Practice will focus on building conversational skills within the topics that are relevant to teenagers’ daily lives such as school, family, hobbies, and shopping. The instructor will also guide learners in cultural exploration with activities designed help deepen the understanding of Japanese culture and compare and contrast it to their own.  

This class is for students aged 11-15.  Students who are 16 and above can enroll in our regular group courses.

* 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:  

•     Understand basic Japanese pronunciation rule 

•     Introduce themselves 

•     Greet others at different times of the day 

•     Count to 100 and give phone numbers 

•     Read Japanese calender

•     Express agreement and disagreement 

•     Talk about the weather 

•     Recognize and respond to classroom expressions in the affirmative and negative 

•     Identify and indicate the location of classroom objects belonging to you or your classmates 

 
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).  After being introduced to the language during the first class session, you are encouraged to use the target language as much as possible.  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.  

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 

 
Materials: Instructor will provide the materials for the class at no cost.