(Editor’s note: Chaz Plager graduated from Palisades High School in June. His first story for CTN was as an eighth grader at Paul Revere Middle School in 2020 click here. )
Chaz Plager in Japan to take the National Language Proficiency Test.
By CHAZ PLAGER
Konan Engineering College, July 7, noon, 93 degrees Fahrenheit, 75% humidity. I’m standing outside Campus Building 9, sweating my skin off, going through my phone to check my notes. Why would any sane person be doing that? To take the 日本語能力試験—- sorry, National Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
I started studying Japanese myself about three years ago, right as COVID lockdowns hit. I did it for the extremely shallow reason of being able to watch anime without subtitles. I didn’t expect it to take me anywhere. But as I kept studying, I realized that it was not only fun, but interesting. There was great satisfaction in being able to read something and immediately understand what it meant.
COVID lockdowns ended, and I was left with less time to study, so I ended up slacking off for a long time. However, in March of 2023, I caught wind of an exchange student program that could take me to Japan for a month. “Well, I haven’t studied in a while,” I thought to myself. “I should go and see if I actually like the country, where I’m studying the language.”
I wrote four articles on my experience, where I came to the conclusion of “Yes. Absolutely.” I started studying again with renewed effort (click here.).
My grandmother connected me with a close friend she had in Japan, who called me often to teach me about the language and give me conversational practice. Just studying wasn’t enough, though. I wanted a goal to work towards.
The JLPT is held twice every year worldwide, in winter and summer. It consists of five levels of fluency, N5 being equivalent to a fifth grader’s and N1’s a working adult’s. Most people take a lower-level exam and work their way up to N1.
Me, though? I’m built differently. I signed up for the N2. My first N2 practice test had placed me at around 60%, extremely good for my first time.
Unlike America, Japanese tests are passed at 50%. Surprisingly, it wasn’t just ego—- I was actually capable of doing it. I signed up and spent the next three months studying seriously.
I played almost all my games in Japanese, albeit at an agonizingly slow pace due to having to constantly use a dictionary. I made plans to stay the month of July in Japan with my grandmother’s friend. She and her husband have been endlessly kind to me, and I’ve only made it so far thanks to them.
Fast forward to the day of the exam. I come in and sit down at 12:30 PM, and the exam promptly begins.
We are given a 33-page booklet and an answer sheet. The first part of the test is two hours long, containing problems based on vocabulary, grammar and reading. All questions are multiple choice. Things begin rather smoothly for the first 10 pages, but I soon run into a roadblock. “不平に最も等しい意味を持つ言葉を選んでください. (Please choose the word with a definition most similar to 不平)”. I bite my lip. 不 + 平. “Not/Un-” and “Peace.” So, something that means “not peaceful.”
The closest thing I can find is 文句, “complaint.” I write that down and continue, but it still nags at me. Was 危険 (danger) better?
Ten more pages, and I’m on the reading section. I have to read through a page-long essay, complete with annotations, and choose the answer that best summarizes the author’s intent. My brain is basically fried by this point, but I keep pushing.
The final question, to rub salt in my wounds, gives me the rules for a contest and asks me to choose which participant has followed the rules correctly. I look down at my watch, 2:25 p.m. Five more minutes left on this section.
Okay, it’s definitely not Yan or Rosie. Their submissions are too short. But both Muraki and Hiroshi are following the rules! Why does it matter that Hiroshi’s was shown before? With one minute left, I catch a small line in the middle of the rules. “We are looking for brand new films.” I quickly note down that only Muraki is following the rules and close my booklet as soon as time is called.
All examinees are given a 40-minute break until the beginning of the next session. We are allowed to use our phones during this. I go back through my notes and check my dictionary for 不平. “discontent; dissatisfaction; complaint; grievance.“
I pump my fist in the air. Damn, I’m good!
I take the time to talk to other participants at the test site. Almost none of them speak English— I’m surrounded by Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese.
I talk to three other test takers: Jun, Zach, and Gustavo. Jun is 18 and moved to Japan from the Philippines at age 8. He’s currently preparing for college entrance exams and wanted to have credentials that he does in fact speak Japanese.
“My last name is not Japanese, so I want the N2 to be able to attach it to my resume,” he said. “I am confident in my abilities, but I want to take this before the N1.” Jun claims the N1 is a difficult test even for native speakers.
Zach is from Syria, and currently working towards his second degree. He received an offer from Waseda University to study abroad for four years after his outstanding academic achievements in Syria, which he gladly accepted.
He works part time as an interpreter for the Japanese police, speaking four languages: Turkish, Arabic, English and Japanese. “You will probably have an easier time finding a job than me,” he said with a bitter smile. “They usually only want white people.”
Zach came to take the exam for fun. Yes, really.
Finally, Gustavo is from Venezuela. After escaping from his home country to the United States, a chance meeting at the Boston Career Forum sent him to Japan under an IT company’s payroll. He proved himself hardworking and a quick learner. After the IT company he worked for went suddenly bankrupt, he became stranded in Japan. “I didn’t have any choice but to learn the language and keep pushing.” Nowadays, Gustavo works for a different IT company in Totsuka. He is confident in his language skills, but similar to Jun, wants the skills to prove it.
Faced with these incredible backstories, I felt very insecure that my motivation stemmed from “liking anime too much and it just kind of ended up here.” Gustavo laughed when I told him that. “I wouldn’t worry about your reasons. You seem serious enough, and you have plans for your future.”
The break ended, and the exam continued. The final section was an hour long, testing our listening comprehension. From the overhead speakers, two people would talk to each other, and on our answer sheet, we would have to correctly select what the content of the conversation was.
For example, a man reviewing a movie about military history. If you don’t listen to the full thing, you may incorrectly assume he’s talking about his military service, rather than the movie. Alternatively, we would have to answer what one of the people would do immediately following the conversation, such as go to the station or write a manuscript. This was extremely hard for me.
Coming straight off two hours of examinations, my brain was already very tired, and I found myself unable to fully focus. A question would start, I would blink, and I’d realize I wasn’t really understanding the last 10 seconds of talking. This repeated for a full hour, culminating in a long, meandering chat between two lovers and which order they would visit the exhibits of a museum.
Time was called, and I left the room rather frazzled. While the N2 may allow you to pass with 50% total, should you get more than 2/3rds of any particular section wrong, you immediately fail.
If I had gotten 20 of the 30 listening comprehension questions wrong, I would immediately fail, no matter how well I did on the rest. I turned to Gustavo. How did he think he did?
“Not great. But it’s okay, they’ll curve this test if everyone does well.” Seeing my expression, he tilted his head. “You knew they curve the grading sometimes, right?”
I nodded. Of course I did. (I had no idea.) The N2 exam results will be announced on August 10, 2024. Frankly, though? I feel confident that even if I ended up failing, I surprised myself and those around me with my abilities. I feel reaffirmed in my career path— that is, to someday become an international reporter in Japan.
WOW! I have happily followed Chaz and his reporting through CTN for several years.
He is wonderful! A wonderful example of youth, leadership, success, goal oriented and just a nice all around fellow. Also, with a sense of humor. Good luck to you Chaz in whatever you choose to do.
It is young people such as yourself, that inspire others to strive for the best they can be.
You should be very proud of yourself for all of your accomplishments and fortitude.
Ever think of a career in politics? I would vote for you in a minute…..