Japanese Language Courses
- Japanese Language
Japanese Language
JAPANESE 111-1,2,3 – Japanese I
Overview of class
Japanese I (JAPANESE 111-1, 2 and 3) is a yearlong course that covers the first half of college level elementary Japanese. In Japanese I, students will build a solid foundation while developing the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will also learn various aspects of Japanese culture and society through in-class activities, written assignments, and video viewing. Students are encouraged to identify and self-correct errors in their language use to become independent learners. The instructor will assist in this learning process through oral and written feedback. Careful and thorough review and preparation for each class session are required.
Registration Requirements
Except for JAPANESE 111-1, students must pass the preceding course with C- or above, or must be placed into the course by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives
The goal of Japanese I is to bring students’ overall Japanese proficiency to the Intermediate-Low level defined by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines. Upon the satisfactory completion of the course, the students will be able to greet, introduce themselves, describe their families and friends, discuss their daily routines and experiences, and write letters to teachers and friends.
Teaching Method
This course is conducted mostly in Japanese, and class hours are spent mainly on oral proficiency development. Written assignments are given for reading and writing proficiency development.
Evaluation Method
Class participation and performance; assignments; quizzes; oral and written examinations
Class Materials (Required)
Hasegawa, Y. (2005). Elementary Japanese (Volume One) with CD-ROM. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN: 978-4805313688; AJALT (2012). JAPANESE FOR BUSY PEOPLE: Kana Workbook (for the Revised 3rd Edition). ISBN: 978-1-56836-401-8; Course Packet
Class Materials (Suggested)
Endo-Hudson, M (1994). English Grammar for Students of Japanese. Ann Arbor: The Olivia and Hill Press. ISBN: 0-934034-16-8; Makino, S. & Tsutsui M. (1989). Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. Tokyo: The Japan Times. ISBN 4-7890-0454-6; Kodansha (2002). Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN: 978-4-7700-2891-4 / 4-7700-2891-1.
JAPANESE 121-1,2,3 – Japanese II
Overview of class
Japanese II (JAPANESE 121-1, 2 and 3) is a yearlong course that covers the second half of college level elementary Japanese and prepares students for intermediate Japanese (JAPANESE 211). In this course, students continue developing the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) through readings, video viewing, written assignments, and in-class activities. The emphasis will be on developing the skills necessary to use auxiliary verbs and complex sentences to express subtle differences in meaning and accuracy appropriate to the given contexts. Student will also practice describing their experiences and summarizing a story that they heard, read, or watched in an organized manner. Careful and thorough review and preparation for each class session are required.
Registration Requirements
Students must pass the preceding course with C- or above, or must be placed into the course by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives
Upon the satisfactory completion of the course, students will be able to handle various types of more complex daily conversational situations and passages. The year-end proficiency goal of Japanese II is for the students to reach the Intermediate-Mid level defined by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.
Teaching Method
This course is conducted mostly in Japanese. Class hours are spent mainly on oral proficiency development, and written assignments are given for reading and writing skills development. Useful expressions in daily life and social and cultural aspects in modern Japan are introduced through a series of videos.
Evaluation Method
Class participation and performance, assignments, quizzes, oral and written examinations, and essays
Class Materials (Required)
Hasegawa, Y. (2006) Elementary Japanese, Vol. 2. Vermont: Tuttle Language Library. ISBN 978-4805313695;
Course Packet will be made available in the PDF format through Canvas.
Class Materials (Suggested)
Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN 978-1568363974; Endo-Hudson, M. (1994). English Grammar for Students of Japanese. Ann Arbor: The Olivia and Hill Press. ISBN 978-0934034166; Makino, S. & Tsutsui, M. (1989). Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. Tokyo: The Japan Times. ISBN 978-4789004541.
JAPANESE 211-1,2,3 – Japanese III
Overview of class
Japanese III (JAPANESE 211-1, 2, 3) is a yearlong course, sequel to Japanese II (JAPANESE 121-1, 2, 3), that covers college-level intermediate Japanese. In Japanese III, students will continue developing the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and learning various aspects of Japanese culture and society through class discussions, written assignments, TV drama viewing, and a research-based interview project. The casual speech and formal writing styles are introduced, and students will become familiarized with different language use for different settings. With consistent oral and written feedback from the instructor, the students will also continue learning to identify and self-correct errors in their language use to become independent learners.
Registration Requirements
Students must pass the preceding course with C- or above, or must be placed into the course by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives
Upon the satisfactory completion of the course, the students will be able to 1) describe and narrate daily events and personal experiences in an organized manner, 2) summarize the main points of what is read, seen, or heard, 3) use approximately 500 basic kanji characters in context, 4) comfortably and appropriately handle daily situations 5) use various speech and written styles, and 6) communicate with native speakers on familiar topics in informal settings. The students are also expected to 7) deepen their understanding of customs, culture, and social phenomena of contemporary Japan, and 8) learn to study independently. The year-end proficiency goal of Japanese III is for the students to reach the Intermediate-High level defined by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.
Teaching Method
In-class discussion. Careful and thorough review and preparation for each class session are expected. This course is conducted in Japanese.
Evaluation Method
Class participation and performance, assignments, quizzes, oral and written examinations, essays, and projects.
Class Materials (Required)
Miura, A. & Hanaoka McGloin, N. (2008). An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese, Revised Edition. Tokyo: The Japan Times. ISBN: 9784789013079; Miura, A. & Hanaoka McGloin, N. (2008). An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese Workbook. Tokyo: The Japan Times. ISBN: 9784789013086; Kano, et.al. (1989). Basic Kanji Book, Vol.2 (New Edition). Tokyo: Bonjinsha. ISBN: 9784893581198; a Course Packet.
Class Materials (Suggested)
Kodansha. (2002). Kodansha Essential Kanji Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN: 9781568363974; Makino, S. & Tsutsui, M. (1995). A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar. Tokyo: The Japan Times. ISBN: 9784789007757; Tomomatsu, E. & Wakuri, M (2004). Shokyuu Nihongo Sou-matome. Tokyo: 3A Corporation. ISBN: 9784883193288.
JAPANESE 310-0 – Special Topics in Reading Japanese Literature in Japanese
Overview of class
This is an advanced course in reading and translation of modern Japanese, focusing on representations of the city of Tokyo in materials from the early to mid-20th century. We will examine a range of different genres (short stories, essays, urban sociology) to ask what literary and linguistic forms have been used to render the social and sensory complexity of Tokyo’s different neighborhoods. Emphasis is on gaining facility in different literary styles and linguistic registers, and on developing techniques for parsing texts that demand rich contextual knowledge. Primary readings are in Japanese with discussion and theoretical readings in English.
Registration Requirements
Students must have completed JAPANESE 211-3 with C- or above, or must be placed into the class by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives
- Accurately parse and interpret authentic prose writing from the early to mid-20th century.
- Analyze and compare different literary styles, linguistic registers, and expressive choices as a basis for literary translation.
- Produce translations that reflect not only a literal understanding of linguistic meaning but an awareness of style, register, tone, theme, and other literary or stylistic concerns.
- Use reference sources for self-learning and independent reading, both for linguistic understanding (grammar references and dictionaries) and historical context (encyclopedias and other research tools).
- Describe conceptual problems surrounding the translation of cultural texts, and explain how their choices as translator address those problems.
- Describe the social and cultural associations surrounding different neighborhoods of modern Tokyo.
Teaching Method
Discussion, workshop
Evaluation Method
Attendance and participation, weekly writing assignments, midterm exam, final project
Class Materials (Required)
All other materials will be made available in PDF form.
Class Materials (Suggested)
The Compact Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary (softcover, abridged): ISBN 978-4805313978
JAPANESE 314-1 – Japanese IV: Japanese Essay Writing
Overview of classThis Japanese Essay Writing course focuses on refining students’ writing skills. Students will be introduced to three types of writing samples (narrative, expository, and persuasive) and will practice writing skills through various steps. For each writing project, students engage in native writing sample reading, different types of pre-writing brainstorming activities, multiple draft writing, self and peer editing, and writing clinics. Throughout the quarter, students create a writing portfolio and observe their own writing processes and writing skills development in order to develop effective writing strategies. This is a bridge course to the courses in students’ academic disciplines in which students may choose paper topics from their fields of study, such as literature, science, and social science. Past narrative paper genres include humor, love stories, memoirs, and mysteries. Past expository paper topics include stem cell research, Food Pyramid, Electoral College, history of jazz, and religious beliefs (Christianity and Judaism). Past argumentative paper topics include freedom of speech, affirmative action, gender roles, and influence of video games on children.
Registration Requirements
Students must pass 211-3 with C- or above, or must be placed into the class by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives
The course aims to bring students’ writing proficiency to the advanced level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines, using narrative, expository, and persuasive essays. According to the guidelines, advanced-level writers are characterized by the ability to: write routine informal and some formal correspondence, narratives, descriptions, and summaries of a factual nature, narrate and describe in major time frames, using paraphrase and elaboration to provide clarity, in connected discourse of paragraph length, and express meaning that is comprehensible to those unaccustomed to the writing of non-natives, primarily through generic vocabulary, with good control of the most frequently used structures.
Teaching Method
This course is conducted only in Japanese. The students will be introduced to three types of writing samples (narrative, expository, and persuasive) and will practice their writing skills through various steps: 1) Reviewing how to differentiate three writing styles (polite, plain and expository forms), 2) Trying different types of pre-writing brainstorming activities to find the most effective strategies for themselves, 3) Identifying and improving their own writing processes through a writing portfolio, 4) Learning to identify errors in their language use, 5) Learning to self-correct errors. The instructor will help the students through these processes with oral and written feedback. The instruction of writing will be supplemented by the review of grammar, vocabulary, and expressions, as well as writing clinics.
Evaluation Method
Multiple drafts and final papers, Writing Portfolio, class participation and performance
Class Materials (Required)
Japanese for International College/Graduate Students 2: Composition. Tokyo: Alc, Inc. ISBN: 9784757405004; Supplemental handouts.
Class Materials (Suggested)
Makino, S. & Tsutsui, M. (1995). A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar. Tokyo: The Japan Times. ISBN: 9784789007757.Return To Top
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