Hi,
I think that you should take time to immerse yourself in Japanese-- podcasts focussing on 'Slow Japanese' are abundant on Spotify and YouTube. Listening to JLPT N5/N4 Listening (there are plenty on YouTube) could also be helpful, especially because the length of individual questions are short and functions as a mini-quiz.
Shadowing can also be quite helpful after you've listened to the same audio clip many times. Repeat exactly what the speaker is saying almost at the same time.
@Lemonade_222 hiii, I saw that you got an incredible score for Japanese Second Language back in 2022. Iโm currently taking the 1/2 and will be moving onto the 3/4 next year, I have no Japanese background and picked up the language three years ago. I studied abroad in Japan for a summer holiday and managed to pick up on listening quite well but still am not amazing at VCE style oral. Iโve tried writing as much as I can but I find it super hard to determine whether how Iโm writing is enough to achieve a really high score in year 12, as I feel my standards at the school are quite low and the assessor will award really high marks to those who write exceptionally. I really want to achieve a raw 40+ as itโs probably going to save my ATAR . In terms of writing, do you think you could give me an idea of what the top achievers wrote like to gain such high marks? Also, do you have any other tips or suggestions especially since I am not a native speaker? Thank you 
sopiadavo
Hiii sorry for the late response,
For the oral component (yes it is a bit scary), as long as you have a broad understanding on how to respond to questions it would be pretty okay. I would suggest writing out the questions that you may be asked (for high marks, think of like every scenario possible) and write a response for it and memorise it (non native speakers find this strategy good) so you're confident with the answers that you would respond with. To do this, you can make physical cue cards, Anki flash cards etc and maybe get a friend that also does Japanese to help you simulate the oral component.
In terms of writing, I know that for text types such as speeches and articles, high achieving students usually have a small introduction (brief short intro to introduce your topic) and have another 2-3 paragraphs (not too large as well) and a short conclusion at the end to summarise the topic. Also the grammar patterns in the study design would be extremely helpful so that the writing piece can flow nicely and remember to use the kanjis that are listed on the study design as well.
I know a lot of non native speakers said that text types such as diaries and letters are their least favourite due to the plain form used, so maybe practice plain form just incase it comes up in the writing response. Do multiple writing tasks so you can find a particular structure/pattern on how to write nicely for each of the assigned text types so you can achieve good marks!!
Note: About achieving a raw 40+ , I think the best score to achieve would be around 37-43 because those are the marks that give you the best scaling results
I hope that helps, Feel free to ask more questions if needed!
hi! just wondering what the oral is like cause mine is in less than 2 weeks. I had a practice oral and found it difficult to include the content I prepared because the assessors may not ask for it 
doro
Hi!
It's been 2 years so I may have forgot the extremely small details of the oral but I'm sure I can help!
Yea, it's a bit hard with orals because you really don't know what the assessors are going to ask you. But usually the main topics for general conversation (I'm sure you've gone over them in class) are like family, school, hobbies, why you're studying Japanese etc. From what I know of, the assessors really like going into detail with anything that you have mentioned in your response so try avoiding responses that you're not comfortable with and try to divert the conversation to a topic that you can comfortably talk about.
With the discussion component, Im not sure if it's too late but may be worth to start if you haven't, to list out all the possible questions that the assessor could ask (literally every possible question) and have some response to it so you can be prepared when the assessor asks you these questions. Same with general conversation, if the assessors do ask you something that you have not prepared for, divert the topic to something you are confident with. Answer the assessor's question broadly and quickly divert it to the topic you are confident with to ensure that the assessors don't ask you too much about the content you're not confident in.
Advice: Try and the lead the conversation/discussion to ensure that you can talk about the topics/content that you're confident in, allowing you to perhaps do well in your oral!!
Note: The assessors take turns in asking questions so sometimes the topics may not link to one another :/
Hope that helps!!!
Lemonade_222 Thank you so much for your reply! Your feedback is really assuring and Iโll try my best once again thank you!!
Hello,
I'm starting Unit 3/4 Jap SL next year. I've written a sample essay. It would be really helpful if anyone could provide some feedback (what I did right / what I did wrong / how I can improve / how many marks I would get). Thx in advance :3
Here is my essay:
During the summer holidays, you had a meal with your family at a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne and took the photograph below (a Jap lunch set). Japanese food is known as healthy diet. Write an informative essay that describes Japanese food and explains the benefits of eating a healthy Japanese diet. Your Japanese teacher will read the essay.
ใใใๆฅๆฌ้ฃ
ใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใใ ใ ใๅๅ
ใๅคไผใฟใซๅฎถๆใจไธ็ทใซใๆฅๆฌใฎๆฃฎใใจใใใกใซใใซใณใซใใๆๅใชๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฌในใใฉใณใง้ฃไบใใใพใใใใ้ฃฏใ้ญใ้่ใชใฉใ้ฃในใฆใใใใ็พๅณใใใจๆใใพใใใ
ใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฏๅฅๅบท็ใงไฝใซใใ้ฃไบใจใใฆ็ฅใใใฆใใพใใใใชใใงใใใใใๆฅๆฌใซไฝใใงใใๅไบบใซใใใจใไธปใช็็ฑใฏๆฅๆฌ้ฃใซใฏไฝใซๆชใๆๆใฎไปฃใใใซใ้่ใ้ญใ็ฑณใชใฉใฎใใซใทใผใงๆฐ้ฎฎใชๆๆใไฝฟใใใใใจใ ใใใงใใไพใใฐใใฌในใใฉใณใง้ฃในใๆ็ใซใฏๆ ้คใฎ้ซใๆๆใใใใใๅซใพใใพใใใ
ใๆดใซใใชใตใผใใซใใใจใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฏใจใใซใใ็ ใๅฟใใ็ ใชใฉใฎ็ ๆฐใ้ฒใใใจใใงใใใจ่จใใใฆใใพใใใชใตใผใใฏใๆฏๆฅๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใไบบใฎ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ ใฎๆนใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใชใไบบใใๅฅๅบทใใใใใจ่จใใพใใใ็งใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใใฐ้ฃในใใปใฉใๅฅๅบทใใใใชใใจๆใใพใใ
ใๅ จไฝ็ใซใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฏใใใใใ ใใงใชใใไฝใซใใใงใใ
Really good grammar variety and vocab, also good statistics and use of sources
Just a few things, Iโm no expert but these are just stuff which stood out to me
ใ็พๅณใใใจๆใใพใใใ rather than saying this, the food being delicious is an opinion, not a thought, itโs a judgment made after eating the food, so I think itโd be better to just say ใ็พๅณใใใฃใใงใใ
ใใจใใฆ ใnot exactly sure, but I donโt think thatโs the right usage of this here, but double check with someone else. Pretty sure itโs only used for something which is expected or definitely true due to a role etc. e.g ใ็ๅพใจใใฆๅถๆใ็ใชใใใฐใชใใพใใใagain, not sure
ใไฝฟใใใใใจใ ใใใงใ, you asked your friends, but right now you are saying you โheard it is usedโ. Also, verb plain form๏ผใใใงใ is a grammar point, so theใใจใ is unnecessary. Maybe ไฝฟใใใฆใใพใ is better
ๆดใซ, the kanji is unnecessary
Instead of ใชใตใผใ, I think you should use the actual word ็ ็ฉถ
ใ็ ๆฐใ้ฒใใใจใใงใใใจ่จใใใฆใใพใใใโ>ใ็ ๆฐใ้ฒใใใจ่จใใใฆใใพใใ it was a bit to complicated and assessors would find it hard to read
ใใๆฏๆฅๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใไบบใฎ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ ใฎๆนใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใชใไบบใใๅฅๅบทใใใใใจ่จใใพใใใใโ> ใใๆฏๆฅๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใไบบใฎ90๏ผ ใฏใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใ้ฃในใชใไบบใใๅ ๆฐใงใใใพใใใจ่จใใใพใใใ
Everything else is fine, would just make the conclusion longer, at least 2 sentences.
Just remember structure and being concise is most important for assessors. Even if you donโt use complex grammar in every sentence, as long as you include it 3-4 times you will receive higher marks. The last thing assessors want is a tough essay to read.
But really good essay,
I think it would get you a 7-8/10
T33M0M41N It would be a better essay if you explained what ไธๆฑไธ่ is.
sopiadavo I don't think I would ใจใใฆ, I would use ใ ใจใ
https://jlptsensei.com/learn-japanese-grammar/%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6-toshite-meaning/
the link above explains the ใจใใฆ grammar point.
T33M0M41N
So sorry for the late response,
I have read your essay and would suggest a few things adding on to what the others had suggested:
Instead of the title being ๆฅๆฌ้ฃ, preferably a better creative title should be put in place as VCE assessors would be getting sick of seeing the same title over and over again (by using an interesting title, it could give a good impression for the assesors)
ใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฏๅฅๅบท็ใงไฝใซใใ้ฃไบใจใใฆ็ฅใใใฆใใพใใใใชใใงใใใใใใThis sentence is phrased a bit weirdly so I suggest rephrasing it to something like ใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฏๅฅๅบท็ใงไฝใซใใ้ฃไบใจ็ฅใใใฆใใพใใใใใใฏใชใใงใใใใใใ
ใไธปใช็็ฑใฏๆฅๆฌ้ฃใซใฏใis repetitive with 2 ใใฏใso rephrasing it to something like ใไธปใช็็ฑใจใใฆใๆฅๆฌ้ฃใฏไฝใซๆชใๆๆใใใใwould be better
ใ้่ใ้ญใ็ฑณใcan be listed as ใ้่ใ้ญใ็ฑณใ
ใไฝฟใใใใใจใ ใใใงใใ-> ใไฝฟใใใใใใ ใใใงใใ
Everything else is mentioned by sopiadavo
But yea pretty good essay, Great job!!