Japanese

A course for beginners with no previous knowledge of Japanese, designed to introduce the Japanese Language and culture. The course is not suitable for students with previous knowledge of Japanese. Students develop basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. They acquire knowledge of basic grammatical structures and a vocabulary of approximately 400 high-frequency words and phrases and the two basic character sets. 

This course is designed for students who have already learned the first half of elementary- level grammar. It focuses on the acquisition of grammar and sentence patterns based on the textbook, "Elementary Japanese for Academic Purposes Vol.2" (Lesson 13 to 18).

Textbook: Elementary Japanese for Academic Purposes Vol. 2 (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Press).

Students will acquire basic grammar and vocabulary needed for everyday life and attending university classes in Japan, learn the four skills “listening” and “writing”.

Eligibility: A2.1 level in the CEFR/JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education (N4 in the JLPT).

Learning Objectives: 
A2.2 level in the CEFR/JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education
Review the expressions/sentence structures learned at the basic level (A1-A2.1); learn new expressions/sentence structures, and when, where, and how to use them, to achieve the below goals:
・ Comprehend concise conversations and monologues about familiar topics in everyday and classroom situations. 
・ If you prepare in advance, you can enumerate events, briefly describe them, tell stories, express your thoughts and feelings. 
・ You can interact with other people with little difficulty in everyday situation. 

This course instructs on understanding and utilizing grammar and vocabulary needed to read articles and essays on familiar topics of interest. Course assignments involve attendance, writing reports, and expression of one's own opinions, toward mastering the Japanese “listening” and  “speaking” skills that lead from intermediate to upper-intermediate level. 

Eligibility A2.2 level in the CEFR/JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education (N3 in the JLPT). 

Learning Objectives B1 level in the CEFR/JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education. Understand the necessary sentence structures/expressions, and when, where, and how to use them, to achieve the following goals: 

1.  In daily communication and studying at a university, understanding of a spontaneous conversation and a monologue about one's concerns (listening).

2. Describing concerns so that the other party is interested, and responding appropriately by asking questions of the other party's interests. Also, adding simple prefixes and fixed form expressions etc. in formal scenes (spoken production).

3. Responding by looking at the reaction of the opponent, by adding appropriate fillers, response, and necessary information (spoken Interaction).

This is a beginning elementary Japanese course intended to cover the first year of Japanese language study at UC. The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of Japanese sentence structures, grammar and vocabulary necessary for daily communication in both spoken and written Japanese. Students master hiragana and katakana, learn approximately 125 kanji, and develop an ability to read and write simple texts constructed with learned sentence patterns and vocabulary. By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to orally deliver personal information, experiences, and factual information, as well as express simple opinions. Through communication with native Japanese speakers, students develop strategic skills for obtaining information about the Japanese language.