Japanese Language Courses Fall Semester

JPAN0103 |JPAN0100 |JPAN0210 |JPAN0300 |JPAN0500 |JPAN0700 |JPAN0760 |JPAN1040 |JPAN1080 |JPAN1140|JPAN511 |JPAN515

JPAN0130/5103
Introduction to Spoken Japanese I
Intended for students who want to learn how to communicate in spoken Japanese. No previous experience is required. In addition to the use of a standard textbook, from the first day on we learn set phrases and patterns of behavior that will enable you to interact more smoothly with speakers of Japanese. The emphasis is on speaking, but you will be able to recognize the 46 hiragana and some basic kanji by the end of the semester. The last 15-30 minutes of each class are devoted to using popular culture forms such as anime, live-action dramas, and songs to improve our Japanese. This is a great chance to learn Japanese in a more relaxed environment.
* This course does not count toward foreign language requirements, majors, or minors.

JPAN0100/5100
Beginning Japanese I
Intended for students who have no Japanese background. In this course, all four skills, (speaking, listening, writing, reading) are equally emphasized and cultural knowledge will be introduced accordingly. Students will be able to participate in conversations on familiar topics such as shopping, restaurants, hometown, daily life, trip, and family. The class will be engaging by asking and answering questions to get to know each other. Students will also be able to read texts related to everyday life and personal interests or studies. An introduction to modern written Japanese, including hiragana and katakana syllabaries (two sets of Japanese syllabic letters) and about 70 Chinese characters (Kanji) are introduced.
Textbooks: Genki I (Lesson 1 – Lesson 7) will be covered.

JPAN0210/5210
Intensive Beginning Japanese I
Intended for students with little or no background in Japanese who wish to complete the language requirement in one year (equivalent to JPAN 011 + JPAN 012). In this intensive introduction course, all four skills, (speaking, listening, writing, reading) are equally emphasized and cultural knowledge will be introduced accordingly. Students will be able to engage in conversations on familiar topics such as self, life, family, food, hometown, hobbies and pastimes, lesture activities, expressing one’s opinion, etc. Students will also be able to read authentic texts related to daily life. An introduction to modern written Japanese, including two sets of Japanese syllabic letters (hiragana and katakana) and approx. 175 Chinese characters (kanji) are introduced.
Textbooks: Genki I & Genki II (Lesson 1 – 14) will be covered.

JPAN0300/5300
Intermediate Japanese I
This course is a continuation of JPAN 0200 and focuses on the development of the elementary grammatical structures of the Japanese language through aural-oral practices. The course also aims to develop the four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course also introduces aspects of Japanese culture and customs, the knowledge that is necessary for behaving in a socio-culturally appropriate manner. Students will learn and practice skills to communicate in situations they might face in real life. Example topics and functions are travel, part-time job, work, asking for favors, asking permission, stating your intension/opinion, reporting what you heard, and various speech styles including けいご (respectful speech).
Textbooks: Genki II (Lesson 15 – Lesson 20) will be covered, and around 100 new Kanji will be introduced. Overall kanji knowledge will be 286.

JPAN0500/5500
High Intermediate Japanese I
This course is a continuation of JPAN 0400. Students will learn about Japanese culture and society through readings on various topics, including sports, food, religions, pop-culture, and traditional performing arts in Japan. They will create with the language when talking about a variety of familiar topics and learn to communicate their ideas and opinions about general topics while solidifying the grammar, vocabulary, and kanji foundation built at the beginning level.  Students will also deepen understanding of various aspects of Japanese culture, compare and contrast them with their own culture, and critically think of cross-cultural differences.
Textbook: Tobira: Gateway to Advanced Japanese (Unit 4 – Unit 8) Kanji: reproduction-approx. 400/recognition-approx. 550

JPAN0700/5700
Advance Japanese I
This course is a continuation of the Japanese language at the upper-intermediate level, aiming to achieve advanced-low according to the ACTFL guidelines at the end of the spring semester course, JPAN 312. It is not necessary to have course credit from JPAN 212 to enroll in JPAN 311; however, to be able to participate in the course work effectively, students need to have a solid intermediate-high level proficiency in active skills, and higher proficiency in passive skills. Knowledge (recognition) of 600+ Kanji is required as well. This course emphasizes the four linguistic skills, which are speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will communicate more in detail and at greater lengths about various topics, including personal and general topics, participating actively in discussions, and making short presentations. Students will use multiple reference sources, including dictionaries and on-line resources, to enhance reading comprehension and writing skills. Students will also deepen understanding of various aspects of Japanese culture, compare and contrast them with their own culture, and critically think of cross-cultural differences.
Textbooks and Materials: The authentic materials selected from the internet, newspapers, and books will be used.

JPAN0760/5760
Japanese for the Professions
This course is an upper-intermediate level course of Japanese intended for students who are interested in using Japanese in their profession. Improving speaking proficiency is emphasized, and students will learn preferable and frequently used vocabulary, expressions, and discourse in Japanese business contexts. Students will also communicate more in detail and at greater lengths about various cultural and social topics through a lens of business, namely business cases (e.g. Coca-Cola Japan and Nintendo). They will participate actively in discussions, perform a mock job interview, and make short presentations. Students will also deepen their understanding of various aspects of Japanese business culture, compare and contrast them with their own culture, and critically think of cross-cultural differences.
Textbook: Powering Up Your Japanese Through Case Studies: Intermediate and Advanced Japanese.

JPAN1040/6080
Advanced Japanese III
All students are expected to possess sufficient knowledge of the Japanese language beyond the intermediate level. This is due to the nature of the course which is designed to develop students’ communicative competencies through a variety of materials provided.

JPAN1080/6080
Advanced Japanese for Proficiency I
This course is designed for students with an advanced background in Japanese, who are interested in taking the Level 2 or 1 Japanese Proficiency Test. All participants are required to take the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (N1 or N2) administered in December. Solid grammar, an extensive vocabulary, and the knowledge of at least 800-900 Chinese characters is required. This course is not continuous with any existing 300-level Japanese course; therefore, your grade from a 300-level course does not qualify you to take this course. Eligibility will be determined through an interview and placement test taken in the first meeting. All students who take this course are required to take the Japanese Proficiency Test in December.

JPAN1140/6140
Readings in Advanced Japanese  I
This is an advanced-level Japanese course designed for students who have achieved a proficiency level equivalent to passing the JLPT N1 or are very close to that level. The course focuses on further developing students’ ability to read and critically analyze advanced literary and journalistic texts written in modern Japanese.
Students will expand their vocabulary and master sentence structures suitable for academic and professional contexts while enhancing their speaking, listening, and writing skills in Japanese. Through engaging with academic materials, students will also refine their presentation skills by delivering clear and coherent research-based presentations in Japanese.
In addition to language skill development, this course offers students an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese culture, history, and society.

JPAN491
Readings in Classical Japanese I
Readings in classical texts drawn from the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo periods. Introduction to the different styles of classical Japanese, and to classical Japanese as a whole.

JPAN515
Japanese-English Translation
In this course, students learn basic techniques and skills in translation through hands-on practices. Depending on the interests of enrolled students, both literary and non-literary texts are drawn from a wide range of fields, including popular culture (e.g. manga, animation, film, game, music, and short story), religion, law, and medicine. As students read papers pertinent to principles and problems of translation from Japanese to English, they acquire practical experience in translation tasks and approaches, learn cultural and communicative differences between Japanese and English, and familiarize themselves with ethics and resources.