Catalog Description

Hours: 72 lecture
Description: Introduction to Japanese language; reading, writing, with emphasis on speaking. Pronunciation, sound system, intonation, basic vocabulary and grammar of spoken Japanese. Grammar emphasis is word order, postpositions, and some conjugation in simple sentences. Introduction to geography, customs and culture of Japan. Students required to learn Hiragana script and Kanji characters. Corresponds to two years of high school study. (CSU, UC)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Recognize and paraphrase elementary Japanese spoken in present and past tenses at moderate conversational speed.
  • CSLO #2: Produce accurate pronunciation with grammatically correct sentences in Novice Mid level conversations.
  • CSLO #3: Recognize and explain what is read in present and past tenses from any elementary reading passage.
  • CSLO #4: Formulate and write short sentences and paragraphs in present and past tense using Katakana, Hiragana and 58 Kanji.
  • CSLO #5: Compare and contrast cultural perspectives based on reading, discussions and videos.

Effective Term

Fall 2020

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

72

Outside of Class Hours

144

Total Student Learning Hours

216

Course Objectives

Through oral and written exercises, activities, assignments, students will:
1. Pronounce the Japanese phonetic sounds correctly.
2. Engage in simple conversation using polite speech.
3. Identify objects around you and identify your actions.
4. Discuss your likes and dislikes.
5. Describe what you do well and what you do poorly.
6. Recall how the Japanese honor the other person's feelings and indicate this politeness both orally and in written form.
7. Describe the objects in your environment and their function by using adjectives and adverbs of degree.
8. Count objects around you using numbers and particular counters related to the objects.
9. Express suppositional feelings.
10. Introduce yourself (age, school year, major and nationality).
11. Write one's full name and sentences in Hiragana and Katakana, two of three scripts of the Japanese writing system.
12. Formulate both orally and in written form interrogative sentences from indicative sentences using basic interrogative expressions.
13. Identify nationalities and languages by using suffixes.
14. Describe one's family both orally and in written form.
15. Recognize and categorize vocabulary and idiomatic expressions according to their thematic area.
16. Discuss the Japanese culture, its traditions and customs.
17. Employ verbs of action.
18. Employ verbs of existence when identifying objects.
19. Tell the time and give your phone number.
20. "NA" and "I" adjectives.
21. Employ verbs conjugation format: te-form.
22. Demonstrate use of vocabulary pertaining to shopping.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • AA/AS - Literature & Language
    • AA/AS - Multicultural Studies
  • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
    • CSUGE - C2 Humanities
  • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
    • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)
      • IGETC - 6A Lang other than Eng

    Articulation Information

    • CSU Transferable
    • UC Transferable

    Methods of Evaluation

    • Classroom Discussions
      • Example: Students will talk about their favorite restaurant in a group. Afterwards, students report to the rest of the class to share ideas and ask questions.
    • Essay Examinations
      • Example: Write about your weekend; write about a party you are organizing. Create a flyer about the party. Be sure to include: what kind of party it is, what time it starts, where it is held, what to bring, how to get there, and so on.
    • Objective Examinations
      • Example: Students will read and answer questions on self-introduction: hajimemashite. Yamamoto Yuuki desu. nihonjin desu. rondondaigaku no gakusei desu. ima sannensei desu. senkoo wa nihongo desu. jyuukyuusai desu. yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Write "T" if the statement is true. Write "F" is the statement is false. 1. ( ) Her last name is Yuuki. 2. ( ) She is a student at Nihon University. 3. ( ) Her major is Japanese. 4. ( ) She is nineteen years old.
    • Skill Demonstrations
      • Example: 1. Students will prepare a skit with a partner and present it in front of the class in Japanese. Students will pretend to be in a store buying food or other items. Vocabulary and grammar concepts related to the chapter on food and shopping must be used. Rubric grading. Objective: 22 2. Verbal learning is measured by English-Japanese translation: Example: Translate the following sentences into Japanese. a. Mary does not come to school on Saturday. b. - Would you like to see a movie tonight? - Yes, it sounds good/ No, tonight is not a very good time. c. Takeshi sometimes drinks tea at the coffee shop. d. There is a bookstore over there and there is also a restaurant. e. I will go to the library and return the book tomorrow. f. The test was not difficult. That's because I had studied a lot. 3. HIRAGANA script learning is measured by HIRAGANA transliteration: Example: Transliterate in HIRAGANA and translate the following: a. Ojiisan obaasan b. Nihongo no gakusee c. senkoo wa nandeuka

    Repeatable

    No

    Methods of Instruction

    • Lecture/Discussion
    • Distance Learning

    Lecture:

    1. Following an instructor lecture on vocabulary, students will read a Japanese dialogue aloud in unison to practice the pronunciation. They will then answer questions in class about the learned structures in the lesson. (Objectives 1, 17 & 21)
    2. After demonstrating Hiragana script on the blackboard, and requiring students to learn 71 phonetic letters, instructor will have students write their full name in Hiragana and Katakana script. (Objective 11)
    3. Instructor will play Japanese songs and have students transliterate these songs into Hiragana. Instructor will facilitate a group discussion to compare and contrast Japanese and American songs. (Objectives 11 & 16)
    4. Activity:The instructor will demonstrate how to introduce yourself and students will practice doing the same. (Objectives 10, 14 & 17)
    5. Following an instructor lecture on grammar patterns, students will prepare a skit with a partner using at least 8 grammar patterns learned. Each student will memorize at least 10 sentences. Students will discuss the skit after the presentation. Rubric grading.

    Distance Learning

    1. Students will be required to complete two small cultural projects that incorporate a limited use of Japanese and English. They will be given two cultural topics during the semester to research and will present their findings via discussion board in the form of writing or video. Students will be required to respond to all members of their discussion groups. (CSLO 5- Objective: 16)
    2. Students will be required to complete 3 online exams that cover two chapters each from the textbook. Each exam will consist of a Listening comprehension on family members, vocabulary/kanji, grammar knowledge, grammar usage, error evaluation, open-ended question and writing sections. The instructor will prepare the students for this assessment through lecture videos, assigned readings, evaluation of homework and the implementation of weekly quizzes.

    Typical Out of Class Assignments

    Reading Assignments

    1. Read the dialogue presented in each lesson to become familiar with the vocabulary, useful expressions and cultural aspects of Japanese life related to the theme developed that lesson. Answer questions orally or in writing. Prepare to answer questions in class about the dialogue. 2. Read material pertaining to daily routines, diaries, letters, postcards, and bulletin boards. Answer questions orally in class in Japanese based on the readings. Example: read this passage about the someone's daily routine and find out about his schedule. わたしはまいにち七時におきます。うちであさごはんをたべます。八時にだいがくへいきます。九時ににほんごをべんきょうします。十二時半にだいがくでひるごはんをたべます。 ときどきコーヒーをのみます。四時にとしょかんでほんをよみます。六時ごろうちへかえります。十時にテレビをみます。十二時ごろねます。 Romaji: watashi ha mainichi shichiji ni okimasu. uchide asagohan o tabemasu. hachijini daigaku he ikimasu. kuji ni nihonngo o benkyoo shimasu. juunijihan ni daigaku de hirugohan o tabemasu. tokidoki koohii o nomimasu. yoji ni toshokande hon o yomimasu. rokujigoro uchi e kaerimasu. jyuujini terebi o mimosa. juunijigoro nemasu. English: Every day I get up at 7. I eat breakfast at home. I go to college at 8. I study Japanese at 9. I eat lunch at 12:30 on campus. I sometimes drink coffee. I read a book at 4 in the library. I go back home at around 6. I watch TV at 10. I go to bed at around 12. Students will answer these questions in Japanese: 1. 七時に何をしますか。shichiji ni nani o shimasuka. What does he do at 7? 2. 大学に何時に行きますか。daigaku ni nanjini ikimasuka. What time does he go to college?

    Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

    1. Write a short sentence with useful KO, SO, A, DO words using "KO, SO, A, DO. Koko ni jisko ga arimasu. Koko ni imu ga imasu. Soko ni zasshi ga arimasu. Soko ni tori ga imasu. Asoko ni honya ga arimasu. Asoko ni neko ga imasu. Doko ni panya ga arimasu ka. Doko ni sensei ga imasuka. 2. Write a skit using grammar patterns learned in class and present it with a partner. 1)Asking はい(hai)／いいえ(iie)questions, using 〜は(ha)〜ですか(desuka) 2) Asking questions using question words 3) Noun 1 の(no)Noun 2 4) これ、それ、あれ、どれ(kore,sore,are,dore) 5) この(kono)、その(sono)、あの(ano)、どの(dono)＋Noun 6) ここ(koko)、そこ(soko)、あそこ(asoko)、どこ(doko) 7) Nounじゃないです(jayanaidesu) 8) Sentence ending particlesね(ne)、よ(yo) 9) Present affirmative/negative forms of verbs 10) Goal of location makerに(ni)／へ(e) 11)Object markerを(o) 12) Location of action markerで(de) 13) Specific time markerに(ni) 14) 〜ませんか(masenka)　(extending an invitation) 15) Frequency adverbs 16) X　があります(ga arimasu)／います(imasu) 17) Xは(ha)Yの(no)location wordです(desu) 18) Present tense of copula verbです(desu) 19) Past affirmative/negative forms of verbs 20) Similarity marker も(mo) 21) Timeごろ(gore)/duration of timeぐらい(gurai) 22) Noun 1 と(to)Noun 2 (and) 23)Noun と(with) 24) Adjectives (affirmative/negative) 24) 〜がすきです(ga sukidesu)／がきらいです(ga kiraidesu) 25) 〜ましょう(mashoo)／〜ましょうか(mashooka) (suggesting a plan of action) 26) 〜てください(tekudasai)(request) 27) 〜てもいいですか(temoiidesuka)／〜てもいいです(temoiidesu) (permissison) 28) 〜てはいけません(tehaikemasen)(prohibit) 29) Describing multiple activities usingて(te)form 30) 〜から(kara)(reason) 31) 〜ましょうか(mashooka)(offering assistance)

    Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

    Required Materials

    • Genki, An integrated course in elementary Japanese
      • Author: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno
      • Publisher: Japan Times/Tsai Fong Books
      • Publication Date: 2011
      • Text Edition: 2nd
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • Genki, An integrated course in elementary Japanese workbook 1
      • Author: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno
      • Publisher: Japan Times/Tsai Fong Books
      • Publication Date: 2011
      • Text Edition: 2nd
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:

    Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.