Can-Do Statements: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

·         Ask whether a train or bus is going to where they want to go and understand the answer

·         Give a simple self-introduction

·         Talk briefly about their family – where they live and what they do

·         Understand and read up to 44 new kanji words including 熟語 jukugo (compound words) introduced

·         Talk about the change of the seasons

·         Talk about favorite seasons and the reason why

·         Greet someone and start a conversation over the phone by talking about the weather

·         Tell a friend about a place of recommendation using a map

·         Give a brief description of an area of interest for a friend

·         Tell someone how to get to a place nearby

·         Correct some information misunderstood by someone

·         Describe the features of buildings seen in the distance

·         Read and write 23 additional kanji characters that appear in Kanji Master N5 - Chapter 10: Food, Chapter 11: Time and Chapter 12: Nature

Use of the Language: This course has been designed in such a way that most of the class time will be devoted to communication and will be taught in the target language (i.e., the language that you are studying).  As you already have some experience with the language, you are encouraged to use the target language as much as possible from Day 1.  You are not expected to understand everything, and you can expect to be pushed beyond your comfort zone. However, your instructor is there to make sure you can succeed in meeting the goals of the activities and of the class in general.  Our goal is for you to be able to communicate in the target language, and we cannot learn to speak a language without speaking it.  Please remember that we learn best by making mistakes, and we encourage you to try to do your best.  Don’t forget that your instructor is there to support you in class and is also available via the Matrix messaging system for assistance.

Expectations/Time Commitment: It is strongly recommended that you schedule about 4 hours per week outside of the weekly 2-hour class to engage with this course material.  Please plan accordingly by scheduling your time on your calendar now. Active engagement in all course activities (e.g., class participation, module completion, homework, written assignments, studying vocabulary, etc.) will contribute to your learning and success in this course.

Required Materials (Note: the coursebooks may be purchased from the vendor of your choice; possible sources are linked below)

1.       MARUGOTO RIKAI: Japanese language and culture Elementary 1 A2 Coursebook for communicative language competences (ISBN-13: 978-4384057577)

2.       MARUGOTO KATSUDOO: Japanese language and culture Elementary 1 A2 Coursebook for communicative language activities (ISBN-13: 978-4384057546)

3.       Kanji Master N5 Revised – (ISBN-13: 978-4384059656)

Strongly recommended (free) apps:

4.       Kanji Memory Hint 1 [English]

            Android

            iPhone

5.       MARUGOTO+  (free, supplemental digital resource site where users can learn about Japanese language and culture alongside the Marugoto coursebook)

6.       Kanji alive: A free study tool for reading and writing kanji - A web application designed to help Japanese language learners of all levels learn to read and write kanji

7.       Kana Bimoji Japanese Master

Android

iPhone

8.       Kanji Memory Hint 2 [English]

Android

iPhone

This course will cover Katsudoo textbook Lesson 1-6