I was nervous about taking this test, and it didn’t help that it’s nature was kept fairly mysterious by the organizers. The only thing I knew about the content of the exam was that it would be divided into three parts: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and expressions. The first two sections are pretty self explanatory, but I had no clear idea what “expressions” meant. Would that be a section on grammar? Or would they test our knowledge of common, everyday Japanese expressions? No one would clarify this for us. So I studied the best I could, but I really wasn’t confident about how to prepare for the test.
I spent a lot of the day before the placement test reviewing grammar, practicing kanji, and refreshing my memory on lots of vocabulary. On the morning of the test I was calm but still ambivalent towards how well or poorly I would do. The entire test was about three hours long; it began at 9am, and for each section we were given approximately 50 minutes for completion and then a 10 minute break before the next one would begin.
The first section turned out to be the ambiguous “expressions” segment, which really was grammar related questions. We were asked to conjugate verbs, filled in the blanks of sentences with the correct particles, or complete the blanks left in sentence with appropriate words/phrases. This part of the test (and the other two as I would come to learn) was comprised of 5 pages, broken into 4 or 5 smaller parts, and each part was progressively harder than the last. This was because the placement test needed to discern 12 different levels of proficiency, so there was a lot of ground to cover. Thus the first page or two were very easy for me and contained simple/basic grammar related questions. The third page was challenging, the fourth page understandable but very challenging, and by the fifth page the questions were so advanced I left most of the answers blank. For example the fifth page would have long fill-in-the-blank structured questions with small grammar points thrown in, so it would require a student to come up on the spot with quite a sophisticated sentence in order to be correct. This was intimidating to say the least.
The other two sections of the exam, listening and reading comprehension, also followed this format, but I felt those two sections were a little less challenging for me personally. My aural comprehension skills in Japanese are pretty strong, so even when the CD audio we listened to got to the hardest segments, I could still grasp what was being talked about. I found the dictation portion to be challenging, because while I could hear almost everything being said on the recording, it is difficult for me to write in hiragana fast enough to keep up.
The reading comprehension section was also easier to deal with because I had all the information written on the pages of the exam already, all I had to do was decipher it. The hardest parts of the reading comprehension section were challenging, because while I could read the passages/questions and understand the general idea of what was written, forming and composing my own answers/responses in Japanese was almost impossible. For example, I could understand the general content of a passage, and then understand that a question was asking “what do you think the author’s motivation was for blah, blah…”, but to formulate my ideas on what an author’s motivation was into Japanese is a little beyond me. In other words I could do it eloquently in English, but in Japanese I am suddenly a 3rd grader trying to express an opinion about Nietzsche's philosophies.
It was reassuring though to find out that most of my peers had similar problems and anxieties about the exam. But I had done the best I could under the pressure, and after a summer vacation’s worth of distractions. The only thing left to do was wait for the test results to be released a few days later, and at that point in time I had really no insight as to how good or poor they would be.
I reiterate Keio University’s Japanese Language Program has 12 levels of proficiency. I was hoping to at least get into level 4, which would mean I had passed the elementary levels and could take intermediate classes. The best case scenario would be to pass level 8 and be able to take advanced classes, but after taking the placement test I felt I would be happy with anything between levels 4 and 8.
There were a lot of different factors to consider though. One, my major back at the University of Washington is Japanese Linguistics and so I need at least intermediate if not advanced level Japanese credits to be able to graduate. I was concerned about being put back too far and then not earning enough transferable credits while here at Keio. Two, there is not just my academic requirements but my own personal goals (and pride ^-^) to consider. I am passionate and serious about studying Japanese and becoming as fluent as possible, so naturally I want to always be progressing towards that goal. Three, there is also the essential but challenging task of finding the right balance between progress/challenge on one end of the continuum, and review/proficiency on the other.
If I place into a high level class based on good results then I have the opportunity to push myself, take the challenge, and essentially progress forward. But what about any possible gaps or weakness in my foundational knowledge of Japanese? What if I barely make it into that high level and then am constantly struggling to keep it up? What if I barely pass? But if I place into a lower level based on acceptable results then I have a different kind of opportunity - an opportunity to review, strength my foundation, take some things I might have already heard of or learned and study them again till I know them perfectly and not just superficially. Is it better to take a class more at my level and get a good grade, or to take a higher level class and get a barely passing grade? My ultimate goal is to be fluent in Japanese, and thus seeing something once in a textbook isn’t enough - I need to internalize the grammar, vocabulary, and so on until I have full range of expression.
With all this floating around in my mind, I learned later on Thursday that I had been placed in level 5. I wasn’t sure what to feel. The result was above my minimum (level 4) but was closer to the minimum than it was to my maximum goal (the advanced levels 8+). I also had the opportunity to take level6 because both classes use the same textbook and are 90% similar in content/structure, but level6 does not include any review and goes at a faster, more challenging pace. Level 6 also has classes on Saturday morning (yuck).
So after much deliberation, consulting with my advisor, and experiencing the first couple class periods I have decided to accept my placement in level 5. I came to this conclusion mostly because I am trying to be honest about my own strengths and weaknesses. My speaking/conversation/listening abilities in Japanese are pretty high and I can communicate comfortably with Japanese people in all sorts of situations (some of the students in advance Japanese can’t say that). However, my reading a writing skills are weak in comparison, mostly because I have not memorized as many kanji as someone of my level should. Being able to read and write well is essential to fluency, because I don’t want to be simultaneously good at spoken communication but also functionally illiterate. Furthermore, if I want to take regular university courses at Keio (or in any Japanese institution) I need to read and write at a more advanced level than I do now. So knowing this I am working my hardest to study, review, practice, and raise my reading and writing skills to the level of my speaking and listening skills.
I have enjoyed my core classes so far and feel that I am absorbing a lot of knew information. The pace is fast, which I like, and the work load is comprehensive but not overwhelming. In addition to taking my core level 5 intermediate Japanese class, I am also taking four electives. These elective courses are “Subjects with a Specific Focus”, so while they are still essentially Japanese language courses they focus on just one aspect of the language. The four I am taking are: Intermediate Grammar, Intermediate Conversation, Keigo (the Japanese specialized system of honorifics and “polite” language), and Intermediate Pronunciation. I am happy that though my core class focuses a lot on reading, grammar, and composition, I am able to take electives about my favorite aspects of Japanese conversation/speaking.
10 credits is a lot to handle, but I think I am and will continue to manage. Honestly I am doing better than simply getting by, because studying Japanese is what brought me to Keio and I am determined to do my utmost best while here.
Thank you to everyone who supported me back home and continues to support me while I am abroad.
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