Introduction to the Japanese Language

21 June – 6 July 2010
The University of Tokyo

Note: This course must be taken in conjunction with Sustainable Urban Management, Nanoscience, and/or Japan in Today's World

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• Course Description
• Target Audience
  
• Delivery Method
• Assessment Details
• Accommodation
  
• Costs
• Further Information

Course Description

Students enrolled in either Sustainable Urban Management, Nanoscience and/or Japan in Today's world will have the opportunity to participate in an introductory Japanese language course. Designed for those new to Japan, the course aims to facilitate participation in life in Japan, and introduce characteristics of the Japanese language, such as the Japanese writing system, elementary grammar, and communication patterns. Using the Japanese learnt in these classes, we hope our students will be able to come away with a deeper experience of Japanese culture during their time in Japan. To improve students’ Japanese literacy, certain topics that would usually be taught in the second half of an elementary course, such as the use of dictionaries, will also be included in this course. This will also enable students to continue their study on return to their home country.

This course is aimed only at very beginners of the Japanese language. When students apply to this course, they are not expected to have had any previous knowledge of the Japanese language. However, students are expected to be able to read hiragana (a Japanese phonetic character system consisting of 46 characters) before the course starts. The International Center of U-Tokyo will provide an e-learning website through which students should study how to read hiragana and numbers up to 100 before coming to Japan. Students will be provided with a password permitting them to access the e-learning materials (usually only available within the International Center) for a limited period.

*Please note: This course is only available for students who are taking either Nanoscience, Sustainable Urban Management, and/or Japan in Today’s World.

Target Audience

Students with no previous knowledge of the Japanese language, and who are taking part in either Sustainable Urban Management, Nanoscience and/or Japan in Today's World.

Delivery Method

Students will participate in 15 lessons of 100 minutes.

Grammar: 4 lessons,
Conversation: 5 lessons,
Characters (Katakana and Kanji): 3 lessons,
Reading & writing: 2 lessons
Exam & feedback: 1 lesson

Assessment

Students' grades will be determined based on class participation (30%), the end of course exam (40%) and attendance rate (30%).

Accommodation

Students will be accommodated in Hotel Kizankan, located close to The University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus (Approximately 5 minutes walk). Free broadband LAN is available in each room.

For further information about the Hotel Kizankan, visit: www4.ocn.ne.jp/~kizanweb/

Costs (Japanese Yen)

Tuition fee: JPY 22,000

Accommodation: JPY 4,300 per night (Meals not included)

Field-trip costs: No costs (sponsored by the University of Tokyo)

Estimated visa cost: Check with your local Japanese Embassy or Consulate

Estimated text book costs: No costs (sponsored by the University of Tokyo)

Estimated living expenses: Approx. JPY 3,000 per day

Further Information

For further information about this course, visit dir.u-tokyo.ac.jp/IARU/iaru_index.html