C2への設計Designing C2 Control
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe your Japanese ability across the four skills using precise, self-diagnostic language.
- Name specific grammar, register, and lexical systems from Volume IV that you control confidently, and name specific systems that still need work.
- Discuss recurring patterns in your own errors and explain what tends to cause them.
- Describe your current written and spoken style and identify features you would like to refine.
- State a specialization interest — a professional, academic, or cultural domain — that will guide your Volume V portfolio and research project.
- Set concrete, honestly scoped goals for the volume using appropriate hedging and stance language.
- Read and interpret a diagnostic-style self-assessment text.
- Produce a written and spoken self-diagnostic that will open your Volume V portfolio.
Communication Scenario
エマ has finished her Volume IV capstone project and feature article on workplace dialect use. 山本さん has now invited her to take on a longer-term specialization at the magazine — but before Emma can propose a direction, she needs to take stock of exactly where her Japanese stands: which systems she controls with precision, which ones still slip under pressure, what her own writing sounds like compared to the writers she admires, and which of her recurring mistakes are worth tackling first. This chapter follows Emma through that stock-taking process and asks the learner to complete a parallel self-diagnostic of their own, which will open their own Volume V portfolio.
- The learner listens to Emma describing her diagnostic process to a mentor.
- The learner reads Emma's written self-assessment.
- The learner completes a structured self-diagnostic covering grammar, vocabulary, register, and error patterns.
- The learner writes a short style profile describing their own current spoken and written Japanese.
- The learner states a specialization interest that will guide their Volume V project work.
- The learner sets three honestly scoped goals for the volume, using appropriate hedging and stance language.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports self-diagnosis, planning, and reflection — the language you will need throughout Volume V to describe your own Japanese honestly and precisely. All twelve items below are productive for this chapter.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 診断する | しんだんする | to diagnose, to assess systematically | Diagnostic |
| 弱点 | じゃくてん | weak point, area needing work | Diagnostic |
| 伸びしろ | のびしろ | room to grow, growth potential | Diagnostic |
| 傾向がある | けいこうがある | to have a tendency (to) | Error analysis |
| 言い回し | いいまわし | expression, turn of phrase | Style |
| 文体 | ぶんたい | writing style, prose style | Style |
| 専門分野 | せんもんぶんや | field of specialization | Planning |
| 棚卸しする | たなおろしする | to take stock (of), to inventory | Planning |
| 目標を据える | もくひょうをすえる | to set a goal firmly in place | Planning |
| 見通し | みとおし | outlook, prospect | Planning |
| 現時点で | げんじてんで | at this point, as of now | Reflection |
| 率直に言うと | そっちょくにいうと | to put it frankly | Reflection |
No unscheduled kanji are introduced with these items; each uses kanji already consolidated in Volume IV. This chapter's vocabulary supports self-assessment rather than a new external domain, and should recombine naturally with vocabulary from any Volume IV chapter you choose to revisit.
れんしゅう — Practice: For each of the twelve items above, write one sentence describing your own Japanese ability using that word (for example, 敬語には、まだ弱点があると思う。).
Script and Terminology Focus
This chapter does not introduce new kanji. Instead, it asks you to audit your existing kanji knowledge and begin planning the specialized terminology your Volume V portfolio will require.
Before choosing a specialization for Volume V, it is worth reviewing which kanji compounds you can already read and produce reliably, and which ones you recognize only with furigana support. A simple two-column list — kanji you can produce without support, and kanji you still need furigana for — gives you an honest starting point. As your specialization becomes clearer over the next few chapters, you will begin building a dedicated terminology list for that field; this chapter's audit is the foundation for that list, not the list itself.
れんしゅう — Practice: Choose ten kanji compounds from your Volume IV notes or from Chapter 20's vocabulary. Sort them into two columns — produced without support, and still needing furigana — and note one compound from each column that you expect to use often in your chosen specialization.
Pronunciation Focus
A useful first step in any C2 diagnostic is listening back to a short recording of your own Japanese. Rather than judging the recording generally, listen specifically for mora timing, vowel length, consonant length, and moraic ん — the contrasts prioritized since Volume I — and note whether they stay steady when you speak quickly or under pressure. If you have access to a verified accent dictionary or pronunciation reference, you may also note one or two words whose pitch pattern surprised you, but treat this as a starting observation rather than a requirement to mark every word you say.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter introduces no new grammar paradigm. It authorizes an audit of every grammar, discourse, register, and revision system activated across Volumes I through IV, applied specifically to the task of describing your own language ability. The four patterns below support that self-diagnostic work by combining familiar systems — stance marking, comparison, cause, and goal-setting — in a reflective frame.
1. Framing a self-assessment: 〜という観点から見ると
Purpose: to state which angle or criterion a self-assessment is being made from, recycling nominalization and topic-framing from Volume IV.
- 文法という観点から見ると、受け身と使役はまだ完全には使いこなせていない。From the standpoint of grammar, I still don't have full command of the passive and causative.〜という観点から見ると — framing a criterion for self-assessment
2. Naming a tendency in one's own errors: 〜がちだ / 〜傾向がある
Purpose: to describe a recurring, rather than one-time, pattern in one's own language use.
- 早く話そうとすると、助詞を落としがちだ。When I try to speak quickly, I tend to drop particles.〜がちだ — a recurring tendency under a specific condition
- 書き言葉では丁寧すぎる表現を選ぶ傾向がある。In writing, I have a tendency to choose overly polite expressions.〜傾向がある — naming a general tendency
3. Setting a goal honestly: 〜を目標に据えたいと思う
Purpose: to state a goal with appropriate hedging, avoiding overclaiming about future ability.
- 今学期は、専門分野の語彙を増やすことを目標に据えたいと思う。This term, I'd like to set expanding my specialized vocabulary as a goal.〜を目標に据えたいと思う — stating a goal with hedged commitment
4. Speaking frankly about oneself: 率直に言うと、〜
Purpose: to open an honest, unflattering observation about one's own ability without excessive self-criticism.
- 率直に言うと、敬語はまだ頭で考えながら使っている状態だ。To put it frankly, I'm still using keigo by consciously thinking it through, not automatically.率直に言うと、〜 — honest self-observation without self-criticism
A C2-level self-diagnostic is not a list of compliments to yourself, and it is not a list of complaints either. It is a precise, specific account: which system, in which context, under which condition. "My Japanese needs work" is not useful information. "I tend to drop particles when I speak quickly, but not when I write" is. The patterns above exist to help you reach that level of precision, not to generate polite modesty.
Grammar Practice
- Write a sentence assessing your grammar from a stated angle, using 〜という観点から見ると.
- Write a sentence naming a recurring error tendency, using 〜がちだ or 〜傾向がある.
- Write a sentence setting a hedged goal, using 〜を目標に据えたいと思う.
- Write a sentence opening an honest self-observation, using 率直に言うと、〜.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma discusses her self-diagnostic with 山本さん before proposing a specialization for her ongoing work at the magazine. Polite style, mentor-colleague relationship.
山本さん agrees, and Emma leaves the meeting with a concrete diagnostic and two clear, honestly scoped goals for the term ahead.
ないようりかい — Comprehension check: What does Emma say she has gotten better at? What difference does she notice between her speaking and her writing? What specialization does she propose, and what two goals does she set?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Information extraction. Reread the Model Dialogue and list, in your own words, each of Emma's four diagnostic observations: a grammar strength, a grammar weakness, a speaking tendency, and a writing tendency.
タスク２ — Sentence building. Using your own Japanese ability as the subject, write one original sentence for each of the four components in Task 1, following the grammar patterns from this chapter.
タスク３ — Role reversal. With a partner, take the role of 山本さん and ask a classmate two follow-up questions about their self-diagnostic, based on the kinds of questions asked in the Model Dialogue.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud.
きくタスク — Emma describes her diagnostic process to a mentor
自分の日本語を客観的に見るのは、思ったより難しいことでした。まず、最近書いた文章を読み返して、同じ言い回しを何度も使っていないか確認しました。それから、話しているところを録音して、聞き返してみました。すると、書くときと話すときでは、文体がかなり違うことに気がつきました。この気づきをもとに、今学期の目標を三つに絞りました。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Listen at least twice. (1) What two things did Emma do to assess her own Japanese? (2) What did she notice by comparing her writing and speaking? (3) What did she do with that realization?
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Pattern drill
- ＿＿＿＿＿という観点から見ると、＿＿＿＿＿。 (frame a self-assessment)
- ＿＿＿＿＿がちです。 (name a recurring tendency)
- ＿＿＿＿＿を目標に据えたいと思います。 (state a hedged goal)
- 率直に言うと、＿＿＿＿＿。 (open an honest self-observation)
コミュニケーションタスク — Recording a self-diagnostic
Record a two-to-three-minute spoken self-diagnostic covering: one grammar strength, one grammar weakness, one difference between your speaking and writing, and two goals for this volume. Use at least three of this chapter's grammar patterns.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Listening back
Record yourself answering the question 「今、自分の日本語について、どう思いますか。」 for one minute without preparation. Listen back once for content, and once for mora timing and vowel length, and note one observation from each pass.
Reading Practice
Read Emma's written self-assessment below and complete the questions that follow.
自己診断メモ（抜粋）
文法という観点から見ると、受け身・使役・敬語はある程度使いこなせるようになったが、条件表現（と・ば・たら・なら）は、場面によって使い分けに迷うことがまだ多い。話すときは早口になると助詞を落としがちで、逆に書くときは丁寧すぎる言い回しを選ぶ傾向がある。語彙については、日常的な話題には困らないが、専門分野の語彙はまだ少ない。今学期は、条件表現の使い分けと、地域・社会における言葉の使われ方に関する語彙を増やすことを、二つの目標に据えたいと思う。率直に言うと、この二つを同時に進めるのは簡単ではないだろうが、記事を書きながら少しずつ取り組んでいきたい。
- Which three grammar systems does Emma say she now controls reasonably well?
- What specific difficulty does she still have with conditionals?
- What difference does she note between her spoken and written tendencies?
- What two goals does she set, and what honest limitation does she name about pursuing them together?
Writing Workshop
Complete your own self-diagnostic, which will open your Volume V portfolio.
- Review recent work. Reread two or three pieces of your own Japanese writing from Volume IV, noting repeated expressions or structures.
- Assess your grammar from at least two angles, using 〜という観点から見ると, naming one strength and one weakness.
- Name at least one recurring tendency in your own errors, using 〜がちだ or 〜傾向がある, and specify the condition under which it happens.
- Describe your current style in two or three sentences, comparing your spoken and written Japanese.
- State a specialization interest that will guide your Volume V project work, in one or two sentences.
- Set three honestly scoped goals for the volume, using 〜を目標に据えたいと思う for at least one of them.
- Close with one frank observation using 率直に言うと、〜.
チェックリスト — Self-diagnostic checklist:
- My assessment names specific systems, not just "grammar" or "vocabulary" in general.
- I have named at least one strength and one weakness, not only one or the other.
- My error tendency includes the condition under which it happens.
- My goals are specific enough to check at the end of the volume.
- My tone is precise and honest, not falsely modest or falsely confident.
Culture and Communication
In many Japanese professional and academic settings, a colleague or mentor asking someone to reflect openly on their own strengths and weaknesses, as 山本さん does with Emma, is a normal part of planning new work — not a test designed to catch someone out. A response that names specific weaknesses alongside specific strengths, as Emma's does, is generally seen as more useful and more credible than a response that avoids naming any weakness at all.
Emma's stated interest in regional and social language use previews this volume's Chapter 13, which examines regional, historical, and multilingual Japanese in more depth. Naming a specialization interest early, as Emma does here, does not lock a learner into that topic; it simply gives later chapters' research and portfolio work a clearer direction to build toward.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Writing only a general statement such as "my Japanese is pretty good but I need to study more," without naming any specific system.
Correction: Name the specific system and context: 条件表現は、書くときは選べるが、話すときはとっさに選べないことがある。
Error: Listing five or six ambitious goals for the volume without acknowledging that pursuing all of them at once may not be realistic.
Correction: Narrow the list and name the tradeoff honestly, as Emma does: 率直に言うと、この二つを同時に進めるのは簡単ではないだろう。
Error: Using 〜がちだ or 〜傾向がある to describe a single error made once, rather than a pattern observed across multiple instances.
Correction: Reserve these patterns for genuinely recurring behavior, and specify the condition: 早口になると助詞を落としがちだ。
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Complete the Core Vocabulary practice above.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Complete the Script and Terminology Focus practice above.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the Grammar Practice exercises above.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Complete the Reading Practice questions above.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete all seven steps of the Writing Workshop, as part of the Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Complete the spoken self-diagnostic recording from Speaking Practice, as part of the Performance Task below.
Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
自己診断：ポートフォリオの第一ページ — Opening Your Volume V Portfolio
Complete all four parts below to open your Volume V portfolio with a complete, honest self-diagnostic.
- Listening: Complete the Listening Practice task above and summarize Emma's diagnostic process in your own words.
- Reading: Answer the Reading Practice questions about Emma's written self-assessment.
- Spoken production: Deliver your two-to-three-minute recorded self-diagnostic from Speaking Practice, using at least three of this chapter's grammar patterns.
- Written production: Submit your complete written self-diagnostic from the Writing Workshop, checked against the checklist above.
Assessment focus: specificity and honesty of self-assessment; correct and natural use of this chapter's grammar patterns; a clearly stated, realistic set of goals; a plausible specialization interest; and accurate particles, register, and mixed-script control throughout spoken and written work.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary
Open-ended; check that each sentence uses the target word accurately and describes the learner's own Japanese ability.
Script and Terminology Focus
Open-ended; check that ten compounds are sorted into two honest columns and that one compound from each is linked to the learner's stated specialization interest.
Grammar Practice
Open-ended; model answers: (1) 語彙という観点から見ると、日常会話にはあまり困らない。 (2) 緊張すると、敬語を間違えがちだ。 (3) 発音をもっと正確にすることを目標に据えたいと思います。 (4) 率直に言うと、条件表現はまだ自信がない。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension Check
Emma says she has gotten better at the passive and causative. She notices that she drops particles when speaking quickly, but chooses overly polite phrasing when writing. She proposes specializing in regional and social language use, and sets goals of mastering conditional choice and expanding vocabulary in that field.
Guided Practice
Open-ended; evaluate against the Model Dialogue's four components: a grammar strength, a grammar weakness, a speaking tendency, and a writing tendency.
Listening Practice — Model answers
(1) She reread her recent writing for repeated expressions, and recorded and listened back to her own speech. (2) She noticed her spoken and written style are quite different. (3) She used that realization to narrow her goals for the term to three.
Reading Practice
(1) The passive, the causative, and keigo. (2) She still hesitates over which conditional (と・ば・たら・なら) fits a given situation. (3) She drops particles when speaking quickly, but chooses overly polite phrasing when writing. (4) Mastering conditional choice and building vocabulary about regional and social language use; she admits pursuing both at once will not be simple.
Chapter Review — Sections A through D
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary, Script and Terminology Focus, Grammar Practice, and Reading Practice sections above.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Performance Task
These are open-ended, integrated production tasks. Evaluate the written self-diagnostic and the recorded spoken self-diagnostic against the assessment focus listed under the Performance Task above.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe your own Japanese ability precisely, name recurring tendencies in your own errors, describe your current style, state a specialization interest, and set honestly scoped goals for the volume ahead. This diagnostic becomes the opening page of your Volume V portfolio and the foundation for the precision, style, and specialization work in the chapters that follow.