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 to introduce Japanese to students who have no prior knowledge of the Japanese language. The main aim of this course is to develop students’ fundamental proficiency in four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. A wide range of elementary grammatical structures, expressions, vocabulary will be introduced along with “kana” characters (about one hundred), “Kanji” characters (about seventy). Students are provided with the opportunity to practice the above to perform orally and in writing in a culturally appropriate manner in a variety of 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 equivalent to A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) , which is a level where one can 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 five (5) times.
Course Load
Total course load for this course is 10 EC (1 EC = 28 hours), which equals 280 hours, broken down by:
| Component | Estimated time |
|---|---|
| Attending classes | 72 hours |
| Assessment hours (exams) | 6 hours |
| Preparing for classes, exams and extra activities | 208 hours |
Assessment method
Assessment
Online preparatory quizzes;
In-class grammar and writing quizzes;
End-of-term writing assignment;
End-of-term in-class oral presentation;
An oral exam and a written exam.
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, Midterm Exam and Final Exam). No resit for the tutorial (participation and homework) is possible.
Exam review and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for this course. Students are requested to enroll on Blackboard, but only after correct enrolment in uSis.
Reading list
Genki I, textbook and workbook
(ISBNs in syllabus, available on Blackboard).
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.
Please use your University email-address (uMail) when communicating with any person or department within Leiden University.
Student Affairs Office for BA International Studies
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.