Course Title: Japanese 1
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Japanese 1
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Coordinator: Dr Maho Fukuno
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 0448
Course Coordinator Email: maho.fukuno@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: B37. L5 .041
Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
None
Course Description
This course caters for students who would like to start learning Japanese at University. It will introduce you to Japanese language and culture and assist you to develop in four different modes of Japanese Language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing.
You will explore the links between language and culture and familiarise yourself with the pronunciation system of Japanese and the formation of the 3 Japanese scripts. You will explore the norms and values of Japanese society and behaviour as expressed in and reflected by the language. The course will equip you with some basic knowledge of cross-cultural communication issues and lays the foundation for further Japanese study.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
Program Learning Outcomes
Bachelor of Languages BP317 Vietnam
- Communicate effectively in a range of forms and in different international and cross-cultural contexts, using appropriate modes of communication including electronic, written, graphic, oral and aural forms with audiences within and external to the discipline.
- Critically reflect on the role of culture in communication and society and apply this knowledge in a range of cross-cultural interactions locally and globally.
- Work independently and in diverse teams to solve problems, using effective communication strategies demonstrating ethical and reflective practice.
- Adapt and develop effective communication strategies to address linguistic diversity in the workplace.
- Critically analyse resources, evidence and personal experience to make ethical, socially and politically aware decisions related to language and intercultural interpretations and applications.
- Effectively manage your own learning, developing skills in lifelong learning of languages and crosscultural communication.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Communicate in oral Japanese effectively in basic social contexts, including greetings, introductions, describing past, present and future events and location.
- Read and write simple passages in these contexts using hiragana, katakana and very basic kanji.
- Communicate effectively in Japanese and demonstrate awareness of some uses of registers in different contexts.
- Read, interpret and comprehend simple authentic spoken, written and multimedia Japanese materials.
- Identify and implement some language learning strategies and techniques to develop your language skills.
- Identify and discuss aspects of the Japanese culture and the relationship between culture and language.
- Describe your own cultural values and norms and make comparisons to the Japanese ones, beginning to reflect on and develop your knowledge of cross- and intercultural communication issues and challenges.
Overview of Learning Activities
You will be able to work in pairs and small groups to develop your language skills. Oral exercises will provide you with opportunities to practise your spoken Japanese while you will use listening exercises to analyse features such as pronunciation to improve your listening skills.
Cultural understanding and the relationship between language and behaviour will be introduced and discussed. Various role-plays, exercises and games are employed to expose potential difficulties, which may arise in cross-cultural communication.
Class exercises are supported by language exchange sessions with native speakers, where appropriate. We will be doing many pair and group activities in which you are expected to participate actively and to use only Japanese. Therefore, regular class attendance is important to support your learning.
Overview of Learning Resources
RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.
You may need to access a prescribed text and a recommended Language dictionary. Multi-media teaching and learning resources and tools will also be used and made available through our online systems which you can access at myRMIT/studies.
There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.
Overview of Assessment
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes.
Assessment Tasks
Melbourne City Campus
Assessment Task 1: Progressive Assessments 50%
- Homework Revision tasks 5% CLO2, CLO4, CLO5
- Written tasks 35% CLO2, CLO4, CLO5
- Speaking task 10% CLO1, CLO3, CLO5
Assessment Task 2: Final Assessment 50%
- Written and communication tasks (e.g. presentations, discussion, interviews): CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5, CLO6, CLO7
Vietnam Campus (Bachelor of Languages BP317)
Assessment Task 1: Essay writings 45% CLO2, CLO4, CLO6
Assessment Task 2: Communicative assessments 35% CLO1, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5
Assessment Task 3: Integrated activity (e.g. community engagement) 20% CLO2, CLO4, CLO5, CLO7
Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.
If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.
Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.