Blizzardboy | A Kiwi in Australia

MSN’s Mainichi shinbun site has an interesting little story about the growing popularity of Jetro’s Japanese proficiency test in China. There is a certain irony in this given the average Chinese students comments on Japan – while teaching in Xinjiang we heard all sorts of things from “China should develop a missile to destroy Japan”, to “I want to kill all Japanese” from the high school students. Money rules over morals in this case it would appear.

The Jetro test that the article refers to is one of the two main tests of the Japanese language available to foriegners. Held biannually, both in Japan and abroad, the Jetro test is (according to their site):

The BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test (“BJT”) objectively measures and evaluates Japanese communication skills in business situations. The BJT is mainly intended for students and business-related people whose mother tongue is not Japanese, supporting organizations include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and also the economic world.

Applications for the November test closed on October 11. The next test will probably take place in June 2007 with applications being taken in March.

The other test is the yearly Japanese Language Proficiency Test run by JEES. This is the more well known of the two and has four levels. Level four is the easiest and demonstrates a candidate has mastered a basic level of Japanese. Level Two is about the level of a person who has graduated from Junior High School and is useful to pass if one wishes to work and use Japanese at work in Japan. Level one is the equivalent of a University entrance qualification. Applications for this test usually open in early July and run through to early September, with the test taking place in December.

Here is the story: Japanese proficiency test growing popular in China

A Japanese language proficiency test given by the Japan External Trade Organization is gaining popularity in China, as economic relations between the two countries become closer.

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