In this study, we investigated a category of grammar that is hard to acquire using the SPOT(Simple Performance-Oriented Test) for Japanese learners at the beginning level. The SPOT(B.ver), showed that in eight cases, less than 50% of the answers were correct. These expressions are difficult to listen to in pronunciation, idiomatic expression, accompanied by negative expression and humility grammar item, which is hard to acquire. In particular, “dokonimo” was introduced at the beginning level but it was not learned well by beginners. Therefore, it is critical to include this part in the instruction.
When we checked the result of the SPOT(A.ver), the correct answers in nine cases were below 50%. “Katoomottara” (24.6%) was the lowest case, followed by “nante,” ”youna,” “soumonai,” “huni,” and “youtositara.” Among the questions, “~ka,” which indicates uncertainty in a sentence, had the lowest rate. Many Japanese learners use “nante” instead of “toomou” due to confusion. In addition, auxiliary verb-related expressions such as “youna,” “soumonai,” and “youtositara” can be classified as items that are difficult to learn. Instruction should be given to students so that they can learn these items specifically. From now on, I hope that we can reflect on this result to improve the instruction for Japanese learners.