| Course | Title | Instructor | Description |
|---|
| JAPANSE 1A | FUNDAMENTALS | STAFF | The objective of Japanese 1A-1B-1C is to guide students in developing skills in basic Japanese.
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of the language needed for daily life situations while living in Japan. Students will learn most of the essential grammar of Japanese, as well as to read and write Hiragana, Katakana, and about 250 Kanji (Chinese characters). These courses, using a communicative approach, introduce the students to simple and compound sentence structures, and basic vocabulary. Students learn to hold short conversations and write about present, future, and past events. In addition to these language skills, occasionally some aspects of culture, such as the Japanese traditional customs and social concepts of politeness in Japan, will be introduced as well. |
| JAPANSE 2A | INTERMEDIATE | STAFF | The objective of the Japanese 2A-2B-2C series is to help students to improve their communication skills in more complicated situations and on more abstract topics. Students will learn complex sentence structures, expand their vocabulary, master more advanced grammar, and learn useful expressions in Japanese. Students will learn more about Japanese culture and society, and are expected to express their thoughts orally and in writing. About 400 more Kanji will be introduced. Prerequisite: Japanese 1C or equivalent. |
| JAPANSE 3A | ADVANCED JAPANESE | STAFF | In the Japanese 3A-3B-3C series, students learn more sophisticated expressions and the Kanji compounds needed to work on more complex materials in Japanese. Students are exposed to more authentic materials in preparation for further studies in Japanese. Various facets of reading and listening will be introduced through materials concerned with Japanese society, culture, tradition, history, economics, social issues, and current trends. Students will learn to read about and discuss these topics, and to express their thoughts in writing. About 300 new Kanji characters will be introduced, along with Kanji compounds formulated from both new and previously learned Kanji. |
| JAPANSE 101A | 4TH YEAR JAPANESE | FUJII, J. | Japanese 101 is the first quarter of a three-quarter-long fourth year of Japanese language instruction at UCI. The primary objective of fourth-year Japanese is to help students gain a measure of independence from “textbook Japanese” and to become increasingly comfortable with the rich variety of written forms that constitute the fabric of everyday, including works of a more studied literate Japanese life. In contrast to earlier (1-3 ABC series) instruction with its balanced approach to speech, listening comprehension, writing, and reading, this quarter continues the emphasis on reading comprehension, even as we engage a number of supplemental materials that require aural exercise. In week ten we will focus on the practice of translation as a skill (rather than as a pedagogical practice).
At times close reading of texts will be required, asking you to attend to more complex nuances of Japanese writing. For other materials, the objective will be not to attain 100% comprehension of each and every passage covered; while fluency requires solid comprehension, at times quick coverage and even skimming are essential literate practices. You will be exposed to many different kinds of texts appearing in different genres and contexts. Students will work to build reading speed in order to grasp the rhythm (and ultimately, the logic) of phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, relying at times on imagination and informed guesswork when necessary, to make sense of the language.
REQUIREMENTS: You are expected to attend class each day, well prepared, and ready to participate, whether it is through recitation, discussion, translation, or presentation. The material that appears below constitute the ‘core readings,’ but there will be additional materials assigned each week. |