The entire six-week program for JLPT N5 is compiled into just one Nihongo So Matome book. It will only take you only six weeks to get all the knowledge you need to pass your first JLPT exam. If you'd like to complete this book within six weeks, you'll have to learn two pages per day. The first two weeks focus on kanji and vocabulary. From the third to the fifth week, you'll learn all the grammar and reading skills required for the N5. Then, the last week will only contain listening exercises.
The Nihongo So Matome series follows all of the different JLPT levels. Vocabulary, kanji, reading, listening, and grammar are organized according to their JLPT exams' appearance. This collection offers you a consistent method to not review things you have already learned, which saves you lots of time while studying.
There are two Nihongo So Matome books to cover the JLPT N4. Once again, you will be able to practice all the N4 material in 6 weeks. The first book focuses on the 200 kanji characters and 300 words often used in JLPT N4 tests. The second book contains four weeks of grammar lessons, a week of reading exercises, and a week of listening training.
You will need five textbooks to learn all you have to know to pass the JLPT N3 test. Every book is divided into six weekly chapters of 7 daily lessons. With this method, you will only need to learn 3 to 4 sentence structures, eight kanji, and more than 20 words per day. The reading comprehension book also contains one daily text. The listening comprehension book offers audio exercises that will challenge your understanding skills.
It takes eight weeks to master all the Japanese language skills required to pass the JLPT N2. This is a little longer than the 6 weeks usual six weeks for previous levels, but the program is much more in depth. In only two months, you will learn 400 kanji and 1400 words through the provision of short sentences and illustrations. The five N2 books are the perfect weapon to pass the JLPT N2 exam serenely.
You will learn more than twenty words a day in an efficient way with the Nihongo So Matome Vocabulary books. Each lesson has pictures and includes common expressions using the new vocabulary terms. Exercises included in these lessons will allow you to learn sentence structures and to practice reading in Japanese. These books are perfect for strengthening your reading and kanji skills.
Kanji is the hardest part of Japanese language learning. International students need to be patient to master them. Yet, Nihongo So Matome Kanji books use a method that allows you to learn all joyo kanji required for JLPT N1 in just a few months. To help you learn quicker, these books group kanji and kanji combinations thematically. At the end of every chapter, you will review all the Japanese characters you have studied during the week.
A collection of three books that provides even more in-depth exercises to prepare JLPT N4. One of the three books focusing on N4 and N5 kanji learning. In contrast, the two others offer new exercises to memorize the vocabulary and grammar of the N4.
A collection of four books will help you boost your Japanese vocabulary, grammar, and kanji skills in a fun and easily digestible format you can practice every day. These books are structured into daily and weekly lessons.
Still I think Sou matome is a good set of textbooks for establishing some ground in the language, but I will also do lots of practice questions to train myself in the various shapes and forms the questions can be presented.
Hi, to update this thread, I passed my JLPT N3 written in Dec 2015 using the complete set of N3 Soumatome books as well as the practice test papers mentioned above. A sigh of relief and I will look forward to N2 now.
Which kanji should you start with? How about the daily use kanji? You can find a list of them online easily enough. Or get a book like Nihongo Sou Matome for the N5 or N4 and start with those. Just stop putting it off and get started!
The last three chapters introduce words that look similar. It is the まとめて覚えましょう approach of So-matome. For example, you will learn all the N2 words that contain the kanji 物, the kanji 日, and so on. You will also learn together words that have a similar meaning or you will learn the different meanings that a single word can have depending on the context.
While the So-matome has a pleasant layout and is easy to study with, it does not introduce enough words. It does introduce a little of everything (adverbs, onomatopoeia, idiomatic expressions, and so on), but it does not cover all you need to know to pass N2.
I want to stress that you have several serious exercises coming with each lesson (contrary to So-matome which had interesting exercises coming only once per chapter). I think that you will have a solid preparation for the JLPT.
Be careful that the lessons are huge in terms of new words count. Most lessons introduce up to 60 words (twice as many as a lesson of So-matome)! It will also take you some time and energy to go through all the exercises. This is something that you should keep in mind when you are designing your study plan. You will certainly need more time than you think to go through the whole textbook.
Each lesson corresponds to a theme, and I think that this is the best point of this method: the authors made a real effort to group the kanji by topics so that you can remember them more easily. Personally, I think that it works.
It is interesting to note that the textbook does not give the core meaning (or any meaning at all) for the kanji. The only thing you get is the translation of the words containing this kanji. It personally suited the way I learn the kanji (exclusively in words, not by themselves), but it might be frustrating if you are used to learning your kanji with its core meaning. In this case, you will have to use extra resources like a kanji dictionary.
Each lesson of new kanji comes with some exercises, but they are not enough to prepare you for the test. The lesson of exercises (the 7th lesson) that comes at the end of each chapters does contain JLPT questions.
The So-matome adopts a light formula, and is perfect if kanji is not your thing. The way kanji are grouped together is great, the illustrations are also useful to remember some words, and overall, it was pleasant to go through the lessons (rather than a list of kanji). I also liked how they focus on introducing the kanji in context, it really suited the way I like to learn the kanji.
The Shin Kanzen textbook for kanji is very peculiar. The main part of the book is composed of exercises only. There are two separate booklets, one with the list of 1046 kanji that you somehow have to learn on your own, and one with the answers to the exercises.
What is great in this textbook is the main part: the exercises. Once you have remembered the kanji of the list, you can test your knowledge with interesting and unique exercises. Each section has a double page of exercises, but they are not, for the most part, JLPT questions.
However, I love the exercises. It feels a little schoolish to be honest, but I think that this is the reason why I like them. I am not sure whether they are the best way to prepare for the JLPT, but they certainly are a good way to test your knowledge of kanji.
To sum up, this textbook is challenging, you have to learn a list of kanji in alphabetical order. The exercises will also ask you to write some of them. It is a good method if you like playing around with kanji and are looking for exercises. If you find it hard to remember the kanji on their own and need more context, then go for the So-matome.
Each lesson comes with a double page of exercises that are similar to JLPT typical questions. These questions are often tricky and are an excellent preparation for the JLPT. Same as for vocabulary, I would like to stress that you have a whole set of great exercise coming with each lesson. (So-matome has this kind of exercises only once per chapter).
In comparison with the So-matome, the Shin Kanzen has more grammar points, more explanations, more example sentences and more exercises. It is way better in every aspect. The only thing that I like more in So-matome is that they give an equivalent in easier Japanese.
My own experience is that I got 60 points at reading when I took the test in July after my preparation with So-matome. And I got 59 points in December after having gone through the Shin Kanzen. No matter which textbook I chose, I got a good mark because I was reading a lot in Japanese outside of my JLPT preparation.
In other words, So-matome helps you to learn how to read difficult texts in Japanese. The step-by-step guideline is there to prepare you to read the text (first learn key vocabulary, then read a dialogue about the topic, then read the text). On the contrary, Shin Kanzen helps you to answer the JLPT questions. The step-by-step guideline is here to prepare you to answer the questions (first read the text, then learn how to extract important information). You also have a lot of texts that you must answer on your own.
I would say that the Shin Kanzen is more thorough, it has a lot of exercises and a strategic approach to the JLPT. I have a personal preference for the Shin Kanzen when it comes to content, but here again, So-matome has a more pleasant layout and is easier to go through.
To me, the Shin Kanzen series is a much better series to prepare for the JLPT than the So-matome. It is perfect for learners who really want or need to pass the test or students who major in Japanese.
However, we are not all willing to spend hours studying Japanese. Some of us would like to pass the JLPT, yes, but will never sacrifice the fun and joy of language learning to it. You might be learning Japanese as a hobby and take the test to check out your level or get additional motivation. Maybe you cannot afford to spend several hours per week to study Japanese. So-matome is designed for self-taught learners and fits a wide range of learners and learning styles.
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