JLPT N3 Study Guide: JLPT N3 Site Map JUly 2015

Welcome to my website - for preparing for the JLPT N3 test.

I have done the test and on this site I share what I learnt during the process and how it can help you to achieve your goal of passing the JLPT N3 test.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/130963054/JLPT-N3-Study-Guide-By-Peter-Hanami-How-to-self-study-toward-the-JLPT-N3-test-level

I wrote my ebook for two reasons, firstly, as a guide for myself (so I didn't forget what I did) and secondly, as a guide for others. Yes, I have self-studied using a range of textbooks, yes, I have attended classes with Japanese tutors, yes, I have studied at KUMON, yes, I have studied at a language school in Japan and yes, I am still confused trying to learn, study and memorize kanji, grammar and to clearly understand Japanese language. Yes, I have spent thousands of hours just like you self-studying, looking up words on an electronic dictionary, attending conversation classes, looking for a good teacher who can explain things to me in a simple unjumbled way and yes, just like you, I continue to search for good resources to get me closer to my goals!

Personally, I hate studying random words, random, sentences and looking up the readings for kanji I haven't even learnt yet. Sound familiar? Unfortunately if you are a non-Japanese like me and are trying to learn, it often feels like putting together a puzzle, a puzzle with too many missing pieces, no instruction booklet and no customer service support. You feel like you are a warrior, alone and fighting a battle of information. Searching for a way, a method a way to tame the beast! If your like me you want to cut through and quickly discover: what is important?, what do I need?, how is the best way to learn this? and where are some good resources to help me and not twist my brain inside out and make my head hurt. Know the feeling?

So with this background, I set out to write my JLPT N3 Study Guide in a format, I could easily use. I could learn content in grades that split the content into: Adjectives, i and na adjectives, adverbs, giseigo, grammar, katakana words, nouns, verbs and set phrases that you come across in everyday life.

Using 100% Japanese content from each study grade that Japanese student's learn at school. Namely: Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 and Grade 4. But I also realized that you need more than this and so added video that shows content in the same format that includes Grade 5 and Grade 6 because you can never get enough content when you are preparing for a Japanese language test. As there are always surprises, (words you don't know, kanji you have never learnt, new set phrases,etc). So to be fully prepared these extra two grades have been added.

Then I wrote the content in four formats: romaji, hiragana, kanji and an English meaning. So you can see visually what each word looks like. This format also allows you to cover content and force your self to memorize. Like Japanese students do.

I find video to be a great learning tool, as I get the material visually, can pause when I want and it forces me to concentrate. Maybe this might also be useful for your learning! With this in mind I added all the content from Grade 1 through to Grade 6 onto video. I split the learning into steps - shape and meaning, on readings and kun readings. So you learn in a structured systematic way that doesn't overpower you. Small steps, logical and clear. No chaos here!

As self-studying is such a big job, I also added tutorials on how to use a paper kanji dictionary, an electronic dictionary, how to look up kanji using an onkun index, how to use a form index to also look up kanji and how to use a stroke index to look up kanji. Important skills you need to know and master before you start your JLPT N3 journey.

Then I looked at the 214 radicals you need to know before you start to seriously study kanji, the guides that help you discover, find and look up Chinese characters, quickly and easily by shape and by meaning.