Japanese Level 1

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• read and write the first two sets of characters, Hiragana and Katakana, accurately;
• express and respond to in writing basic information on themselves and others;
• express and respond to in speaking basic information on themselves and others;
• comprehend and respond to the information by listening to very simple monologues/dialogues.

Basic linguistic structures to include:

• present tense;
• negative;
• past tense;
• interrogative;
• personal pronouns;
• demonstrative pronouns and adjectives;
• particles;
• possessive;
• adjectives (present, negative).

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

• greeting;
• self introduction;
• things around you;
• shopping;
• eating and drinking;
• leisure;
• the home;
• the town;
• everyday life;
• family;
• travelling;
• present giving and receiving.

In terms of writing, the Hiragana and Katakana writing system will be introduced and practised systematically and in stages.

In line with modern foreign languages communicative and active learning methodology, in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include pair work (e.g. dialogue practice, information gap exercises and vocabulary/grammar quiz), individual tasks (e.g. script writing practice followed by the teacher's demonstration, forming/writing sentences for various tasks), and group work (e.g. reading aloud new vocabulary for pronunciation practice and reading texts/listening to the audio files for comprehension exercise), following the teacher's introduction on new language items (grammar, vocabukary and scripts). Homework tasks give students the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills covered each week as well as to receive an individual feedback. This approach not only ensures students engage with a wide range of tasks, but also supports different learning styles.

All pieces of coursework are marked and feedback will be given in two weeks. Detailed feedback will be provided alongside suggestions for improvement and an overall percentage showing your provisional grade for that assessment.

• Examination (5%): Hiragana script test in the third (or second) to last class of autumn term. 15-minutes.
• Examination (20%): Test for grammar, vocabulary and listening comprehension, in the last class of autumn term. 60 minutes.
• Coursework (5%): Composition 1: Write approx. 10-15 sentences in Hiragana, during the winter holiday (approx. 1-2 hours for task completion).
• Examination (5%): Katakana script test, during the second half of spring term. 15 minutes.
• Coursework (7%): Composition 2: around 300 Japanese Kanas (NB not words, which is 3/4 of an A4 paper) during the second half of spring term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
• Examination (30%): Test for grammar, vocabulary, and reading and listening comprehension, in the last class of spring term. 75 minutes.
• Coursework (8%): Composition 3: Around 400 Japanese Kanas (NB not words, which is one A4 paper), during the last week of spring term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
• Practical (20%): Oral exam: prepared speech, followed by a general Q&A, in either the last week of spring term or the first half of the summer term.

• 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
• Available to take for credit towards your degree where your department allows. Also available for extra-credit.
• You must be prepared to attend all classes and and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.

Module Materials

Minna no Nihongo Shokyu 1 (2^nd edition) (a set of two books: the Main textbook and Translation & Grammar notes) by 3A Cooperation, supported by the audio material and additional handout materials.