Japanese Language Courses

JAPN 101 Elementary Japanese I (4). Introduction to modern Japanese with text and supplementary materials. Hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji are introduced. Weekly class hours devoted to basic sentence pattern exercises, speaking and writing practice, and creative application. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged. Fall.

JAPN 102 Elementary Japanese II (4). Prerequisite, JAPN 101. Continued beginning course of modern Japanese with text and supplementary materials. Approximately 150 additional kanji are introduced. Focus on basic sentence pattern exercises, speaking and writing practice, and creative application. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged. Spring.

JAPN 203 Intermediate Japanese I (4). Prerequisite, JAPN 102. Emphasis on situational expressions, mastery of basic structures, and approximately 150 new kanji. Conversation practice, reading and writing of passages, and creative application expected. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged. Fall.

JAPN 204 Intermediate Japanese II (4). Prerequisite, JAPN 203. Continued emphasis on situational expressions, mastery of basic structures, and approximately 150 to 200 new kanji. Conversation practice, reading and writing of passages, and creative application expected. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged. Spring.

JAPN 305 Advanced Japanese I (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 204. Advanced written and spoken Japanese introduced to students who have learned more than 500 kanji. Emphasis is placed on advanced expressions, conversation for a variety of situations, reading and writing longer texts, and approximately 150 additional kanji. Class conducted in Japanese. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged. Fall.

JAPN 306 Advanced Japanese II (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 305. Second semester of third-year Japanese, continuing the study of written and spoken Japanese at the advanced level. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged. Spring.

JAPN 401 Gateway to Mastering Japanese (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. This course reviews the key grammar, vocabulary, and characters from the first three years of Japanese in preparation for the more advanced work of fourth-year elective courses.

JAPN 408 Japanese Journalism (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Uses newspaper and magazine articles and television broadcasts to introduce journalistic writing and speech as well as contemporary social and cultural issues. Class conducted in Japanese. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged.

JAPN 410 Topics in Contemporary Japanese Literature (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. This course introduces students to the popular writing, both fiction and nonfiction, designed for mass-market consumption in contemporary Japan. Class conducted in Japanese. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged.

JAPN 411 Food and Culture in Japan (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Advanced Japanese course designed to develop Japanese skills and deepen appreciation of Japanese cooking. Students will develop the ability to discuss and write about topic-oriented issues in Japanese.

JAPN 412 Making Music in Japan (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Students will learn a history of postwar Japanese music as an integral part of Japanese society and culture, and try to understand what messages each song attempts to communicate.

JAPN 414 Manga as a Japanese Art and Culture (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. This course explores contemporary Japanese language and culture through the pop cultural media of manga and anime. Topics include manga history, production, and various genres of Japanese comic books, manga.

JAPN 415 Sports in Japanese Culture (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Introduces students to the unique Japanese cultural perspective on sports, while introducing new kanji and grammar structures and improving reading, speaking, and writing abilities.

JAPN 416 Understanding Japanese Business Culture and Its Practice (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Students will learn about business culture in Japan, including customs and rules, in order to broaden their understanding of Japanese culture and people, while improving their language skills.

JAPN 417 Japanese Culture through Film and Literature (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. This course helps students to improve their Japanese language skills while developing an understanding of Japanese culture through films and literature. Exercises include reading novels in Japanese, close observation of Japanese films, analysis of cultural context, writing summaries, and frequent discussion.

JAPN 418 Service Learning in Japanese Language (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306.  The primary goal of this course is to prepare students to work, using the Japanese language in their desired occupation, such as in business, teaching at school, research, and so forth.

JAPN 490 Topics in Japanese Language and Literature (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Possible areas of study include popular culture, business Japanese, and Japanese-English translation. Course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged.

JAPN 496 Independent Readings in Japanese (1–3). Permission of the department. For the student who wishes to create and pursue an independent project in Japanese under the supervision of a selected instructor. Maximum three credit hours per semester.

JAPN 521 Investigating Japanese Culture through TV Dramas (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 401, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, or 490. Students will improve Japanese language skills while they develop an understanding of Japanese culture through TV dramas. Exercises include intensive listening, reading and analyzing drama scripts, writing summaries, and frequent discussions on various topics.

JAPN 590 Advanced Topics in Japanese Language and Literature (3). Prerequisite, JAPN 306. Topic varies by instructor. Possible topics include Japanese literature, popular culture, and media. Course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. Participation in relevant extracurricular activities encouraged.