Course syllabus

JAPANESE 130/130G: Japanese Language 1A

Semester 1, 2018 (15 points)

Course Coordinator 

Reiko Kondo - r.kondo@auckland.ac.nz  

Teacher:

Reiko Kondo - r.kondo@auckland.ac.nz

Course delivery format:

1 hour of lecture and 4 hours of tutorial

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

Summary of Course Description:              

Japanese is a fascinating language - it is structurally quite simple and very regular, but in some ways it is very different to English becuase it is, unlike most European languages, unrelated to English and has developed within a very different cultural background.

This course assumes no prior knowledge of Japanese and may be taken by both total beginners and students whose study of Japanese is very limited, normally not higher than NCEA 1. The course aims to develop basic proficiency in modern Japanese necessary to communicate in particular situations. A range of exercises and activities will be used to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, which will be useful for basic communications in Japanese. The course will also introduce some socio-cultural aspects related to Japanese language.

Provisional class limits information for 2018: In Semester One, enrolment in JAPANESE 130G is limited to 100 students and enrolment in JAPANESE 130 is limited to 110 students. Selections are based on Language Ability Declaration indicating student has not studied Japanese before, or has achieved only Level 1 NCEA Japanese or equivalent, or has some other beginners-level prior study of Japanese; first in, first enrolled.

See more information on First Time Enrolment in Language Courses.

Please note due to the high number of contact hours required for this course any change to enrolment will only be permitted until the end of the day on the first Friday of Semester (March 2).

Objectives:

By the end of the course, you should have improved your ability to:

1. introduce themselves; ask for basic information such as the time of the day and location of buildings; buy things in shops and order meals in a restaurant; talk about one’s daily activities and past events; ask about interests; and invite people to do something with him/her; make requests; ask permission; offer help; express reasons.
2. read and write simple passages (e.g. memo, letter, and diary entry) using kana and 58 kanji.

Prescribed Course Textbook:

Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese (Second Edition) The Japan Times

The prescribed course textbook togetehr with the workbook can be obtained from 'ubiq' as a student package.

Assessment breakdown

-Final Exam: 50%

-Coursework: 50% 

Short Tests: 15% (Short Test 1---4%, Short Test 2---5%, Short TEst 3---6%)

Mid-Semester Test: 20%

Speaking Test: 13%

In-Class Performance: 2%

Your overall course mark is the sum of the assessments above. A total of 49.5% (C-) is the minimum pass mark for the course and you MUST sit the exam to pass this course. 

Policy on Attendance

Attendance at lectures and tutorials is a compulsory component of this course, and a lecture/tutorial-attendance rate of less than 80% will mean that the course requirements have not been met, and your final grade will be DNC (Did Not Complete).  If you miss any lecture/tutorial for a valid reason, you are required to provide the course coordinator, Reiko Kondo, with evidence.

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.