Time Schedule:
Kaoru Ohta
JAPAN 134
Seattle Campus
Fundamentals of the modern Japanese language. Oral communication skills, basic grammar, and reading/writing of hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji. No initial knowledge of Japanese is presumed. Equivalent of 111, 112, 113. Satisfies requirement for entry to 211. Students with prior background must take placement test. . Offered: S.
Class description
Japan 134 aims at introducing the basic four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) of modern Japanese. The purpose of the course is to build a solid foundation in Japanese grammar while developing communicative skills in Japanese. Classroom activities and homework assignments are designed to help students achieve a practical command of the language. Daily lecture (8:30-10:40am) covers some important grammatical features of the topics covered in the sections (10:50am~1:00pm)
Student learning goals
read and write Kana (both Hiragana and Katakana), the syllabic characters of Japanese, and about 120 Kanji (Chinese) characters used in Japanese
say greetings in Japanese
describe locations of objects, one's daily schedule, family members in Japanese, clothing, and health conditions in Japanese
talk about hobbies, activities and past experience in Japanese
invite someone to do things together in Japanese
order food at a restaurant and do basic shopping in Japanese
General method of instruction
Students are expected to study a minimum of 1.5~2 hours per contact hour everyday. This means that at least 6 hours must be spent for reviewing and preparing for this course AFTER class is over for each day. Studying includes both review of materials covered and preparation for the next day��s class. Along with doing assigned homework, it is imperative that students review what was covered in class by going over activities done that day in the class, studying vocabulary, and practicing with classmates. Studying with a study partner is highly recommended. Through the course webpage, online exercises are also available.
Section and lecture attendance is mandatory. No attendance credits will be given if you come late (for more than 15 min.) or leave early. Since this is an intensive course and new materials are introduced everyday, it will be very difficult to catch up with the work if you miss a few days (please note that one day in the intensive schedule is equivalent to about one week during a regular academic year). If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain missed assignments/notes from a classmate.
Lectures will introduce grammatical patterns, discuss common mistakes, explain socio-cultural aspects of Japanese, and answer your questions.
Sections are conducted all in Japanese. This is because sections are designed to help you learn grammar points, vocabulary, and how to use them in communicative situations through use of Japanese. You may ask questions about grammar, etc., in English before or after the section, during the lecture, during office hours, or by e-mail directly to a TA or to the professor. Active participation in sections is expected. Pair/group activities during sections are most valuable when students participate in them using Japanese as much as possible.
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
It is based on the fixed scale: https://courses.washington.edu/jlang134/Summer_06/Japan134/Gradeschedule.htm
Attendance/Class Participation...5% Homework...8% Quizzes (Chapter Quiz...60%; Character Quiz...30%; Vocab. Quiz...10%)...45% 3 Exams...30% Oral Exams...12%
