Mastering Essential Japanese Vocabulary at B1 Level

For learning Japanese at a B1 level, it is most important to focus on high-frequency vocabulary and words appropriate to the intermediate proficiency level that allow meaningful communication. Studies on Japanese vocabulary learning emphasize the following points:

• Frequency-Based Vocabulary: Digital intelligence and data analysis suggest focusing on the most commonly used and critical vocabulary arranged by actual usage frequency. This method efficiently supports vocabulary acquisition at intermediate levels. ²

• Multi-faceted Word Knowledge: Besides knowing the spoken and written form and meaning of words, learners at this stage should also develop understanding of word morphology, grammar, and collocations, which help deepen vocabulary mastery. ¹¹

• Consistency and Frequency Effects: Phonological processing of intermediate learners is positively influenced by practicing words that are frequent and have consistent pronunciation patterns, improving reading speed and accuracy. ⁴

• Recall over Recognition: Effective vocabulary learning at B1 benefits from practicing recall of high-frequency words rather than simple recognition, leading to deeper word knowledge and better retention. ⁶

Hence, rather than a fixed list of words, B1 learners should focus on core vocabulary lists emphasizing common and useful words for daily conversation and written comprehension, enriched by learning word parts and practicing recall. In Japanese language textbooks and courses, words around several hundred to about 1500 commonly used words often align with B1 level standards, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and essential particles for grammar construction.

Unfortunately, no single definitive list specific to B1 was found in the search results, but these principles guide the selection and learning of important Japanese words at this level. If you want, I can also provide typical word lists or recommend resources corresponding to the B1 proficiency level. ^{2, 4, 6, 11}

References

• Can we spot fake public comments generated by ChatGPT(-3.5, -4)?: Japanese stylometric analysis expose emulation created by one-shot learning

• Research on Japanese Vocabulary Learning Recommendation Methods Based on Data Intelligence Analysis

• The Vocabulary of Japanese Language Textbooks for Returning and Foreign Children: Achieving “Symbiotic” Elementary School Japanese Language Education in a Globalized Society

• Phonological processing of Japanese Kanji word by L1-Chinese learners of Japanese: verification of consistency and frequency effects

• Word Parts and Language Learning

• High-Frequency Vocabulary: Moving From Recognition to Recall Level on Quizlet

• Detection of Focus for Importance of Words: Toward Computer-Assisted Learning for Improving Presentation

• Development of Music Videos for Students of Elementary-Level Japanese -The Beneficial Pedagogical Effect of Using Songs with Images for Reinforcing Language Learning and Retention-

• Indonesian-Japanese term extraction from bilingual corpora using machine learning

• Specific training of discursive words in the course of RFL

• The learner as lexicographer: using monolingual and bilingual corpora to deepen vocabulary knowledge

• LIKARI (Five Words in A Day) Application to Improve Vocabulary Mastery in Japanese Language Learning

• Reading Tutor, A Reading Support System for Japanese Language Learners

• The semantic roles of ‘kaku-joshi’ in Japanese textbooks

• J-UniMorph: Japanese Morphological Annotation through the Universal Feature Schema

• Japanese Idiom Learning through Cognitive Linguistics Concept (Idioms Presentation)

• Typology Lexical Verb ‘To Use’ in Japan: Natural Semantics Metalanguage Study

• Creating a student-generated glossary in Moodle: How is it done and how effective is it?