I passed N2 last year. Copying my comment from the last time I saw this question.
> 1) The 新完全マスター I recognized a few things on the test that I had picked up from these books. They've also been highly recommended by basically all my Japanese teachers, and everybody I know who has taken the test. In my opinion they are as close to accurately reflecting the test as you can get.
2) This Japanese app, which is simply called "Japanese." (App Store, Google Play). This app has been incredible for me. It's free, offline, very comprehensive, and allows you to make vocab lists and gives you the option to study them in order or through SRS (Spaced Repetition System). I used it together with the 新完全マスター books. At the beginning of each chapter of 漢字, 文法, or 語彙, I'd scan for any word I wasn't familiar with, and create a vocab list of them. Then I'd use the app's SRS function to familiarize myself with all the words from the chapter. Once I'd completed it, I'd tackle the chapter, rinse, and repeat. This method was very effective for me.
3) Japanese news podcasts. This one features commentary and some back and forth between the announcers, and this one is just straight up news. Both are updated daily. I know these aren't made for the N2, but for me, I listen to them whenever I go out for walks, or am commuting somewhere. I find myself surprised, and a little satisfied, that words I have recently studied seem to pop up, and that feeling really helps to motivate me to continue to study.
4) I didn't use this quite as much, but I've seen this YouTube series posted here before. I think it's helpful for a lot of people, so I'm including it here
One thing I hadn’t mentioned last time is reading. My boss got me this book recently, which I think would have further improved my score had I incorporated it into my study before the test. It has short stories and essays from some of Japan’s most famous authors. All kanji has furigana, and as you look at the book you have Japanese on the right page with English definitions or colloquial explanations on the right. It also comes with a cd on which a professional voice actor reads the stories at native speed, which can further help with listening. I’ve heard people say “furigana won’t help you learn kanji,” but I’d say this book is not for kanji practice. It’s for reading practice, which is another important part of the test. You can practice kanji separately, using items 1 and 2 in this comment. be sure to read the “How to use this book” bit at the beginning so you can understand how to take full advantage of it.
Also just wanna say: Fuck anybody who laughs at you for expressing your ambitions. You sound like you’re committed to working hard to achieve your goal. If you do, even if you fail, I’m sure you’ll have improved your ability a great deal, and that’s the most important thing. Don’t let others tell you that the finish line is too far away, Just keep moving in the same direction and you’ll get to where you’ll want to be.
Other make sure you get lots of quality sleep for at least a few days leading up to the test. Stay hydrated, but don’t drink too much beforehand. It’s a long test, and you don’t want to be thinking about how much you want to piss while you’re taking it. Eat a good breakfast that won’t give you gas. Bring extra pencils and a high-quality eraser. Dress comfortably, knowing that even if the weather is hot, the test room air conditioning could make the room chilly. Bring a snack in case you get hungry between the kanji/vocab/grammar/reading portion and the listening portion. Stay relaxed, and understand that regardless of the outcome, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are, which is something you deserve to be proud of.
Good luck!
by aardvarkinspace 2019-07-21
I haven't read either of those, but similar sounding Read Real Japanese Fiction one I did enjoy. The stories are contemporary and though I wasn't a fan of all of them, there was a good variety of styles. I just got the Essay version of the book, but haven't started it yet (I have a bad habit of buying more books than I have time to read). Once I have caught up on my pile may check out the ones you listed. I am trying to just read native material more, but sometimes I want a bit more hand holding and not having to look up things on my phone.
I passed N2 last year. Copying my comment from the last time I saw this question.
> 1) The 新完全マスター I recognized a few things on the test that I had picked up from these books. They've also been highly recommended by basically all my Japanese teachers, and everybody I know who has taken the test. In my opinion they are as close to accurately reflecting the test as you can get. 2) This Japanese app, which is simply called "Japanese." (App Store, Google Play). This app has been incredible for me. It's free, offline, very comprehensive, and allows you to make vocab lists and gives you the option to study them in order or through SRS (Spaced Repetition System). I used it together with the 新完全マスター books. At the beginning of each chapter of 漢字, 文法, or 語彙, I'd scan for any word I wasn't familiar with, and create a vocab list of them. Then I'd use the app's SRS function to familiarize myself with all the words from the chapter. Once I'd completed it, I'd tackle the chapter, rinse, and repeat. This method was very effective for me. 3) Japanese news podcasts. This one features commentary and some back and forth between the announcers, and this one is just straight up news. Both are updated daily. I know these aren't made for the N2, but for me, I listen to them whenever I go out for walks, or am commuting somewhere. I find myself surprised, and a little satisfied, that words I have recently studied seem to pop up, and that feeling really helps to motivate me to continue to study. 4) I didn't use this quite as much, but I've seen this YouTube series posted here before. I think it's helpful for a lot of people, so I'm including it here
One thing I hadn’t mentioned last time is reading. My boss got me this book recently, which I think would have further improved my score had I incorporated it into my study before the test. It has short stories and essays from some of Japan’s most famous authors. All kanji has furigana, and as you look at the book you have Japanese on the right page with English definitions or colloquial explanations on the right. It also comes with a cd on which a professional voice actor reads the stories at native speed, which can further help with listening. I’ve heard people say “furigana won’t help you learn kanji,” but I’d say this book is not for kanji practice. It’s for reading practice, which is another important part of the test. You can practice kanji separately, using items 1 and 2 in this comment. be sure to read the “How to use this book” bit at the beginning so you can understand how to take full advantage of it.
Also just wanna say: Fuck anybody who laughs at you for expressing your ambitions. You sound like you’re committed to working hard to achieve your goal. If you do, even if you fail, I’m sure you’ll have improved your ability a great deal, and that’s the most important thing. Don’t let others tell you that the finish line is too far away, Just keep moving in the same direction and you’ll get to where you’ll want to be.
Other make sure you get lots of quality sleep for at least a few days leading up to the test. Stay hydrated, but don’t drink too much beforehand. It’s a long test, and you don’t want to be thinking about how much you want to piss while you’re taking it. Eat a good breakfast that won’t give you gas. Bring extra pencils and a high-quality eraser. Dress comfortably, knowing that even if the weather is hot, the test room air conditioning could make the room chilly. Bring a snack in case you get hungry between the kanji/vocab/grammar/reading portion and the listening portion. Stay relaxed, and understand that regardless of the outcome, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are, which is something you deserve to be proud of.
Good luck!
I haven't read either of those, but similar sounding Read Real Japanese Fiction one I did enjoy. The stories are contemporary and though I wasn't a fan of all of them, there was a good variety of styles. I just got the Essay version of the book, but haven't started it yet (I have a bad habit of buying more books than I have time to read). Once I have caught up on my pile may check out the ones you listed. I am trying to just read native material more, but sometimes I want a bit more hand holding and not having to look up things on my phone.