Course Catalogue

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This is an introductory course in Japanese for students with no prior knowledge of the language. The course, which enables students to reach the A1.1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for languages, introduces the tonal system and the four fundamental skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) with a focus on communication. Students will also develop some awareness of Japanese culture.

2 contact hours per week over 11 weeks

None

Japanese Language for International Mobility 1 (Sem 2) MFL1011

None

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Examination (1-hour duration) - 60%

■ Oral Exam (5 minutes) - 20%

■ Timed assessment - 5%

■ Written assignment - 15%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the examination, but extra time and/or a separate room may be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for examination arrangements).

■ An invigilated online oral examination as an alternative to the oral exam.

■ There is no alternative to the timed assessment, but extra time may be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for examination arrangements).

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but an extension to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ give students a foundation in spoken and written Japanese (around 25 characters in the Hiragana writing system and 25 in the Katakana one);

■ familiarise students with key features of Japanese grammar, tonal system and linguistic structures;

■ introduce students to aspects of Japanese culture and society.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Show understanding of simple written materials on various topics or subjects;

■ Read and write short Japanese paragraphs on a variety of topics;

■ Hold a basic conversation, as well as ask and answer simple questions on the topics covered during the course.