Japanese 5 (JAPN30007)

This subject is for students who already possess basic Japanese language skills and knowledge of Japan, and have completed Japanese 4 and can recognise around 400 Kanji characters, or those who have equivalent experience in Japanese. This subject provides a basic preparation for students to engage in academic research using Japanese. It aims to further develop students’ Japanese communication skills by examining the language of various registers and discourse.

Students will also develop awareness of differences between and within spoken and written Japanese used in different situations. Students will have an exposure to various Japanese written texts of different genres such episodes, stories, essays, etc. to understand differences in their rhetorical structures (e.g., narrative, descriptive, and expository). Students will also have the opportunity to practice variations of spoken Japanese (colloquial, polite, formal) depending on the relationship between the participants of the conversations. Through class activities, such as discussions and a small research project, students will build further vocabulary and expressions, including around 150 additional kanji characters. In addition, students will develop interpersonal skills to present themselves appropriately in intercultural situations.