Japan’s Vocabulary Power: 19% of Private University Students at Middle School Level

From Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo News:

It was found that the vocabulary strength of Japan’s university students is decreasing in a survey of major universities and 2-year colleges. The survey, conducted by independent government-run organization Media Education Development Center (Located in Chiba City), found that 19% of private university students and 35% of 2-year college students have the vocabulary of “a middle school student’s level.” An increasing number of universities are instituting classes or supplemental courses such as “Japanese Techniques” or “Japanese Communication Practice,” but this survey underscores colleges’ unease about this issue.

Professor Hiroshi Ono and others at the Center conducted a preparatory survey of approximately 20,000 middle and high school students. Based on those results, they rated college students’ Japanese skill from “first-year of middle school” to “better than 3rd-year of high school.”

For the survey, the Center created a “Japanese Skill Diagnostic Test”, a multiple-choice format test in which takers must choose the correct meaning of 75 words, since it is possible to decipher the “speaking, writing, and reading skills” that make up “Japanese skill” based on the richness of a person’s vocabulary. 7052 freshman at 19 universities, 6 2-year colleges, and a national college of technology (a total of 26 schools) took the test, and their levels were determined by comparing them to the preparatory survey.

The results? The percentage of students at national public universities (3 schools) who were under “3rd year of middle school,” meaning they didn’t understand words like “鶴の一声” (Tsuru no hitokoe = voice of authority/ word from the top) and “露骨に” (rokotsu ni = frank/conspicuous/broad), was 6%, but at private universities (16 schools) that number jumped to 19%. 35% or more than one third of 2-year college students were at a middle school level. The number stopped at 4% for the national college of technology students.

It is necessary to have high school level Japanese in order to understand a college class. In a similar survey conducted from 1998-2000, the rates of middle school level Japanese were 0.3% at national public universities, 6.8% at private universities, and 18.7% at 2-year colleges. The decline in vocabulary skill is striking.

Professor Ono said of the survey, “On top of the relaxed education policy and the decline in reading among students, Admissions Office Policies that do not require major-specific exams and recommendation admission (practice of high schools making deals with universities to accept a certain number of students each year) are creating a situation where a diverse group of students are mixed together at private universities. At 2-year colleges as well there is a worry that students won’t be properly educated without supplemental Japanese classes.” (Yukiko Motomura Reporting)

Click below to test YOUR Japanese (I stopped at Chu-2 🙁 )! あなたの語彙力を判定しよう！下をクリックしてください。

　　◇各レベルの代表的な例題◇
（正しい意味を五つの選択肢から選ぶ）
＜中１＞重視　（１）重たいこと（２）大事だと考えること（３）目が疲れること（４）見えにくいこと（５）じっと見ること
＜中２＞さじを投げる　（１）ひどく怒る（２）乱暴な様子（３）非常識（４）あきらめる（５）好き嫌いをする
＜中３＞一目置く　（１）周囲をみわたすうちに目を留める（２）検分していた目を休める（３）大勢で特定の人物を凝視する（４）相手の目をじっと見て真意を確かめる（５）相手を自分より優れたものと認める
＜高１＞露骨に　（１）ためらいがちに（２）おおげさに（３）あらわに（４）下品に（５）ひそかに
＜高２＞奔走する　（１）逃げ出す（２）競争する（３）忙しく立ち回る（４）無駄な努力をする（５）大変な目にあう
＜高３以上＞嫡流　（１）激しい流れ（２）正当な流れ（３）清らかな流れ（４）よどんだ流れ（５）亜流
＜同＞憂える　（１）うとましく思う（２）たじろぐ（３）喜ぶ（４）心配する（５）進歩する
＜同＞懐柔する　（１）賄賂（わいろ）をもらう（２）気持ちを落ち着ける（３）優しくいたわる（４）手なずける（５）抱きしめる

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（毎日新聞） – 6月8日3時11分更新