Japanese Language
What the exam tests
Japanese Language tests modern Japanese reading, kanji and vocabulary, grammar, classical Japanese (kobun), and expression. It asks for precise paraphrase, identification of the writer's logic, and correct classical interpretation.
Core rules
- Modern reading: track paragraph function and the relationship between demonstratives such as kore and sore and their referents.
- Kanji: learn readings in compounds; distinguish on-yomi and kun-yomi.
- Grammar: particles mark case; honorifics depend on subject, object, and social relation.
- Classical: conjugation, auxiliaries, and honorifics; identify the subject from context.
- Expression: organize a clear claim, evidence, and conclusion.
Worked example
In the classical phrase mukashi, otoko arikeri, the auxiliary keri follows the ren'yo form ari and marks past recollection. Here it indicates that there was a man long ago. Reasoning: identify the auxiliary, its attachment, and its function; do not translate word-for-word without checking classical tense and aspect.
Traps
Reading kanji by guess; ignoring the referent of demonstratives; mixing sonkeigo and kenjogo; treating classical auxiliaries as modern tense; and writing an essay without answering the prompt. In classical Japanese, confirm the subject and the auxiliary's meaning before paraphrasing.