JAPN - Japanese

Course Descriptions

JAPN 1090 Introduction to Japanese (1-4)

Immerse yourself in the Japanese language and related cultures in this beginning-friendly course. Learn to communicate in Japanese in socially and culturally appropriate ways, rather than simply translating from English.  Using interactive techniques such as role-play, you will learn basic expressions and foundational structures relevant to daily life and community contexts. You will also study how to read and write the Hiragana and Katakana scripts, two Japanese phonetic writing systems. You will be introduced to Kanji, the system of Chinese characters. By the end of the course, you will be able to express basic ideas and develop an appreciation for intercultural communication across a variety of contexts.  May be repeated once for credit with permission of the department chair.  GCP Coding: (GLBL) (INTC).

JAPN 1091 Language Lab (1-2)

This course is designed to support your Japanese learning by focusing on real-time speaking and listening practice. Through guided activities and conversational application, students will strengthen their ability to communicate across a variety of scenarios. 

JAPN 1100 Basic Communication in Japanese (1-4)

Express yourself in Japanese with growing confidence. This course builds skills in writing and listening while strengthening conversational ability through  interactive practice. The course focuses on providing you with the skills to communicate in everyday situations while developing an understanding of the origins of cultural differences. You will learn more Kanji, the system of Chinese characters used in Japanese reading and writing. By the end of the course, you will be able to manage simple communication tasks and converse on familiar topics in Japanese. May be repeated once for credit with permission of the department chair. Prerequisite: JAPN 1090 or equivalent.

JAPN 1101 Language Lab (1-2)

This course is designed to support your Japanese learning by focusing on real-time speaking and listening practice. Through guided activities and conversational application, students will strengthen their ability to communicate across a variety of scenarios. 

JAPN 2090 Japanese Culture and Communication (1-4)

Take your Japanese beyond the basics and reach an intermediate level of proficiency. This course strengthens skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through interactive discussions in Japanese, as well as the analysis of cultural materials. You will learn to communicate in a variety of everyday situations while expanding your knowledge of Kanji, the system of Chinese characters used in Japanese. May be repeated once for credit with permission of the department chair. Prerequisite: JAPN 1100 or equivalent.

JAPN 2091 Language Lab (1-2)

This course is designed to support your Japanese learning by focusing on real-time speaking and listening practice. Through guided activities and conversational application, students will strengthen their ability to communicate across a variety of scenarios. 

JAPN 2100 Japanese Reading Course (1-4)

Develop proficiency in the foundations of the Japanese language, with a particular emphasis on reading and writing. In this course, you will strengthen your skills in intercultural communication by learning to analyze a variety of social and cultural situations and to better express your own ideas in Japanese. You will increase the number of characters you can write in Kanji. By the end of the course, you will have developed a deeper understanding of both academic and everyday contexts. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department chair. Prerequisite: JAPN 2090 or equivalent.

JAPN 2101 Language Lab (1-2)

This course is designed to support your Japanese learning by focusing on real-time speaking and listening practice. Through guided activities and conversational application, students will strengthen their ability to communicate across a variety of scenarios. 

JAPN 2610 Intermediate Japanese: Level III (1-3)

Designed to strengthen students' comprehensive skills at the intermediate level. Students will continue to acquire basic skills in speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Short essays related to readings will regularly be assigned. New Kanji characters and usage will be introduced and practiced. Culture lessons are interspersed among the language lessons. May be repeated once for credit with permission of the department chair. Prerequisites: JAPN 2100 or equivalent and permission of the instructor or the department chair.

JAPN 2620 Intermediate Japanese Reading and Writing (1-3)

A continuation of JAPN 2610, with special attention on the drafting, writing and rewriting process besides speaking skills. Culture lessons are interspersed among the language lessons. Final evaluation will be based on written assignments, periodic quizzes, a final exam and class participation. May be repeated once for credit with permission of the department chair. Prerequisites: JAPN 2610 or equivalent and permission of the instructor or the department chair.

JAPN 3090 Advanced Japanese: Level I (3)

Provides a thorough review of Japanese linguistic structures. The goal is to strengthen previous language knowledge and to lead students to advanced levels of proficiency in spoken and written Japanese. May be repeated once for credit if content differs or with permission of the department chair. Prerequisite: JAPN 2610 or equivalent and permission of the instructor or the department chair.