Building on skills developed in previous levels, students will deepen their ability to communicate about personal and social issues with empathy and practical fluency. Through discussions and roleplays on topics such as personal problems, travel troubles, and job hunting, learners will learn to express concerns, seek help, give advice, and handle unexpected situations appropriately. The course emphasizes sociolinguistic competence and strategic communication, including understanding others’ emotions, using polite expressions, and adjusting speech for formal and informal contexts.  

In addition to listening and speaking practice, learners will strengthen their reading comprehension through authentic materials such as blogs, advice columns, travel articles, and job-related emails. Vocabulary and kanji learning will focus on comprehension and contextual use, helping students become more confident and independent users of 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 and listen about personal and social problems and discuss possible solutions.  
· Understand feelings and opinions expressed in articles or blog posts describing personal concerns.  
· Read and comprehend advice written in response to problem-solving consultations.  
· Seek or provide help when facing various troubles during travel.  
· Read travel-related articles and understand the writer’s experiences and emotions.  
· Ask to be connected to someone at a company reception.  
· Talk about their job, workplace, and work responsibilities.  
· Read and understand email exchanges related to job counseling and application processes.  
· Demonstrate understanding of basic honorific (keigo) expressions in the workplace and formal settings.  
· Expand their vocabulary with 28 new topic-based words and phrases introduced in this course.  
· Continue kanji learning with a focus on reading comprehension and appropriate contextual use 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) 

3. Strongly recommended website: Marugoto A2B1-1 Self Sutudy Course (Minato online course) 

4. Cypher Learning  

Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.matrixlms.app2.android&hl=en  

iPhone https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cypher-learning/id955407963 

This course will cover Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1) Coursebook Lesson 7-9.