Admission requirements
This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies programme.
Description
Japanese 1 Beginners is an integrated Japanese language course, which aims for introducing Japanese to students who have no prior knowledge of the Japanese language. The main aim of this course is providing opportunities developing fundamental proficiency in four components of modern Japanese: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The instructors will introduce and explain a wide range of elementary grammatical structures, expressions, vocabularies, Kana characters (about one hundred), Kanji characters (about seventy) and provide students the opportunity to practice them, and help them learn to perform correctly in a variety of cultural and social situations. This course will cover Lesson 1 through 7 of the “Genki” Textbook.
Course objectives
At the end of the course, students will be expected to perform sufficiently in all four skills at a basic level of proficiency, which is equivalent of A1 of Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) to deal with common aspects of daily life (see the course syllabus provided through Blackboard for details).
| Skill | CEFR Level |
|---|---|
| Reading | A1 |
| Writing | A1 |
| Listening | A1 |
| Speaking | A1 |
Timetable
The timetable is available on the BA International Studies website.
Mode of instruction
Tutorials
Three two-hour tutorials every week, with the exception of the midterm exam week. Attending all tutorial sessions is compulsory. If you are unable to attend a session, please inform your tutor in advance, providing a valid reason for your absence. Being absent will result in a lowering of the participation grade with 0.5 for every absence after the first three (3) times.
Course Load
Total course load for this course is 10 EC (1 EC = 28 hours), which equals 280 hours, broken down by:
Attending classes (6 hours per week over 12 weeks): 72 hours
Preparing for classes, exams and extra activities: 202 hours
Assessment hours (exams and other assessment): 6 hours
Assessment method
Assessment
Final written exam, writing assignment and participation (quiz).
(In-class) oral performances (speaking and listening).
Weighing
| Partial grade | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Reading | 20% |
| Writing | 20% |
| Listening | 20% |
| Speaking | 20% |
| Participation | 20% |
End Grade
To successfully complete the course, please take note that the End Grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of the in-class oral and listening performance, and written exams.
The End Grade needs to be a 6.0 or higher to pass the course.
Resit
If the End Grade is insufficient (lower than a 6.0), there is a possibility of retaking the full 80% of the exam material (exams, quizzes, projects, etc.). No resit for the tutorial (participation or homework) is possible.
Retaking a passing grade
Please consult the Course and Examination Regulations 2018 – 2019.
Exam review
How and when an exam review takes place will be determined by the examiner. This review will be within 30 days after official publication of exam results.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for this course. Students are requested to enroll on Blackboard, but only after correct enrolment in uSis.
Reading list
Required main textbooks:
- An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Genki Ⅰ [Second Edition], Tokyo: The Japan Times, ISBN: 978-4-7890-1440-3
Required workbooks:
An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Genki Ⅰ Workbook[Second Edition], Tokyo: The Japan Times, ISBN: 978-4-7890-1441-0
See the course syllabus provided through Blackboard for the recommended books and websites.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis for Tutorials is mandatory.
Students will be enrolled for Exams by the Administration Office, as long as they have a valid Tutorial enrolment.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
When contacting lecturers or tutors, please include your full name, student number, and tutorial group number.
Remarks
Passing this course is an additional requirement for a positive Study Recommendation at the end of the year.
This course uses an integrated communicative language learning method. Therefore active participation in the classroom activities is essential for successful learning outcomes.