> The (semi-official) Japanese language tests do not test language production in _any_ way, even on the highest levels.
This is simply not true. The Kanji Kentei is probably the most popular Japanese language test Japanese people might take outside of school, and it tests writing heavily.
If you're talking about the JLPT, that's a test meant only for non-native speakers.
> all single-choice answers.
Not even multiple choices? Maybe they should reconsider that one.
>This is simply not true. The Kanji Kentei is probably the most popular Japanese language test Japanese people might take outside of school, and it tests writing heavily.
I would not qualify Kanji Kentei as a "language test" any more I would qualify a Spelling Bee as one; though I can see how someone might.
In any case; I thought that it was relatively clear from the context that I was using "language tests" as a shorthand to "tests for non-native speakers of that language"; but I did not explicitly mention that, you're right.
>Not even multiple choices? Maybe they should reconsider that one.
Is that not how these are called in English?
Where I'm from, there's a distinction for tests where given a list of answers, there can be only one valid one ("single choice") and where there can be multiple valid ones ("multiple choice").
Quick googling on my end indicated that _is_ how they're referred to in English, but the websites were quite AI-sloppy, so if I was mistaken, I'd love for you to let me know what the more widely understood terms are.
Since you used the phrase "highest levels", that made it sound to me like you were talking about native tests.
I apologize for misunderstanding.
Non-native japanese language tests do not ever go to a high level as far as I'm aware (N1 definitely doesn't classify as a high level, it's around "can read the newspaper very slowly and with greater than 50% comprehension", which is well below even the least-studious native-speaking adults).
> Is [single choice answer] not how these are called in English?
It's an unusual term to my american-english ears. I've only heard them called "multiple choice questions" regardless of how many answers you can select. It's unusual enough that it conjures to the mind a multiple-choice test where each question has only a single answer, say "a", and you just circle "a" for every answer.
I have recently had the experience of Labguage School in Japan and they also realy heavily lean into having just circle the correct parts or do somethign like insert correct Particle here.
While I have tremendous respect for the Japanese Language and people. The Japanese in all my exposure to it do not know how ot tech languages. Be it their own to people that do not know it or English to their own people.
The (semi-official) Japanese language tests do not test language production in _any_ way, even on the highest levels.
You don't need to speak a single word, nor write a single character to pass the exam, it's all single-choice answers.
AFAICT, the equivalent exams for Chinese and Koreans do include writing, at least on the higher levels; but still don't have a speaking portion.