Doshisha University

<Level VII>

Target Students: Those who have completed and mastered intermediate-level studies.

Course Goals: To master the 200 important intermediate sentence patterns and develop understanding and command of the 100 important advanced sentence patterns for further improvement of the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 10,000 basic words and 2,000 basic Chinese characters.

<General 1-5>

Goal: To develop a balanced, advanced level of proficiency in reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

Contents: Mastery of intermediate sentence patterns and introduction of 100 important advanced sentence patterns, using Doshisha University’s original textbook and support materials. For students to be able to use all the expressions in an appropriate manner, exercises will be of typical situations where each expression is used, without categorizing them into grammar or vocabulary issues. Vocabulary building with an emphasis on collocation. Improving the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing through summarizing, reading, and listening comprehension of the materials; role-play using expressions learned in class, and composition exercises.

The kimono is one of the symbols of Japanese tradition and culture, and various traditional cultures are protected through the kimono.　
　
This course first looks at the history of the kimono, a traditional Japanese costume. The sensibility of admiring the four seasons was born from the dyeing and weaving materials that are produced all over the country due to the climate of Japan. Next, through the practice of wearing the yukata and kimono, the course instructs on the meaning of their structure and the way they are worn, as well as the significance of unique colors and patterns of Japan. The course teaches Kyoto culture by visiting Kyoto Yuzen and Nishijin textile workshops and experiencing Kyoto customs. Ultimately, the course aims to provide a learning experience of the movement and aesthetic sense of the Japanese through the kimono that Japan is proud of.　

This course introduces key concepts affecting national education systems in the contemporary era of globalization. Since modern education systems were built by independent nation-states in the 19th and 20th centuries, the institutions that were created have come under severe strain by economic, social, technological, and demographic forces unleashed by 21st-century globalization. Governments everywhere are under pressure to prepare students for this new era.  Students will be required to conduct their own research into aspects of globalization as they affect education in two or more nation-states. Each week, students will discuss a text about the topic of the week. One student will lead the discussion with a presentation, and then further materials and ideas will be presented to the students to challenge them to think as deeply as possible about the issues raised.

This semester-long course introduces the Zen culture of Kyoto to Japanese and foreign students of Doshisha University.  It especially focuses on the main teachings, philosophical values, aesthetics, practices, and applications for daily life. By doing specific activities, writing assignments and oral presentations, students increase their knowledge and the meaning of what they have learned from their interactions and shared experiences.  The course compares between the different branches of Japanese Zen, and the Zen manifestations in other countries to strengthen final debates and discussions as well as to aid in the formation of group research projects for final evaluation.

Focusing on the function words of the former Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) level 1, this course explains the functional expressions that advanced learners should acquire. The title of the course is "Introduction to Grammar," but explaining Japanese grammar to Japanese learners is not conducive for practical use. "Sentence pattern" likely refers to one pattern, so that one can remember the whole sentence pattern. In the weekly course, it is not possible to practice using the expressions that have been learned, so this course points out the mistakes that learners tend to make when using the expressions and teaches them how to use similar expressions. In the spring semester, functional words will be introduced and explained according to pattern.

<Level IV>
Target Students: Those who have completed and mastered elementary level studies.
Course Goals: To develop understanding and command of the 100 important intermediate sentence patterns for further improvement of the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 4,000 basic words and 800 basic Chinese characters.
<General 1-5>
Goal: To develop balanced, intermediate-level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Contents: Learning the 100 most important intermediate sentence patterns and vocabulary and improving reading comprehension with an intermediate level textbook. Developing command of intermediate Japanese through short sentence composition exercises. Increasing vocabulary by learning both the words introduced in the textbook as well as additional related words. Improving the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing by understanding the textbook and exchanging opinions on it.

While deepening exchanges between Japanese students and international students, this lecture provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between Japan, China, and other Asian countries from both historical and contemporary perspectives. It aims to provide an understanding of global society in the 21st century. Among them, as clues for thinking about how two countries face each other; real-life culture shock experiences; misunderstandings due to expressions in Japanese, Chinese, and other foreign languages, and social and cultural differences.  This course aims to think of international relations based on misunderstandings and grassroots forces that are not the logic of international politics, but ta the individual level, such as what can a person living between Japan and China do?  The main format of spring semester classes is expected to be (1) group discussion, (2) group work for research assignments, and (3) group activities for reading. The language used is a combination of Chinese and Japanese, and the Chinese level of Japanese students does not matter. The main topics for the spring semester are cultural diversity and recognition of others.

<Level IV>
Target Students: Those who have completed and mastered elementary level studies.
Course Goals: To develop understanding and command of the 100 important intermediate sentence patterns for further improvement of the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 4,000 basic words and 800 basic Chinese characters.
<Reading Comprehension A>
Goal: To understand slightly complex passages and sentence structures.
Contents: Reading of passages on current topics such as simple newspaper articles.

Target Students: Those who have partially completed elementary level studies.
Course Goals: To master the grammatical expressions learnt at the elementary level, as well as to develop understanding and command of upper elementary and intermediate level grammar and to improve the four skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. To master the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese characters.
Contents: Mastering the elementary level grammar and developing understanding and command of grammar using an upper elementary level textbook, followed by introduction of basic sentence patterns of the intermediate level using an intermediate level textbook. Improving the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through various class activities designed for developing each skill. Mastering the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese characters.

This course is considered a continuation of the course, "Special Topic in Japanese Culture A" and aims to deepen understanding of Shinto and Zen Buddhist traditional Japanese culture through three cultural experiences. The course provides an overview of Japanese religious culture and consider the religious consciousness of the Japanese people as seen in Oni and Mononoke, etc, in Japanese anime.
 

The course instructs on the origins of Shinto, as well as Shinto thought; the period of shrine establishment; histories of the shrine maiden; rituals; music; history, and development of Dance in Japan. This section also covers Shintoism and Kotodama (the philosophy of words and spirits) and Kodaimoji (ancient scripts.), as well as the philosophy of Budo (Martial arts). Then, the course provides a general overview of the development of Buddhism in Japan, including the development of Japanese Zen Buddhism and its wide range of cultural influence. It covers the history and thought of Zen Buddhism; its words; the relationship between Zen and Martial arts; Zen painting, as well as a Zazen experience. Through these studies and experiences, students will learn the characteristics of Japanese culture.