Course Syllabus

JAPN 1020 Elementary Japanese II

Course Description

This course is a continuation of JAPN 1010 and provides additional exposure to the Japanese language and the cultures of Japanese-speaking peoples. It is designed for students who have completed JAPN 1010 with a C- or better, or for students with equivalent experience. During the course, students continue to develop basic oral and listening communication skills by participating in activities that require them to use Japanese in a variety of situations. As a result of developing these skills, they also acquire the ability to read and write Japanese at a basic level. Students learn to communicate about topics that are most familiar to them (e.g., self, family, home, school, daily and recent activities), and they learn to appreciate ways of life different from their own. This course is interactive with a focus on learner participation, basic conversation practice in Japanese, and additional focus on reading and writing. Successful completion of this course fulfills the foreign language requirement for the A.A. degree at Snow College.

Justification

This course satisfies the foreign language requirement for the Associate of Arts degree at Snow College. It is also a prerequisite 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 fields such as art, music, philosophy, history, business, medicine, political science, social science and technology can provide a valuable and employable life resource.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students learn the Japanese language and its linguist system at the elementary level 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 about 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 between the cultures of Japan and the US in class. These discussions enhance students' abilities to analyze and reason critically and creatively. Students demonstrate this ability through practice and discussions in class.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Students produce and interpret oral and written language in various formats (e.g., informal conversation and descriptions). The instructor evaluates their performance in class and during oral assessments, and provides feedback on accuracy of expression and appropriate use of language and gestures. Students produce and interpret oral and written language in various formats (e.g., informal conversation and descriptions). The instructor evaluates their performance in class and during oral assessments, and provides feedback on accuracy of expression and appropriate use of language and gestures.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Interpretive Listening: Students will understand everyday Japanese words and phrases. They will be able to answer questions about themselves, their personal experiences, and their surroundings with greater capacity.
2. Interpretive Reading: Students will understand familiar words, phrases, and some more advanced sentences, building upon those reading skills acquired in JAPN 1010.
3. Interpersonal Spoken: Students will interact with each other using words, phrases, and some memorized expressions. They wil be able to answer simple questions on familiar topics and form questions to create a more realistic dialogue, while expanding the range of their ability beyond the beginner level. They will be capable of describing events not only in the present, but in the past as well, with the ability to speak with anticipation of future events, as well as conjecture upon things that would happen given a certain set of circumstances.
4. Presentational Spoken: Students will provide information about themselves and their immediate surroundings using words, phrases, and some memorized expressions. They will also acquire information from others by forming proper sentences and questions, including topics that address events in the present, past, and future.
5. Presentational 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 in class as well as outside of class.
7. Cultural Understanding: Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of cultural traditions, customs, and values in Japan.

Course Content

Through lecture, one-on-one sessions with the instructor, class discussion, and activities, students will learn and demonstrate: Describing multiple events; making a polite request; asking for and granting permission; explaining reasons; offering help; progressive actions; physical attributes; purpose of movement; counting people; informal speech in the present and past tense; describing and quoting one’s thoughts; one’s abilities; the subject particle “ga”; describing people using verbs; present perfect in the negatives; comparison between two items or more; indicating the same item using “no”; expressing one’s intention; changes form the past; describing the means of actions; learning approximately 100 Chinese characters; cultural perspectives, diversity and daily life in Japan. This content is delivered through interactive lecture, multimedia presentation, partner and group work, and instructor modeling of concepts.