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Japanese Level 4

Module details

Offered to 3rd and 4th Years
Thursdays 16.00-18.00
Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
Two-term module, worth 7.5 ECTS
Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
Extra Credit, or Degree Credit where your department allows

Degree credit module options by department How to enrol

A communicative module for students who have successfully completed Japanese Level 3 or have reached an equivalent standard.

This module aims:

To develop further the basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing
To revise and consolidate basic grammar as required by the class
To introduce more complex grammatical structures and extend vocabulary

To be eligible for this module you need to have done one of the following:

Successfully completed Japanese Level 3
Gained a Japanese A-Level Qualification
Have already achieved the equivalent level by other means

You should be able to write approximately 200 Kanji characters.

This module is not intended for native or near-native speakers.

Please note that students wishing to study Japanese are required to take a placement test at the start of the autumn term to ensure that they are eligible for the level for which they have applied, unless they have already taken the previous level.

Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of next academic year.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

read and write around 100 new Kanji characters and the related vocabulary on top of the 185 Kanji covered in the previous levels with accuracy and fluency;
deploy moderately complex grammatical structures and a wider range of vocabulary with accuracy and fluency;
produce and respond to written texts of moderate complexity in Japanese writing system using the grammar & vocabulary covered in the module on top of those of the previous levels;
produce and respond to a range of spoken languages in familiar contexts;
comprehend and respond to the information by listening monologes/dialogues which use a wide range of the post-beginner-level grammar and vocabulary.

Indicative core content

In this module, students will cover the following linguistic structures:

revision of structures covered in level 3;
more complex grammar and alternative modes of expression are introduced, including different types of subordinate clauses;
use of polite expression in different situations.

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

office situations;
daily life in Japan and culture;
reporting a lost article to the police/ lost property office;
provision/preparation for the future events including emergency;
asking for favours and decline indirectly and politely by implying reasons;
illness and hospital visits.

In addition, students will be introduced with around 100 Kanji characters and the related vocabulary for writing and reading purposes (in addition to the 200 characters learned at level 2 and 3).

Learning and teaching approach

In line with modern foreign languages communicative and active learning methodology, in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include pair work (e.g. dialogue practice, information gap exercises and vocabulary/grammar quiz), individual tasks (e.g. forming/writing sentences for various tasks and discovery/formulation of grammatical rules), and group work (e.g. reading aloud new vocabulary for pronunciation practice and reading texts/listening to the audio files for comprehension exercise), following the teacher's introduction on new language items (grammar, vocabukary and Kanji characters). Homework tasks give students the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills covered each week as well as to receive an individual feedback. This approach not only ensures students engage with a wide range of tasks, but also supports different learning styles.

All pieces of coursework are marked and feedback will be given in two weeks. Detailed feedback will be provided alongside suggestions for improvement and an overall percentage showing your provisional grade for that assessment.

Assessment

Coursework (6%): Composition 1: 600 Japanese letters (around one and half A4 papers), during the second half of autumn term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
Examination (5%): Kanji test, in the second to last class of autumn term. 10 minutes.
Examination (20%): Test for grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening, in the last class of autumn term. 60-70 minutes.
Coursework (7%): Composition 2: 600 Japanese letters (around one and half A4 papers), during the first half of spring term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
Examination (10%): Kanji & listening test, in the second to last class of spring term. 30 minutes.
Examination (20%): Test for grammar, vocabulary and reading, in the last class of spring term. 60 minutes.
Coursework (7%): Composition 3: 600 Japanese letters (around one and half A4 papers), during the last week of spring term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
Practical (25%): Oral exam: Prepared speech, followed by Q&A (both related to the speech and general) and a role play. 20-25 minutes.

Key information

7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
Available to take for credit towards your degree where your department allows. Also available for extra-credit.
You must be prepared to attend all classes and and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.

Coursebook
Minna no Nihongo 2 (Second Edition) (Main Textbook and Translation and Grammatical Notes) by 3A Corporation and Basic kanji book Vol. 1 & 2 by Bonjinsha, supported by an accompanied CD, other audio materials and additional handouts