What Level of Japanese Should I Enrol In?
This section contains information about placement testing, Japanese levels and streams, some useful hints, and information about the content of Japanese units. You should read all of this information and form a general view of what level of Japanese is appropriate for you before contacting us to seek advice.
Placement Tests
Placement testing is designed to ensure that you enter the class most suited to your current skills in Japanese.
If you are a beginner in studying Japanese you do not need to sit for a placement test. However, it is vital to take the test if you have studied Japanese before, either formally at school, or informally.
The content of the test will be:
- Kanji test
- Listening test
- Composition
- Interview
Placement Tests for 2010
10:00 am to 1 pm
Tuesday 23th February
Lecture Theatre H3, Menzies Building (Building 11), ground floor.
The higher your level is, the longer it will take to determine the level suited to you. However, it is expected to take at most two hours.
Mid-year Placement Tests
Mid-year placement tests are conducted on an individual basis. Further information for mid-year placement is available from Ms Jun Yano (jun.yano@arts.monash.edu.au ). Please read all of the information below before you seek advice.
Japanese Levels and Streams at Monash
| Basic Stream |
Lower Intermediate Stream |
Intermediate Stream |
Advanced Stream |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | (For students with no previous experience in Japanese) | (Standard entry point for students with VCE Japanese) | (Background speakers may enter this stream at second year, after completing first year subjects in Japanese Studies) | |
| 1 & 2 | First Year | |||
| 3 & 4 | Second Year | First Year | ||
| 5 & 6 | Third Year | Second Year | First Year | |
| 7 & 8 | Honours | Third Year | Second Year | First Year |
| 9 & 10 (Various Specialised Japanese Subjects) |
Honours | Third Year (Advanced Major) |
Second Year | |
| 11 & 12 (Various Specialised Japanese Subjects) |
Honours | Third Year (Advanced Major) |
||
| Honours |
Useful hints for your decision
- Read the detailed information on content of units below.
- University courses generally move faster than those at high school, so it is important that you do not start at a level that is too demanding for you. However, a unit which is too easy will lead to boredom and a lower skill level at the end of your course.
- Level 3 & 4 includes considerable material which has been covered in VCE. This is recommended for students who passed VCE but who feel they need to revise and consolidate their skills, or who have had a gap in their studies.
- Level 5 & 6 assumes a slightly greater familiarity with Kanji than required for VCE. However, motivated students will not find this a problem.
We recommend that you enrol in Level 5 & 6 or higher if you:
1) have mastered VCE kanji and like Kanji (or at least don't hate kanji)
2) can use a Kanji dictionary well or are eager to practice using a kanji dictionary
3) have mastered te-form and plain form of Verbs, Adjectives and the copula
4) wish to use Japanese outside the classroom as much as possible
5) realise that you may not be in the top group as you were in high school but take this as a challenge to quickly enhance your Japanese.
6) are prepared to do revision and preparation for classes
7) have confidence in adapting to different teaching method from high school such as teachers speaking mostly Japanese in the class
8) are eager to raise your finishing level when you graduate. To receive an Advanced Major you need to finish a minimum of Level 10
At Level 7 & 8, discussions and interviews are important activities, so students must have the confidence and ability to express their opinions in Japanese.
Information about Content of Japanese 1 - 12
The information below about kanji, grammar and topics is designed to help you judge which level best suits you. Links are provided in some cases to websites for the prescribed texts.
Japanese 1 & Japanese 2
Japanese 1 & Japanese 2The information below about kanji, grammar and topics is designed to help you judge which level best suits you. Links are provided in some cases to websites for the prescribed texts.
Japanese 1 & Japanese 2
Japanese 1 Unit Codes: JPL1010, JPL2010, JLG4010, JLG5010
Japanese 2 Unit Codes: JPL1020, JPL2020, JLG4020, JLG5020
Textbook: Interactive Japanese
Writing: Hiragana and Katakana syllabary, and basic Kanji such as numbers, days, nature, some activity verbs totaling 105
Please also visit: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/subjects/japanese/sakura
L1: Meeting someone for the first time
L2: Daily greetings, Asking about people
L3: Talking about weather, Asking what something is
L4: Job and Country, Asking where something is
L5: Seasons and months, Numbers
L6: Going to places, Time expressions
L7: Telling and asking time
L8: Motion verbs, Visiting a person's home
L9: Large numbers, Asking prices
L10: Days of the week, Asking about holidays
L11: Ordering and serving at a coffee shop, possession
L12: Talking about tour and transportation
L13: Stating everyday action and frequency, Connecting sentences
L14: Talking about family, Hobbies and sports
L15: Counting objects, Shopping
L16: Stating existence of objects
L17: Asking where someone lives and describing a town, Writing letters
L18: te-form, Dictionary form, ~te ~te (and)
L19: te-form, ~te imasu
L20: te-form, ~te kudasai
Japanese 3 & Japanese 4
(Required kanji knowledge assumed: approximately 100)Japanese 3 Unit Codes: JPL1030, JPL2030, JLG4030, JLG5030
Japanese 4 Unit Codes: JPL1040, JPL2040, JLG4040, JLG5040
Textbook: NAKAMA 2
Kanji: 150 new kanji will be introduced in each level. These kanji are related to the topics below
Chapter 1: Weather and Climate 「ている、そうだ」
Chapter 2: Travel 「思う、つもり、前、後」
Chapter 3: Asking for favours, How to do ~ 「あげる、もらう、～かた、～てみる 、 たら 」
Chapter 4: Rules 「なければならない、ながら、～し」
Chapter 5: My future, making preparations 「もう、まだ、ため、～ておく、～かどうか」
Chapter 6: Asking and giving directions 「 ~ てから、ことができる、はず」
Chapter 7: Gifts 「ほしい、～やすい / ～にくい、～すぎる」
Chapter 8: Talking about employment 「～てあげる、～てもらう、～てしまう」
Chapter 9 : Complaints 「のに、ようにする」
Chapter 10: The environment and society 「こと、ようになる、ようだ」
Japanese 5 & Japanese 6
(Required kanji knowledge assumed: approximately 400)
Japanese 5 Unit Codes: JPL1050, JPL2050, JPL3050, JLG4050, JLG5050
Japanese 6 Unit Codes: JPL1060, JPL2060, JPL3060, JLG4060, JLG5060
Text book: JBridge
Writing: 150 new kanji will be introduced in each level. These kanji are related to the topics below
Lesson 1: Introduction
Step 1: 「 ~ ている、そう（様態）」
Step 2: 「こ・そ・あ、～という、たしか、っけ」
Step 3: 「性格について話す」
Lesson 2: Taking a Trip
Step 1: 「存在文、仮定文の比較、定義」
Step 2: 「～たほうがいい･～といい、～てある・～ておく、もう・まだ」
2 Step 3: 「観光地、場所を表す表現」
Lesson 3: Cross Culture
Step 1: 「可能形、なる、なってくる、ばかり」
Step 2: 「比較、対比、～ようだ、様な気がする」
Step 3: 「～てしまう、つもり、なければならない、～わけにはいかない」
Lesson 4: Future
Step 1: 「～たい、～てみたい、ようと思う、ことにする、ことになる」
Step 2: 「～だろう、かもしれない、絶対、きっと」
Step 3: 「～と・～ば、 Transitive/Intransitive 、ようになっている」
Lesson 5: Mystery
Step 1: 「受身、～ている、・～てある」
Step 2: 「疑問視 + か、～かどうか」
Step 3: 「～はず」
Lesson 6: Best Partner
Step 1: 「～てあげる、～てもらう、～てくれる、受身」
Step 2: 「～そう（伝聞）、のに、～てくれない、～てもらってください」
Step 3: 「～さえ～ば、たとえ～ても、かならずしも～とはかぎらない」
Lesson 7: Food and Health
Step 1: 「尊敬語、～ようにしている、～ように・ために」
Step 2: 「謙譲語 (Honorific system) 、接続詞 (Connectives) 」
Step 3: 「～べきだ、～に対して、～にとって、～としたら・～としても」
Lesson 8: Education
Step 1 「 Causative1 、～ことにしている、～ことになっている、」
Step 2 「 Causative2 、 Passive-causative 、 Causative+ てもらう・ほしい」
Step 3 「かえって、～のでしょうか、～のではないでしょうか、わけ」
Japanese 7 & Japanese 8
(Required kanji knowledge assured: approximately 700)
Japanese 7 Unit Codes: JPL1070, JPL2070, JPL3070, JPL4070, JLG4070, JLG5070
Japanese 8 Unit Codes: JPL1080, JPL2080, JPL3080, JPL4080, JLG4080, JLG5080
Textbook: 「中級から上級への日本語」 - With this textbook you will learn expressions and idioms rather than basic g rammar patterns
Writing: 150 new kanji will be introduced in each level. These kanji are related to the topics below
Unit 1: 「ひと味違う自己紹介」
Unit 2: 「間取りの本当の意味」
Unit 3: 「『買う』楽しみ 」
Unit 4: 「不思議な習慣」
Unit 5: 「地球を守る」
Unit 6: 「心と体のバランス」
Unit 7: 「今どきの大学生」
Unit 8: 「日本の会社に入るまで」
Unit 9: 「日本の子供たち」
Unit 10: 「男と女」
Each level approximately corresponds to the level of the Japanese Proficiency Test as follows:
- Upon successful completion of Japanese 3: Level 4
- Upon successful completion of Japanese 6: Level 3
- Upon successful completion of Japanese 10: Level 2
- Upon successful completion of Japanese 12: Level 1
List of kanji introduced at each level
Japanese 1 & 2 Yookoso Book 1
日、本、学、生、名、年、何、月、人、一、二、三、四、五、六、七、 |
八、九、十、百、先、話、語、大 、間、半、上、下、分、小、好、町、 |
田、左、右、中、外、前、後、時、山、口、万、千、方、近、遠、有 、 |
朝、明、午、昼、来、行、聞、食、出、飲、入、休、夕、今、週、曜、 |
毎、回、見、起、読、火、水、木、金、土、会、天、気、雨、雪、度、 |
風、台、番、春、夏、秋、冬、東、西、南、北、高、多、少、強、弱、 |
昨、暑、寒、空 、手、家、族、男、女、子、父、母、兄、姉、弟、妹、 |
勉、道、書、使、国、作、音、楽、全、部、運、動 |
Japanese 3 Yookoso Book 1&2
思、終、始、物、肉、事、茶、酒、池、泳、河、泣、油、温、湿 |
牛、鳥、湯、野、魚、味、悪、料、化、仲、働、虫、風、仏、独 |
理、米、品、和、洋、夜、言、貝、訪、試、験、説、明、相、談 |
同、長、市、場、主、電、売、買、着、切、円、引、安、店、員 |
色、黒、白、青、赤、黄、服、返、花、屋、暗、草、若、荷、星 |
私、京、都、寺、神、社、内、曲、目、机、板、森、鯨、鰯、鮪、鮫 |
所、予、約、車、早、歩、旅、館、乗、字、宿、寝、宮、官、守 |
待、駅、止、客、地、図、海、持、拾、折、包、抱、王、玉、宝 |
新、聞、公、園、住、階、広、直、戸、古、門、室、親、両、苦 |
伝、洗、建、友、貸、借、置、静、庭、便、利、不、覚、争、健 |
Japanese 4 Yookoso Book 2
自、路、交、通、転、駐、教、窓、体、頭、顔、鼻、耳、閉、消、変、 |
故、差、点、信、号、歯、首、指、足、毛、走、帰、横、働、工、速、 |
違、反、形、丸、角、心、立、校、卒、業、仕、就、職、退、育、若、 |
老、配、苦、死、元、愛、恋、初、結、婚、式、研、究、御、医、病、 |
院、熱、痛、者、師、銀、亡、忙、知、存、申、召、様、楽、薬、局 |
換、際、留、守、受、器、取、報、文、打、調、英、映、画、郵、冷、 |
紙、送、達、宅、重、刊、雑、誌、記、放、組、試、験、忘、困、然、 |
化、島、村、湖、川、州、石、岩、林森、球、世、界、昔、害、例、 |
他、最、犬、馬、虫、頼、植、咲、必、要、習、慣、練 |
Japanese 5
窓、写、真、互、己、紹、介、相、印、象、数、第、線、熱、頭、完、成、夢、将、 |
計、実、現、可、能、性、留、歌、卒、業、配、供、遊、親、質、問、答、両、違、 |
関、係、最、泳、決、表、覚、格、悪、記、号、静、経、交、的、努、力、難、向、 |
協、調、代、残、観、光、有、料、理、首、季、節、宗、教、歴、史、民、建、発、 |
準、備、薬、辞、注、意、氷、暑、貴、重、品、部、健、康、困、考、題、初、寝、 |
集、授、略、忘、苦、労、論、資、壊、当、共、比、較、悲、無、恋、愛、保、守、 |
賛、反、対、絶、際、験、失、敗、文、化、誤、解、習、慣、彼、態、度、例、感、 |
忙、怒、未、製、機、型、宅、暗、開、閉、室、押、流、庭、設、動、以 |
Japanese 6
婚、妻、専、婦、夫、産、頼、以、士、等、死、寂、異、案、亡、満、終、末、誕、 |
渡、必、連、絡、伝、放、送、奥、状、記、念、息、娘、否、簡、単、戦、争、般、 |
貿、易、勤、価、値、限、配、昔、源、守、油、得、紀、捕、鯨、能、民、難、非、 |
類、種、進、法、選、雑、誌、吸、迎、甘、欲、具、菜、草、消、敬、尊、査、告、 |
増、減、確、率、治、寄、約、幸、恐、複、極、欧、割、義、育、教、制、度、政、 |
経、済、全、員、容、績、味、興、練、費、絵、説、詩、官、医、養、身、豊、厳、 |
役、芸、術、謝、際、願、暴、展、続、登、拒、深、刻、整、原、因、殺、標、逃、 |
件、競、落、再、誰、若、追、恵、輪、札、突、然、疑、信、勝、効、果 |