Don't use the 'Nezzuchi method' for Japanese multiple-choice questions: Why looking for commonalities doesn't work
When solving Japanese language questions, you must not become Nezzuchi.
Do you know who Nezzuchi is?
He is a comedian who specializes in impromptu riddles, known for his routine in the format of:
“I’ll compare X to Y, and the answer is...”
What is the meaning behind it?
He thinks of a joke after being given a topic, and when it's ready, he says,
“It’s all set!”
and performs it.
Listening to him, you can't help but be impressed, wondering, “How does he do that?”
If you want to know how he creates them, please see the article below.
However, when solving Japanese language questions, surprisingly many students use this exact line of thinking.
The 'Nezzuchi Phenomenon' occurring in multiple-choice questions
A typical case is when you ask them to explain why they got a question wrong.
When I ask why they chose a particular option, students answer like this:
“Because I thought this part of the text and this part of the option had something in common.”
In other words, they are looking forcommonalitiesbetween the text and the option.
This is exactly like a riddle.
Humans are creatures that, when presented with two things, will find commonalities between them no matter what.
They compare the text and the option, and shout “It’s all set!” in their minds.
Let's look at a concrete example.
Since abstract theory doesn't get the point across, I will provide an example.
Text
The boyrebelledagainst his mother's words, yet he understood their true meaning.
Options
A: The boy stronglyrebelledagainst his mother's words and understood nothing. B: The boy could not accept his mother's words immediately, but he understood their meaning. C: The boy obediently followed his mother's words.
Some students choose option A just by looking at the commonality of 'rebellion'.
If they use the Nezucchi riddle approach, they'd say, 'I've solved it with rebellion!'
However, the correct answer is B.
If you read the text properly, you can see the structure of 'rebellionwhile alsounderstanding'.
However, if you only followcommonalitieswith your eyes, this structure is completely missed.
Matching keywords is no guarantee of the correct answer.
I previously described this as a trap called 'the same-word lure'.
Reading from the options always leads to 'searching for commonalities'.
Why does this happen?
A common way of solving is like this.
Look at the options in order
Look for commonalities with the text
In other words, the thought process isoptions → text.
Because they are thinking in reverse, it's interesting as a riddle.
However, as a method for solving Japanese language arts questions, it is fundamentally wrong.
The reason why students suddenly can't write when it comes to descriptive questions
There is a way to spot this type of student.
Try having them solve a descriptive question.
Then, they will suddenly stop.
The reason is simple.
It's because what they usually do isa method of solving by working backward from the options.
Options exist → solved
No options → cannot write
They are in this state.
There are students who often say this.
'I can solve multiple-choice questions, but I can't write for descriptive ones.'
But in reality, they often aren't solving the multiple-choice questions correctly either.
They are just 'solving it like a riddle'.
You could say they are just coincidentally getting close to the right answer.
Solve Japanese language arts in a 'one-way' direction
Of course, there are problems where working backward is effective.
That is why it is so troublesome.
Precisely because you have had the experience of working backward successfully, you end up over-adapting that method to every problem.
The basics of Japanese language tests are as follows.
Read the question → Find the evidence in the text → Formulate your own answer → Compare it with the options
It is a one-way street.
The options exist to check against the answer you created yourself.
They do not exist to have the answer created for you.
If you feel that there are multiple similar options or that you cannot choose based on your own answer, that is the only time you should return to the text.
Don't be a Nezutch, be a question creator.
So, if you shouldn't be a Nezutch, what should you be?
I tell my students this:
“Become a question creator.”
People who create questions think about what they want to use as evidence and what kind of wrong answers to create.
In other words, when you read from the perspective of the questioner, the structure of the options becomes visible.
You will reach a state where you can “read and solve” rather than just “getting it together.”
And finally,
“I’ve got it together.”
I’ll compare a “Japanese language test” to a “dirty white shirt.”
The meaning behind that is,
both require selection (laundry).
It seems the timing is just right.
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