<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>So, our AP Japanese scores are finally here. How did you all do? Did you find the test difficult, and in what areas? </p>
<p>I received a 5! I found the test much easier than I had anticipated, but I did live a year in Japan (fully immersed) two years prior to this test.
Still, I studied like a machine to work my Japanese muscles, and I know it helped me immensely. Unfortunately, study material for the AP Japanese exam is scarce. I'm making this thread in hopes of helping future test takers succeed at AP Japanese by compiling tips, advice, and study sources here. Please feel free to contribute!</p>
<p>--- LISTENING ---</p>
<ul>
<li>I listened to a TuneIn Station called Books A-Z, which gives short reviews of books and excerpts from the text in Japanese, whenever I had free time (doing chores, walking home, etc). The host's voice is nice to listen to, and her speed is similar to that of the exam's audio samples.
********** (<a href="http://tunein.com/radio/books-A-to-Z-p416148/">http://tunein.com/radio/books-A-to-Z-p416148/</a>)</li>
</ul>
<p>I also listened to Japanese live action dramas while I drew or did my homework. No subtitles! Getting used to native speed is the important part here. And don't listen to anime... seriously. Real people do not talk like that.</p>
<p>--- READING ---</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I don't remember if the articles on the exam had spaces between characters. Regardless, practicing reading Japanese hiragana and katakana quickly is essential in a timed situation.
A short google search resulted in lots of "hiragana sentence practice" results, such as this website:
********** (<a href="http://sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/sp/lessonj/doc/Jsentences.html">http://sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/sp/lessonj/doc/Jsentences.html</a>)</p></li>
<li><p>Much of the kanji that I encountered on the test was kanji I had learned during my year abroad -- nevertheless, I found this website's list of the 410 AP kanji very useful:
********** (<a href="http://www.apjapanese.net/ap-kanji-list/">http://www.apjapanese.net/ap-kanji-list/</a>) </p></li>
</ul>
<p>--- SPEAKING ---</p>
<p>Speaking is probably the hardest part. I know I did the conversational bit just fine, but the two minute speech destroyed me. I spent my entire plan time drafting a speech and read it as slowly as I could, but by the time I finished reading, only one minute had elapsed. I was dead silent or blurting random sentences that were sorta repetitive for the next 60 seconds.</p>
<p>I had my year long study abroad in a Japanese school and household to thank for my speaking skills and pronunciation, but not everyone has this opportunity. If you have a Japanese penpal or teacher, schedule a time to meet with them over Skype or at a cafe and just practice speaking. It will come easier than you think! And once you're comfortable with this, the test will come more easily.</p>
<p>--- WRITING ---</p>
<ul>
<li>Probably my biggest and most important study source: Lang-8, a diary site where native speakers edit your entries. I practiced my "compare and contrast" responses by looking up old prompts and timing myself, then posting it for feedback. People submit edits to your entries within minutes, and everyone is generally friendly and supportive. </li>
</ul>
<p>********** (<a href="http://lang-8.com/">http://lang-8.com/</a>)</p>
<p>This is the BEST study source I can offer you. My first entries, from when I was a beginner (years before my Japan trip), were rocky because I was getting used to typing in Japanese and forming coherent sentences. But I kept it up, entering one or two diaries a week, and by the time I left my writing had improved tenfold. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SITE!</p>
<p>So, does anyone have anything else to add? Comments, or advice?</p>
