Lately, I’ve been pretty baffled by sentential grammar 2 (sentence composition) questions. These are those nasty scrambled sentences that come up on the 2nd part of the grammar section of the test. As I was quickly going back through my N2 So-Matome Grammar book, I noticed those questions were the ones I was always getting wrong.
So, I decided to go out and pick up another grammar book to at least get a little bit more practice in before the test. I really don’t want to fail N2 again. I just feel like this is the time to get it passed and get it over with and making a small investment in a book is worth it compared to having to wait another 6 months for the test.
I decided on the New Kanzen Master N2 Grammar book because it was pretty reasonable (only 1200Y) in the book store and seemed pretty through (over 211 grammar points covered). It even has pretty through sections on how to answer the questions for each section of the grammar part of the test. I especially liked the sentence patterns they go over to help you identify how the grammar is actually used.
My initial reaction is that it is an okay book and has good strategies. However, it lacks a lot of through explanations for answers and other things. This seems to be the hallmark of the infamously spartan Kanzen Master series though all the way back to the slim green book they put out for the original 二級 test.
This utter lack of through explanations isn’t a huge problem if you have a tutor or native speaker friend, but for those of you that don’t have that resource (or don’t have a 24h accessible friend), this book can be a little troublesome. I especially don’t like how they don’t give you the entire order for the answer of the scrambled questions, only the answer that goes in the starred space. This means I have to puzzle out the sentence with a native, which is just a waste of time when they could have just as easily printed that in the answers.
Anyway, I’ll be sure to go through the book and give it a through once over with a video review as soon as I can and get that out to everyone.
Distractions – Sometimes you need them
When you are studying, distractions are generally considered a bad idea. Trying to rock out to death metal while doing kanji drills is most likely not going to work out in your favor. Much to your chagrin I’m sure.
I’ve talked before about how multitasking can destroy your concentration because when you multitask you are not actually doing several tasks at once. You are in fact doing little slivers of many things one after another which can in some ways make you ‘dumber’.
But, studying with distractions may actually have some advantages believe it or not. I’m not saying you should try it all the time, but it may increase your score on the test if used in moderation. Let me explain.
The Test – Distraction Central
In the JLPT, you will have distractions galore. There are going to be people sneezing, coughing, shuffling papers, shuffling butts, proctors walking up and down the aisles … The list goes on of all the little things that a might set off a jittery test taker.
Now for some, these distractions are nothing. You eat distractions like this for breakfast. You are the super duper ultra uber focused test taking machine and I personally applaud your great skills. Unfortunately for others (including myself) these distractions could mean a few lost points and a few lost points could mean you not passing the test.
So, it is good to at least practice and be ready for what you might face in the test from time to time. Don’t make this your regular routine, but especially in these last few weeks before the test, you will probably won’t to at least try it out a few times.
Distraction-ful studying
The listening section of the JLPT requires your rapt attention, especially in the quick response section. You only get one listen, so if you miss something that’s it, game over.
You probably do a lot of your listening studying with headphones and some kind of i-thing. I do anyway. This is of course, an incredibly portable and useful way to study, but the listening section of the test will actually be conducted with a stereo system of some kind (sometimes just a simple boombox CD player thing).
Needless to say there is a noticeable step down in quality from headphones to a CD player thing. This difference in quality can be distracting at times, so it might be a good idea to practice with something similar when you are studying.
What I usually do is simply unplug my headphones and use my iPhone’s speaker to play the listening back. You could also use your own CD player thing if you have one handy or even using your cheapy computer speakers will give you the same effect.
I also try to do some of my studying during the busiest part of the day when the trash man is driving around and there are kids playing in the street. This is to help me focus and let go of those annoying little sounds that creep in from time to time because there will be some of this on the test.
Say your Peace
Have you ever gotten distracted during the test? What did you do to stay focused?
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Music by Kevin MacLeod Photo by English106
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