Japanese Language Program
Course Descriptions

Just Getting Started (Pre 101-1)
Students learn:

  • Basic expressions for:

    • Greetings

    • Self-introduction

    • Communicating with front desk clerks at hotels

    • Communicating with salesclerks

    • Communicating with taxi drivers, bus drivers, etc.

    • Buying over-the-counter medication

101-1 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 1-3
Students learn:

  • Japanese Phonetic Symbols: Master the basics of Hiragana

  • Greeting and Self-Introduction Expressions: Acquire common expressions for greetings and self-introductions

  • Numbers 1 through 10: Learn numbers from 1 to 10

  • Demonstrative and Interrogative Pronouns: Understand demonstrative pronouns and interrogative pronouns (who, whose, what, what time, how much)

Goals:

  • Achieve proficiency in recognizing and using Hiragana

  • Gain insight into Japanese culture

  • Comprehend the distinctions between Japanese and English syntax

101-2 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 4-7
Students learn:

  • Japanese Loan Words: Learn Katakana symbols used for loan words

  • Large Numbers: Understand numbers greater than 10

  • Counters: Familiarize yourself with counters for solid items, floppy items, and rod-like or cylindrical items

  • Interrogative Pronouns: Grasp interrogative pronouns such as "how much," "where," "when," and "with whom"

  • Verbs of Movement: Learn verbs for "go," "come," and "return"

  • Vocabulary for Destinations: Expand your vocabulary related to destinations

  • Particles に: Understand the use of the particle に for direction and time reference

  • Japanese Currency: Familiarize yourself with Japanese currency

  • Days of the Week and Month: Learn the days of the week and days of the month

Goals:

  • Able to recognize Katakana symbols proficiently

  • Can identify and understand vocabulary related to transportation and destinations

  • Capable of communicating effectively with salesclerks

  • Can recognize and understand the prices of merchandise

  • Destination Arrival Inquiries

102 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 8-11
Students learn:

  • A variety of verbs and their conjugations (affirmative, negative, present, and past tense)

  • Two types of adjectives and conjugations (i-adjective and na-adjective

  • The time reference words and means of transportation

  • The interrogative pronouns (where, with whom, when)

  • Counter for people

Goals:

  • Can talk about daily activities

  • Can talk about activities that one is frequently engaged in

  • Can talk about the plan on weekends

  • Can ask and answer the time, days, or dates for a meeting or a business appointment

  • Can express impressions about experiences

  • Can place an order at Izakaya (Japanese-style bar)

104 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 17-20
Students learn:

  • Dictionary form of verbs and the Te-form conjugation for various expressions

  • Verb Masu-Form Stem たいです

Goals:

  • Express desires effectively

  • Request using appropriate conjugations

  • Describe sequences of actions with suitable conjugations

  • Recognize basic vocabulary related to communications, positions, directions, and giving directions

  • Develop conversation skills for:

    • Providing directions and estimating travel time

    • Requesting deliveries

    • Requesting room service

    • Describing daily schedules effectively

301 | Minna no Nihongo Vol 2 | Chapters 26-28
Students who have finished Minna no Nihongo Vol. 1 or at the equivalent level learn:

  • Express explanatory mode　Plain Form + んです

  • Giving a suggestion たらいい

  • Potential Form

  • Describing simultaneous actions …ながら

  • Stating multiple reasons　…し、…し

Goals:

  • Can ask for suggestions politely and can give advice courteously

  • Can use explanatory mode effectively for smooth and effective oral communication

  • Can understand and describe possibilities and capabilities using the Japanese potential forms effectively

  • Can explain reasons using a variety of grammar patterns

302 | Minna no Nihongo Vol 2 | Chapters 29-31
Students who have finished Minna no Nihongo Vol. 2 Chapters 26-30 or at the equivalent level learn:

  • Transitive verbs and intransitive verbs

  • Transitive verbs ＋　てあります／Transitive Verb＋　ておきます

  • Te-Form + しまいました　to describe something unpredicted things happened

  • Expressing intentions

    • Volitional Form + と思う

    • Dictionary Form + つもりです

Goals:

  • Can differentiate intransitive verbs and transitive verbs

  • Can understand and describe the state of things

  • Can understand and describe that something is done for some reasons

  • Can understand and describe that someone is well prepared for something

  • Can understand and describe someone’s project or plan in the future

305 | Minna no Nihongo Vol 2 | Chapters 38-40
Students who have finished Minna no Nihongo Vol. 2 Chapters 35-37 or at the equivalent level learn:

  • Nominalizer　の　＆　こと

  • Te-Form for cause and effect

  • Expressing reasons ので

  • Quoted questions

Goals:

  • Can construct complicated sentences by inserting nominalized phrases and can differentiate between the two nominalizers, の and こと

  • Can describe impressions and feelings including the reason behind them

  • Can make statements inserting quoted questions and can ask questions inserting indirect questions

Intermediate Japanese Across the Four Language Skills | Ch. 1

  • Reading:

    • Read someone’s profile and understand the content

  • Conversations:

    • Introducing yourself to someone who will be taking care of you from now on

    • Can enjoy small talk with your friends

  • Writing:

    • Can write an essay about someone whom you respect

  • Listening:

    • Can understand a short essay about Japanese culture