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JPN 101, 102



I.   TITLE: ELEMENTARY JAPANESE

II. CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
A thorough study of the sounds and structural patterns of Japanese with emphasis on  self-expression and communication.  Includes pronunciation, listening comprehension, conversation, reading, and writing.  Taught in Japanese. Japanese 102 is  a continuation of 101.  Both courses are of one design; therefore, the proposals for 101 and 102 are being offered together.

III. PURPOSE:
To equip students with a basic knowledge and communicative competency in Japanese.
The courses also cultivate “Characteristics of the Murray State Graduate.”  They
A.  encourage independent thought and effective oral and written expression:

1. Students learn the structures of languages, including their own; by doing so, they refine their oral and written communication.
2. The courses focus on oral and written communication. By learning to communicate in a foreign language, students also learn to communicate more effectively in their native language.
B. have the students apply sound standards of analysis and evaluation to reach logical decisions:
Students learn and analyze a set of rules governinglanguage structure. From the rules of a logical system, a grammar, students extrapolate original sentences.
C. encourage the understanding of the role and applications of technology to solve the problems    of a changing world:
Students use the internet to access information about the countries they are studying: geography, culture, people, systems, and are encouraged to attend a wide variety of international cultural events that further enhance their knowledge of other cultures.
D. teach critical understanding of the world’s historical, literary, philosophical, and artistic    traditions:
By including culture of the countries studied, students learn about historical, literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions beyond those of the United States.
E. teach understanding of the dynamics of cultural diversity:
1. Students learn about languages, people, and cultures that are  different from their own
2. they begin to compare and contrast their own culture with the varied cultures of the peoples studied and to understand the dynamics of one culture interacting with another; and
3. they learn more about their own cultural heritage by comparing it to that of others.
IV.  COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the first year of Japanese language study are
a) to lay a solid foundation in the elementary structures of the Japanese language,
b) to possess an active vocabulary for basic speech production in real-life situations as well as passive  knowledge of additional vocabulary;
c) to be able to understand simple spoken Japanese at normal conversational speed;
d) to be able to express him/herself in writing basic Japanese;
e) to be able to read a variety of elementary texts in Japanese;
f) to be able to speak with acceptable pronunciation and intonation for the Novice Level*;
g) to improve students’ understanding of the grammar, structure, and vocabulary of English;
h) to improve all interpersonal communication skills, whether in English or Japanese.
i) to increase and refine students’ awareness and appreciation of Japanese speaking peoples and  their cultures.
Please refer to the American council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines for specific criteria for the “Novice Level.”

The course also
A. introduces students to fundamental concepts and ways of knowing:

Students learn the fundamental concepts involved in language study: They learn the vocabulary (grammar and syntax terms), the methods of learning a language and how languages work, and the function and structure of language.  Students also increase their knowledge of the English language.
B. promotes interdisciplinary understanding by clarifying how the content and methods of foreign   language learning contribute to an understanding of the function of language in society:
1. Students learn how to communicate on a wide variety of topics in a foreign language;
2. they learn how read and understand texts in the target foreign language.  This prepares students to function in and contribute to many different disciplines, e.g., music students to understand songs and music in Japanese, journalism students to comprehend articles and reports in Japanese; students of the sciences to understand research documents in Japanese; business students to engage in basic professional dialogue; history students to interpret historical texts and better grasp historical contexts; etc.
3. students learn to compare another language and its structure to the their own  language; they make linguistic comparisons with their native language;
4. they learn the interrelationship of language and culture/society and how a language contributes to the formation of a society’s world view  and visa versa;
5. by studying cultures--not just the culture of the language being learned--students begin to  compare and contrast other cultures with their own.
C.  emphasizes international perspectives:
1. An international perspectives is inherent to foreign language and culture learning;
2. besides class discussions and readings in the text materials that introduce students to other cultures, students are encouraged to attend a wide variety of international cultural events that further encourage  understanding and appreciation of other cultures .
V.   CONTENT OUTLINE: Japanese 101 covers chapters 1-3.  Japanese 102 covers chapters 4-6.

VI. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
The conversational and grammar exercises will be based on the text. Students are expected to spend at least two hours preparing for every class period. ***Grammar assignments are to be read and studied before class.  Any grammar explanations given in class will be very brief and will presuppose a knowledge of the material.  All exercises assigned in the textbook are to be practiced thoroughly outside of class. Written homework is to be done before class and in the most complete form possible (i.e., in complete sentences). It and the workbook/lab manual  assignments must be handed in on time. ***Late assignments cannot be accepted except by prior arrangement. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

The course also
A. promotes student engagement in and responsibility for learning through the use of active  learning methodologies:

1. As stated above as a regular part of the syllabus: “Students are expected to spend at least two hours preparing for every class period. ***Grammar assignments are to be read and studied before class.  Any grammar explanations given in class will be very brief and will presuppose a knowledge of the material.  All exercises assigned in the textbook are to be practiced thoroughly outside of class. Written homework is to be done before class and in the most complete form possible (i.e., in complete sentences).”
2. communicative teaching is an approach which focuses on maximizing the four communicative skills as opposed to the traditional grammar-translation method.  It includes the use of the target language in class.  Students prepare grammar assignments outside of class and are prepared to implement them in class in given situations involving students’ sharing of information, asking questions to elicit information, answering questions, asking and receiving directions and instructions, exchanging information, etc.  Communicative teaching elicits production of language from students in writing and speaking; students learn the language more than learn about the language;
3. student-centered learning which involves communicative interaction (see above) in the form of group-work and partner-work, problem-solving, role play, short skits, and other interactive activities.
4. group discussions,
5. partner- and teamwork,
6. frequent role play situations, etc. and as demonstrated in the communicative assessment at the end of each semester and formally at the end of the first &  second years of instruction as well as part of the entire language program.
The course also focuses on problem solving:
7. students employ problem-solving techniques as part of the foreign language learning process: Students are expected to study grammar at home, figure out rules, apply them, and come to class prepared to begin immediate application.  Students learn to take a given grammatical, lexical, or syntactic rule and see how it may be applied to other instances.  Examples of significant problems are rules of conjugation and their variations, rules of word order, and the differences and similarities between the native language and the target language.  Thus, students learn to solve language problems without having to learn every word as an isolated instance
B. requires a significant amount of speaking, writing, and critical thinking, and reading within  the limitations of their first year reading skills in a foreign language:
1. Students have daily written homework assignments;
2. speaking is heavily emphasized every day in class;
3. students learn to read and decipher a variety of elementary texts; and
4. students learn critical thinking as it applies to both languages (the language being learned and English) and cultures (a foreign culture and one’s own culture).
C. promotes the use of computer technology through
1. student creative writing assignments using a word processor
2. student homework assignments using the World Wide Web and the Internet to access information about the countries they are studying: geography, culture, people, systems, etc.;
3. faculty who teach in the multi-media classroom employing the Internet to show students cultural information
5. student use of e-mail to contact the instructor and the occasional submission of assignments through e-mail; and faculty use of e-mail to contact students to disseminate information to them and to aid in explanations.
6. the use by some faculty members who have access to the multi-media room to use PowerPoint to demonstrate or illustrate a grammatical, communicative, or cultural point to the students; and
7. the use of the instructor’s web page to access information and data more efficiently.  A growing number of faculty have web pages, and the use of the web page increases every semester.  Eight of the 10 faculty members have learned how to develop a web page as of January 1998.
VII. FIELD and CLINICAL EXPERIENCES: See VIII. Resources.

VIII.RESOURCES:
Resources include the Language and Culture Lab (Room 403) and related resources. Students are expected to obtain a copy of each listening section as assigned and listen to the tapes often and practice aloud.  Students are strongly urged to take part in conversations in Japanese outside of class and to attend Japanese and other foreign films shown in the course of the semester.  Students should consider joining the Foreign Language Club and participating in other cultural activities that may be planned  from time to time.

IX. GRADING PROCEDURES:
Daily Performance   40%
Oral Interviews    25%
Quizzes     10%
Exams     25%
Total      100 %

There will be no make-up of quizzes.  Make-up exams are given at the instructor's discretion and must be scheduled in advance of the exam.  Your final course grade will be calculated as follows:  90% - A; 80% - B; 70% - C; 60% - D; 59% and below - E.
    Exams are in the form of listening comprehension, short answer, reading comprehension, sections on learned cultural awareness, and extensive writing in the target language; written sections of exams are meant to have the students demonstrate what they have learned in the language, and thus what they can produce and communicate in the target language.  Every language textbook contains cultural information.  Acquired knowledge of the target culture(s) is tested on every exam, either in separate sections dealing only with culture or in sections integrated into other parts of the exam but for which cultural awareness is necessary to attain a correct answer.
    Written homework is required daily; class time is used for extensive oral work.  Also, as stated in the regular syllabus, students are “also required to participate in and write a report on two approved cultural experiences.” Written homework is required daily; further student written homework assignments include independent creative writing beginning at two to three paragraphs and later a page in length during the course of the semester.  The work is graded on correctness and successful communication skills and evaluated according to the ACTFL standards. Students are also evaluated on their reading skills.  Each chapter in the textbook includes a reading text that  increases  in length with each chapter. Reading is a component of most major exams and the Final Proficiency Exam.  Emphasis is placed on reading strategies rather than on just isolated linguistic elements.   Critical thinking is evaluated by student demonstration of understanding the connection and relationship between the native and the target language, the application of rules, the questioning why both languages function the way they do.  Evaluation takes place on the homework assignments, in class discussion, and on the exams.  The predominant component of the language courses is speaking.  While there is variation instructor to instructor, evaluation of speaking skills takes place on a regular basis, and this evaluation is based on the ACTFL standards.   Class time is used for extensive oral work for which students receive an “Active Oral Participation” Grade.
    The Final Achievement exam is comprehensive.  The Proficiency Exams include sections covering the four skills: there are speaking, writing, listening, and reading sections of the exam.
    High academic standards are maintained through extensive testing methods and rigorous grading procedures. There are no ACTFL specific descriptors that establish proficiency levels for receiving certain grades.  The grades we assign are based on performance within each course.

X.    ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance is mandatory.  Absences will affect your grade. Up to three documented absences are    allowed for illness and family emergencies only. Final letter grades will be lowered by one percent  of the final average for every unexcused absence over three.  Three tardies to class is  equivalent to one class absence.  Furthermore, if you miss one fourth of the class meetings for any  reason (excused or unexcused), you will not pass this course.
    If you are late or must be absent, it is your responsibility to find out and do the homework  assignment before the next class period and to come to my office to get any handouts.

XI.  ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY:
1. It is the responsibility of every student to be informed about the collegiate Academic Integrity Policy. Cheating in whatever form constitutes academic dishonesty.
2. Copies of the policy are available in: CIV workbooks, Classroom bulletin boards, Department of Foreign Language Office, Dean of Humanistic Studies Office, and the College of Humanistic Studies Home Page.
3. Your signature on every assignment, quiz, and exam represents a pledge that you have adhered to this policy.
4.  I expect students to abide by the highest ethical standards.

XII.  TEXT AND REFERENCES:
 Jorden, H.E., & Noda, M. Japanese: The spoken Language Part I. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987
Katakana Workbook: designed by the instructor
Writing and Reading Workbook: designed by the instructor

XIII .  PREREQUISITES: None

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Last updated February 14, 2000. Designed and maintained by Kyosung Koo