Japan

This course explores the dynamic, culturally and historically contingent ways in which architecture and urban space are structured along the distinction between what belongs to the protected realm of the private and what is to ‘take place’ in the interpersonal sphere of the public. As the physical and experiential form of the city, it’s buildings and the character of its urban life are deeply influenced by the private/public distinction, it is important to understand these implications not only in theory, but also for urban politics, the practices of urban design and place-making as well as for everyday appropriation.

This course surveys the fundamentals of western personality theories to help students learn ways to understand and think about human behavior, interpersonal relationships, and individual differences. It also explores the relevance and applicability of these theories in 21st Century Japan. The following courses are prerequisites: Introduction to Contemporary Psychology and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation.
 

This course is designed for students learning Japanese for the first time. The course aims to familiarize students with Japanese characters and acquire basic reading and writing skills. The course design is based on sentence structures and grammatical patterns learned in Elementary Japanese for Academic Purposes Vol. 1 (Lesson 1 to 6). It is recommended to take “Essential Japanese 1M-1 & 1M-2” together with this course.

This course reviews and masters elementary Japanese grammar and sentence patterns and develops a well-balanced lower intermediate level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learn the 50 most important sentence patterns of the intermediate level, master 3000 basic words and 600 to 750 kanji. They read short written passages on various topics that consist of sentence patterns, grammar and new vocabulary, make speeches on topics familiar to them, and write well-organized passages.