at a natural speed in a variety of settings, as well as the ability to follow ideas and understand them comprehensively content. It also takes into account the skill of understanding the details of the presented materials, such as the relationships between the people involved, logical structures and other main points.
N 2
The level of language proficiency is determined by the ability to understand it in everyday situations and various circumstances, to a certain extent corresponding to this level of the test.
Reading skill is determined by the ability to work with materials written clearly and clearly on various topics, such as articles and comments in newspapers, magazines, simple criticisms, the ability to understand their content. The opportunity to read written materials on general topics and follow them is also considered.narrative, determine the intentions of the authors.
Listening measures the ability to understand oral presentations, such as sequential conversations and news reports that are spoken about at almost natural speed in everyday situations. The ability to understand their content is revealed. The ability to identify the relationships between the people involved in the conversation and the main points of the materials presented are also tested.
Level 3
Language competence is defined as the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations.
Reading skill is identified by examining the ability to understand written materials with specific content relating to everyday topics. The ability to perceive summary information such as newspaper headlines is also assessed. In addition, the ability to read not very complex texts related to everyday situations is tested, and to understand the main points of the content, if there are several alternative phrases that help to understand it.
Listening measures a person's ability to listen to and perceive sequential conversations in everyday situations, speaking at an almost natural speed and the ability to follow the content of the conversation, as well as to capture the relationship between the people involved.
Fourth step
This requires the ability to understand basic Japanese.
The ability to read is tested by the extent to which a person can perceive passages on familiar, everyday topics written on the basis ofbasic vocabulary and kanji (hieroglyphs). Noreku shiken tests the level of listening at this stage, determining the ability to listen and translate conversations that occur in everyday life, and understanding their content under the condition of slow speech.
Beginner Challenge
N 5 assesses the ability to understand some basic Japanese phrases. The speed and quality of reading is tested by the ability to reproduce and understand typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana (syllabary) and basic kanji.
Listening test measures the ability to listen and understand conversations on topics that occur regularly in everyday life and in the classroom, as well as collect the necessary information from short conversations during which they speak slowly.
