Dr Hua Xiang 601b, Pethick-Lawrence House

Previous knowledge of Japanese required: appr. 40 hours of instruction. All students welcome but they should: Demonstrate full commitment to regular attendance, completion of homework and completion of all assessments. Dedicate at least two hours per week for coursework in addition to classes. Admission into the course upon the tutor's approval during the Needs Analysis Interviews. Students should be able to demonstrate a successful track record of learning languages.

Course Aims: To develop the ability to use Japanese effectively for purposes of practical communication and reading comprehension in familiar work and social contexts. To deal with a range of different social situations by using basic language skills. To read and write Hiragana, Katakana, and be able to read and write more than 70 Kanji. To execute predictable simple language tasks, using a limited range of language to meet the needs of differing but familiar situations and topics. To establish the skills, language and attitudes required to promote and facilitate further study of Japanese. To exchange personal information, including your studies and outside interests. To interpret documents and data containing some topical facts and figures of countries/places. Demonstrate an awareness of and ability to use formal and informal registers in a very limited social context. To handle survival situations at a basic linguistic level.

Communicative Content: Asking a person or offering to do something (e.g.: hold a meeting, party). Describing what you or someone else is doing. Ordering items for business needs, booking restaurants etc. Giving and receiving directions. Describing one’s daily commute. Asking permission. Making requests. Refusing to follow instructions politely. Express desire, preference, likes and dislikes. Dining out with customers or friends. Reading some modified articles on current affairs. Making comparisons (comparative and superlative degree).

Structural Content: Verb stem of MASU-form + MASHO/MASHO KA/MASEN KA. Verbs of transition. Verb stem of MASU-form + TAI DESU/TAKU NAI DESU. Verb TE-form : ….TE,….TE, ; TE, KUDASAI/TE MO II DESU/KA/TE IMASU. Verb NAI-form: NAIDE KUDASAI. Expressions with GA. Interrogatives (DOYATTE and DONOGURAI). Adjectives (with ---NO HOGA, YORI and ICHIBAN). Connecting related sentences.

16 hours of classes in the AT. 22 hours of classes in the WT. 2 hours of classes in the ST.

This is a 40 hour-course. Please refer to the LSE timetable for course teaching arrangements.

Japanese for Busy People I Kana version (revised 3rd edition). On completion of Book I, first 3 lessons of Japanese for Busy People II Kana version (revised, 3rd edition) available from The Japan Centre, 14-16 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4PH.

Continuous assessment (70%) in the AT, WT and ST.
Oral examination (30%) in the WT and ST.