Catch A Glimpse!! Check Your Japanese Language Mastery, Officially!

I was tickled first when the Japan Foundation announced the application for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) or else is known as Nihongo Nouryoku Shiken at the early September this year. This is my first time enrolled in such exam. I excitedly applied for the test and had myself a test voucher to take with this month. I picked level 4 from the entire 4 levels. I just wanted to measure my capability on Japanese language and gain feedback from it in the end. The items required for the test consisted of moji goi or the mastery of kanji (the Chinese characters which adapted into Japanese means), choukai or listening exam that was consisted of only 17 items, and the final part was about bunpou or syntax and vocabulary in Japanese.

In the meantime, I didn’t exercise much due to preceding task of my KKN and preparation of my graduation theses which was absolutely exhausting and confusing. Nevertheless, the result was beyond less expectation that I failed to make it into strategically planned. When it approached the d-day of the exam, I hurried the tempo of studying accompanied by my seniors Hamidah and Isti; they supported me in giving studying resources and taught me on how to deal with grammar items. I borrowed kanji exercise book which it eventually more suitable for expert and I got myself bewildered by the kanji strokes which exceeds 15 strokes. It really shattered my mind out, hehehe.

My seniors told me that there was nothing to worry about, the exam would be just fine and they believed in me. What a supporting occurrence, while I was afraid to give much confidence regarding my very self. I had not greatly experienced in revising Japanese even though I had learned it since the end of my high school term. Chiefly, my aim to study foreign language is to affix my capability in literature, since I’m always interesting in writing and literature stuffs, thus I’m dreaming of translating foreign books and journalisms into Bahasa Indonesia, like the ACT bids me to join them someday.

The test was planned to take time on 8 am, Sunday, December 7 - 2009. However, there was some inconsequential fact when I prepared before the day the test was executed. I stupidly learn the expert kanji and forgot to engage myself with the simplest one I even couldn’t handle! I studied till late of the night accompanied by my friend, and we got stunned due to Spiderman 2 movie on TV. At the morning, I rised late and couldn’t make my time for breakfast. And oh, it was raining, but not hard, out there. I was dashing to catch a bus to take me to Fakultas Ilmu Budaya UGM. When I got there, I should hunt for my test location which was room D 111 of INCULS…. Oh what a tiring sprint…. And next? The test was seized late, for about 90 minutes and it just about took away all my fortitude. The class was rather small and convenient, with only 15 test participants inside it. I fortunately got to the first row of the seats and it helped me concentrate a great deal.

The test was best explained as remarkably gorgeous!!! I’m sure I’ve done well that time. During the transition among 3 sections of the exam, we the participants was given the time to take a diminutive break, and yeah I had sufficient slight break to breathe. To conclude, it ended at 12.30 pm, and well it was still raining at the faculty. But I’d rather satisfied with my work and I’m waiting for March 2009 to take delivery of my score result.

The JLPT is organized once a year, usually the end of the year. The Japan Foundation sought after institutionalizing the requirements to enter Japan by holding such test, so that they wouldn’t get “lost in translation” if coming to Japan or applying to Japanese company worldwide. This occasion also only take place in certain spots, like Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta, University of Indonesia Depok, Bandung, Makassar, etc where Japan Foundation established its representatives.

The JLPT is welcoming everyone to register, not merely those who take part in certain academic institutions but also for everyone concerned for it. The score, if we pass the exam, could be used as a value-added means of your foreign language mastery, especially for applying for institutions that concerning about foreign affairs, literature, Japanese companies and representatives, or even continuing your education overseas to Japan. After all, learning foreign language is much of an investment to yourself and don’t even lead to a waste if you really fond of it, while we could gain our knowledge and wisdom much more.

Visit JLPT and Japan Foundation official web page.