Japanese JA500

Koji Namba (Center for International Education and Exchange)

Cource 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.

Learning Goals
   The specific objectives of JA400 are:
   (1) to become able to understand familiar topics in Japanese society and discuss them with classmates and Japanese people
   (2) to become able to describe similar situations in their home societies in Japanese
   (3) to become able to conduct informal research activities in Japanese

Requirement / Prerequisite
   Successfully completed JA 400 or judged as having equivalent Japanese ability

Special Note

1. In each three weeks, a topic of familiar issues (ex. education, communication, etc.) in current Japanese society and in their home societies is presented. Students will develop their Japanese fluency by reading the articles, writing essays, discussing on the topic, sometimes conducting small survey, as well as having chance to deepen their knowledge on the topic and widen their view.
2. Japanese visitors will join the classes and students will have interviews, discussions, and debates on various topic of the week.
3. Regular kanji quizzes will be given to develop reading and writing skills.
4. Each student will be requested to conduct an independent project at the end of the semester. A presentation day will be set for this project.

Class Plan

	Theme	Content
Week 1	Orientation	Symptom check, interview and short essay
Week 2	Topic 1: Education in Japan (1)	Introduction and writing practices
Week 3	Topic 1: Education in Japan (2)	Writing practices: Basics of academic Japanese
Week 4	Topic 2: Nature of Languages (1)	Introduction / Test 1
Week 5	Topic 2: Nature of Languages (2)	What is the Academic Writing in Japanese?
Week 6	Topic 2: Nature of Languages (3)	Styles in Written Japanese
Week 7	Topic 3: Non-verval communication (1)	Introduction / Test 2
Week 8	Topic 3: Non-verval communication (2)	Writing practices: How to explain the data using graphs and tables in Japanese (1)
Week 9	Topic 3: Non-verval communication (3)	Writing practices: How to explain the data using graphs and tables Japanese (2)
Week 10	Topic 3: Non-verval communication (3)	Writing practices: How to quote literatures/evidences in Japanese
Week 11	Topic 4: Fairly tales, Myth (1)	Introduction / Test 3
Week 12	Topic 4: Fairly tales, Myth (2)	How to write an essay in Japanese
Week 13	Procject work	Introduction / Test 4
Week 14	Procject work	Preparation for the final presentation
Week 15	Procject work	Final presentation

Independent Study Outside of Class
   One lecture and two sessions (90 minutes each) will be given in a week 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.

Textbooks
   「改訂版 トピックによる日本語総合演習 ―テーマ探しから発表へ― 中級後期」スリーエーネットワーク　
   ISBN：978-4-88319-505-3

Grading Policy

• Class attendance, participation and performance 30%
• Quiz, assignment, essay and presentation 30%
• Final essay and presentation 40%