How long to learn Japanese and translate english to japanese? Is it possible to learn Japanese on your own? Is it necessary to learn thousands of characters? – Here are the most popular questions asked by Russian students who want to master nihongo (the official language of Japan).
It is difficult to give unambiguous answers to these questions, because everything depends on the chosen method of learning, goals, motivation and abilities of each individual student. In this article, we will still try to voice the approximate dates that you can focus on when learning Japanese.
Japanese language proficiency levels and approximate timeframes for achieving them
To begin with, we note that in accordance with the international Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) assessment system, there are five levels of nihongo proficiency. Each level implies a certain set of knowledge and skills in the field of knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, hieroglyphs, reading and listening. Consider the levels of Japanese proficiency from beginner to advanced:
N5 – Beginner (basic) level, which assumes a partial understanding of everyday Japanese. Knowing Japanese at the N5 level, the student knows the hiragana and katakana alphabets, knows at least 100 of the simplest kanji characters. Vocabulary at the basic level is about 700-800 words. The student knows the general construction of sentences, understands connectives, cases, conjugation of adjectives and verbs, pronouns and numerals. By taking courses at a language school, you can learn Japanese from zero to N5 level in one year. The same success can be achieved a little earlier if you increase the intensity of training.
N4 – Complete understanding of everyday Japanese. With a Japanese N4 level, the student knows at least 400 of the most common kanji characters. Vocabulary has an average of 1400-1500 words. The student is able to understand basic Japanese phrases and expressions, is able to read and understand simple texts on everyday topics, perceives colloquial material by ear. Taking courses at the Linguistic Center, you can learn Japanese from zero to N4 level in one and a half to two years.
N3 – A level that assumes the student’s ability to understand the Japanese language and english to japanese used in everyday situations. In the baggage of knowledge at the N3 level there are at least 600 kanji characters and about 3000 words. The student is able to read and understand written materials, such as newspaper articles, and is able to grasp the main points of the content of complex texts. N3 is the ability to speak Japanese at a natural speed (on everyday topics), follow the content of the conversation, and also understand the relationship between the participants in the conversation.
N2 – Students easily perceive authentic materials (read and watch the media, fiction, etc.), skillfully use the grammar and vocabulary studied at previous levels. With a knowledge of Japanese at the N2 level, the student knows at least 1000 kanji characters. Vocabulary has an average of over 6,000 words.
N1 – Possession at the carrier level. Complete understanding of complex newspaper articles, scientific texts, etc. The ability to understand spoken language and texts containing complex logical reasoning. It is unlikely to reach this level without experience of living in Japan or long-term communication with native speakers. Speaking Japanese at the N1 level, the student knows at least 2,000 kanji characters, vocabulary – about 10,000 words. It usually takes Russian-speaking students at least 3-5 years to reach the N1 level from scratch.
Is it possible to learn Japanese on your own in 1 year?
It all depends on your individual abilities, the intensity of the classes, the chosen teaching methodology. It should be understood that self-learning requires strong motivation and takes more time. With this approach, it takes at least two to three years to reach the average level, when you can communicate on everyday topics and understand everyday conversations.
Perhaps the result will come earlier, and you will reach the desired level in a year and a half, but for this you will have to do a tremendous amount of work. Lessons with a private tutor or studying in group language courses can significantly speed up the pace. As practice shows, students manage to reach the average level in about 2 years of regular classes with an experienced teacher.