Japanese Language - Essentials

Japanese Language - Essentials

Course Duration: 4 weeks

Total Course Hours: 8 hours

Requirements: Knowledge of the English Language (from basic to low-intermediate level - A2-B1)

This course aims to provide students with the basics to approach the Japanese language and culture.

Students will learn about the Japanese writing system: the Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries, along with some basic Kanji (JLPT N5 Level) and how to write them.

Learning the culture is crucial to understanding the language, especially as Japanese culture is known to be very different from Western culture. We believe learning the Japanese language alongside its culture is the best way to make the learning journey much easier!

At the end of the course, we will discuss comparisons between Japanese culture and the Western culture in order to deeply understand the differences between them.

COURSE SYLLABUS

WEEK 1: APPROACHING THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Part 1

  • General Characteristics: Romaji, basic sounds, and how to pronounce them.

  • The order of the elements in phrases.

  • Particle System

  • Basic Japanese: Self-introduction and Greetings

Part 2

  • Introducing the Japanese writing system, with general information on Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji.

  • Hiragana Pt. 1: Basic words and pronunciation, from vowels to “Ta” sounds.

  • Japanese Culture: In Japan, it is important to be kind and respectful of others!

WEEK 2: SELF-INTRODUCTIONS

Part 1

  • Hiragana Pt. 2: from “Na” to “Wa”

  • Japanese Sounds Pt. 1: alphabet, contracted sounds, double consonants.

  • Self-introduction, including analyzing the particle “Wa” and verb “to be”.

Part 2

  • Japanese Sounds Pt. 2: contracted sounds (Kya...), double consonants, and long-vowel sounds.

  • Video material to learn the pronunciation of basic words.

WEEK 3: INTRODUCING KATAKANA

Part 1

  • Katakana Pt. 1: Basic words and pronunciation, from vowels to “Ta” sounds.

  • Focusing on when to use Katakana.

  • Japanese Culture: Learn how to use the suffixes.

Part 2

  • Katakana Pt. 2: from “Na” to “Wa”

  • Verb “to be”: affirmative and negative form.

  • Vocabulary: nationalities in Japanese

WEEK 4: REVIEW

Part 1

  • Approaching Kanji: how to write Kanji

  • Learning the first most-used kanji and the days of the week.

  • An overview of communicating with Kanji.

Part 2

  • Review

  • Japanese Culture: Polite and casual expressions. Discussion and examples on how to sound formal and colloquial.

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