Elementary Japanese A

Learning Outcomes

• Students will acquire skills in all four areas of the language (reading, writing, speaking and listening), which will become the foundation for developing strategies and skills needed to interact in Japanese.  By the end of the course students should:
  
• be able to understand and actively use approximately 400 Japanese words and phrases;
  
• be able to actively apply basic Japanese grammar and expressions used in simple everyday situations (e.g., greetings, shopping, telling the time and ordering at a restaurant);
  
• be able to read and write the kana syllabaries (hiragana and katakana);
  
• be able to read and write approximately 60 kanji characters;
  
• have developed learner autonomy and reflective skills;
  
• have acquired skills and competencies transferrable to a variety of disciplines;
  
• have some intercultural awareness and sensitivity.
  
  Also, students will
  
• develop more understanding of global conditions and will become competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts. This will help the language students to develop knowledge and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
  
• have examined some of the basic social norms and values in Japan, which in turn will enable students to develop a better understanding and appreciation for cultures other than their own, including the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand. They should therefore be better able to comprehend the influence of global conditions on Japan and be more competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts;
  
• develop specific linguistic skills in Japanese that will enhance students’ opportunities for a successful career;
  
• have had multiple opportunities to engage with members of the wider Community of Practice and Learning Community, and have reflected on their own role and performance within those communities.
  
  (Image "View of Shinjuku skyscrapers and Mount Fuji as seen from the Bunkyo Civic Center in Tokyo" by Morio, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licence.)

Prerequisites

Restrictions

Recommended Preparation

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .