Study Intensive Japanese for Sinologists at the University of Pennsylvania

Registration is now OPEN. Click here to complete the interest form.  

100% ONLINE Summer 2025

This ONLINE beginning Japanese course is designed for students who can read Sinographs and need Japanese grammar in order to read academic work. Two sessions will cover all the basics of Japanese structure, with some oral practice. The course will include 3 hours of synchronous online sessions and approximately 3-5 hours of asynchronous homework daily. With the instructor’s permission, students with a prior background in Japanese may enroll in the second session only. This course is taught by Tomoko Takami, recipient of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese 2019 Teacher Award at the college level and author of Powering Up Your Japanese through Case Studies: Intermediate and Advanced Japanese (2014), now in its tenth printing.

Instructor: Tomoko Takami, Senior Lecturer in Foreign Languages, Director of Japanese Language Program, University of Pennsylvania (ttakami@sas.upenn.edu)

Textbook and workbooks: Genki I (Summer Session I) and Genki II (Summer Session II) Edition 3

Inquiries: Jess Mullen (jessmull@sas.upenn.edu)

Schedule of Classes

Summer Session I:  Wednesday, May 14th to Saturday, May 31st

Please note that all times indicated here are in the EDT timezone. 

                    

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
May 11 No class	May 12 No class	May 13 No class	May 14 9AM- 12PM	May 15 9AM- 12PM	May 16 9AM- 12PM	May 17 9AM- 1PM
May 18 No class	May 19 9AM- 12PM	May 20 9AM- 12PM	May 21 9AM- 12PM	May 22 9AM- 12PM	May 23 9AM- 12PM	May 24 9AM- 1PM
May 25 No class	May 26 9AM- 12PM	May 27 9AM- 12PM	May 28 9AM- 12PM	May 29 9AM- 12PM	May 30 9AM- 12PM	May 31 9AM- 1PM

 

Summer Session II:  Monday, June 2nd to Wednesday, June 18th

Please note that all times indicated here are in the EDT timezone. 

                 

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
June 1 No class	June 2 No class	June 3 No class	June 4 9AM- 12PM	June 5 9AM- 12PM	June 6 9AM- 12PM	June 7 9AM- 1PM
June 8 No class	June 9 9AM- 12PM	June 10 9AM- 12PM	June 11 9AM- 12PM	June 12 9AM- 12PM	June 13 9AM- 12PM	June 14 9AM- 1PM
June 15 No class	June 16 9AM- 12PM	June 17 9AM- 12PM	June 18 9AM- 1PM	June 19 No class	June 20 No class	June 21 No class

 

Student Testimonials…

“This Intensive Beginning Japanese for Sinologists course makes the impossible possible. I have never imagined that I could learn two years worth Japanese in two months until I actually did it. Many thanks to all the faculties and students who joined this once in a lifetime summer journey with me. 本当にありがとうございました！”

“The best intensive Japanese summer course I have ever attended! The most suitable Japanese language short-term program for students with Chinese reading ability who want to develop their Japanese language skills from the beginning in a short time. Professor Takami is so kind and helpful. She consolidates my confidence to continue learning Japanese language after the program.”

“While this course consolidates my previous Japanese knowledge, it has also taught me a lot of new grammar concepts and enriched my vocabulary, which will certainly be essential for my future academic career. It has also motivated me to look for more advanced Japanese classes in Penn and take the JLPT tests in the near future.”

 

This course is FREE for graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania. For students outside of the University, the course is $1500 per session, or $3000 for both together.