Examination arrangement

Course content

The course provides an introduction to Japanese language with emphasis on pronunciation, listening comprehension, written language and basic grammar. It also presents aspects of Japanese culture and society through texts and conversations. Students who plan studying abroad one or two semesters in Japan are encouraged to take the course.

Learning outcome

Knowledge
The candidate will attain
-knowledge of all modern Japanese characters (46 hiragana and 46 katakana) and ca. 40 Chinese characters
-knowledge of approximately 300 basic words
-knowledge of the principles for pronunciation and intonation of simple expressions
-knowledge of important sides of Japanese culture related to vocabulary

Skills
The candidate will develop skills to
-read and write simple sentences using Japanese characters and Chinese characters
-construct grammatically correct sentences
-analyze the structure of simple Japanese sentences
-talk about some simple subjects in Japanese
-understand Japanese spoken slowly and clearly
-use suitable expressions (for example greetings) in the given situations of conversation

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, exercises, obligatory assignments.

Compulsory assignments

• 2 oral assignments

Further on evaluation

If the candidate does not pass the exam there is no need to deliver new assignments in order to qualify for another first retry.

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

The course is suitable for students without previous knowledge of Japanese. Nevertheless, it is a big help to learn the Japanese letters (hiragana and katakana) on beforehand. See for example this website: http://genki.japantimes.co.jp

Required previous knowledge

The course has restricted admission.

Course materials

An introduction to Japanese, for example: "An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese" (ch 1-6) or a similar text.