Which Course to Take

Which Course to Take

Which Course to Take?

Which beginning Japanese course should you take?
Let’s say you have no or nearly no prior knowledge of Japanese and want to study Japanese from the very beginning.
Choose between
JPAN0100 (Fall Semester) & JPAN0200 (Spring Semester)
JPAN0210 (Fall Semester) & JPAN0410 (Spring Semester)
You can use these courses for the language requirement or major/minor in Japanese.

JPAN0100/0200 & JPAN0300/0400: Beginning Japanese I/II & Intermediate Japanese I/II
Choose these courses to fulfill the language requirement if any of the following apply:
1. You don’t mind taking two years to complete your language requirement (4 c.u.)
2. You have never studied any foreign language and are apprehensive about the pace of an intensive course.

If you take JPAN0100/0200 as a freshman, you will be able to take more courses in your freshman year, but you will have to take JPAN0300/0400 in your sophomore year to complete the language requirement. If you plan to major in Japanese, you will also have to take JPAN0500/0600: High Intermediate Japanese I & II, in your junior year.

JPAN0210/0410: Intensive Beginning Japanese I & II
Choose this course, if any of the following apply:
1. You want to complete the language requirement (4 c.u.) in one year.
2. You want to study Japanese abroad in your junior year, especially at a Japanese-only institution such as Hitotsubashi University.
3. You want to go to Japan next summer.
*This course is not designed for students who have some knowledge of Chinese characters or speak a language related to Japanese, but such students will probably prefer to study Japanese intensively.
**For freshman, JPAN0210, which is 2 c.u. per semester, will constitute half your course load. This has the advantage of enabling you to concentrate on fewer subjects during your freshman year.

Placement Test
If you have some prior knowledge of Japanese, and you want to use Japanese for the language requirement or major or minor in Japanese, you may be able to place somewhere into the JPAN0100/0200/0300/0400 sequence. Completion of JPAN0400 (or JPAN0410) will fulfill your requirement no matter where you begin. (If you choose to major or minor, you will still need a total of 14 c.u. or 8 c.u. respectively, the rest of which you may fulfill with other EALC courses.) Please contact Tomoko Takami (ttakami@sas.upenn.edu /215-573-3640) about placement.

JPAN0103/0105: Spoken Japanese I / II
If you do not plan to use Japanese for your language requirement, you may want to take this course at a slower pace. *These courses do not count toward foreign language requirements, majors, or minors.

The Language Certificate
Students wishing to pursue advanced language study but who cannot or do not want to fulfill the requirements of a major or minor may apply for the Language Certificate.  The minimum requirement for the certificate is three courses BEYOND proficiency (or the equivalent total of seven courses) in the same language.  Courses taught in literature and culture in the original language are accepted.  Approved Study Abroad courses may also be accepted.  Only courses for which a grade of “B+” or above is given will count toward the certificate.
Completion of the certificate will be noted on the student’s transcript and at graduation.  Applications may be obtained in the department office. Contact Tomoko Takami

Course Offering related sites:
Registrar’s Site
SAS:  http://www.upenn.edu/registrar/timetable/jpan.html

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