THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2023/2024

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures : Asian Studies

Undergraduate Course: Japanese Language 1 (ASST08046)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Literatures, Languages and Cultures CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryAn integrated introduction to spoken and written Japanese for those with little or no previous knowledge of the language. The course will include kana writing (the Japanese phonetic writing), and an introduction to some kanji (Japanese Characters), approximately 200.
Teaching will be aimed at enabling students to speak, read and write Modern Japanese at an upper-elementary / lower-intermediate level, equivalent to Japanese Language Proficiency Test N5 or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1/A2.
A good deal of private study is necessary to meet the requirements of the course.

The course provides essential grounding for the second year Japanese language course Japanese Language 2 (which is a replacement course of Japanese 2A, ASST08006 ) and subsequent study to Japanese Honours Degree level.

This course is intended primarily for students taking Japanese honours and priority will be given to those students when spaces are limited.

This course is not available to native or near-native speakers of Japanese. If in doubt, contact the Course Organiser.

All students will be given a formative feedback exercise that will be helpful for the assessment for this course and students' general academic development.

A placement test and questionnaire on students' background in Japanese language studies will be conducted in the first class.
Course description Course Outline:

Japanese Language 1 will cover all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing). It will introduce the three sets of Japanese characters, grammar and vocabulary at the elementary level of Japanese language, such as numbers, location words, verbs in present and past tenses, adjectives etc through a lot of fun communicative activities in class. It also covers useful expressions for daily life such as shopping, ordering at a restaurant, asking for directions, talking about weather, booking a flight / hotel room etc.


Learning Experience:

Japanese Language 1 is taught through a series of classes focussed on different aspects of language learning. These classes are expected to be supplemented by individual study. The teaching activities will follow this pattern on a weekly basis:
- Conversation and Grammar class covers the Conversation and Grammar section of the textbooks.
- Reading and Writing class covers the Reading and Writing section of the textbooks, including kanji characters.
- Tutorial covers the Workbooks of the textbooks.
- Oral Tutorial focuses on developing speaking skills including pronunciation and useful phrases in real situations.

There will be class tests and regular homework throughout the year, as well as oral activities (e.g. presentations and role plays) and composition assignments. Formative feedback to support your learning will be given orally in class or in written form within 15 working days. You are also expected to do a set of group work with peer feedback element.

Be sure to read the additional class delivery information before enrolling on this course.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs textbooks (approximate costs: Genki 1 and 2 textbooks: £45.50 each; Genki 1 and 2 Workbooks: £20.50 each. Supplemental textbook for self-study for kanji characters: Kanji Look and Learn Textbook: £23.50; Kanji Look and Learn workbook)
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. master beginner-level Japanese grammar, vocabulary and expressions, at the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N5 or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level A1/A2.
  2. read and write hiragana, katakana and about over 200 kanji characters
  3. understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
  4. introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.
  5. interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
Reading List
Essential textbooks:

1. GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese I [Second Edition]
[ With a CD-ROM for Win & Mac ]
Author: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno, Chikako Shinagawa, Kyoko Tokashiki,
ISBN 978-4-7890-1440-3, Publisher: The Japan Times, Published: 11/02/2011.

2. GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook I [Second Edition] [ With a CD-ROM for Win & Mac ]
Author: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno, Chikako Shinagawa, Kyoko Tokashiki,
ISBN 978-4-7890-1441-0, Publisher: The Japan Times, Published: 11/02/2011.

3. GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese II [Second Edition]
[ With a CD-ROM for Win & Mac ]
Authors: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno, Chikako Shinagawa, Kyoko Tokashiki
Publisher: The Japan Times
ISBN: 978-4-7890-1443-4, Published: 30/11/2011.

4. GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook II [Second Edition] [ With a CD-ROM for Win & Mac ]
Authors: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Yutaka Ohno, Chikako Shinagawa, Kyoko Tokashiki
Publisher: The Japan Times
ISBN 978-4-7890-1444-1 , Published: 30/09/2011.



Useful textbooks for kanji study (recommended):

1. Kanji Look And Learn Textbook:
Authors: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Chikako Shinagawa, Kaori Tajima, Kyoko Tokashiki
ISBN: 9784789013499, Publisher: Japan Times Published: May 2009.

2. Kanji Look And Learn Workbook:
Authors: Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda, Chikako Shinagawa, Kaori Tajima, Kyoko Tokashiki
ISBN: 9784789013505, Publisher: Japan Times, Published: June 2009.

3. Basic Kanji Book I, Chieko Kano et al., (Tokyo: Bonjinsha, 1989)



Dictionaries (recommended):

1. The Japan Foundation Basic Japanese-English Dictionary (Tokyo/Oxford: Bonjinsha & Oxford U.P., 1986)

2. Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English and English-Japanese Dictionaries

3. Haig, John W. ed., The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary, based on the classical edition by Andrew N Nelson (Tokyo: Tuttle 1997)

4. Hadamitzy, Wolfgang and Mark Spahn eds., Japanese Character Dictionary with compound lookup via any kanji (Boston: Cheng and Tsui 1991)

Other recommendations will be provided in the course handbook.


4. Hadamitzy, Wolfgang and Mark Spahn eds., Japanese Character Dictionary with compound lookup via any kanji (Boston: Cheng and Tsui 1991)


Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Special Arrangements There are limited places available to take this course as an outside elective and non-MA Japanese, MA Japanese and Linguistics or MA International Business with Japanese programme specialist students wishing to enrol should first contact the Course Secretary to ascertain availability.
Additional Class Delivery Information Students must attend a set of the same group classes. See the web timetable.

Group allocation will follow the placement test in the first class meeting.

Students with timetable restrictions on which group they can join might not be able to take the course, depending on the result of the placement test. If in any doubt, please contact the course administrator to confirm availability before enrolling on the course.
KeywordsAS Jap Lang 1
Contacts
Course organiserMs Fumiko Narumi-Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 6971
Email: F.Narumi-Munro@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr David Horn
Tel: (0131 6)50 4227
Email: david.horn@ed.ac.uk
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information