| Course | Title | Instructor | Description |
|---|
| JAPANSE 1A | FUNDAMENTALS | STAFF | The 1A-1B-1C series, using a communicative approach, will help students learn fundamental grammar, as well as introduce them to basic structural patterns of the Japanese language, basic vocabulary, and the two Japanese phonetic scripts of hiragana, katakana, plus 224 basic kanji characters. Students will also learn to ask and answer basic questions and write about simple actions in the present/future and past tenses. They will be introduced to important elements of Japanese culture and customs of the Japanese people. Students practice basic speaking and listening skills in common situations, such as greetings and invitations, while interacting with classmates, and instructors. This course is taught in Japanese unless in cases of linguistic difficulty as determined by the instructor. |
| JAPANSE 2A | INTERMEDIATE | STAFF | The series of 2A-2B-2C is the continuation of 1C. In this series students will focus on the four communication skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), building up a solid foundation for intermediate Japanese and further developing proficiency to be able to express relatively complex ideas. They also learn honorifics, in addition to the formal desu/masu styles. The socially and culturally appropriate use of the language is exercised in a broader range of social contexts. Reading and writing put an extra emphasis on accuracy and pragmatic components, as well as fluency. Traditional and current aspects of Japanese culture are explored throughout the series and discussed in class. About 400 more kanji characters will be introduced. |
| JAPANSE 3A | ADVANCED JAPANESE | STAFF | The 3A-3B-3C series will build on the content knowledge as well as the linguistic knowledge and skills that students acquired in first and second year Japanese. Students practice and master the whole range of Japanese grammar comprehensively. Students also practice oral presentation skills accompanied with audio-visual aides such as PowerPoint. The content of the subject is explained exclusively in Japanese. The goal of this series is to help students become competent and culturally literate speakers of Japanese. In terms of development of linguistic skills, the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing will be fostered, with increased emphasis on reading skills. Students will learn more advanced formulaic expressions and expand their vocabulary including kanji compounds. The ultimate goals of this series are to acquaint students with reading and writing skills and help them convey abstract thoughts in sensible ways. |
| JAPANSE 101A | 4TH YEAR JAPANESE | ENDO, M. | Fourth-year Japanese at UCI is primarily a reading course where students jump into famous short works of literature in the original. We begin with contemporary writers who are currently popular in Japan: Kawakami Hiromi, Otsuichi, Ishii Shinji, Yu Mi Ri and Yoshimoto Banana. In the second half of the course we move back in time and enjoy some of Japan’s most famous writers from the 20th century: Miyazawa Kenji, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and Natsume S?seki. The class is conducted in Japanese with some clarifications in English. Objectives include learning basic vocabularies of literature, understanding literary nuance, developing communication skills in responding to literature, learning to give presentations in Japanese, writing letters and emails in Japanese, and using the internet to do basic research in Japanese. Assignments include a mid-term reader’s journal, a final reader’s journal, two short presentations, self-assessments, and active participation. Heritage speakers and other students whose Japanese level is beyond 4th year may petition to take the course with additional assignments. |