Technical Japanese 1 (E)
Introduction to the Course
Instructors: Okubo Kanako and Michigami Fumie
Period: Mon 2 and Thu 3
Class Venue: Mon 2: Ad-seminario208
Thu 3: Ad-seminario308
Course Outline and Method
This course is for beginners who have never studied Japanese, and aims to provide
the students with the basic level command of Japanese language. We will study both
the spoken and the written Japanese, with special reference to the needs of
international graduate students in the fields of science and engineering.
Student Attainment Objectives
To be able to use Japanese in simple daily situations both on and off campus. We
will learn simple grammatical structures to describe the things and situations around
us.
Grade Evaluation Method
The grade will be based on the following.
・Class participation
・Homework (Homework must be submitted on the next lesson day following the day it
was assigned. Late submissions will not be accepted.)
・Quizzes
Recommendations for Private Study
Make use of Beyond Borders Plaza (BBP), where books for Japanese language
learning are available to browse. A study advice session is provided once a
week for those who seek assistance from a Japanese language instructor. For
further information, please visit:
[Link]
For more detailed information,
please refer to the syllabus. You
can check the syllabus here.
Textbook for the Course
We will use “IRODORI”(Japan Foundation). It is available for free download
from the website. Please make sure to download it onto your own device before
the first class and bring it with you to every lesson.
Please download it from the following link or QR code.
[Link]
Please make sure to download
this “Starter.”
Please download all the files
from here.
In addition to the main
textbook, it is recommended
that you also download the
“Grammar Notes” and
“Word lists.”
The Grammar Notes provide
explanations in English of
the grammar points you will
study, and the Word lists
contains English translations
of the new vocabulary you
will study.
You can download them
from here.
Please download the Grammar
Notes from here.
Please download the Word lists
from here.
Explanation of the pre-class assignment (+R)
Japanese has three types of characters: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. In this
class, we will use hiragana and katakana. Before the lesson begins, let’s do a
little practice.
There is an app created by the Japan Foundation.
Let’s practice with it. Please download the
Hiragana section. The app is free of charge.
The pre-class assignment
1. How do you write “Ritsumeikan University” in hiragana? Check the app
and think about it. Then, write it on paper, take a photo, and upload it here.
2. There is also a short questionnaire, so please complete it.
[Link]
Websites you are encouraged to look at before the class begins.
Japanese Language Magnet
[Link]
You can learn some basic things about the Japanese language and culture.
If you need to contact me, you
can send a message to the
instructor from here on
manaba or email the instructor
directly.
Michigami Fumie (Thu 3)
michi-f@[Link]
Then, see you in the classroom on September 29!