Study Methods

60-min study loop, lesson plans, unit strategies

3 methods

60-Minute Study Loop

methodologyboth60 min

The most efficient way to get to N4 quickly. It works because input and output are combined — reading alone is not enough.

01Grammar Startup15 min
Grammar startup
- Review the grammar explanation for the lesson
- The point is not to memorise rules but to understand the examples
- e.g. 「これは明日会議で使う資料です」— see how a plain-form verb can modify a noun directly
02Text Reading20 min
Close reading
- First pass: read silently for the general sense
- Second pass: read along with the audio, imitating pitch and rhythm
- Third pass: read aloud, spotting where the grammar point appears in real dialogue
03Active Output25 min
Active output
- This is the step that matters. Do the exercises straight away
- Fill-in-the-blank and sentence-building questions are N4 exam questions in miniature
- Do not just read the answers — write them out
- Check your mistakes and work out why they were wrong

unit-planN4

After finishing four lessons, do unit-level practice to tie what you have learned together.

In "New Standard Japanese" every four lessons form a unit, and each unit ends with reading material, conversation listening, and combined exercises
Listening block (15 min): work through the practical scene dialogues at the end of the unit
Reading block (20 min): read the short passage for both plot and cultural context
e.g. after unit 7 (lessons 25-28), read "The People of the Beijing Branch" and listen to the "finding an apartment" dialogue

exam-prepN4

How to revise in the last one to two weeks.

Vocabulary drilling: review one unit of vocabulary a day (use this site’s audio and flashcards)
Verb review: work through one column of verb conjugation a day (te-form, nai-form, potential form)
This is the heart of N4 — it has to be automatic
Mock papers are the best way to test what you have learned and get used to the exam format