Course Title: Japanese 4

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2008

Course Code: LANG5488

Course Title: Japanese 4

School: 365T Global Studies, Soc Sci & Plng

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4198 - Certificate IV in Language (Japanese)

Course Contact : Ms. Barbara White

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5211

Course Contact Email:barbara.white@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Tuesday: Keiko Paragreen keiko.paragreen@rmit.edu.au

 

Thursday: Yoko Hosokawa yoko.hosokawa@rmit.edu.au

 

 

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

Certificate III in Applied Language or VCE Japanese or up to 480  hrs prior study, or equivalent. The ability to read and write the hiragana and katakana scripts  and approximately 200 elementary kanji characters is essential.

Course Description

This course makes up the year long Certificate IV in Language (Japanese). Through closed and then open-ended learning activities you will establish a basis for development of communicative skills in the spoken and written language, emphasizing the former. Approximately 200 Kanji characters will be consolidated with a further 150 kanji characters to be introduced for reproduction and/or recognition. You will be able to speak and understand Japanese in a varied range of complex, everyday contexts.  Practical knowledge of the culture, in a wide range of personal and social situations and context will be introduced. Student-centred drilling, practical and communicative 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, and to build on your knowledge and interest to a level where learning can continue in daily life.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

LOTE 397 Japanese 4


Learning Outcomes


  1. Negotiate an oral exchange to solve problems, explore issues or provide customer service
  2. Give an oral presentation
  3. Participate in a social or cultural event
  4. Listen and report on a sustained oral event
  5. Write work-related documents
  6. Read and understand complex work-related or general written texts 


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 to consult in week 9, and Course Experience Questionnaires are distributed from week 13, of each semester.


Teaching Schedule

Teaching Schedule Subject to Change

Weeks 1-4

Japanese for Everyone L.18
Basic Kanji Book 1 L.16

*Week 3 Student Vacation: 20/3/08-26/3/08

*SSCC rep confirmed

Weeks 5-8

Japanese for Everyone L.19
Basic Kanji Book 1 L.17

*2008 Japan Study Tour Information

*Japan Information and Cultural Centre visit (lunchtime)


Weeks 9-11

Japanese for Everyone L.20

Basic Kanji Book 1 L. 18

*Exam information sheet
Weeks 12-14

Japanese for Everyone L.21

Basic Kanji Book 1 L.19


Week 14 Revision 


Week 15 Examinations in normal class time
(Week commencing June 16th, 2008) 

New language is presented regularly through model dialogues, videos and supplementary material. You practise structure and expression through mechanical spoken and written exercises, after which communicative competence is developed by performing more integrated communicative tasks as a class and in groups and pairs.

For real progress towards communicative competence you should familiarize yourselves with main dialogues before their introduction in class, and revise the dialogues and work on text book exercises and rote memorization of forms and vocabulary after each class. It is expected that you will be prepared for each class by having revised relevant work and completed appropriate homework tasks.

At the end of each chapter you are able to demonstrate your competence in the language covered by performing an assessed speaking, listening or written task.


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

(available from RMIT Bookshop)

Kano,C.,et.al (1989) Basic Kanji Book vol. 1 Tokyo:Bonjinsha
Nagara,S., et al (1990). Japanese for Everyone Tokyo:Gakken (audiotapes recommended)

Class notes
School of Global Studies, Social Science & Planning
Japanese for EveryoneTask Book Vol. 2 & 3
(located in CLASS NOTES section at RMIT Bookshop)


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:

RMIT Learning Hub/Blackboard:

www.rmit.edu.au/online


Listening practice:

www.japanesepod101.com

Dictation quizzes for Japanese speech:
http://sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/sp/lesson/j/index.html

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/gsssp/japanese









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 2008)

PROGRESSIVE ASSESSMENT 50%
Regular tasks conducted throughout the semester, including:
*oral tasks (1) 10%

*kanji tests 20%
*written task (1) 10%
*listening test (1) 10%

Test times and details announced in class. You cannot perform at other times without legitimate reason, such as submission of a medical certificate, an assessment task conducted during classes from which you were absent. In such circumstances, re-sit of the task is to be completed at the next scheduled assessment date You cannot re-sit listening tasks. You are required to keep copies of all works submitted.

END-OF-SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS 50%
Written examination 30%

May include:

*reading comprehension
*set phrases
*writing

Details announced in class


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

Examinations are held in normal class times in week 15. Oral/aural examinations will be of 1.5 hours duration. Written examinations 2 hours duration.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Oral tasks are graded according to the following six criteria, each
and grading given equal weight.
1 grammatical accuracy
2 adequacy of vocabulary for purpose
3 intelligibility
4 fluency
5 relevance and adequacy of content
6 interactive skills

Written tasks are graded according to the following six criteria, each given equal weight.
1 relevance and adequacy of content
2 organisation
3 cohesion
4 adequacy of vocabulary for purpose
5 grammatical accuracy
6 script

Grades

0 - 49% NN
50 -59% PA
60-69% CR
70-79% DI
80-100% HD





Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview