08s-J3 JAPANESE: JA400

Koichi NISHIGUCHI and Momoyo SHIMAZU (International Student Center)

Objective
  This course is designed for advanced students to develop their communicative fluency in all four language skills further building on the foundation of their Japanese skills which they have acquired. The specific objectives of JA400 are:
  (1) to understand familiar topics in Japanese society and discuss them with classmates and Japanese people
  (2) to describe similar situations in their home societies in Japanese
  (3) to conduct informal research activities in Japanese

Course Description
  1. Students will form groups of several members and conduct small projects about familiar issues (ex. Sports, TV programs, etc.) in current Japanese society or their home societies.
  2. Each student will be requested to conduct an independent project at the end of the semester. Special presentation day will be set for this project.
  3. Japanese visitors will join the classes and students will have interviews, discussions, and debates on various topic of interest.
  4. Regular kanji quizzes will be given to develop reading and writing skills.

Textbook
  Materials will be provided in the classes.

Lecture Guideline and Attendance Policy
  Lectures will be given 3 times a week, 90 minutes each, for 15 weeks. Regular attendance to all classes is required. Being absent for one third or more of the classes will be considered as withdrawal from the course.

Grading
  Class attendance, participation and performance 30%
  Quiz, assignment, essay and presentation 20%
  Final written Exam. 30%
  Final oral exam. 20%
*This formula is not set in stone, and we will make allowances for other factors, such as overall improvement over the term of the course.