My concrete ("SMART") goal is to take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). They have change the testing system from four levels with a huge gap in the middle, which was always the ultimate hurdle for those studying Japanese, to five levels with a nice new medium level called N3. That is the level i will shoot for this year. I will take the test once in July with the aim to pass (but unlikely) and mostly just to get experience with the test. Then i will take it again in December with the intent to ace it. The JLPT is run by the Japanese government and, like the TOEIC in English, you can take it as many times as you like. Eventually i also want to take the JETRO test, which is the more prestigious test and the one you should have if you want to do serious business here in Japan.
Someone asked me why i wanted to study since i could get by pretty well already. I didn't have an immediate answer to give him and i had to think about it for quite some time. In the next few years i plan to start a business here, so therein lies my real long-term motivation. But also on a more personal level, my wife is Japanese and i want to be able to communicate with her in her native tongue and also to communicate easily and mostly "barrier-free" with her family. Her English is very good, by the way, so we mostly talk in English. This has been a crutch for me for far too long. I want to be able to read the newspaper and magazines and to watch TV without constantly having to ask my wife to explain little things. So that's what it means to me to be able to speak Japanese.
Language is a mental skill, so it needs brain training and knowledge of how skills are acquired (another hobby of mine). It needs practice but it also needs enjoyment. Any intellectual pursuit does if one wants to retain anything. So far that has been relatively easy. The challenge will be to remain engaged and motivated as the readings get more difficult and the grammar gets tougher. Luckily i have good resources and good support. I will also use my hobbies in conjunction with one another, managing and monitoring my progress by what i've learned about time management, the human brain, NLP and applied linguistics. This gives me more than one access point in which to be interested and will hopefully keep my motivation up. Re-reading this blog post occasionally may also push me. It always helps to write out your goals where you can see and review them.
And i'm told that all good goals need a decent plan to succeed. ("He who fails to plan, plans to fail" and all that cal.)
So as part of the strategy/management process i sat down and mind-mapped out a vague idea of my resources, skills goals for studying. Below is just a rough draft to get the ideas out of my head onto paper. A bit daunting but very helpful.
Wish me luck!
Here's my first draft study Mind Map. Since it is just a draft i haven't included timelines or details. I highly recommend the mind mapping tool for anyone out there who is looking to get organized in business or hobby. Check out Tony Buzan's excellent and accessible books on the technique.
Symian is: going to be "pera-pera" in no time!
Currently Reading: ESL/EFL Teaching - Reading and Writing Skills
Currently Listening: Japanesepod101.com podcast
Kanji of the Day: 地図／ちず／map
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