Japanese language course

Overview

Japanese, as a language, is often considered as one of the harder languages to master for Nepalese students. Thankfully, most of the students who wish to learn Japanese, do so for visa requirements and in most cases the level of proficiency required is fairly low.

Students of Japanese Language Course in Nepal spend their time learning the Japanese dialect and script; hiragana, katakana, and kanji. They do so in preparation of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and the Nihongo Achievement Test (NAT), both of which are comparable in many regards. Both of these tests have five levels of proficiency from beginner to advanced. However, some institutions might require that the examinee take the NAT test specifically.
 

About Japanese Language Course in Nepal

The Japanese Language Courses in Nepal are offered at multiple levels of expertise. In JLPT, there are 5 main levels of expertise that have been clearly defined. The levels are as follows:

1. N5 (Beginner)

At this level, the student is expected to understand the absolute basics of the Japanese Language. They would be able to read and understand everyday expressions written in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji. They could also comprehend some slow conversations in spoken Japanese. The conversations themselves are basic and would be something that the students would encounter regularly in a classroom setting.

2. N4

A student with N4 certification should be able to understand basic Japanese. They would also be expected to understand and read passages about everyday topics written using a rather easy vocabulary. As for listening, they are expected to understand normal conversations that take place on the daily—in a classroom and elsewhere. However, a native speaker must speak slower than they would otherwise to be understood by an N4 level student.

3. N3

A student at this level would be able to handle everyday conversations with a native although they might have to concentrate to fully comprehend. At this level, the student would likely be able to read slightly challenging texts and understand things more readily. They could even use synonyms to more clearly express themselves. In terms of listening, they would understand conversations even if the speaker is speaking at a near-native pace.

4. N2
A student of this level is somewhat of an advanced user of the Japanese language. They should be able to use the language comfortably in most situations and understand literature on a variety of topics. They would be able to discern the narratives and intent of the author while reading text in Japanese. They would also have a more advanced vocabulary. They could also almost fully comprehend the contents of an orally presented material like a lecture or news reports.

5. N1

N1 is the highest level of certification awarded under the JLPT scheme. At this level, the student is expected to understand logically complex and abstract ideas presented to them in writing like editorials and critiques. They should be able to comprehend both the overall structure and the content presented therein. They have a respectable vocabulary in the Japanese language as well. In terms of listening, they should be able to follow a native speaker presenting orally with ease. This would not be limited to simple topics either. At this level, they would be able to discern the structure of the speech and follow the idea through.

In all levels, the student appearing for the exam is presented with a reading and listening test each with their individual pass marks, so to speak. The NAT exam follows a similar metric to measure proficiency.

From the very beginning, students are instructed in the three subdivisions of the Japanese script; Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

Hiragana and Katakana are much like alphabets of the Japanese language. They are sets of phonetic symbols that come together to form words that then acquire meaning.

In contrast, Kanji is an ideogram. An ideogram refers to a written character that represents a certain thing but doesn’t include the actual enunciation of the word. Kanji characters, hence, have a meaning of their own and don’t always have a phonetic association signifying how one should pronounce the word. Most students find learning kanji to be the most challenging aspect of learning the Japanese language.
 

How much time does it take to learn Japanese Language in Nepal?

Well, for the basic test, i.e. the N5 test, a student must diligently prepare for at least 3 months, often a little longer. However, making predictions about the higher levels is slightly tricky. The amount of time that a student takes to learn Japanese to the advanced level depends on a variety of factors like their own aptitude, the quality of the tutelage provided, and sometimes even their experience with other languages like Chinese.

As per NAT, the level 5 student has to study for about 1 to 3 months or 200 hours; level 4 student has to study for about 3 to 6 months or 400 hours; a level 3 student has to study for about 6 to 9 months or 600 hours; a level 2 student has to study for 9 to 12 months or 800 hours; and the level 1 student has to study for over a year or 1000 hours.
Still, it would be wise to take these approximations with a grain of salt.
 

Where can you study a Japanese Language course in Nepal?

There are a lot of institutions across the country that teach Japanese language in Nepal. Apart from that there are also a lot of resources available on the internet if you wish to learn more independently. 
 
However, it is recommended that you join an actual physical class to learn the Japanese Language. This is because it would inculcate a more disciplined approach to the language and you would have peers of your level that you could practice communicating with. It is also advised that you visit a number of different institutions and instructors before you sign up to one. This would ensure that you pick an instructor that you are more comfortable with and can learn better. Remember, different things work for different people. Some people might learn better with teacher A and others with teacher B. It is important that you decide where you want to learn. 
 
Apart from that, one could sharpen their understanding of the Japanese language by consuming Japanese media. There is a clout for anime and manga in Nepal and there are whole communities of people that enjoy these forms of entertainment. It might give you a more entertaining way of putting your Japanese language classes to the test.
There are a lot of institutions across the country that teach Japanese language in Nepal. Apart from that there are also a lot of resources available on the internet if you wish to learn more independently.
 
However, it is recommended that you join an actual physical class to learn the Japanese Language. This is because it would inculcate a more disciplined approach to the language and you would have peers of your level that you could practice communicating with. It is also advised that you visit a number of different institutions and instructors before you sign up to one. This would ensure that you pick an instructor that you are more comfortable with and can learn better. Remember, different things work for different people. Some people might learn better with teacher A and others with teacher B. It is important that you decide where you want to learn.
 
Apart from that, one could sharpen their understanding of the Japanese language by consuming Japanese media. There is a clout for anime and manga in Nepal and there are whole communities of people that enjoy these forms of entertainment. It might give you a more entertaining way of putting your Japanese language classes to the test.