Learners will practice understanding the main points of spoken and written Japanese, expressing their thoughts in connected speech, and handling situations they may encounter when traveling, studying, or staying in Japan. Materials may include natural Japanese, such as casual expressions, polite forms, honorific language, authentic vocabulary, and different speech styles. Students are not expected to understand every word; instead, they will practice identifying key information and using communication strategies such as guessing from context, rephrasing, asking questions, and confirming information. 

Class activities will generally move from listening comprehension → conversation practice → extended speaking → reading comprehension → writing. Through this process, learners will strengthen their ability to listen, speak, read, and write in a connected and practical way. Preparation outside of class and active participation in class are required to succeed. 

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 3 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 Intermediate 1 B1 (ISBN-13: 978-4384057591)) 

2. Kanji Master N3 (ISBN-13: 978-4384059632) 

3. Kanji writing practice notebook (ISBN-13: 979-8521126941) 

Strongly recommended website:  

Marugoto.jp