Japanese

This course is for students who are participating in the "Japanese as a Foreign Language Program." It teaches reading, writing, and usage of vocabulary and kanji in the first half of intermediate-level Japanese.  Prerequisite: “J3:JAPANESE” or equivalent.

The course provides lectures on reading, writing, and usage of vocabulary and kanji. Students are expected to participate in research and give individual or group presentations to increase their knowledge of kanji vocabulary and to promote their learning. There will be weekly check assignments on vocabulary and kanji.

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.

This course uses the first volume of the new version of the general textbook "Standard Japanese for Communication between China and Japan"(中日交流标准日本语. Through listening, speaking, reading and writing exercises in and after classes, it helps students to learn Japanese and master good learning methods and habits, which is conducive to further Japanese learning in the future.

<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.

This course is designed for total beginners of Japanese or those who have only studied Japanese for a very short time. Utilizing a topic-based approach, the course instructs on how to interact in Japanese in discussing everyday topics such as talking about oneself, family, favorite things, everyday life, and recent events. Utilizing a situational and functional approach, the course instructs on how to use Japanese in areas of immediate need such as in shopping, ordering food, asking about locations of objects, etc.  Students will also learn 64 basic Japanese verbs and adjectives which are needed for basic communication in the Japanese language.  

The course presents fundamental knowledge (grammar, vocabulary, writing system, and phonetics) and basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, which are needed for basic communication in the Japanese language.

This is an intermediate elementary Japanese language course. It is a continuation of Japanese I at ICU. It provides a firm foundation of communicative skills in both spoken and written Japanese. Upon completion of this course students should have a mastery of additional basic grammatical structures, vocabulary, and 102 additional kanji with new readings.

This advanced intermediate Japanese language course is a continuation of Japanese V and is the equivalent level of UC fifth year language study. It prepares students for advanced-level courses by establishing a solid base for students to fully utilize Japanese in academic as well as social contexts. Students learn skills necessary for academic life, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. New kanji are introduced, as well as new vocabulary expressions and grammatical structures.

This course is designed to cultivate the basic skills of intermediate-level kanji and vocabulary. Students learn a variety of vocabulary by theme and study the characteristics of kanji, utilizing them to learn new kanji and words. The focus is placed on understanding the meaning of the vocabulary in sentences and accurately understanding the meaning of sentences. Achievable goals for the course include acquisition of N3 level kanji and vocabulary and skills to be discern the reading and meaning of new kanji.

This course introduces local, traditional and/or modern aspects of Japanese culture through field trip visits to cultural heritage sites, museums, and theaters. Special attention is given to comparing one's own culture with that of Japan in discussion with peer students. In addition, students examine how seeing Japanese culture firsthand has impacted their view of Japan. 

Students will acquire knowledge of Japanese economics and business and of the Japanese terms used in these fields by reading articles and watching TV programs suitable for advanced-level learners.