First-Year Japanese (JA101/102/103)

     These courses are for students who have little or no prior experience of Japanese.  In these courses, the emphasis is put on the acquisition of speaking and listening skills. Topics are carefully selected for the student to learn to "get by" in Japanese. The skills are taught with activities and simulations of common communication situations. Once a week students meet in a foreign language lab to practice with audio/video tapes. At this level only one register level, (neutrally polite) is used so that the students' communication will not be too casual or rude in authentic Japanese conversation. It is also one of the major objectives of this course that students will acquire good study skills for their more autonomous learning in the upper level.

     Reading/Writing skills in these courses are limited to minimum: The first term (JA101), is dedicated to mastery of Japanese sounds, one set of Japanese characters (hirigana), and basic expressions/sentence structures. A second set of Japanese characters (katakana) is introduced in the second term (JA102). In the third term (JA103), a limited number of Chinese characters (kanji) are introduced.

     Knowledge about Japanese culture will be incorporated in everyday instruction.

     Materials: A textbook and workbook (Genki vol. 1), hiragana/katakana textbook, kanji book, dictionary, audio and video tapes, and handouts.

     Classroom activities: Maximum exposure to the language (by efficient drills, pair works, group works, tasks and fun activities). Students will be expected to practice oral/aural skills countless times during each session.

     Tutoring: Tutoring session is available with experienced Japanese learners or native Japanese speakers if students wish so.

Second-Year Japanese (JA201/202/203)

     These courses are continuation of the first-year sequence. More emphasis is put on speaking, listening, reading, writing. Topics in these courses are more complex and authentic than the first-year courses. Most skills are taught with activities and simulations of a broad range of situations. Audio and video tapes are vigorously incorporated in the instruction. Along with the neutrally polite level learned in the first year, two more register levels (casual and polite) are introduced so that students' speech will be more appropriate for various situations.

     Reading/Writing skills are more emphasized.

     Materials: Textbooks (Genki vol. 1), Kanji book (Basic Kanji Book, Vol.1), homework sheets, dictionaries, a wordprocessing program ("KanjiKit" installed in the lab), supplementary audio and video tapes.

     Outside classroom: Tutoring session by a native Japanese speaker (optional), participation in Japanese conversation club (optional).

For further, contact Ms. Michiru Shearer at jashearer@augustana.edu.