Academic Catalogs

JAPN A180: Elementary Japanese 1

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 02/26/2025
Top Code 110800 - Japanese
Units 5 Total Units 
Hours 90 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 90)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee Yes
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Open Entry/Open Exit No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)
  • Area 3 Arts and Humanities 3A Theory (OC1)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
  • Cal-GETC 6A Language Other Than English (6A)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
  • IGETC 6A Lang other than Engl (6A)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)
  • CSU C2 Humanities (C2)

Course Description

The focus is on development of elementary proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Japanese, with an introduction to cultures related to the Japanese language. This course is equivalent to two years of high school Japanese. Enrollment Limitation: JAPN A180H; students who complete JAPN A180 may not enroll in or receive credit for JAPN A180H. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the cultures related to the Japanese language by comparing and contrasting them with the students' own culture(s).
  2. Recognize and produce the Japanese language at the beginning level in the four primary areas of communication: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
  3. Use current technologies to further develop their language and cultural competencies.

Course Objectives

  • 1. Comprehend beginning-level spoken Japanese.
  • 2. Produce beginning-level spoken Japanese.
  • 3. Read and understand beginning-level Japanese.
  • 4. Express basic ideas and opinions in beginning-level written Japanese.
  • 5. Acquire beginning-level Japanese vocabulary.
  • 6. Understand and use beginning-level Japanese grammatical structures.
  • 7. Recognize the more important cultural aspects of living in the Japanese-speaking worlds.
  • 8. Use technologies such as the Internet, online workbooks and multimedia to enhance learning.
  • 9. Value the process of language learning.

Lecture Content

Topics 1: The Japanese sound system and Hiragana Contents: Hiragana: (a ~ n; voiceless and voiced consonants; long vowels; double-consonants; glides) Katakana: (a ~ n; voiceless and voiced consonants; long vowels; double-consonants; glides) Kanji (26 introductory characters) Useful expressions (introducing oneself; greeting someone; addressing people; saying good-bye; thanking; apologizing; getting attention; asking for Japanese words and English equivalents; understanding instructor s requests; making requests) Objectives: Students are introduced to the Japanese writing system, hiragana, katakana and kanji and will able to read and write them Students will be able to understand and use the Japanese sound system through using the useful expressions Topics 2: Greetings and Introductions Contents: Countries Nationalities and languages Year in school and academic status Major Time expressions Culture (Meeting and addressing Japanese people; bowing and shaking hands; name cards) Objectives: Students will be able to: identify someone or something, using ~wa ~desu ask and answer hai/iie questions, using ~ wa ~ desu ka indicate the relationship between nouns with no ask for personal information, using question words list and describe similarities, using to and mo read a short paragraph, using format as a clue listen for key words listen and speak, giving feedback, aizuchi Topics 3: Daily Routines Contents: Daily activities Numbers Time expressions 2 (minutes, relative time, days of the week)

  • Culture (Japanese colleges and college life 1) Objectives: Students will be able to: talk about routines, future actions or events, using the polite present form of verbs and the particles, ni, e, o, or de presend objects and events, using ~ ga arimasu tell time, using the particle ni use adverbs to express frequency of actions express past actions and events, using the polite past form of verbs listen for general ideas listen for key words listen and speak, giving feedback or aizuchi Topics 4: Japanese Cities Contents: Buildings Landmarks Adjectives Culture (Geography and demographics of Japan) Objectives: Students will be able to: refer to things, using kore, sore, are, and dore ask for and give locations, using ~wa ~ni arimasu/imasu and koko, soko and asoko describe people, things, and their locations, using ~ni ~ga arimasu/imasu use the sentence final particles yo and ne read a short paragraph, using script types as clues to word boundaries listen, using redundancy in speech speak, using the expressions to get someone s attention (1) Topics 5: Japanese Homes Contents: Campus facilities Objects in room and classroom Nature More Adjectives Culture (Japanese houses) Objectives: Students will be able to: refer to people, places, and things, using kono, sono, ano dono use location nouns, such as naka, soto, tonari, yoko, chikaku, ushiro, mae, ue, shita, migi, hidari < /li> express distance and duration, using the particles, kara, made, de and the suffix ~gurai deepen their understanding about the particles, using the double particles, the topic marker wa, the subject marker ga and the similarity marker mo read a short paragraph, using visual clues listen distinguishing sounds in words and phrases speak, using the expressions to get someone s attention (2) Topics 6: Leisure Time Contents: Routine activities 2 Leisure activities Adjectives of emotion and conditions Culture (Japanese colleges and college life 2) Objectives: Students will be able to: deepen their understanding about the particles, using to and ni comment about the past, using polite past adjectives and the copula verb desu connect verb and adjective phrases and sentences, using the te form make requests, using the te form extend an invitation, using ~masen ka read short paragraphs and identify missing nouns listen making sense out of missing pronouns speak, using the phrases soo desu ka and soo desu ne appropriately

    Method(s) of Instruction

    • Lecture (02)
    • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
    • DE Online Lecture (02X)

    Instructional Techniques

    1.   Lecture and application of ideas 2.   Large and small group discussion 3.   Individual, paired, and small group exercises 4.   Instructor and peer feedback 5.   Audio CD (or MP3 files), DVD (or MP4 files), PowerPoint slides and overhead transparencies to illustrate concepts 6.   Individual and/or collaborative project 7.   Interactive computer and the Internet

    Reading Assignments

    Reading assignments are used at every step through the semester to reinforce the vocabulary, grammatical structures, and communicative-oriented language skills being studied. The students will read selections from the textbook and other online or offline supplementary materials. Typical selections focus on the immediate environment of the students' (such as classmates, school life, house, neighborhood, everyday life, weekend activities) written in hiragana, katakana, and learned kanji. These readings and the culture notes of the textbook provide practical insights into Japanese culture. The students will spend approximately two (2) hours weekly for reading assignments.

    Writing Assignments

    Writing assignments are used at every step through the semester to exercise the vocabulary, grammatical structures, and communicative-oriented language skills being studied. The students will write essays and/or skits on topics covered using hiragana, katakana and leaned kanji. Typical topics include profile of oneself, profile of classmate, neighborhood, house, room, school, daily life, and weekend. The students will spend approximately two (2) hours weekly for writing assignments.

    Out-of-class Assignments

    The students will complete speaking, listening, reading, and writing exercises in the textbook, the workbook, and other online or offline supplementary materials. The assignments include not only short response type exercise, but also reading comprehension, essay and/or skit writing, online language lab. activities and oral presentation preparation. The students are also required to finish various culture-related exercises. The students will spend approximately seven and a quarter (7.25) hours weekly for out-of-class assignments.

    Demonstration of Critical Thinking

    The students will demonstrate the following skills: 1:   Oral participation (question/answer, one-to-one, group interviews and discussions)2:   Completion of assignments (speaking, listening, reading, and writing exercises in the textbook, the workbook, and other online or offline supplementary materials including reading comprehension, essay and/or skit writing, online language lab. exercises)3:   Short quizzes of vocabulary, grammatical concepts, hiragana, katakana or Japanese culture4:   Written tests at the completion of each lesson or unit of instruction (i.e., chapter tests or midterms and a final exam, or a comprehensive final exam)5:   Oral tests based on the topics covered and the application6:   Oral presentation and/or role-playing

    Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

    I: Writing AssignmentWriting assignments are used at every step through the semester to exercise the vocabulary, grammatical structures, and communicative-oriented language skills being studied. The students will write essays and/or skits on topics covered using hiragana, katakana and leaned kanji. Typical topics include profile of oneself, profile of classmate, neighborhood, house, room, school, daily life, and weekend. II: Proficiency Demonstration The students will demonstrate the following skills:1.   Completing open-ended statements in a creative manner on situations presented orally and/or in writing2.   Answering personalized questions in order to transfer the material learned in class to the world of family, friend, and work3.   Asking questions using the vocabulary learned in class in a different situational context 4.   Selecting the most appropriate grammatical structure over another 5.   Writing a paragraph in the enumerative, descriptive and narrative modes using various grammatical forms 6.   Relating the cultural material read in class to other cultures in order to compare and contrast them 7.   Discussing and analyzing current topics in Japan 8.   Discussing and analyzing comparatively the relationship between Japan and other countries

    Eligible Disciplines

    Foreign languages: Master's degree in the language being taught OR bachelor's degree in the language being taught AND master's degree in another language or linguistics OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.

    Textbooks Resources

    1. Required Oka, Mayumi. Tobira 1: Beginning Japanese, latest ed. JPT AMER, 2021 Rationale: .