Japanese Courses Offered
Below are full descriptions of all Japanese Language courses offered at the University of Memphis.
- Japanese 1010 – Elementary Japanese I
This course is designed for students who have had less than one year of Japanese at the college level. This course aims at development of the four basic skills in modern Japanese (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). By the end of the semester, students should be able to handle some basic conversational situations (such as greetings, introducing themselves, inviting someone to do something, and asking for directions), and to read and write simple passages with Hiragana and Katakana (Japanese syllabic characters). Through various classroom activities, students will familiarize themselves with some basic aspects of Japanese culture and society.
- Japanese 1020 – Elementary Japanese II
This course is a continuation of Japanese 1010 and aims at further development of the four basic skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). By the end of the semester, students should be able to handle further basic conversational situations (such as making comparisons, making a request, and talking about one's family) with polite and plain styles of predicate endings. Students will be familiar with more basic aspects of Japanese culture and society. About 60 new Kanji characters will be introduced during this course.
- Japanese 2010 – Intermediate Japanese I
This course is designed for students who have completed Japanese 1020 or equivalent. This course aims at further training of the four basic language skills (speaking, reading, listening, and writing). By the end of the semester, students should be able to handle practical conversational situations (such as expressing hearsay and giving suggestions) with both polite and plain styles of predicate endings. Through various classroom activities and tasks, students will familiarize themselves with some complex aspects of Japanese culture and society. About 90 new Kanji characters will be introduced.
- Japanese 2020 – Intermediate Japanese II
This course is a continuation of Japanese 2010 and aims at further development of the four basic skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing). By the end of the semester, students should be able to handle various new conversational situations (such as making a polite request and invitation, expressing possibility and ability, and expressing obligations and social expectations). With the introduction of the honorific/humble forms of some expressions, students will familiarize themselves with core components of Japanese culture and society. 90 new Kanji characters will be introduced.
- Japanese 3301 – Conversation and Composition I
This course is a continuation of Japanese 2020 and is designed to further develop the four basic skills through the introduction of various issues concerning Japanese culture and society. The issues to be discussed include education systems, politeness, and communication styles. By the end of the semester, students should be able to select the right speaking style in daily conversational situations, write moderately long essays, read authentic materials with general topics, use/read more Kanji characters (270 new characters), and deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and society.
- Japanese 3302 – Conversation and Composition II
This course is a continuation of Japanese 3301 and is designed to further develop the four basic skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) through the introduction of various issues concerning Japanese culture and society. The issues to be discussed include gift-giving, medical care, and recreation. By the end of the semester, students should be able to express their opinions more freely in Japanese, read authentic materials including newspaper articles and short stories, read/use more Kanji characters (288 new characters), and deepen their understanding of Japanese society and culture.
- Japanese 3401 – Intro to Japanese Literature and Culture
(Prerequisite: Japanese 3301 or equivalent). Introduction to Japanese literature and culture through a selection of traditional stories and fables; segments of some important literary works written since 1900.
- Japanese 3402 – Directed Reading in Japanese Culture
(Prerequisites: JAPN3301, 3302, 3401, or 3900; permission of instructor) 3 credit hours. This course is an upper-level culture course designed for those students who have completed third year Japanese courses (JAPN3301, 3302, 3401, or 3900) to further develop their cultural competences and language skills for professional purposes through a wide range of primary reading materials such as newspaper articles, comic books, biographies, and essays
- Japanese 3900 – Japanese Culture and Society
(Prerequisite: permission from study abroad office) 3-6 credit hours. Intensive language and culture course; travel to Japan is required during this course.
- Japanese 4401 – Advanced Japanese I
(Prerequisites: JAPN3302 at the University of Memphis or equivalent courses elsewhere; permission from instructor) 3 credit hours. This course is the first half of the fourth-year Japanese course, which is a direct continuation of Japanese 3302 and is designed to further develop the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) and cultural knowledge through various means of authentic materials and classroom activities.
- Japanese 4402 – Advanced Japanese II
(Prerequisites: JAPN3302 at the University of Memphis or equivalent courses elsewhere; permission from instructor) 3 credit hours. This course is the second half of the fourth-year Japanese course, which is designed to further develop the four language skills and cultural knowledge through various means of authentic materials and classroom activities.
- Japanese 4501 – Japanese Linguistics
(Prerequisite: JAPN3301, 3302, or equivalent). Theory and hands-on data analysis in various aspects of Japanese linguistics including syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
- Japanese 4701/4702 - Japanese for Professional Purposes
(Prerequisite: JAPN 3302, or permission from instructor). Focusing on the acquisition of communication skills and socio-cultural knowledge that are necessary to handle formal and professional situations in a Japanese speaking environment.
- Japanese 4780 – Individual Studies in Japanese
(Prerequisite: permission from instructor). Directed individual study in selected areas of Japanese as chosen through consultation with the instructor.
- Japanese 7101 – Advanced Business Japanese I
These courses are designed to develop the four basic skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in Japanese for the purpose of business communication. In addition to reading assignments, students are asked to participate in discussions and role-play activities, complete a semester project, and write and present a report on a business-related topic. By completing this course, students should be able to (1) increase their knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and Kanji characters necessary for dealing in the Japanese business world, (2) deepen their understanding of Japanese society and business culture, (3) improve their writing skills in Japanese, and (4) increase their speed and accuracy of reading authentic materials on business-related topics. Use of internet resources, interactive computer software, and word processing tools is highly encouraged and emphasized throughout this course.
- Japanese 7102 – Advanced Business Japanese II
These courses are designed to develop the four basic skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in Japanese for the purpose of business communication. In addition to reading assignments, students are asked to participate in discussions and role-play activities, complete a semester project, and write and present a report on a business-related topic. By completing this course, students should be able to (1) increase their knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and Kanji characters necessary for dealing in the Japanese business world, (2) deepen their understanding of Japanese society and business culture, (3) improve their writing skills in Japanese, and (4) increase their speed and accuracy of reading authentic materials on business-related topics. Use of internet resources, interactive computer software, and word processing tools is highly encouraged and emphasized throughout this course.
- LALI7780 – Individual Studies in Business Language
Information coming soon.