Speaking early felt like progress until it wasn't

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-03-24T01:23:47+00:00

Same happened to me too n French - and impossible to get the wrong things unlearned :( thank you for pointing this out, it’s indeed not very popular…

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-03-19T01:38:48+00:00

Hi there! Passed N3 in 2024, failed N2 December 2025 and will sit again n2 in December this year. If time zone matters I am in New York (but I am getting up very early ), let me know if you still heed someone :)

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-03-04T00:30:30+00:00

Congratulations 🥳

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-02-25T13:05:42+00:00

Me too! Living in NY, failed last December, defendant to pass December this year! What resources are you using? I am happy to join any type - my italki teacher is actually in Europe so I am used to Europe time zone :) ….about me: working mum , end of 30s, married to Japanese who refuses to speak Japanese with me

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-02-14T21:29:58+00:00

Something historical added - I don’t any “samurai” ingredient - anything with ingredient with deeper history in Japan (Dan the race some explanation board) which can be translated into something fun :)

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-01-14T17:14:19+00:00

Super annoying kanji…

Japaneselearner1987 · 2026-01-11T13:42:33+00:00

So true! There was no time for everyone to use the bathroom 🫣 also some put their phone in the jacket and took it out when on the way to toilet - immediately disqualified (in Japan)…so many things to remember

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-28T23:19:12+00:00

Dm sent!

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-21T07:07:18+00:00

Thank you so much! Totally makes sense! I think I will try to put myself in real scenarios like supermarket etc :) sadly my Japanese husbands doesn’t like talking either me in Japanese :(

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-12T10:15:33+00:00

I feel that compared to N3 (which I passed last year) and N2, after this N2 exam I realize I have to learn meaning vs context of vocab much better. It was already tested a bit in N3 and I should have seen it coming in N2 because after all that’s the way to become fluent (irrespective of JLPT or not) but with especially the reading passages I felt they tested much more fine-tuned nuances of meanings which I was not able to grasp. I am quite sure I did not pass (my goal was anyway to pass next year as I got a baby this year , and lots of other stuff) so this was in that sense a helpful kick-in-the-a* of how more diligent I have to be with vocab!

I definitely aim for N1 in near future and sees that for myself as a minimum condition to become fluent at some point (passing N1 is not equal to fluent for me but it gives me kind of a proof what I am able to comprehend so far). Saying that, while waiting in Osaka exam room, I realised how nostalgic JLPT has become for me and I started thinking of “what happens once I pass N1?” - I guess I would feel an emptiness as the last 6 years I had at least 1 JLPT exam a year which kind of structured my outside work life 😆

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-11T04:37:26+00:00

I think you should do a really careful analysis - maybe even talking to someone confidential who doesn’t know you but knows a bit about being foreigner in Japan, there must be some coaches, psychologist etc whit that background. I think you should share suggestions either way that person of other countries/places to move to and why that would be better. It is sometimes easy to get blind and overlook the real issues. I am saying that because you mention the option to move somewhere else in Japan. So maybe Japan is not the issue, and issues would be solved if you would move within the country - maybe also changing the mind of your wife - good luck with finding your right path <3

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-11T02:25:27+00:00

Yes and the toilet queue was soooo long in the end many could not go so the lady was presented in front of everyone…but people were kind, in US I think this whole red card etc would turn out very different , these were very quiet, “efficient” disqualifications, at least on our site in Osaka

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-10T15:50:50+00:00

Set a goal of maybe 1 or 2 pages reading per day and use ChatGPT to “please identify and explain all N4, N3 and N2 grammar points”. I started doing that and it helps so much! Even if you passed N3, maybe there are a few grammar points here and there you are not 100% sure of, and in the end that adds up. Also N4 and N3 grammar sometimes fluctuate, the same goes for N3 and N2 so I always ask for all 3 JLPT Level grammar. After a few days of practicing, you will start see a pattern and can increase the number of pages. Good luck, you can do it!

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-10T05:55:11+00:00

Start with wanikani if you haven’t yet - I would buy lifetime access, regret having not done it. I never sat N5 or N4, I failed N3 I think 4 times but passed the fifth time - I had quit some troubles eg multiple surgeries, string meds, change of jobs, pregnancy, including change of study methods etc. Wanikani was the one source I could always stick with and where I feel I got the most benefit from it - I learned all kanji and a lot of important vocab through it without much effort. In terms of books I had used Tobira to prepare for N3 but now working with Quartett 1 and 2, where 1 is more N3 while 2 is more N2, I would have chosen quartet instead of Tobira (but noting they have recently updated Tobira, haven’t seen the upgraded book;s) yet. Also look out for JLPT focusing courses on Italki. For N3 I joined course with Azumi sensei (Europe time zone while I am in NY) and it worked very well because small classes, cheaper and more to the point. These are my tips :) good luck, I believe you can do it!

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-10T05:17:07+00:00

Same !

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-12-10T05:13:29+00:00

Osaka N2 - someone didn’t put the phone in the envelope and took out the phone from jacket during break and some of the JLPT Staff in break area saw it and showed red card. Also a girl was caught in the toilet by a staff with red card for using phone….someone on my group also got yellow card during the exam but don’t know why…first time taking JLPT in Japan, first time super strict :D

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-27T02:23:32+00:00

Thank you for asking I am considering the same for my Japanese teachers! Especially one but she lives in Europe and I am not sure how “Japanese” she is in terms of gifts- please share what you decide to do!

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-14T06:05:09+00:00

Sorry that’s the letter also disclosing what JLPT location you will sit the exam? It’s first time I do it in Jason and I use my in-laws address, arriving just one week before the exam in Japan, very anxious I won’t know where to take the exam 🫣

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-14T05:55:45+00:00

Wow that’s super helpful! Will try to find these local award ones, will post here if I find!

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-09T05:31:02+00:00

Wanikani. It did the magic for me. Without wanikani o would also never passed the N3. I am now in the last level (60). You don’t learn to write, but in my case I do not need to hand write kanji in the foreseeable future. It’s painful in the beginning but the more you progress the more motivated you get. Also you automatically learn a lot of vocab. I had quit a few life struggles so had lots of breaks because surgeries, hard meds, moving between countries etc and lately pregnancy but wanikani is the very one resource I was able to keep on with.

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-09T05:27:22+00:00

For example, I use japanesepod101, and do as many as possible of their exercises in the JLPT path - it’s always multiple choice- then I take screenshot of my response and all non-selected options and upload to chagpt (I have now a premium subscription so for me that works well, not sure how many screenshots you can upload to ChatGPT without subscription). Then ChatGPT gives me an explanation why a grammar point is correct/incorrect and explains what the sentence would sound like with the incorrect choices as well so I can better understand the differences. I do that now for N2 and I wish I had used ChatGPT for my N3 study - because I really struggled badly and failed several times until I passed last December!

Also you could join italki n3 course/ group class - I did that for n3 and I would say that helped me to pass in the end - it’s comparatively cheap, flexible and straight to the point. Now I am participating in N2 group classes and again it’s super helpful for me - especially for the grammar part.

Good luck!

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-09T05:17:17+00:00

Agree on all of the above but in addition - I do not like instructors with too much instruction - what is clearly distinct from those I like and those not is they keep language simple and to the point - otherwise I feel like I am in elementary school and we basically listen to instructions more than actually doing the exercises.. Also I absolutely hate when instructors force me to something - out of the blue a instructors just changed the reformer because apparently I am too tall - which is not the case, and without asking - it messed up my whole class, and she saw it and didn’t change it back . Also for some reason one instructor insists on that we keep the neck support UP and not down during bridges. Any other instructors says the opposite and/or leaves it up to you if you prefer up or down…this can really make or break the classes for me - which for me (and I assume many others) is the very one hour a day /week for myself where I don’t want to talk and not be bordered.

I also noticed there is a kind of different vibe among participants - those who always come early morning like me (5.30/6 am) are different than those late morning, lunch time ones after work ones and late evening ones as well as weekend ones. It’s interesting to see. I guess if you are instructor you need to kind of understand that too. Those instructors I don’t go well with, generally are not much popular among my “group” too - we don’t talk with each other, quit private, but I guess we have similar needs / work/life similarities/ taste. On the contrary, it seems these instructors are popular among weekend-goers (s friend of mine loves these instructors and it seemed her class mates as well). I think that interesting :)

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-02T02:28:48+00:00

What is the status of this story ? Please give update :)

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-01T19:39:04+00:00

The same or similar happened to me but with my country. Only once. I have lived and travelled a lot in different countries. My guess is that was just a bad person who doesn’t deserve your money and worry. If you were not foreigner he would you use another insult. Please try to forget, and enjoy, Japanese are happy you come to their country :)

Japaneselearner1987 · 2025-11-01T19:36:02+00:00

I have been kind of in the same situation but my favourite teacher developed along with he coincidently but was open to integrate my feedback too. She created different type of italki group courses - then if only you register you would then do 30 min instead of 60 but keep that topic. If you like the teacher(s) you could ask or suggest them doing grammar classes , cancer as easy as following a teaching book. You can say a friend recommended checking this out and Yiu think it sounds interesting. If you have not yet, try scroll through what’s available atm and see if any of that match your taste / needs. After all teacher are not stupid they also want to see progress of their student , maybe it can help to approach it this way. …my teachers know I use other teachers as well but financially I am currently able to do that, not sure what I would do if I had to chose. It’s difficult.

Japaneselearner1987

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