Course Title: Japanese - Level 1

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2012

Course Code: LANG5728

Course Title: Japanese - Level 1

School: 365T Global Studies, Soc Sci & Plng

Campus: City Campus

Program: C1063 - Certificate I in Japanese

Course Contact : Hiroko Ohashi

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 3975

Course Contact Email:hiroko.ohashi@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Maya Fujioka maya.fujioka@rmit.edu.au



Hiroko Ohashi ( hiroko.ohashi@rmit.edu.au)
Program Co-ordinator
Japanese Language Programs
Phone: +61 3 9925 3975/2328

Nominal Hours: 180

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

 None

Course Description


This course makes up the year-long Certificate I in Japanese, focusing on practical language skills and cultural knowledge for social and workplace application.
The program is designed for you to commence a basis for development of communicative skills in Japanese in a range of personal and social situations. The 2 scripts of hiragana and katakana and approximately 90 basic kanji characters will be taught. Practical and communicative student-centered activities and tasks encourage you to be responsible for your own learning, to be creative and critical in your application of knowledge of the language to communication with people of a different cultural tradition.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

LOTE868 Japanese - Level 1


Learning Outcomes


1. Provide basic personal information and elicit similar information from others
2. Participate in a simple transactional exchange to provide or obtain a product or service
3. Demonstrate understanding of Spoken Information
4. Complete a simple form
5. Write a short note or message
6. Demonstrate understanding of a simple written information text


Details of Learning Activities

Class time is devoted to a variety of activities at introducing, drilling, learning experiences practising, consolidating and developing aspects of language which are
then available for you to use communicatively. This process includes presentation of new language through explanation, on-line and audio material and text; mechanical oral and written exercises and drills, leading to creative oral and written tasks, aim to give you practice in adapting and using the introduced language for your own communicative purposes.

Much of the rote learning work necessary to language learning is assigned as homework. Your active participation in the course, by means of regular preparation of class topics and revision, wider reading about the country and culture, and seeking out own opportunities to practise, is necessary if successful learning is to take place.

Classes provide most of the limited opportunities you have to use newly-learnt language. Attendance at all classes is therefore essential.
Feedback on the balance and focus of the subject from you is welcome. Students and staff meet each semester and Course Experience Questionnaires are distributed from week 12, of each semester.


Teaching Schedule

 week  Contents  Other activities  
1  Lesson 1    
2  Lesson 1    
3  Lesson 1    
4  Lesson 2    
5  Lesson 2    

6

  -Mid-semester   Break

5-11 Apr---

 Lesson 2  SSCC Meeting  

 7

 Lesson 3  Japan Information and Cultural Centre visit (Mon 16/4/12 2.15-3.30pm)  
 8  Lesson 3    
 9  Lesson 3    
 10  Lesson 4  Exam information sheet available on Blackboard  
 11  Lesson 4    
 12  Lesson 4  SSCC Meeting  
 13  Revision    

 14                        

    Exam week

 Written Exam (5/6) Oral/Aural Exam (7/6)
in normal class times
   
*The above program is subject to change.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Banno, E. et. al. (2011) Genki I, Japan Times     2nd edition

Banno, E. et. al. (2011) Genki I Workbook Japan Times 2nd edition


References


Other Resources

TEXT RESOURCES:

Befu, H., Eades, J. S. and Gill, T. (ed.) Globalization and social change in contemporary Japan Rosanna, Vic. : Trans Pacific Press, 2000

Hendry, J., Understanding Japanese society New York : Routledge, 2003.

Martinez., D. P. (ed.) Modern Japanese culture and society London : Routledge, 2007.

Mouer, R. and Kawanishi H.. A sociology of work in Japan New York : Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Nathan., J., Japan unbound : a volatile nation’s quest for pride and purpose Boston ; New York : Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Sugimoto, Y. An introduction to Japanese society Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Sugimoto, Y. and Mouer, R. Images of Japanese society : a study in the social construction of reality London ; New York : Kegan Paul, 2002.

INTERNET RESOURCES:

• ESSENTIAL Genki website (offers additional useful materials to use including self-study materials and related links: Genki on-line http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/
• Listening practice: www.japanesepod101.com
• Jim Breen’s Dictionary
For individual word or kanji:
"Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC" http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1C
(Jim Breen’s site could be used as a principal source of Japanese dictionary)
• "popups" vocabulary help for online texts: "Rikai.com" http://www.rikai.com/perl/Home.pl


Japan-related activities in Melbourne :
www.melbourne.au.emb-japan.go.jp/

News:
www.japantimes.co.jp/topnews.html

Japan Insight:
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/insight

Japan’s Official Site:
www.mofa.go.jp

Bookshop specialising in Japanese language texts:
www.languageint.com.au

Updates on scholarships/events:
www.rmit.edu.au/languages


Overview of Assessment

Your language skills will be assessed using speaking tasks, listening tasks, reading tasks, script tests and short written assignments. The final result is obtained by combining the results of all progressive assessment tasks (this includes class based tasks as well as tasks completed outside of class) with the mid-year and end-of-year examination. Both progressive assessment and exams cover the learning outcomes as described above.


Assessment Tasks

The final end-of-year result is obtained by combining the results of all progressive assessment tasks with the end-of-semester examination marks for Semester 1 and 2. Results for Semester 1 may be made available through the Blackboard in the Learning Hub. An official result with transcript will be available at the end of the program ( November 2012)

PROGRESSIVE ASSESSMENT 50%
Regular tasks conducted throughout the semester, including:
*oral presentation (2) 15%

*script tests (including 1 written task) 20%
*class test (on verbs) 5%
*listening test (1) 10%

Test times are included in the course guide, details announced in class. You cannot perform at other times without legitimate reason, such as submission of a medical certificate, or a documented work-related commitment, an assessment task conducted during classes from which you were absent. In such instances, you must CONTACT YOUR LECTURER IN ADVANCE, OR WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE MISSED ASSESSMENT to apply for a deferred assessment. A deferred assessment is to be completed at the next scheduled assessment date. You cannot sit deferred listening tasks. Please plan your vacations carefully, taking into consideration assessment/exam dates, as a vacation is not considered a legitimate reason.
END-OF-SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS 50%
Written examination 30%
May include:

*reading comprehension
*grammar application
*writing

Details announced in class

Oral/aural examination 20%
*guided conversations or role plays or interview
*2 -3 listening comprehension exercises

Examinations are held in normal class times in week 14. Oral/aural examinations will be of 1.5 hours duration. Written examinations 2 hours duration.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
*Some criteria would not be applicable depending on task used

ORAL TASKS

1 grammatical accuracy                            Do you have the basic grammatical knowledge and vocabulary to complete the task?
2 adequacy of vocabulary for purpose       Do you use appropriate vocabulary for the task?
3 intelligibility and fluency                       Do you have clear pronunciation?
                                                                 Is your Delivery carried out smoothly?
                                                                 Are you fluent in your delivery with few hesitations?
4 adequacy of content                              Do you ask questions correctly and provides appropriate responses?
                                                                 Do you fulfill the task appropriately?
                                                                 Do you use repair strategies, if necessary?
                                                                 Do you seek clarification, repetition or confirmation where necessary?
5 interactive skills                                      Do you make eye contact with your partner/interviewer and using non-verbal skills appropriately?
                                                                 Do you follow standard cultural conventions using normal politeness markers and appropriate body language?


WRITTEN TASKS

1 relevance and adequacy of content       Response is adequate to the topic
                                                                         Key information is easily understandable
2 organization                                               Use standard layout for task
                                                                         Essay (where appropriate) has an introduction, body, and conclusion
3 cohesion                                                     Sentences are semantically accurate
4 adequacy of vocabulary for purpose      Vocabulary is varied and non-repetitive
5 grammatical accuracy                             Correct tense, particle and word order are used
6 script                                                           Appropriate script is used and written correctly
                                                                        Letters/characters are accurately formed


Assessment Matrix

Other Information

BLACKBOARD
You will find important material such as Oral and Written Task Sheets and Exam and Information in Blackboard from Week 3. You will need to access the Cert III Blackboard as below:
LANG5728 Japanese - Level 1 (Class : 2150)
Files should be downloaded, printed out and be placed in your folder and brought to class.
Details for special activities organised for this course (as described in your Teaching Schedule) will appear as Announcements in Blackboard.

There is also an Events and Opportunities page in Blackboard which is regularly updated with Melbourne events related to Japan as well as opportunities for study/work in Japan .

You can access Blackboard through the “Studies” tab in myRMIT.

It is essential that you access Blackboard at least weekly for updates.
PROGRESSIVE ASSESSMENT RESULTS
These may be made available through Gradebook in Blackboard

Course Overview: Access Course Overview