Japanese Independent Mid 1 Online (Thurs., 6-8pm)
Class

About
Instructor: Tomi Kawamura
Objective: This course is designed to support learners as they transition from the A2 (High) to B1 (Intermediate-Low) level of the JF Standard for Japanese Language Education. Building on previously acquired skills, learners will develop the ability to express personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions in more nuanced ways. Through conversations about topics such as hosting visitors, language learning, and life events like weddings, students will learn to navigate more complex social situations and respond to others' feelings. The course emphasizes pragmatic and discourse-level communication strategies such as reacting to unexpected situations, giving and receiving turns in conversation, and choosing appropriate expressions based on social context. In addition to strengthening listening and speaking skills, learners will improve their reading comprehension by engaging with authentic texts like emails, blogs, and articles that include both factual content and emotional expression. Learners will also expand their vocabulary and kanji recognition, supporting their transition to greater independence in Japanese.
* While we accept registrations up to week two, please enroll at least a week before the start date. This is when class confirmation/cancellation decisions are made, and your registration can make a difference.
Can-Do Statements: Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:
· Talk about their experiences living overseas, including memories and impressions.
· Discuss how to learn a foreign language and share their personal learning experiences.
· Express the enjoyment and value of learning a language in a classroom setting.
· Talk about recent events involving friends and confirm the accuracy of secondhand information.
· Prepare and deliver a short congratulatory speech for a friend’s wedding using written notes.
· Understand short articles and blog posts describing visits to friends’ homes or couples planning a wedding.
· Read emails that express gratitude or reflect on past language learning experiences.
· Respond appropriately to others’ emotions and express their own feelings in conversations.
· Use appropriate conversational strategies such as turn-taking, showing empathy, and adjusting speech based on social context.
· Learners will expand their vocabulary with 23 new topic-based words and phrases introduced in this course.
· Kanji learning continues with a focus on reading comprehension and appropriate usage in context, rather than writing practice.
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.
Tech Support: For any technology issues, initiate contact by submitting a ticket https://tiny.utk.edu/tlcsupport
Technology Needed:
For both online and in-person classes
- Functioning desktop or laptop; tablets are not recommended, and phones are not a good option
- Access to a stable Internet connection
For online classes -
- Webcam: we ask that you use your webcam in class as this helps to create a feeling of classroom community.
- Microphone
Digital literacies requirements
- For both online and in-person classes, understanding of how to log in and navigate Matrix, our learning management system, to access resources (e.g., homework, eBook for Spanish, etc.); a Matrix Getting Started Guide is made available to students once the class is confirmed.
- For online classes, several Zoom tutorials are available to learn basic skills (e.g., mute/unmute, turning camera on, use of chat, etc.): Zoom Tutorials
Required Materials: (Note: the coursebooks may be purchased from the vendor of your choice; possible sources are linked below)
1. MARUGOTO : Japanese Language and Culture Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1) Coursebook (ISBN 978-4384057584)
2. Kanji writing practice notebook (ISBN-13: 979-8521126941)
Strongly recommended website: Marugoto A2B1-1 Self Sutudy Course (Minato online course)
This course will cover Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1) Coursebook Lesson 4-6.