Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

None

Aims

1. To establish the most basic foundation in the language systems (grammar. orthography, and phonetics) of Japanese, upon which students can build language competence with a view to further study.
2. To allow students to begin to develop receptive (reading and listening) and productive (writing and speaking) skills.
3. To begin to provide students with skills necessary to become better language learners.
4. To start learning how to use the Roman alphabets transliteration system and recognise and produce a number of Japanese characters.

Outline Of Syllabus

Notions: Status/Profession; Nationality; Possession; Existence; Numbers; Dates; Days of the week; Months of the year; Age; Time; Intention; Likes/dislikes; Location; Ordering; Invitation

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be familiar with the most basic grammatical structures and vocabulary, and the orthographic and phonological systems of the language. This will act as a foundation upon which they may build language skills later on. Kanji will be taught in class to enhance students’ learning. Translation of basic sentences (English into Japanese and Japanese into English) will also be practiced.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Reading

* Can read all hiragana characters.
* Can read 11 kanji and their kanji words.
* Can understand short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
* Can understand short, simple messages on cards and emails.

Writing

* Can write most hiragana characters neatly.
* Can write simple phrases and sentences about him /herself and where s/he lives.
* Can write a short simple card and email.
* Can write short answers in Japanese to basic personal questions written in English.

Speaking

* Can make a self-introduction and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions.
* Can make a very short, rehearsed speech. e.g. to talk about their daily routine.
* Can interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower rate of speech, rephrasing and repair.
* Can ask and answer simple questions, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
* Can reply in an interview to simple direct questions spoken very slowly and clearly in direct non-idiomatic speech about personal details.
* Can ask people for things, and give people things.
* Can handle numbers, quantities and time.

Listening

* Can follow speech which is very slow and carefully articulated, with long pauses for him/her to assimilate meaning.
* Can understand instructions addressed carefully and slowly to him/her and follow short simple directions.
* Can understand and extract the essential information from short, recorded passages dealing with predictable everyday matters which are delivered slowly and clearly.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

1. Teaching in the language seminars will focus on communication skills. Grammar will be taught systematically to enable students to produce and manipulate the foreign language. Use of the target language will be made as much as possible to develop listening skills. All four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking are fully integrated in the language seminars and associated work and preparation, and will be tested equally.

2. Independent learning and learner autonomy are further developed through online guided tasks, pair and group work, assessment preparation and completion, and self-study at home, via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and in the Language Resource Centre. Particular initiative is expected from students, e.g. course participants will be asked to contribute their own materials to the classes and activities.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The portfolio will help students assess their progress and identify their strengths and areas for improvement. It will test student’s ability to communicate effectively, identify relevant information and produce a structured text in the target language.

General Notes

N/A