International University of Japan / CENTER for LANGUAGE EDUCATION and RESEARCH

LANGUAGE

Japanese Language Program

Brief Course Descriptions

The Japanese language courses are offered as electives. Whether the credits taken from Japanese courses are counted toward graduation will depend on programs. Please refer to a handbook which will be given to you upon your arrival.

[Main Track]

[Pre-requisite: Knowledge of hiragana, numbers, time phrases. Be able to introduce yourself . See qualifying test]
Be able to talk about something concrete and familiar to them such as themselves, family, daily activity, or the weekend. Be able to ask a price or location, invite, refuse an invitation, give a reason and ask someone to do something. Be able to recognize around 70 kanji. (4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.) 

[Pre-requisite: Elementary Japanese 1 or equivalent.]
Be able to express location of things, various judgments and their reasons in daily situations. Be able to recognize around 150 kanji.
(4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.)

[Pre-requisite: Elementary Japanese 2 or equivalent.]
Be able to talk about familiar matters, and also carry on conversations in specific situations to fulfill daily tasks such as explaining a custom in their country, seeking advice and showing their withes. Be able to read 2 to 3 paragraph simple stories with some help of a dictionary. Be able to recognize around 250 kanji.
(4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.)

[Pre-requisite: Elementary Japanese 3 or equivalent. See qualifying test]
Be able to speak of daily routines and experiences and comprehend adjusted materials of listening and reading. Be able to recognize 3~400 kanji. (4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.)

[Pre-requisite: Intermediate Japanese 1 or equivalent]
Be able to communicate ideas and information on familiar topics. Be able to understand basic honorifics and comprehend adjusted reading materials (e.g. posts, short columns, etc.) and listening materials.
Be able to recognize 4~500 kanji. (4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.)

[Pre-requisite: Intermediate Japanese 2 or equivalent]
Be able to use basic honorifics for formal situations, to comprehend simple articles and materials on general matters and relatively abstract matters. Be able to recognize about 5~600 Kanji. (4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.)

[Pre-requisite for Upper-Intermediate 1:Intermediate Japanese 3 or equivalent.See qualifying test]
Be able to speak of daily routines and experiences and comprehend adjusted materials of listening and reading. Be able to recognize 900 kanji. (4 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 35.)

[Pre-requisite for Advanced 1: Upper-Intermediate Japanese 3 or equivalent.See qualifying test]
Be able to gather information through various Japanese media (e.g. newspapers, journals, TV, Internet) and use them for presentations and discussions. Be able to choose vocabulary and expressions most appropriate to linguistic and social context. Be able to recognize about 1000 Kanji and above.
(3 periods/week. 1 credit. Maximum number of students is 15.)

[Light-Load Track]

[Pre-requisite for Basic Japanese 1: "Hiragana" (Japanese alphabets) and numbers (1-1000). See qualifying test].
Be able to handle basic everyday conversation. Be able to ask and answer simple questions about something concrete and familiar to them such as their family, friends, things they have, things they did and their plan. Kanji (Chinese characters) are not taught due to time constraints. (2 periods/week. 0.5 credit. Maximum number of students is 30. )

[Pre-requisite for Basic Japanese 4: Basic Japanese 3 or equivalent. See qualifying test on pages 6 and 7] See qualifying test].
By the end of Basic Japanese 6, one will reach virtually the same level of proficiency as Elementary Japanese 3 in terms of listening and speaking. Kanji (Chinese characters) are not taught due to time constraints. (2 periods/week. 0.5 credit. Maximum number of students is 20.)

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[Other]

[Pre-requisite for Japanese for Zero Beginners: non].
The participants will acquire Japanese for survival for the daily living in Japan, such as greetings, simple self-introduction, the expressions commonly used in shopping and restaurant situations. Characters such as hiragana, katakana, and kanji (Chinese characters) are not taught. (four 90minutes classes. 0 credit.)



Qualifying Tests for Each Course

1. Elementary Japanese 1 初級(しょきゅう)1

The qualifying test for Elementary Japanese 1 concerns recognition and production of hiragana (Japanese alphabets) and numbers (up to 100,000). Basic greetings and simple expressions frequently used in self-introduction, shopping in a store and eating at a restaurant will be included in the test.

Lessons in the following textbooks show what one is expected to know for the qualifying test for Elementary Japanese 1.

Minna no Nihongo I: L1-L4, GenkiI: L1-L2, Nakama I: L1-L2

These textbooks may be accessible in offices such as the cultural center in the Japanese Embassy, The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Center and JICA Center for Human Development.

2. Intermediate Japanese 1(中級1)

中級1は、今までに200~300時間勉強した人のためのコースです。 中級1のテストは文法(ぶんぽう)、漢字(かんじ)、聞きとり、みじかい作文(さくぶん)、会話(かいわ)などです。文法は初級(しょきゅう)のテキストの文法を勉強しておいてください。漢字は300ぐらいの初級の漢字です。会話試験では自(じ)己(こ)紹(しょう)介(かい)や、今までの経験(けいけん)などについて聞きます。

3. Upper-Intermediate Japanese 1(中上級1)

中上級Ⅰは500時間ぐらい勉強した人のためのコースです。テストでは文法、漢字、聞きとり、 作文、会話などが出ます。中級までの語彙、文法、表現と漢字500~600字と漢字の 単語の読み方と意味が分かるようにしておいてください。 会話試験では、日常のこと、経験、印象、説明や意見などについて聞きます。

4. Advanced Japanese 1 (上級1)

上級1を勉強したい学生は、筆記試験と会話試験を受けなければなりません。筆記試験は文法、漢字、聴解、読解などの予定です。漢字は900ぐらい読めるようにしておいてください。また、初級、中級の文法の練習問題をしておいてください。会話試験では、国の説明や、今までの職歴などを聞きます。

5. Basic Japanese 1

The qualifying test for Basic Japanese 1 concerns numbers (up to 1,000) and hiragana (one set of the Japanese alphabets). Test takers must be able to read and write hiragana.


6. Basic Japanese 4

The qualifying test for Basic Japanese 4 concerns expressions and structures that are introduced in the first half of an “elementary” course that requires about 100 hours of study, whose approximate equivalent is; まるごと初級1A2りかい:L.1~12、 げんき: L.1-12,  ようこそ: Ch.1-7,  みんなの日本語: Ch.1-23.

Although it is highly desirable to know some basics of Japanese such as hiragana before coming to IUJ, a 4-day Intensive Japanese class is available for those who have never studied Japanese before and want to get prepared for the qualifying test for Basic Japanese 1. The details of the Intensive Japanese class are explained here.


7. Japanese for Zero Beginners

Theis no qualifying test for Japanese for Zero Beginners.