CLAIR Jet Programme Japanese language course

[FakeAcceptanceTroll]

Here's the JET Programme webpage on the Language Courses. It has a placement test as well:

http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/course/je ... index.html

I took it, got 95% on test 1, 80% on test 2, and it told me to register in advanced. I would place myself at intermediate at best.

[YamanashiPA_David]

I took it, got 95% on test 1, 80% on test 2, and it told me to register in advanced. I would place myself at intermediate at best.

But the next course won't be starting for another umpteen months, and when it does, it progresses pretty slowly. If you're anywhere near intermediate now, I would definitely recommend going for the advanced course when you arrive. I made the mistake of signing up for the intermediate course and while it did contain one or two grammar points and words I didn't already know and lots of really useful sample sentences, I was basically able to take the monthly test the day I received each new book.

[shanePC]

Here's the JET Programme webpage on the Language Courses. It has a placement test as well:

http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/course/je ... index.html

I took it, got 95% on test 1, 80% on test 2, and it told me to register in advanced. I would place myself at intermediate at best.

The advanced isn't all that advanced, as the courses are an attempt at linearity, meaning its level was limited by the coverage of the first two courses. If you took a good deal of Japanese at university, advanced will pretty much be a refresher course. Take it though, and aim your second year (if you stay) for the translation and interpretation course. You can't do this your first year.

[mystric]

Hi,

I just received information about the Japanese courses for the coming JET year and have a few queries about the Translation and Interpretation Course and the Linguistics and Pedagogy Course.

1. For the Translation Course, Japanese skills equivalent to JLPT2 are required, is that the same for the Linguistics Course?

2. A qualifying exam is required for entry to these 2 courses, is the exam the same for both courses? And what is the exam like? writing, multiple-choice questions?

Thanks in advance!

[beckyr]

What about having copies of the first book in each of the courses at Tokyo orientation? I think that might help some of the newbies (like me) who weren't sure where their level was.

Also, why not cut down on the paper waste a bit, and have us submit our tests on line? that will also give us immediate feedback.

[mike2011ca]

I think that the Intermediate level book should be written entirely in hiragana and katakana. at least, all examples, vocabulary, and exercises.

Given that you`ll be taking an intermediate course, it only makes sense.

I am taking a course at my local International Center, as well I have taken a course before coming to Japan, and the first thing we did was learn hiragana and katakana. Doing the beginner course here, and going to do intermediate this coming year, I found it reallydistracting to go back to roman letters. And once I had remembered words, I had a hard time recognizing them when written in my dictionary (hiragana-english), or in places around school or restaurants etc.
It takes at most 10 hours of focused study and practice to learn the 40-some hiragana, and the same for katakana. It`s really not much. And since we see it every day all around, most if not all JETs should know it by year 2. And anyone taking intermediate Japanese, anyone who is serious about studying Japanese, MUST absolutely know hiragana and katakana.

I think the advanced book gets rid of roman letters altogether - but I`m not quite at that level yet.

This will make the intermediate course much better!

[mike2011ca]

Absolutely... online tests is the way to go. I dreaded doing the paper test, and it`s so motainai! And getting immediate feedback, instead of a few weeks later is so much better. Getting my test results, I had already forgotten the questions and needed to go back over the test and materials... and by that time forgot why I had chosen which answer.

A quick log-in with on-line multiple choice forms should be fairly easy to set up for Clair I think! At least theoretically

[DjinnWired]

To repeat what has already been said, I also wanted an explanation of grammar points in addition to the examples + found the pace too fast + really appreciated the use of school events to organise lessons around + am grateful for access to a free language resource

One little quibble that upset me in a culture note though (just wondering if it bothered anyone else, not demanding a re-writing or anything)... One of the notes said that Temples and Shrines are as different as Churches and Mosques. Now, since Temples and Shrines commonly shared buildings until a hundred years ago and several still share buildings, I don't really see the validity of a comparison to two religions that have been engaged in bloody warfare for a thousand years! I get that the book wanted to emphasise that Shinto and Buddhism are different religions, but that doesn't give a cart blanche to be insensitive about other culture's beliefs.

[DanAkitaPA]

I just got my certificate for completion. I have one suggestion for this document.

In Japanese it clearly states what level you have set, but in English it doesn't say anything but you have completed the JET Programme Language Course.

[Ginny]

I just got my certificate for completion. I have one suggestion for this document.

In Japanese it clearly states what level you have set, but in English it doesn't say anything but you have completed the JET Programme Language Course.

I agree completely and came online to say just this...

we Japanese speakers can read the Kanji for what level we have completed but when we produce this document to future employers/recruiters (who may or may not speak/read Japanese) it would be rather meaningless...

I have completed the Intermediate and Advanced courses now but the only difference in the certicates is the dates...

[DjinnWired]

People have certificates already? I haven't even got back my test scores for the last two months yet

[roger rabbit]

First off, I feel bad asking this because it's my own fault that I need help, but...

I am finishing up the beginner course this summer (something I neglected to do as I was taking a weekly course using Minna No Nihongo), and I'd really like to get answers to the tests. Is there any possible way to get the answers? I know it's way too late to send in my test sheets... Some of questions are really confusing, and I don't want to go on until I master these concepts. I searched online, but I couldn't find anything.

Thanks!

[JehuLove]

I think that the Intermediate level book should be written entirely in hiragana and katakana. at least, all examples, vocabulary, and exercises.

Given that you`ll be taking an intermediate course, it only makes sense.

I am taking a course at my local International Center, as well I have taken a course before coming to Japan, and the first thing we did was learn hiragana and katakana. Doing the beginner course here, and going to do intermediate this coming year, I found it reallydistracting to go back to roman letters. And once I had remembered words, I had a hard time recognizing them when written in my dictionary (hiragana-english), or in places around school or restaurants etc.
It takes at most 10 hours of focused study and practice to learn the 40-some hiragana, and the same for katakana. It`s really not much. And since we see it every day all around, most if not all JETs should know it by year 2. And anyone taking intermediate Japanese, anyone who is serious about studying Japanese, MUST absolutely know hiragana and katakana.

I think the advanced book gets rid of roman letters altogether - but I`m not quite at that level yet.

This will make the intermediate course much better!

Wait... Not even the intermediate book is in kana? That's friggin' ridiculous.

I stopped doing the CLAIR course halfway through because it was pretty much impossible to learn in romaji. It takes all of a couple weeks to learn the kana, and after that, studying Japanese in roman letters is a HUGE handicap. They're not Japanese and they're the only place we're ever gonna see those words spelled out in English. It got to the point where it was just holding me back. I don't mean to sound so hostile about this course- I signed up for it again when someone told me the intermediate level was written in kana... but I'm really disappointed to hear that it's not. The way this book is written is about as effective for learning real Japanese as Japanese public school curricula are for learning real English.

[sykoscout]

The intermediate course books are written in romaji??? Seriously??? That's absurd. I signed up for the wrong course then...

I studied Japanese at university and our beginner textbooks were written entirely in hiragana, katakana and kanji. I don't know how you could call a Japanese textbook written in romaji an "intermediate" level course by any stretch of the term. That would be like an "intermediate" English course being taught entirely in katakana...

[ness]

unless everyone else got a different book you are wrong about the romaji!

mine was in hiragana, katakana and kanji