Revised 08/2009

JPN 103 - Basic Spoken Japanese I (3 CR.)

Course Description

Teaches oral communication and introduces cultural mores and customs to students with no prior instruction in the language. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

Basic Spoken Japanese I is a conversational course for students with no previous Japanese. The focus is on communication skills, practical vocabulary, and cultural patterns. There are brief, simplified explanations of the structure of the language. This course does not fulfill the foreign language requirement for the AA degree.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Course Prerequisites/Co-requisites Functional fluency in English

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • understand simple spoken Japanese within the limited context
  • carry on a simple conversation with correct pronunciation
  • read the Japanese alphabet (hiragana) and simple Japanese signs
  • broadly describe different aspects of Japanese cultures as they relate to common everyday life

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Autobiographical information
  • Daily Activities
  • Food and Drink
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Selected readings in culture in English