do you think this is advisable (self-study ap japan w/o experience)

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
1

<p>well i have a deep desire to learn japanese, i love the language and the culture.
I am wondering if anyone can help me decide to self-study for the AP Japanese test...as sort of a challenge/fun activity.
I am not a native speaker :[ of japanese...or any other asian language, but i am bilingual, so i am familiar with learning other languages and understanding the different nuances of foreign languages.</p>

<p>Does anyone have a success story? Has anyone taken the test/ learned the language? Has anyone every self-studied for an AP test???</p>

2

<p>emm, if you're like my sister and watch japanese animes/tv shows/dramas 5 hours a day and have a native japanese friend who can help you anytime you need help on something, you'll have no absolutely no problem.
My sister did that and found the exam extremely easy.</p>

3

<p>Japanese is actually one of the hardest languages to learn (if not the hardest).</p>

<p>With no experience there's no way you're gonna do good unless you do what classicfreak said.</p>

4

<p>it is possible, but i would recommend two years of self study, for ANY language that you don't have experience with.</p>

5

<p>Well most AP Foreign Languages are the culmination of 5-6 years of study in high school. Most of them are Latin based which makes them more familiar and easier.
The Japanese AP is equivalent to have taken at least 2 years of College level study. Personally i have been studying Japanese for 2 years. I listened to the college board samples of the "stories" that the students tell for the oral exam. As of right now I barely understood them and certainly couldn't tell them.
Unless you are a freshman, don't plan on self studying this AP. No matter how intensely you study you would only be able to do it by senior year if at all. There is not much of a point self studying a language AP senior year because most colleges will want you to take their placement exam anyway.
With that being said, I fully encourage you to study the Japanese language! It's lots of fun, especially if you are interested in language. There's plenty of resources out there to learn from. If you really want to validate your learning and get incentive by studying for a standardized test, check out the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). I took the easiest level (4) and passed last year. It's a nationwide test and would look great on your resume. (if that's what your looking for). It's offered every december. Level 4 is definitely doable in one year of good study. Btw you'd have to learn about 120 kanji and 128 kana (writing system). If you have any questions you can post or pm me. (btw what's your second language?)</p>

6

<p>thanks guys... i'll just wait until college. SIGH*</p>

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<p>wow, someones interested in an asian language for once : ) nice to see interest in homeland</p>

8

<p>I took the AP Japanese exam.</p>

<p>It was difficult. I've been taking japanese since freshman year( i'm a senior; non-native)</p>

9

<p>self-studying a language with which you have NO experience is very hard</p>

10

<p>Self-studying for a language is extremely difficult and will require a lot of work. The best is still to get a teacher, so that he/she can tell you your mistakes (pronunciation) that you won't be able to spot while self-studying.</p>

11

<p>One of the problems I see with the AP exam is that they can only test so much vocab... so they have a very specific vocab list. Even if you learn Japanese from a very good source, learn, say, 10,000 words (about 1/2 the amount for JLPT 1 fluency), then you STILL might not know all of the words for AP Japanese because of the restrictions placed upon the test. I'm at 3rd year level at the #1 ranked university for EALC and Japanese, and even I think that some of the words on the AP lists can get pretty obscure and unreasonable. If there are AP Japanese preparation books (I doubt they are), pick one up and study for a year. You could probably get a 5 with enough work. Otherwise, don't bother.</p>

<p>Also, keep in mind that AP tests aren't the best test for fluency by a longshot and if you give up study just because of a silly test, you probably wouldn't have had enough motivation to become fluent in a very difficult language like Japanese anyway. If you're really serious, then study anyway, and start preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (there are many obscurities on this test, as well, though, and even Japanese people have problems with the 1st level since there are things on the test that no one actually uses in real life). Also, there are many books out there (such as Yokoso) which will teach you pronunciation as well as vocab, so pick up a book like that.</p>

12

<p>Wow that sounds like me:P Im bilingual too (French and English), and I want to study abroad in Japan for a year after senior year (before university). would it be reasonable for me to be able to get a 5 on the AP Japanese exam senior year? I will be taking courses outside of school at a local college, and self studying as well. I cant say i have experience, but i have already learned a bit of japanese (pronunciation, pronours, verb tenses, negative forms, etc).</p>

13

<p>Cantonese is the hardest language to learn</p>

14

<p>For all the Koreans out there... If you're proficient in Korean, Japanese should be pretty easy. I managed to learn Japanese in a 3-4 years because my parents beat Korean into me. lol. </p>

<p>Grammatically, I'd say the majority of it is the same. Just learn the kanji and vocab and you should be set.</p>

<p>In any case, for any non-Koreans that'd like to learn Korean: The writing system is easy and can be taught in 30 minutes. Reading comes with writing, and the only thing that's left is speaking which can be learned in 6 months of study abroad.. soo.. yeah. haha</p>

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<p>i am proficient in korean but i seriously dont see the use in learning japanese unless i am going to work in japan.. highly doubt it since i want to stay in the US</p>