Common Test Japanese

from Common Test

• Book that Clearly Explains Classical Japanese and Chinese Literature in One Volume

• Book that Makes Scoring in Classical Chinese and Classical Japanese on the Common Test Interesting

• Z会 Common Test December Practice

  • Classical Literature: 23
  • Kanbun (Classical Chinese): 20
  • Well, if I can get this level of score in the actual test, it’s not too bad.
  • Things I could have improved:
    • Couldn’t remember that “給う” is a honorific form.
    • For the last interpretation question, if I had considered the weakness of the evidence, I could have done better.

Future Plan

• After finishing reading the Book that Clearly Explains Classical Japanese and Chinese Literature in One Volume, it seems that SAT preparation is more suitable.
  • Probably by solving more questions, I will grasp patterns and cultural aspects.
  • Also, I will acquire more frequently tested knowledge.

Sundai Common Test Mock Exam

• Modern Literature
  • 96/100
  • Lost 4 points due to kanji.
  • I can confidently say this is good.
    • (But I’m afraid of getting complacent)
• Classical Literature
  • Classical Japanese: 14/50
  • Kanbun (Classical Chinese): 19/50
  • Impression
    • Well, it’s not as easy as I thought.
      • The 64/100 in 2021 seems to be an outlier.

Solving the 2021 Test

• Modern Literature
  • 90/100
  • Good.
  • It’s a relief that I managed to do it with my language skills from IB Japanese.
• Classical Literature
  • 64/100
  • Classical Japanese: 24/50
  • Kanbun (Classical Chinese): 40/50
  • Huh, isn’t this impressive for someone who hasn’t studied it?
  • Well, one question is worth a lot, so there might be around 10 free points.
  • Is it really okay that I can solve this without understanding grammar or vocabulary?
    • It seems like having vocabulary would be good, but do I really need to learn grammar…?

For now, I want to understand what I should have known to read more smoothly and answer correctly.

• Classical Japanese
  • I managed to solve some parts using context clues instead of grammar.
    • Like “えまねびやらず” (I didn’t hesitate).
  • It seems better to solve it with just context clues, as interpreting it incorrectly can be a trap.
    • I probably could have solved 24 if I hadn’t guessed the meaning of “里” (village).
  • Memorizing the basic forms of non-obvious auxiliary verbs seems helpful.
    • Like “まほし” means “wish” and “~らむ” means “probably doing,” having this understanding seems strong.
  • Grammar is difficult, so I don’t need to do it.
  • There are quite a few vocabulary words, but if I have the time, I’ll try to memorize them.
• Kanbun (Classical Chinese)
  • Understanding the meanings of kanji seems easier than Classical Japanese, as there are fewer of them.
    • I could solve 31 by knowing the meaning of “固” (firm).
  • Fill-in-the-blank questions are about rhyme, so I should know that.
  • There are only a few kanji, so I might try to memorize them.
• Overall
  • It seems like a good strategy to avoid obvious trap choices.
  • It might be better to do the interpretation questions first…?
    • I don’t understand this part.

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• National Language in the Common Test
  • If I can cover “Modern and Postmodern Texts” with my skills from IB Japanese, I’ll be happy.
    • Well, I’ll probably have to memorize patterns.
  • I’m in trouble because I don’t study “Classical Japanese” and “Kanbun” in IB.
    • Honestly, I don’t want to do it.
    • I guess I’ll have to think of it as a game and cram it.
    • Maybe by learning Chinese, I can handle Kanbun?
      • Seems tough https://kambun.jp/izanai/02-02nyumon2.htm
        • Oh, I used to look at this website a lot during exams! (takker)
        • By the way, I don’t recommend it.
          • Even if you understand advanced topics, it’s meaningless if you can’t use basic kanbun grammar or memorize fixed phrases that are in high school textbooks.
          • Well, it does have explanations of basic grammar that don’t rely on memorization, so it might be helpful.
        • It might be okay to write notes in Scrapbox.
          • I spent all my time carefully handwriting everything on loose-leaf paper, so my grades were terrible.
            • I was obsessively aligning everything in the 5th square of loose-leaf paper.
          • With Scrapbox, you can write casually and easily without worrying about those things, so you can learn without taking up too much time.
        • (icons/Understood) (blu3mo)- It seems like there is a feeling that it’s better to have something than nothing. https://yaseteru.hatenablog.com/entry/2016/10/21/060926
  • Since modern Chinese grammar is quite different, it’s better to study them separately (takker).
    • I think it’s possible to connect them later.
• @DB_Daijiro

• For example, if I were to study Burmese language, I think there would be an infinite number of “why” questions like “What does this mean?”, “Why is it like this?”, “What’s the difference between this and that?” rather than “How can I become proficient in Burmese?“. Those doubts, curiosity, and love are the source of improvement.

• https://twitter.com/db_daijiro/status/1415595018585133057?s=21
  • Does this kind of thinking help with maintaining motivation?