flemmings | (no subject)

Since last October I've spent an hour a day, more or less, reviewing my kanji. And reviewing my kanji, and reviewing my kanji. It's very restful. Nothing depends on it, it's not *for* anything, it's just to be able to visualize or write a particular kanji when I think of it. It's helped a bit with my reading speed, and in time I hope I'll have the basic 2000 so firmly in my head I won't be going 'ohh which one is *that*?' when I see the Chinese version. Or rather, won't think it's the Japanese one it so closely resembles, because I *know* the Japanese one by heart and this isn't it.

And all was well and good until I discovered my level 1 practice books from a decade ago and more. And then the serpent hissed at me, Why not try for ikkyuu again this year?

Well, because. Because the infinitely confusible watercolour phrases (ni kakete, ni kakete wa, ni kanshite; ni kakawarazu, ni mo kakawarazu, etc etc) are still confusible and I can't learn them from textbooks, or these textbooks, which never explain to my satisfaction. I need to see them in context, and many times, and then the sound at least sticks. (I used to answer questions based on which choice sounded better, and passed those sections; but it's not fail safe.) Because those lists of 'similar in meaning and easily confused' compounds are the same. I can't learn vocab from lists, but lists is what the textbooks give you. Long long lists of very confusible vocabulary.

And of course because my hearing ability is pants, and now you have to pass all parts of the test, not slide and let your other marks pull you up.

I think people who pass ikkyuu must have marvellous visual memories and marvellous ears for language and the ability to speed read Japanese, and I honestly have no idea how people do it. And I wish I could go back to my innocent kanji review and my innocent light novels and not have to think about my ignorance of economic vocabulary and such.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

*hugs* - I know what you mean and can understand even if I am nowhere near your level!

Don't fall too much into despair...My (IMHO) bet is that your skills are higher than humble your review of them.

Although if you don't need to torture yourself with getting ikkyu, you can just study and read what you want for fun. :D No hours over test books, but hours over what you want to read (and relax with.)

Thanks, love. I'm a bit more chuffed after doing some of the practice tests and scoring very well on them. But not the awful 'visualize how this word is written and pick the word that has the same kanji in it' ones.

It's just, I suppose, that **ten years** of reading what I want hasn't made more of a difference.

Think of it this way--you gave yourself the gift of reading what interests you (including Chinese!) Not forcing yourself to read over-and-over the awful test paragraphs and sentences.

You have mad skillz. Accept. :D