This course introduces students to an overview of the history of late Wartime and Post War Japan until the present day, while introducing them to various historical methodological approaches to Japanese history. The course is organized into three parts following the shifting forms of power Japan has wielded on the world stage. The first part deals with Japan's ultimate decline as an expansionist Imperial Power, detailing the final years of WWII and defeat by the U.S. and allied forces, as well as the subsequent occupation. The second part of the course details Japan's rise to economic power from the 1950s to the 1980s, covering the Americanization of Japanese culture, the dramatic shift in domestic living standards, the increasing dominance of Japanese export goods, and the build up of the asset price bubble in the 1980s. The third part of the course details the fall of Japan as an economic power following the bursting of the asset bubble in the 1990s and the rise of Japan as a cultural power in the early 21st century. Students will learn that while Japanese economic power on the world stage waned its cultural cache grew as it exported anime, food, clothing styles and more, burnished by the "Cool Japan Policy." Students will, in each part of the course, engage with Japanese history through primary sources including political documents, literature, movies, anime and manga, and more as well as supporting secondary source readings. Ultimately students will come to understand the past 80 years of Japanese history as well as the tools historians use to analyze it.
Learning Objectives Students will learn the past 80 years of Japanese history. Students will engage with a variety of primary sources from post war Japan Students will become familiar with various historical methodologies used to understand Postwar Japan and its primary sources. Students will learn and practice historical analysis, writing, and argumentation.
Teaching Method Lecture and Discussion
Evaluation Method Class Participation 25% 3 Short Papers 30% (10% each) 1 In Class Presentation 20% 1 Final Paper 25%
Class Materials (required) *All readings, video, and primary sources will be made available on Canvas as individual files.
Class Materials (suggested) Christopher Goto Jones, Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2009)
ASIAN LC 224 Japanese Cinema I: From Early Cinema to the Golden Age
Overview of course
This course offers a history of Japanese cinema from its earliest days through the so-called “Golden Age” of the 1950s. We will consider how film, animation, and other moving image technologies have reflected historical moments and shaped cultural discourses in modern Japan. Focusing on films that raise disciplinary questions related to the cinematic medium, Japan, and history, we will examine, among other topics, the era of silent cinema; the relationship between nationhood and the formation of a “national” cinema; technological transformations and the coming of sound; the wartime period; cinema during the occupation; and 1950s modernism. This overview will engage with several genres, from avant garde, to middle class movies, melodrama, period pieces, kaijū and others. We will also study the place of important individual directors – Ozu, Mizoguchi, and Kurosawa – within the broader economic and institutional contexts of Japanese cinema and its global circulation. Students will learn how to critically analyze the filmic medium from multiple theoretical perspectives while gaining an understanding of the major figures and movements in the history of Japanese cinema.
Learning Objectives How to critically analyze the filmic medium from multiple theoretical perspectives To identify the major figures and movements of Japanese cinema. How to interpret Japanese films as products of and commentary on particular moments in Japanese and global history.
Teaching Method Film Screenings, Lectures, and Discussion
Evaluation Method Class Participation 25% Looking at Movies Quizzes 15% 3 Short Essays (3-4 pages) 60% (20% each)
Class Materials (required) All readings are available on Canvas as individual files. All films will be screened in class and can be streamed through Canvas
Class Materials (suggested) Christopher Goto Jones, Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2009) Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film (New York: Longman, 8th Ed. 2012). Thompson, Kristen and David Bordwell. Film Art: An Introduction (any edition) Yale Film Analysis Website: http://filmanalysis.yctl.org
In an era when global migration and diasporic ways of life have become more commonplace than ever, how do we understand questions of Korean culture and identity? This course approaches this question through a historical inquiry into the discursive construction of Korean national subjectivity and its political, social, and cultural consequences. Beginning with the Chosŏn dynasty’s encounter with the modern world system of nation-states in the nineteenth century, the course equips students with critical frameworks for exploring modern Korean culture and art. The term culture in the course title is broadly defined, encompassing not only works of art and cultural texts but also systems of thought and social practices developed throughout modern Korean history.
The course explores a broad range of questions: What is Korean literature, and how is it tied to the modern theorization and understanding of literature (munhak)? What do we make of the fact that the very notion of autonomous art and culture is a modern construction? What is national cinema, and what roles do literature, film, and art play in the construction of national subjectivity and identity? How have Korean writers and artists navigated the complex and ongoing process of identity formation amid the tumultuous histories of colonialism, national division, diasporic displacement, and authoritarian rule? While encouraging students to question assumptions about a homogeneous nation or national culture with an unchanging, seemingly “natural” essence, the course situates Korean art and culture within the broader history of modern Korea.
Learning Objectives By the end of the class, students are expected to: 1. Grasp the historicity of cultural and epistemological concepts, including national culture. 2. Comprehend the intimate relationship between art, culture, identity formation, and political consciousness. 3. Historically situate canonical examples of modern Korean literature and films, recognizing their pivotal role in the development of national consciousness. 4. Analyze individual Korean artworks within the context of the artistic and cultural movements of each historical period, delving into their deeper social, ideological, and political connotations. 5. Comprehensively understand the modern history of Korea with a particular emphasis on the political and cultural history of South Korea, while acknowledging its interconnectedness with various diasporic Korean identities and cultures.
Teaching Method • Discussion complemented with lectures. Students are required to participate actively in class discussions and in-class activities. Active participation necessitates completing all assigned readings before coming to class and being prepared to contribute to a lively and informed class discussion.
Evaluation Method Grades will largely be determined by student comprehension of lectures and readings, discussion, and a combination of smaller and in-depth writing assignments.
Class Materials (required) Required materials include academic articles and cultural texts, such as novels, short stories, and films. All materials will be uploaded to or linked through Canvas.
ASIAN LC 260 The India/Pakistan Partition in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture
Overview of Course This class will examine how the 1947 partition of India has been engaged in literature and popular culture, moving from contemporary depictions from the 1940s to its continued invocation in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh today. We will read/watch these texts alongside the extensive body of scholarship on Partition from History, Anthropology and Gender Studies with particular attention to the historiography of Partition and South Asian nationalisms. Throughout, we will engage with the idea of Partition as an “event” and ask how Partition continues to inflect life in South Asia and beyond today.
Evaluation Method quizzes, exam, final project
Class Materials (required) Intizar Hussain – Basti
ASIAN LC 265 Kings, Courtesans and Khan Artists: Picturizing Islam and Muslims in Bollywood
Overview of Course India is home to the second largest population of Muslims on earth (slightly outnumbering both of its neighbors, Pakistan and Bangladesh). It’s also host to the world’s largest film industry, best known as Bollywood, in which Muslims have historically played an outsized role. Little wonder, then, that Bollywood films regularly feature Muslim characters, social spaces, and cultural references that are readily marked or coded as “Islamic.” But in spite of a large coterie of Muslims working within the industry – as actors, song writers, or producers – the representation of Muslims in Indian films has consistently raised complex issues around ideas of identity and belonging in a nation where they constitute a clear and conspicuous minority. We will read these films against the historical backdrop of the search for national identity and inclusivity in post-colonial India. Students will be given the opportunity not only to learn about Indian (particularly Bombay) cinema, but also to explore how cinematic representations intersect with issues of identity and belonging in the modern nation-state.
Evaluation Method pop quizzes, in class exams, writing assignments
Class Materials (required) Students must rent 1-2 films online that are not available on canvas.
ASIAN LC 290 Intro to Contemporary Tibetan Literature
Overview of Course
This course explores the birth and development of Tibetan literature beginning in the 1950s when Tibet became part of the newly established People’s Republic of China, with a focus on its booming in the 1980s, in the wake of the new economic and political reforms. Although Tibet was a civilization uniquely characterized by a religious literature produced and consumed in monastic institutions, the nature of literature and literacy has changed in Tibet in the past seventy years, becoming more accessible to the wider public. Tibetan writers have used fiction and poetry in new ways to reflect on life, rapidly changing worldviews, and critiques of the past as well as the present. This course will introduce students to a number of modern and contemporary Tibetan literary works, mostly secular in nature, including short novels, fiction, and poetry in English translation, as well as academic studies and scholarly analysis of modern Tibetan literature.
Learning Objectives 1. Analyze Themes of Identity, Displacement, and Cultural Change in Contemporary Tibetan Literature 2. Compare Literary Responses to Distinct Political and Social Contexts 3. Recognize Genre Innovation and Experimentation in Contemporary Tibetan Writing 4. Understand the Multilingual Dimensions of Contemporary Tibetan Literature 5. Contextualize Contemporary Tibetan Literature Within Recent Historical Events
What are the distinctive features of Tibetan literature? In what ways has Buddhism shaped Tibetan literary genres? How have various forms of Tibetan literature developed over more than a millennium? This course introduces students to Tibet's rich literary traditions through English translations from the imperial period through the early nineteenth century. Students will explore diverse genres including spiritual biography, treasure texts, poetry, historical chronicles, philosophical treatises, and folk literature, examining how Buddhist philosophy and practice have profoundly influenced narrative structures, poetic conventions, and literary production. Through close reading of primary texts alongside secondary scholarship, students will analyze the deep intertwinement of religious concerns and literary expression across Tibetan history. No prior knowledge of Tibetan language, Buddhism, or Tibetan history is required. Students will develop critical reading and analytical writing skills while gaining appreciation for a literary tradition that bridges spiritual quest and human experience, oral and written forms, and religious and secular themes.This course is open to all with no prerequisites and no knowledge of Tibetan language and literature is required.
Learning Objectives 1. Identify and describe major themes in Tibetan literary expression 2. Recognize distinctive features of Tibetan literary genres and storytelling conventions 3. Understand basic concepts of Tibetan Buddhism as they appear in literary contexts 4. Contextualize Tibetan literature within its historical and cultural settings 5. Analyze the role of translation in shaping readers’ access to Tibetan literature
Teaching Method Lecture and Discussion
Evaluation Method Participation In-class response essays In-class presentation End of term essay
Class Materials (required) - Heruka, Tsangnyon, Life of Milarepa. PENGUIN. ISBN 13: 9780143106227
- Chogyel, Tenzin. Life of the Buddha. PENGUIN. ISBN 13: 9780143107200
- Schaeffer, Kurtis R. Himalayan Hermitess: Life of a Tibetan Buddhist Nun. OXFORD UNI PRESS. ISBN 13: 9780195152999
ASIAN LC 390* Before AI: Cybernetics Global E Asia
Overview of Course In 1983, Edward Feigenbaum, a renowned computer scientist at Stanford, and journalist Pamela McCorduck warned that Japan’s Fifth Generation Computer project posed a challenge to American technological leadership and perhaps to the future of artificial intelligence itself. A few years later, Japan studies scholar and linguist Marshall J. Unger called much of this vision a “fifth generation fallacy,” arguing that Japan’s heavy investment in AI was inseparable from the distinctive challenges that East Asian writing systems posed in digital environments, as well as from the retraining of its population in preparation for the information age. This course begins from that geopolitical tension and its historicity: today’s AI discourse has a long genealogy that reveals the social, political, and cultural nature of technology and media infrastructure. AI has never been only about whether machines can think. With its very definition and underlying assumptions, including what exactly counts as intelligence, changing across different times and places, its longer global history opens up space for critical inquiry into how culture, politics, and different forms of body politics are constitutive of technologies. Today’s artificial intelligence—more specifically, the large language models that have come to dominate public discussion of AI—is often presented as a radically new technology transforming labor, writing, and everyday life. With its focus on the twentieth- and twenty-first-century history of global technoscientific modernity, this course encourages students to take a historicizing view. Rather than beginning with contemporary AI systems, it places them within longer histories of cybernetics, automation, writing, and computation, with particular, though not exclusive, attention to East Asia. Drawing on plural, global histories of AI, cybernetics, and media technologies that resist technological determinism, the course is designed to help students develop critical literacy through readings in critical media studies, science and technology studies, the history of science and technology, and East Asian studies.
Registration Requirements Students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds are welcome. The course is intended for students who are prepared to engage closely with theoretical and humanities-based readings and to participate actively in seminar discussion.
Teaching Method This upper-level course is discussion-based, complemented by short lectures as needed.
Evaluation Method Evaluation will include active participation in class discussion. Graduate students will complete additional readings and are expected to take a more active role in leading discussion. The course will also include writing assignments that require close and sustained analysis of course texts. Specific assignment formats and grading criteria are TBA.
Class materials (required) Required readings will be available on Canvas. Students may also be asked to purchase or rent access to a small number of films, no more than two or three over the course of the quarter.
This course explores a variety of Tibetan-language genres of writing such as history, poetry, philosophy, doctrine, narrative literature, and more, with attention to their form and content. All course readings are in Tibetan, presuming at least an intermediate ability to read Tibetan. Students will focus on Tibetan-English translation techniques while broadening their knowledge of Tibetan literary genres. Course readings will vary depending on enrolled students' specific areas of interest.
ASIAN LC 492* Spatial Thought and the Production of Culture
Overview of Course This course offers an introduction to key theories of space alongside a broader consideration of the practice and politics of spatial representation in literary and visual cultures. We will juxtapose readings from the fields of philosophy, landscape studies, art history, critical geography, the history of cartography, the environmental humanities, and infrastructure studies with creative works that “map” and theorize space through alternative means. Our sources will be culturally heterogenous but with a slight emphasis on material from Sinophone contexts.
Registration Requirements Graduate standing or permission of instructor
This three-quarter sequence of beginning college level Chinese is designed for true beginners with no previous background in the language. This course is an introduction to Chinese, its basic grammar, pinyin system, vocabulary, usage, and the Chinese writing system. It also focuses on developing basic communicative skills and knowledge of the Chinese culture. There will be extensive student-oriented practice in pronunciation, conversations, listening comprehension, and sentence structures in class. Our goal is to lay the solid ground work for your study of Chinese whether you plan to have a concentration in Chinese or to satisfy a language requirement. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to reach Novice-High level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/Resources-Publications/ACTFL_Proficiency_Guidelines_2024.pdf
Registration Requirements Except for Chinese 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 By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Have a good command of the pronunciation system of Mandarin Chinese.
Have a good command of Chinese characters in both handwriting and typing.
Use Mandarin Chinese to carry out conversations on daily-life topics (e.g., food preference, hobbies and activities, shopping, visiting a doctor, Chinese culture and relationships.
Write short passages on the topics above.
Gain and demonstrate cultural knowledge discussed in the units.
Teaching Method There will be extensive student-oriented practice in pronunciation, conversations, listening comprehension, and sentence structures in class. English will be used mainly for instruction on sentence structures and patterns. Interaction between instructor and among students will be in Chinese.
Evaluation Method Attendance and participation Written assignments Dictations Oral quizzes Written quizzes Final exam
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter and Winter quarter Textbook and Workbook: Modern Chinese 1A Simplified Characters (second edition) Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-573-3 (textbook); 978-1-60603-572-6 (workbook) Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Spring quarter Textbook and Workbook: Modern Chinese 1B Simplified Characters (second edition) Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-578-8 (textbook) 978-1-60603-579-5 (workbook) Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
This three-quarter sequence of beginning college level Chinese is designed for true beginners with no previous background in the language. This course is an introduction to Chinese, its basic grammar, pinyin system, vocabulary, usage, and the Chinese writing system. It also focuses on developing basic communicative skills and knowledge of the Chinese culture. There will be extensive student-oriented practice in pronunciation, conversations, listening comprehension, and sentence structures in class. Our goal is to lay the solid ground work for your study of Chinese whether you plan to have a concentration in Chinese or to satisfy a language requirement. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to reach Novice-High level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/Resources-Publications/ACTFL_Proficiency_Guidelines_2024.pdf
Registration Requirements Except for Chinese 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 By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Have a good command of the pronunciation system of Mandarin Chinese.
Have a good command of Chinese characters in both handwriting and typing.
Use Mandarin Chinese to carry out conversations on daily-life topics (e.g., food preference, hobbies and activities, shopping, visiting a doctor, Chinese culture and relationships.
Write short passages on the topics above.
Gain and demonstrate cultural knowledge discussed in the units.
Teaching Method There will be extensive student-oriented practice in pronunciation, conversations, listening comprehension, and sentence structures in class. English will be used mainly for instruction on sentence structures and patterns. Interaction between instructor and among students will be in Chinese.
Evaluation Method Attendance and participation Written assignments Dictations Oral quizzes Written quizzes Final exam
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter and Winter quarter Textbook and Workbook: Modern Chinese 1A Simplified Characters (second edition) Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-573-3 (textbook); 978-1-60603-572-6 (workbook) Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Spring quarter Textbook and Workbook: Modern Chinese 1B Simplified Characters (second edition) Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-578-8 (textbook) 978-1-60603-579-5 (workbook) Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
This three-quarter sequence of beginning college level Chinese is designed for true beginners with no previous background in the language. This course is an introduction to Chinese, its basic grammar, pinyin system, vocabulary, usage, and the Chinese writing system. It also focuses on developing basic communicative skills and knowledge of the Chinese culture. There will be extensive student-oriented practice in pronunciation, conversations, listening comprehension, and sentence structures in class. Our goal is to lay the solid ground work for your study of Chinese whether you plan to have a concentration in Chinese or to satisfy a language requirement. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to reach Novice-High level of the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/Resources-Publications/ACTFL_Proficiency_Guidelines_2024.pdf
Registration Requirements Except for Chinese 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 By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Have a good command of the pronunciation system of Mandarin Chinese.
Have a good command of Chinese characters in both handwriting and typing.
Use Mandarin Chinese to carry out conversations on daily-life topics (e.g., food preference, hobbies and activities, shopping, visiting a doctor, Chinese culture and relationships.
Write short passages on the topics above.
Gain and demonstrate cultural knowledge discussed in the units.
Teaching Method There will be extensive student-oriented practice in pronunciation, conversations, listening comprehension, and sentence structures in class. English will be used mainly for instruction on sentence structures and patterns. Interaction between instructor and among students will be in Chinese.
Evaluation Method Attendance and participation Written assignments Dictations Oral quizzes Written quizzes Final exam
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter and Winter quarter Textbook and Workbook: Modern Chinese 1A Simplified Characters (second edition) Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-573-3 (textbook); 978-1-60603-572-6 (workbook) Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Spring quarter Textbook and Workbook: Modern Chinese 1B Simplified Characters (second edition) Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-578-8 (textbook) 978-1-60603-579-5 (workbook) Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Accelerated Chinese 115 (115-1, 2, 3) is designed for advanced beginners who demonstrate relatively strong listening and speaking proficiency. This course builds on students’ existing oral abilities and systematically develops their reading and writing skills in Chinese. By the end of the sequence, students are expected to reach an Intermediate Mid-level of literacy proficiency.
Registration Requirements
Except for Chinese 115-1, students must pass the preceding course with C- or above, or must be placed into the course by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives By the end of the course, students will be able to 1) engage in conversations on familiar topics such as personal background, daily life and community experiences using appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures and sociocultural norms; 2) Read and write short, theme-based texts including personal stories and simple narratives, expressing ideas related to their own experiences; 3) Use pinyin-based input systems to type in Chinese and produce written communication for various audiences and purposes; and 4) Explore and reflect on personal connections to Chinese language and culture and express reflections in spoken and written Chinese.
Teaching Method This course meets four days a week and is conducted in Chinese. Students engage with theme-based unites through an interactive approach: they complete preview tasks before class, and class time is used for guided practice, discussion, and communicative activities.
Evaluation Method Classroom attendance and participation, reading and writing assignments, presentations, dictations, written quizzes and one final exam
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter, Winter quarter & Spring quarter:
传承中文 Modern Chinese for Heritage Beginners: Stories about Us Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 9781032399775 Price: $42.95
Accelerated Chinese 115 (115-1, 2, 3) is designed for advanced beginners who demonstrate relatively strong listening and speaking proficiency. This course builds on students’ existing oral abilities and systematically develops their reading and writing skills in Chinese. By the end of the sequence, students are expected to reach an Intermediate Mid-level of literacy proficiency.
Registration Requirements
Except for Chinese 115-1, students must pass the preceding course with C- or above, or must be placed into the course by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives By the end of the course, students will be able to 1) engage in conversations on familiar topics such as personal background, daily life and community experiences using appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures and sociocultural norms; 2) Read and write short, theme-based texts including personal stories and simple narratives, expressing ideas related to their own experiences; 3) Use pinyin-based input systems to type in Chinese and produce written communication for various audiences and purposes; and 4) Explore and reflect on personal connections to Chinese language and culture and express reflections in spoken and written Chinese.
Teaching Method This course meets four days a week and is conducted in Chinese. Students engage with theme-based unites through an interactive approach: they complete preview tasks before class, and class time is used for guided practice, discussion, and communicative activities.
Evaluation Method Classroom attendance and participation, reading and writing assignments, presentations, dictations, written quizzes and one final exam
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter, Winter quarter & Spring quarter:
传承中文 Modern Chinese for Heritage Beginners: Stories about Us Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 9781032399775 Price: $42.95
This year-long course is designed for students who have completed Chinese 111 at Northwestern or the equivalent elsewhere. It aims to further develop students’ Chinese proficiency through: (1) consolidating the foundation built in students’ beginning modern Chinese courses; (2) introducing them to more complex grammatical structures, varieties of language styles, and cultural information. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to be able to handle various types of more complex daily conversational situations and short passages on familiar topics. Successful completion of CHINESE 121-3 will satisfy the WCAS foreign language requirement. In addition, they will reach Intermediate mid to Intermediate high in reading, writing, listening and speaking according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
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
By the end of the course, students will be able to
Speak in full sentence-length on topics of daily life with relative ease.
Give descriptions and presentations in a short paragraph on topics covered in the course.
Comprehend written texts on the topics covered in the course.
Demonstrate knowledge of Chinese culture covered in the course.
Teaching Method
This course is conducted mostly in Chinese. Class time mainly focuses on speaking and listening skill development. There will also be reading and writing activities and assignments. Students are expected to be fully prepared for each lesson.
Evaluation Method
Class attendance and participation, assignments, quizzes, oral tests, presentations, midterm and final exam.
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter Textbook and workbook: Modern Chinese 1B (Second Edition) Simplified Characters Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-578-8 (textbook): 978-1-60603-579-5 (workbook) Price: Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Winter and Spring quarters Textbook and workbook: Modern Chinese 2A Simplified Characters Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-487-3(textbook); 978-1-60603-488-0 (workbook) Price: $69.95 (textbook); $34.95(workbook)
This year-long course is designed for students who have completed Chinese 111 at Northwestern or the equivalent elsewhere. It aims to further develop students’ Chinese proficiency through: (1) consolidating the foundation built in students’ beginning modern Chinese courses; (2) introducing them to more complex grammatical structures, varieties of language styles, and cultural information. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to be able to handle various types of more complex daily conversational situations and short passages on familiar topics. Successful completion of CHINESE 121-3 will satisfy the WCAS foreign language requirement. In addition, they will reach Intermediate mid to Intermediate high in reading, writing, listening and speaking according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
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
By the end of the course, students will be able to
Speak in full sentence-length on topics of daily life with relative ease.
Give descriptions and presentations in a short paragraph on topics covered in the course.
Comprehend written texts on the topics covered in the course.
Demonstrate knowledge of Chinese culture covered in the course.
Teaching Method
This course is conducted mostly in Chinese. Class time mainly focuses on speaking and listening skill development. There will also be reading and writing activities and assignments. Students are expected to be fully prepared for each lesson.
Evaluation Method
Class attendance and participation, assignments, quizzes, oral tests, presentations, midterm and final exam.
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter Textbook and workbook: Modern Chinese 1B (Second Edition) Simplified Characters Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-578-8 (textbook): 978-1-60603-579-5 (workbook) Price: Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Winter and Spring quarters Textbook and workbook: Modern Chinese 2A Simplified Characters Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-487-3(textbook); 978-1-60603-488-0 (workbook) Price: $69.95 (textbook); $34.95(workbook)
This year-long course is designed for students who have completed Chinese 111 at Northwestern or the equivalent elsewhere. It aims to further develop students’ Chinese proficiency through: (1) consolidating the foundation built in students’ beginning modern Chinese courses; (2) introducing them to more complex grammatical structures, varieties of language styles, and cultural information. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to be able to handle various types of more complex daily conversational situations and short passages on familiar topics. Successful completion of CHINESE 121-3 will satisfy the WCAS foreign language requirement. In addition, they will reach Intermediate mid to Intermediate high in reading, writing, listening and speaking according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
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
By the end of the course, students will be able to
Speak in full sentence-length on topics of daily life with relative ease.
Give descriptions and presentations in a short paragraph on topics covered in the course.
Comprehend written texts on the topics covered in the course.
Demonstrate knowledge of Chinese culture covered in the course.
Teaching Method
This course is conducted mostly in Chinese. Class time mainly focuses on speaking and listening skill development. There will also be reading and writing activities and assignments. Students are expected to be fully prepared for each lesson.
Evaluation Method
Class attendance and participation, assignments, quizzes, oral tests, presentations, midterm and final exam.
Class Materials (Required) Fall quarter Textbook and workbook: Modern Chinese 1B (Second Edition) Simplified Characters Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-578-8 (textbook): 978-1-60603-579-5 (workbook) Price: Price: $64.99 (textbook) $ 34.99(workbook)
Winter and Spring quarters Textbook and workbook: Modern Chinese 2A Simplified Characters Publisher: Better Chinese ISBN: 978-1-60603-487-3(textbook); 978-1-60603-488-0 (workbook) Price: $69.95 (textbook); $34.95(workbook)
Accelerated Chinese 125 (125-1, 2, 3) is an intermediate course primarily designed for students at ACTFL intermediate-mid level of proficiency in listening and speaking, and intermediate-low in literacy skills. This course aims to help students further hone all four skills with an emphasis on reading and writing. The literacy goal is to master 1500-2000 characters and to reach an intermediate-high level of literacy proficiency.
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
The goals of this course are to help students: (a) achieve a basic level of reading competency; (b) express themselves clearly in written Chinese on a variety of topics using learned grammar patterns and vocabulary; (c) reinforce their speaking proficiency on a broad range of topics; (d) cultivate their intercultural competence and ability to juxtapose and communicate across different cultures.
Teaching Method
Four regular class hours are for learning of the key vocabulary, analysis of sentence structure, familiarity with Chinese culture, awareness of different registers, and discussion of topics related to the texts and supplementary readings. Students are expected to write and report on topics that have been covered in the texts and supplementary readings.
Evaluation Method
Class performance, written assignments, oral reports, written quizzes, and a final exam.
Accelerated Chinese 125 (125-1, 2, 3) is an intermediate course primarily designed for students at ACTFL intermediate-mid level of proficiency in listening and speaking, and intermediate-low in literacy skills. This course aims to help students further hone all four skills with an emphasis on reading and writing. The literacy goal is to master 1500-2000 characters and to reach an intermediate-high level of literacy proficiency.
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
The goals of this course are to help students: (a) achieve a basic level of reading competency; (b) express themselves clearly in written Chinese on a variety of topics using learned grammar patterns and vocabulary; (c) reinforce their speaking proficiency on a broad range of topics; (d) cultivate their intercultural competence and ability to juxtapose and communicate across different cultures.
Teaching Method
Four regular class hours are for learning of the key vocabulary, analysis of sentence structure, familiarity with Chinese culture, awareness of different registers, and discussion of topics related to the texts and supplementary readings. Students are expected to write and report on topics that have been covered in the texts and supplementary readings.
Evaluation Method
Class performance, written assignments, oral reports, written quizzes, and a final exam.
Accelerated Chinese 125 (125-1, 2, 3) is an intermediate course primarily designed for students at ACTFL intermediate-mid level of proficiency in listening and speaking, and intermediate-low in literacy skills. This course aims to help students further hone all four skills with an emphasis on reading and writing. The literacy goal is to master 1500-2000 characters and to reach an intermediate-high level of literacy proficiency.
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
The goals of this course are to help students: (a) achieve a basic level of reading competency; (b) express themselves clearly in written Chinese on a variety of topics using learned grammar patterns and vocabulary; (c) reinforce their speaking proficiency on a broad range of topics; (d) cultivate their intercultural competence and ability to juxtapose and communicate across different cultures.
Teaching Method
Four regular class hours are for learning of the key vocabulary, analysis of sentence structure, familiarity with Chinese culture, awareness of different registers, and discussion of topics related to the texts and supplementary readings. Students are expected to write and report on topics that have been covered in the texts and supplementary readings.
Evaluation Method
Class performance, written assignments, oral reports, written quizzes, and a final exam.
Overview of class CHINESE 211 is a year-long, intermediate-level course designed to further develop students’ communicative competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Modern Chinese. The course also aims to deepen students’ understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary social issues. It systematically expands students’ vocabulary and helps them produce well-structured paragraphs, with particular emphasis on precise description and comparison. Chinese is the primary language of instruction in this course. Upon satisfactory completion of the full course sequence, students are expected to reach the Intermediate Mid to Intermediate High level according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
Registration Requirements Students must pass the preceding course with C- or higher, or be placed into the course by through departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives By the end of the course, students will be able to
Describe the exterior features of objects and discuss spatial layouts in a clear and structured manner.
Use specific and vivid language to describe impressions of a person’s appearance, manner, and style.
Write CVs, application letters, and letters of reference, and introduce new colleagues.
Describe natural phenomena and cities in detail.
Discuss selected social and cultural topics within given contexts.
Teaching Method The course adopts a bottom-up approach, progressively expanding from words to sentences and from sentences to paragraphs, using student-centered communicative and task-based activities. Classes are conducted in Chinese.
Evaluation Method Student performance is evaluated based on class attendance and participation, homework and projects, quizzes, oral presentations, essays, and written examinations.
Class Materials (Required) Developing Chinese Fluency (Textbook) Author: Phyllis Zhang Publisher: Cengage Learning ISBN: 978-1111342227 Price: $64
Chinese 311 is a quarter-long series of Chinese courses composed by the following independent courses: Chinese 311-1: Formal Speaking, Chinese 311-2: Formal Writing, and Chinese 311-3: Formal Reading. The courses are designed to develop students’ abilities to speak and write formal Chinese respectively, as well as to read short literary works in Chinese. The content of the courses cover argumentations and articles on various topics, including Chinese culture, society and contemporary history. Student will also read authentic Chinese literary works in different written forms and language styles by various authors, with a focus on their cultural and social background. The goal of the courses is to train students to use written vocabulary and formal expressions as well as know how to arrange a structured speaking/writing with complete format and logical connections. Students will reach advanced low in reading, writing, listening and speaking based on ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
Registration Requirements
CHINESE 211-3 with grade C- or above.
Students may be placed into this course by the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives
Upon satisfactory completion of 311-1, students will be able to use formal expressions to deliver a structured speech with logical arguments. Upon satisfactory completion of 311-2, students will be able to write essays in a formal style in depth about complex topics. Upon satisfactory completion of 311-3, students will be able to comprehend in depth authentic literary works in Chinese language and communicate efficiently their understanding in speaking and written forms.
Teaching Method
Class meets twice per week, 80 minutes per class. The course is designed with intensive student-oriented activities through reading various class materials, including essays, media reports and authentic Chinese literature works. Students are expected to read materials ahead of class, participate in in-class discussions led by the instructor, and make formal statements, arguments, speeches and debates about social and cultural phenomena in paragraphs. With instructor’s necessary corrections and suggestions on students’ papers, they are expected to present their works as formal oral presentations. Chinese is used for instruction.
CHINESE 315-2 Chinese IV - Accelerated: Advanced Reading and Writing
Overview of Class
Chinese 315 is a quarter-long series of advanced modern Chinese courses composed by the following independent courses: Chinese 315-1: Formal Writing and Public Speaking; Chinese 315-2: Advanced Reading and Writing, Chinese 315-3: Media and Society.
This advanced Chinese course focuses on academic writing and speaking skills by utilizing authentic materials, carefully selected from various sources and organized into diverse lesson contexts. Students will engage in diverse writing and public speaking forms, mastering grammar, vocabulary, and language conventions. By the end of the course, students will be able to craft persuasive Chinese texts and deliver engaging oral presentations.
Registration Requirements Chinese 215-3 with grade C- or above or by placement. Three courses of Chinese 311-1, 2, 3, 312-1, 312-2 with C- or above, or by placement test.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to
Conduct research on primary sources
Understand the main messages and most supporting details on a wide variety of general topics
Maintain conversations and discussions on various cultural and social topics
Deliver detailed cohesive presentations and elaborate on various cultural and social topics using organized paragraphs
Teaching Method Discussions on preassigned readings. Students are required to complete the preparation before class.
Overview of the class This course is a year-long, three-quarter sequence, and is meant for students with no background in Hindi-Urdu (also called Hindi and Urdu). At the beginning of the three-quarter sequence, students are not expected to be able to speak, understand, read, or write any Hindi-Urdu. In the first quarter (Hindi-Urdu 111-1) the students are introduced to the Hindi (Devanagari) script and to aspects of Hindi-Urdu grammar. By the end of this quarter the students will be able to talk about their family, their routines, their likes and dislikes, and also describe actions in progress. In the second quarter (Hindi-Urdu 111-2), students continue to learn new grammatical constructions, and by the end of the quarter they are able to talk about events in the past and the future. In the third quarter (Hindi-Urdu 111-3), students learn to express possibilities, wants, abilities and capabilities. They also learn finer aspects of grammar. By the end of this quarter students achieve intermediate-low proficiency in Hindi-Urdu.
Registration Requirements None for Hindi-Urdu 111-1, Hindi-Urdu 111-1 with a C- or better for Hindi-Urdu 111-2, Hindi-Urdu 111-2 with a C- or better for Hindi-Urdu 111-3, and by placement test or with instructor consent.
Teaching Method Textbook, word games, videos, internet and in-class materials
Evaluation Method Assessment is based on weekly vocabulary quizzes, biweekly grammar quizzes, attendance, classroom participation and presentations, home assignments, mid-term, final and an oral interviews.
Class Materials (Required) Richard Delacy and Sudha Joshi Elementary HindiISBN-13: 978-0804845038 Richard Delacy and Sudha Joshi Elementary Hindi WorkbookISBN: 978-080484503897
Overview of class This is a year-long, three-quarter language sequence. Students start the year by working on reinforcing all the language skills attained the year before, and adding the Urdu (Nastaliq) script to their skill set. They continue developing speaking skills and listening comprehension, as well as expanding their grasp of Hindi-Urdu grammar and vocabulary. We do so by reading short stories, poems, and articles, watching and discussing movie clips, short films and videos, and making in-class presentations. During the year we touch on a variety of themes involving South Asian culture and society, travel, literary traditions, the natural world, etc. By the end of the three-quarter sequence, students attain intermediate-mid or higher language proficiency in Hindi-Urdu.
Note: Please purchase all the required textbooks in the fall quarter, as this is the only quarter that they are ordered during the year.
Registration Requirements C- or better in Hindi-Urdu 111-3 for Hindi-Urdu 121-1, Hindi-Urdu 121-1 for Hindi-Urdu 121-2, Hindi-Urdu 121-2 for Hindi-Urdu 121-3, and by placement test or with instructor consent.
Teaching Method Textbook, extra materials, movies
Evaluation Method The students are graded on the basis of home assignments, weekly quizzes, midterm, attendance, oral interviews and class participation. No final.
Class Materials (Required) Advanced Hindi Grammar (2007) by U. Jain. Publisher: Institute of East Asian Studies; ISBN-10: 094461342X ISBN-13: 978-0944613429
Class Materials (Recommended) Intermediate Hindi Reader (1999) by U. Jain with K. Schomer. Publisher: Institute of East Asian Studies; ISBN-10: 087725351X ISBN-13: 978-0877253518
Intermediate Hindi (1996) by Y. Kachru and R. Pandharipande Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN-10: 8120805585 ISBN-13: 978-8120805583
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 for Japanese language learning 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 and written assignments. 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 year-end 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 completing the course, students can greet, introduce themselves, describe their families and friends, describe their familiar places, and discuss their daily routines, experiences, and opinions.
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, listening, and written examinations.
Class Materials (Required) Oka, M. et al. (2021). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-870-6.
Oka, M. et al. (2022). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese Workbook 1 – Hiragana/Katakana, Kanji, Reading, Writing. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-87424-910-9.
Oka, M. et al. (2023). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese Workbook 2 – Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-87424-950-5
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. (2012). Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN: 978-1568363974.
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 for Japanese language learning 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 and written assignments. 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 year-end 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 completing the course, students can greet, introduce themselves, describe their families and friends, describe their familiar places, and discuss their daily routines, experiences, and opinions.
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, listening, and written examinations.
Class Materials (Required) Oka, M. et al. (2021). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-870-6.
Oka, M. et al. (2022). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese Workbook 1 – Hiragana/Katakana, Kanji, Reading, Writing. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-87424-910-9.
Oka, M. et al. (2023). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese Workbook 2 – Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-87424-950-5
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. (2012). Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN: 978-1568363974.
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 for Japanese language learning 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 and written assignments. 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 year-end 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 completing the course, students can greet, introduce themselves, describe their families and friends, describe their familiar places, and discuss their daily routines, experiences, and opinions.
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, listening, and written examinations.
Class Materials (Required) Oka, M. et al. (2021). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-870-6.
Oka, M. et al. (2022). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese Workbook 1 – Hiragana/Katakana, Kanji, Reading, Writing. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-87424-910-9.
Oka, M. et al. (2023). TOBIRA 1: Beginning Japanese Workbook 2 – Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-87424-950-5
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. (2012). Kodansha's Essential Kanji Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN: 978-1568363974.
Overview of class Japanese II (JAPANESE 121-1, 2 and 3) is a yearlong course that continues elementary Japanese following Japanese I (JAPANESE 111) and prepares students for intermediate Japanese (JAPANESE 211). Students further develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills while exploring aspects of Japanese culture and society through readings, written work, and in-class discussions.
The course emphasizes describing personal experiences, daily life, and social topics with increasing accuracy and sophistication. Students practice defining words and retelling a story they have heard or read while expanding vocabulary and grammatical structures. Consistent preparation and active participation are expected. Through ongoing oral and written feedback, students build linguistic accuracy and learner autonomy.
Registration Requirements Completion of the prerequisite course with a grade of C- or above, or placement by departmental test.
Learning Objectives By the end of the course, students aim to reach ACTFL Intermediate-Mid level (CEFR A2-B1.1). Students will be able to handle a range of everyday conversational situations and comprehend moderately complex texts with some fluency.
Teaching Method Classes are conducted primarily in Japanese and focus on interpersonal communication. Students are expected to read grammar explanation in the textbook, watch a corresponding video clip, practice required vocabulary and complete an assignment as class preparation. Reading, listening and writing skills are developed through assignments completed outside of class.
Evaluation Method Class engagement, oral and written examinations, essays/reports and a short presentation.
Class Materials (Required) Oka, M. et al. (2022). TOBIRA II: Beginning Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-900-0.
Oka, M. et al. (2023). TOBIRA II: Beginning Japanese Workbook 1: Kanji|Reading|Writing. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-960-4
Oka, M. et al. (2024) TOBIRA II: Beginning Japanese Workbook 2 -Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-9819
Class Materials (Suggested) Hudson, M. E. (1994) English Grammar for Students of Japanese. Ann Arbor: The Olivia and Hill Press. ISBN 978-0934034166.
Overview of class Japanese II (JAPANESE 121-1, 2 and 3) is a yearlong course that continues elementary Japanese following Japanese I (JAPANESE 111) and prepares students for intermediate Japanese (JAPANESE 211). Students further develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills while exploring aspects of Japanese culture and society through readings, written work, and in-class discussions.
The course emphasizes describing personal experiences, daily life, and social topics with increasing accuracy and sophistication. Students practice defining words and retelling a story they have heard or read while expanding vocabulary and grammatical structures. Consistent preparation and active participation are expected. Through ongoing oral and written feedback, students build linguistic accuracy and learner autonomy.
Registration Requirements Completion of the prerequisite course with a grade of C- or above, or placement by departmental test.
Learning Objectives By the end of the course, students aim to reach ACTFL Intermediate-Mid level (CEFR A2-B1.1). Students will be able to handle a range of everyday conversational situations and comprehend moderately complex texts with some fluency.
Teaching Method Classes are conducted primarily in Japanese and focus on interpersonal communication. Students are expected to read grammar explanation in the textbook, watch a corresponding video clip, practice required vocabulary and complete an assignment as class preparation. Reading, listening and writing skills are developed through assignments completed outside of class.
Evaluation Method Class engagement, oral and written examinations, essays/reports and a short presentation.
Class Materials (Required) Oka, M. et al. (2022). TOBIRA II: Beginning Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-900-0.
Oka, M. et al. (2023). TOBIRA II: Beginning Japanese Workbook 1: Kanji|Reading|Writing. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-960-4
Oka, M. et al. (2024) TOBIRA II: Beginning Japanese Workbook 2 -Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN 978-4-87424-9819
Class Materials (Suggested) Hudson, M. E. (1994) English Grammar for Students of Japanese. Ann Arbor: The Olivia and Hill Press. ISBN 978-0934034166.
Overview of class Japanese III (JAPANESE 211-1, 2, 3) is a year-long, college-level intermediate course and the sequel to Japanese II (JAPANESE 121-1, 2, 3). In Japanese III, students will continue developing the four skills -- speaking, listening, reading, and writing – while exploring various aspects of Japanese culture and society through reading materials, TV dramas, class discussions and interview projects. Formal writing styles are introduced, and students will learn to distinguish between formal and casual speech and writing styles. The year-end proficiency goal for 211 is Intermediate-High, as defined by the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines.
Registration Requirements Students must have completed the preceding course with C- or above, or must be placed into the course through the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives Upon successful completion of the year-long course, the students will be able to:
1) Handle daily situations comfortably and appropriately,
2) Describe and narrate daily events and personal experiences in an organized manner,
3) Summarize the main points of short presentations or stories,
4) Utilize casual and formal styles in both speech and writing,
5) Attain a working knowledge of kanji frequently used in the media,
6) Communicate with native speakers on familiar topics in informal settings,
7) Deepen their understanding of customs, culture, and social phenomena of contemporary Japan, and
8) Learn strategies to become autonomous learners.
Teaching Method Discussion. This course is conducted in Japanese.
Evaluation Method Class participation and performance, assignments, quizzes, oral and written examinations, projects.
Class Materials (Required) JAPANESE 211-1 Oka, M. et al. (2025). Tobira 1: Intermediate Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-8011-1018-2
JAPANESE 211-2 Oka, M. et al. (2025). Tobira 1: Intermediate Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. ISBN: 978-4-8011-1018-2
Oka, M. et al. (2026). Tobira 2: Intermediate Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. To be published in September 2026.
JAPANESE 211-3 Oka, M. et al. (2026). Tobira 2: Intermediate Japanese. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publishers. To be published in September 2026.
Class Materials (Optional) Kano et al (2015). [新版] Basic Kanji Book Vol. 2. Tokyo: Bonjinsha. ISBN: 978-4-89358-883-8
JAPANESE 312-1 Japanese IV: Contemporary Japanese Literary Works for Reading and Discussion
Overview of class In this course, students will enhance their language skills by exploring and discussing Japanese literary materials. While literature courses in Japanese studies often emphasize historical contexts and specific analytical frameworks for the texts, this course focuses on students’ own engagement with and linguistic analysis of written works. The course materials will include poems, essays, manga, short stories, and novels. Supplementary movies may also be provided depending on availability.
Registration Requirements: Students must have completed JAPANESE 211-3 with C- or above, or must be placed into the class through the departmental placement test.
Learning Objectives 1) Enhance language proficiency in reading and speaking to the Advanced-Low, as defined by the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines,
2) Explore various literary genres to identify their stylistic elements and themes,
3) Develop critical thinking skills by analyzing texts from multiple perspectives, and
4) Become an autonomous learner by examining strategies to achieve proficiency independently.
Teaching Method: Discussion. This course is conducted in Japanese.
Evaluation Method: Class participation and performance, assignments, projects, oral and written exams.
Class Materials (Required): All materials will be provided via Canvas.
Overview of class This is ayear-long first-year course designed for beginning learners without previous knowledge in Korean language. The course aims to build students' all-around communicative ability in speaking, reading, listening and writing with a great emphasis on developing the conversational skill. Students will learn basic aspects of Korean culture throughout the course.
Registration Requirements 111-1: None
111-2: Completion of 111-1 with C- or above or the departmental placement test
111-3: Completion of 111-2 with C- or above or the departmental placement test
Learning Objectives
This course is designed to have students reach their oral proficiency at the Intermediate Low level of the ACTFL guideline by the end of year. It aims to achieve the competency in interpersonal, presentational and interpretive communication and culture in conjunction with the National Standards.
Teaching Method Students will learn the basic elements of Korean language such as pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. In this student-centered class, students will actively participate in speaking, reading, writing and listening activities. Related supplemental materials such as video clips and reading texts will be incorporated to enhance students' listening and reading skills as well as the cultural understanding.
Evaluation Method Grade will be based on attendance and participation, vocabulary quizzes and lesson tests, assignments, oral tests and performance, and final examination.
Class Materials (Required) Integrated Korean (3rd edition): Beginning 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press) 978-0-8248-7619-7 & 978-0-8248-8331-7
Workbook (3rd edition): Beginning 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press) 978-0-8248-7650-0 & 978-0-8248-8336-2
Overview of class This is ayear-long first-year course designed for beginning learners without previous knowledge in Korean language. The course aims to build students' all-around communicative ability in speaking, reading, listening and writing with a great emphasis on developing the conversational skill. Students will learn basic aspects of Korean culture throughout the course.
Registration Requirements 111-1: None
111-2: Completion of 111-1 with C- or above or the departmental placement test
111-3: Completion of 111-2 with C- or above or the departmental placement test
Learning Objectives
This course is designed to have students reach their oral proficiency at the Intermediate Low level of the ACTFL guideline by the end of year. It aims to achieve the competency in interpersonal, presentational and interpretive communication and culture in conjunction with the National Standards.
Teaching Method Students will learn the basic elements of Korean language such as pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. In this student-centered class, students will actively participate in speaking, reading, writing and listening activities. Related supplemental materials such as video clips and reading texts will be incorporated to enhance students' listening and reading skills as well as the cultural understanding.
Evaluation Method Grade will be based on attendance and participation, vocabulary quizzes and lesson tests, assignments, oral tests and performance, and final examination.
Class Materials (Required) Integrated Korean (3rd edition): Beginning 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press) 978-0-8248-7619-7 & 978-0-8248-8331-7
Workbook (3rd edition): Beginning 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press) 978-0-8248-7650-0 & 978-0-8248-8336-2
Overview of class This is a year-long second-year Korean course for continuing students who finished Korean I or who have the equivalent proficiency. The course aims to further develop students' four skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing to the next level and to bring up the competency of Communication and Cultural understanding.
Registration Requirements 121-1: Completion of 111-3 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
121-2: Completion of 121-1 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
121-3: Completion of 121-2 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
Learning Objectives This course is designed to have students reach their oral proficiency at the Intermediate Mid-level of the ACTFL guideline by the end of year. It aims to achieve interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive communication as well as cultures in conjunction with the National Standards.
Teaching Method Various communicative activities will be employed to develop the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills. Also, authentic reading, writing, and visual materials that cover a wide spectrum of cultural topics will be provided to enhance student’s overall competency and cultural understanding.
Evaluation Method Grades will be given based on attendance and class participation, vocabulary quizzes, lesson tests, assignments, oral test and performance, and final examination.
Class Materials (Required) Integrated Korean (3rd edition): Intermediate 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press) 978-0-8248-8677-6 & 978-0-8248-8682-0
Workbook (3rd edition): Intermediate 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press) 978-0-8248-8676-9 & 978-0-8248-8683-7
Overview of class This is a year-long second-year Accelerated Korean course for students with existing proficiencies in speaking/ listening skills and more limited reading /writing skills in Korean. It focuses more on developing students’ literacy skills to balance with their oral skills. Students will engage in various literacy activities and authentic materials with community-based cultural activities.
Registration Requirements 125-1: The departmental placement test
125-2: Completion of 125-1 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
125-3: Completion of 125-2 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
Learning Objectives This course is designed to have students reach their oral proficiency at the Intermediate High level and their writing proficiency at the Intermediate Mid-level of the ACTFL guideline. By the end of year, it aims to achieve interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive communication along with comparisons and cultures of the National Standards.
Teaching Method This class is conducted exclusively in Korean with minimal grammar instruction. Students will be doing extensive writing practice, reading authentic materials, class discussions, and learning various community-related and cultural aspects of Korea.
Evaluation Method Grades will be given based on attendance and performance, vocabulary quizzes and lesson tests, assignments, written assignments, oral performance, and final examination.
Class Materials (Required) Integrated Korean: Accelerated 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press, 2020)
978-0-8248-8277-8 & 978-0-8248-8278-5 Integrated Korean Workbook: Accelerated 1 & 2 (University of Hawaii Press, 2020)
Overview of class This is a year-long third-year course designed to further develop students’ linguistic and cultural ability, particularly to enhance the overall communicative skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing toward Advanced level. The vocabulary, contents, tasks, and topics covered in class are to address a wide spectrum of linguistic, discourse and socio-cultural aspects. Students will gain in-depth knowledge in academic discourse skills and understanding of Korean language, culture, and society.
Registration Requirements 211-1: Completion of 121-3 or 125-3 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
211-2: Completion of 211-1 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
211-3: Completion of 211-2 with C- or above, or the departmental placement test
Learning Objectives This course is designed to have students reach their proficiency at the Intermediate High level of the ACTFL guideline by the end of year in interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive communication along with comparisons and cultures.
Teaching Method Various communicative activities will be employed with the emphasis on developing three modes of communication in advanced proficiency: Interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication. Related authentic and cultural materials will be incorporated to enhance intercultural competence.
Evaluation Method Grades will be given based on attendance and class participation, vocabulary quizzes, lesson tests, assignments, essays, oral performance, and final project.
Class Materials (Required) Sogang Korean 4A & 4B Students’ Book (2015) Sogang University
978-89-92491-84-6 18710 and 978-89-92491-88-4 18710
Sogang Korean 4A & 4B Workbook (2015) Sogang University
978-89-92491-92-1 13710 and 978-89-92491-91-4 13710
