JPNS101 Elementary Japanese I

Department of Language & Literature: Japanese

  1. Course Number and Title

    JPNS101 Elementary Japanese I

  2. Number of Credits

    3 credits

  3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

    2250

  4. Prerequisites

    None

    Corequisites

    None

  5. Other Pertinent Information

    Students spend between six and nine hours per week outside of class in activities such as learning vocabulary, reading, completing written exercises, working on pronunciation, preparing oral presentations, and working with the multimedia files that accompany the text.

  6. Catalog Course Description

    In this course students learn the basics of listening, speaking, understanding, reading, and writing using the Hiragana and Katakana writing system, and also study basic communication. The course includes knowledge and appreciation of the Japanese historical and cultural background.

  7. Required Course Content and Direction

    1. Learning Goals:

      1. Course
        2. Students will:
        1. acquire and demonstrate an elementary degree of competence in the four language skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing;
        2. recognize and respond appropriately to most common spoken situations;
        3. demonstrate ability to write basic sentences in Japanese; and
        4. explain common aspects of life in Japan.

      2. Core (if applicable)
        3. Category I
        Cultural Perspectives
         Students will:
        1. compare, contrast, analyze, and/or defend differing world views and practices.

        Category III
        International, Gender, and/or Minority Perspectives
         Students will:
        1. articulate similarities and differences in the various cultures of the world and demonstrate familiarity with the skills necessary to make informed judgments.

    2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      Grammatical topics

      Noun(X is Y),
      Question Sentences, No (connects two nouns, possessive connector)
      Kore, Sore, Are (this, that, that)
      Kono, Sono, Ano, dono + noun (this, that, that, which + noun)
      Dareno(whose)
      Koko, soko, asoko, doko (here, there, over there, where)
      Noun Mo (too)
      Noun Jyaarimasen (negative)
      -Ne (right?)
      -Yo (assure)
      Verb Conjugation, (1-the dictionary forms, 2-the present tense affirmative forms, 3-the present tense negative forms)
      Verb Types and the Present Tense
      Particles
      Time reference
      ~Masenka (invitation)
      Word Order
      Frequency Adverbs
      The Topic
      Particle wa (as for X, it is such that…)
      X ga arimasu/imasu (There is/are…)
      Describing where things are
      Past tense (affirmative, negative)
      Takusan (quantity)
      Ichijikan (duration)
      To (connect two nouns, together with)
      Mo (two or more people perform the same activity)
      Adjectives (i -adjectives, na -adjectives – affirmative, negative, past)
      Sukina/kiraina (likes/dislikes)
      Degree expressions
      ~Masyou/masyouka (Let’s~)
      Counting

      Vocabulary and social contexts

      Greetings
      Numbers
      Time
      Telephone Numbers
      Age, Locations
      Introducing oneself
      Days/ weeks/ months/ year
      Family
      Shopping
      Meeting People
      Geography
      Vacations
      Food

      Cultural contexts

      Introduction to Hiragana (used for Japanese originated words)
      Introduction to Katakana (used for foreign originated words)
      Japanese manners and customs
      Levels of Formality

    3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

      1. Course
        2. Students
        1. take quizzes and tests;
        2. complete written assignments, such as short compositions and grammatical exercises;
        3. perform listening comprehension exercises;
        4. participate in speaking tasks, which may include oral interviews, conversations and/or presentations that assess proficiency levels.

      2. Core (if applicable)
        1. Cultural Perspectives: Quizzes and tests taken in class include the cultural topics presented in the course. Students compare, contrast, analyze, and/or defend differing worldviews and practices of some Japanese-speaking people.
        2. International, Gender, and/or Minority Perspectives: Quizzes and tests taken in class include the cultural topics presented in the course. Students articulate similarities and differences in the various cultures of the world and demonstrate familiarity with the skills necessary to make informed judgments.

    4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      Students use the textbook, workbook, and multimedia resources of first-year proficiency-based Japanese program. See course format.

  8. Teaching Methods Employed

    Section VIII is not being used in new and revised syllabi as of 12/10/08.

Review/Approval Date - 4/04; Core Goals/Objectives added 4/04; Revised 4/2011