JAPANESE 1

Students will learn all four of the language skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Because the Japanese language has a totally different writing system, considerable emphasis will be placed on learning the Japanese syllables. As students gain knowledge, understanding and fluency, the communication in class will be done in Japanese only. Students will be exposed to Japnese culture through videos, books and cultural activities in order to develop an understanding of and appreciation for different cultures and people, customs, behavior and traditions.

JAPANESE 2

Japanese 2 is a continuation of Japanese 1, designed for students who have satisfactorily completed their first year of Japanese. The aims of this course are to help students develop their listening, speaking, writing and reading skills of the language. The student will be encouraged to speak in Japanese in various situations in order to become familiar with the cultural context in which Japanese speakers use different sets of expressions appropriate to the situation. This course emphasizes active conversation, increase in vocabulary, more basic grammatical structures, as well as an increase in the students' ability to comprehend and express his/herself in the written language.

JAPANESE 3

Japanese 3 is an intermediate level language course designed for those students who have acquired satisfactory competency skills during their first two years of language study. The course builds upon the skills and material covered in Japanese 1 & 2, it reviews all major grammatical structures and introduces a broader scope of grammatical knowledge. Emphasis is given to improving oral skills, broadening the range of grammatical structures the student can effectively use in writing and conversation, enriching the student's vocabulary and deepening his/her awareness of the Japanese speaking world. This class is conducted mainly in Japanese except when complex grammar concepts require a clearer explanation in English. Students are expected to speak in Japanese at all times.

JAPANESE 4

The aims of this two semester course are to help students increase their proficiency in oral communication (listening and speaking) and develop the ability to write correctly in Japnese. The course will also enhance the student's knowledge of the Japanese culture. Considerable emphasis will be given to enriching the student's active vocabulary. Students will be required to speak Japanese in a variety of situations, ranging from oral presentations to debates and class discussions. The students will read literature and current articles from newspapers and magazines.