So i'm currently in the process of applying to the Okayama Institute of Languages and i've just had my first interview. The interview went well and I can go through with my application, but something that came up during the application process sparked my interest.
I passed the JLPT N3 last December but because i've been studying on my own without any real structure, i've never actually written any Japanese at all. When I mentioned this during the interview I was told that I should start studying this as soon as possible because if I can't write any Japanese by the time the semester starts, I will be placed in the lowest level class.
That made me wonder, how much time do language schools generally spend on writing Japanese? Does this differ per school or is this similar across the board? Additionally what does it matter if they're not even grading your writing skills?
I kind of assumed that writing wouldn't be as important in my Japanese learning journey since the JLPT doesn't test your writing (most schools focus on this test and i'm not planning to go to a Japanese uni after language school) and I figured that typing on a mobile device/laptop would suffice most of the time in the real world.
For any residents in Japan, how much do you actually write Japanese? Is it mostly just your signature/name for forms or do you actually find yourself writing full on letters/essays in the real world?
Any feedback or advice is appreciated 🙂
by Koolgamery