Course Title: Japanese Language and Society
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Japanese Language and Society
Credit Points: 12.00
Course Coordinator: Dr Maho Fukuno
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 0448
Course Coordinator Email: maho.fukuno@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: Building 37. Level 05. Room 41
Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
Required Prior Study
You should have satisfactorily completed
Japanese 5 LANG1420/LANG1257 and/or Japanese 6 LANG1258/LANG1421 before you commence this course.
You may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course without competing Japanese 6.
Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.
Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.
Students who have reached an upper-intermediate level of language proficiency may be allowed to enrol following a Placement Test.
Course Description
This is an advanced course that aims to consolidate your Japanese language skills. You will develop your reading, writing, oral and aural comprehension skills in a wide range of personal, vocational and social settings.
In this course you will develop advanced skills in oral and written communication skills through Japanese language for vocational and professional needs, with an emphasis on written and verbal presentation skills.
You will critically reflect on contemporary Japanese society, literature and language use, and consider the relationships between behaviour and language.
Classes are taught in Japanese.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
This course will complement the RMIT capabilities you are developing in your program.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Evaluate and confidently use a variety of registers in Japanese in a range of contexts.
- Conduct and present research on a chosen topic, demonstrating appropriate norms in presentation techniques in formal work settings in the Japanese context.
- Communicate increasingly fluently in both oral and written Japanese becoming skilled in the use of required kanji in a variety of vocational contexts.
- Apply and evaluate a wide range of language learning strategies you have acquired, and further develop your own independent and autonomous learning skills.
- Critically analyse and examine some of your own cultural values and norms and make comparisons to those of Japan, further expanding your knowledge of cross and inter cultural 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 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
Assessment Tasks
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes.
Assessment Task 1
Progressive Assessments, totalling 50%
- Homework Revision Tasks: CLO 1, CLO3, CLO4
- Critical Writing Tasks: CLO 1, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5
- Communication Tasks: CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO5
Assessment Task 2
Final Assessments totalling 50%
- Critical writing and/or communication tasks (e.g. presentations, discussions, interviews, analytic compositions): CLO 1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5
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.