Course Syllabus

JAPN 1010 Elementary Japanese I

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the Japanese language and the cultures of Japanese-speaking peoples. It is designed for students with no previous Japanese study. During the course, students develop basic oral and listening communication skills by participating in activities that require them to use Japanese in a variety of situations, including conversation, grammar, pronunciation, reading and writing. Numerous Chinese characters are introduced. Elemental cultural themes are also explored. Students meet with the instructor daily, and have tutorial assistants for additional in-class as well as out-of-class practice. This course is interactive with a focus on learner participation and basic conversation practice in Japanese.

Justification

This course is a pre-requisite for JAPN 1020, which satisfies the foreign language requirement for the Associate of Arts degree at Snow College. It is also a pre-requisite for intermediate and advanced study of the language. Students are introduced to the language, cultures, and values of Japanese-speaking peoples. Learning Japanese, particularly in combination with studies in other science, technical, or business fields, can provide a valuable and employable life resource. Moreover, Japanese culture is distinct from Western culture in many areas; Japanese studies provide students with a wider perspective about the world.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students learn elementary Japanese language and its linguistic system as part of world languages. Students discuss Japanese cultures regularly to reflect on and analyze underlying similarities and differences between cultures by exploring the basis for cultural traditions and modern social phenomena. Students demonstrate fundamental knowledge of Japanese language and culture through in-class practice and discussions that include research on specific cultural topics.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students learn Japanese cultures by reading and researching materials outside of class as well as in class to deepen their knowledge about Japan. Students demonstrate their effective reading and researching abilities through their presentations and discussions in class.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students learn a basic knowledge of linguistics by learning the Japanese language and diverse social/cultural perspectives and skills of critical thinking by exploring Japanese cultures. Students demonstrate their knowledge, perspectives and skills through practice and discussions on languages and cultures in class.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students analyze the linguistic differences between Japanese and English and discuss similarities and differences on cultures between Japan and the US in class to enhance the ability of analytical, critical and creative reasoning. Students demonstrate this ability through practice and discussions in class.
5. A student who completes the GE curriculum can communicate effectively through writing and speaking. Students prepare pair/group work on a regular basis in class, which requires appropriate writing and speaking skills to enhance their ability to communicate effectively. Students demonstrate this ability through pair/group activities and presentations in class.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Integrated Explorations: Students must work with partners at least three times a week to complete brief conversation exercises in Japanese during class. Students have pair/group work and presentation(s) for Japanese language and culture on a regular basis, in class, to learn the skill of effective team work. Students demonstrate this skill throughout their pair/group activities and presentations in class. Integrated Explorations: Students must work with partners at least three times a week to complete brief conversation exercises in Japanese during class. Students have pair/group work and presentation(s) for Japanese language and culture on a regular basis, in class, to learn the skill of effective team work. Students demonstrate this skill throughout their pair/group activities and presentations in class.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Interpretive Listening: Students will understand some everyday words, phrases, and questions about themselves, their personal experiences, and their surroundings, when people speak slowly and clearly or there is repetition.
2. Interpretive Reading: Students will understand familiar words, phrases, and simple sentences. They will demonstrate this during class participation and through online exercises.
3. Interpersonal Spoken: Students will interact with help using words, phrases, and memorized expressions. They will be able to answer simple questions on very familiar topics.
4. Presentational Spoken: Students will provide information about themselves and their immediate surroundings using words, phrases, and memorized expressions.
5. Presentation Written: Students will provide some basic information on familiar topics in lists, phrases, and memorized expressions.
6. Cultural Opportunities: Students will seek opportunities to learn about and experience new cultures outside of class.
7. Cultural Understanding: Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of cultural traditions, customs, and values in one or more of Japanese-speaking countries. They will demonstrate this through in-class presentations.

Course Content

The topics covered in Japanese 1010 include but are not limited to: everyday greetings; basic sentence structures; self-introduction; various particles; telling time; Japanese demonstratives; counting to 99,999; asking/answering telephone numbers; basic verbs and its conjugation; asking/answering directions and locations; shopping in a store; ordering food in a restaurant; various counters; talking about activities and events in the past, present and future time; days of the week and month; making invitations; basic adjectives and its conjugation; expressing likes/dislikes; describing people/places/things; reading and writing Japanese characters (hiragana and katakana) at the sentence/simple paragraph level; reading and writing 50 Chinese characters; various Japanese cultures to explore and discuss diversity. This content is delivered through interactive lecture, multimedia presentation, partner and group work, and instructor modeling of concepts.