J131	ELEMENTARY JAPANESE I	Fall 2017
Ronald Loftus HomePage:http://www.willamette.edu/~rloftus/		email: rloftus
Office Hours: MF 10:00-11:00 am TTh 9:30-10:30 am Or by appointment Location: Walton Hall 144	CLASS TIMES: M, F 9:10-10:00 am T, Th 8:40-9:30 am Wlt. 21	PHONE/Voicemail: 6275

Course Objectives

To provide students with the basic tools necessary for communication in modern Japanese with emphasis on the spoken language. The textbook, Nakama 1, emphasizes a "proficiency" or "communications" (i.e., a "non-grammar") based approach to language learning which means that the emphasis will be on "using Japanese for real-world communicative purposes." Accordingly, most of our class time will be spent "acting in the language," i.e., practicing realistic and communicative exercises such as dialogues, or model conversations, role-plays, and practicing variations on the key patterns and sentence structures introduced in the grammar portions of the text. "Facting about the language," or explanations of key grammar points in each lesson, will occur, but the emphasis will be on developing students' communicative skills.

There are four basic skill areas involved in learning a second language:

1. speaking

2. listening

3. reading and

4. writing

Our emphasis in Elementary will be on the first two, but the fundamentals of reading and writing will also be introduced. This semester we will learn the two phonetic syllabaries, katakana and hiragana and begin the study of kanji, the Chinese characters that Japan borrowed to construct its written language. Please visit the World Languages Studio website in order to see a list of a wide variety of study materials available online. For a specific set of Quick Time movies of a calligrapher writing each character with a brush that are coordinated with Nakama, see here.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. To learn to speak in the target language in task-oriented situations modeled on dialogues and exercises found in the textbook.

2. To learn how to read in the target language by recognizing the symbols of the two phonetic (kana) scripts and the few Chinese characters that are introduced in the first semester.

3. To be able to listen and understand short, learned utterances in the target language building up to sentence-length utterances situated in clear contexts.

4. To learn how to write in the target language at the level of sentences and short paragraphs featuring the two phonetic scripts and the few Chinese characters introduced this semester.

NOTE: For every class hour, there is an expectation of 2-3 hours work outside of class.  Since our class meets four times a week for 50 minutes so you should expect to do 6-9 hours outside of class engaged in course-related activities such as homework, practising the written form of the language, visiting the World Language Studio, making flash cards, undertaking vocabulary study, developing your skills by practicing on your own, working with your language partner, signing up for tutoring with our Language Assistant, Asuka Tobe, etc. See below for more tasks that you might wish to spend time on.

My Teaching and Learning Philosophy is pretty simple:

1. We have a system; Follow it!

2. Be motivated, disciplined, and able to break down the learning process into manageable pieces. I base this on my own learning experiences and more than 40 years of teaching experience. Learning Japanese does not require so much reasoning or analytical skills; but it does require focus and regular attention to the tasks at hand which we need to break down into manageable units like completing your homework assignments in the Student Activities Manual (SAM) when they are due.

3. Read the textbook carefully, study the new vocabulary, learn the new words and patterns by reading, repeating them out loud, covering up the Japanese and repeating them until you can say the Japanese word or pattern with ease. If you want/need to make flash cards or keep a vocab list in a notebook, fine. There are actually some cool computer programs you can use. But as you write words or patterns down, or select them from a website, be sure to say them out loud--over and over. Learning to speak effectively is a skill that cannot be learned only through the eye; you need to involve your ears and your mouth!

4. In the end, you will need to be systematic about your own learning process; you will have to figure out what you have to do to be a successful learner of a second language. It is not identical for everyone.

5. What is our System? We have class times to go over New Material and regular homework activities for each new set of materials. Most of these will come from your companion workbook called the Student Activities Manual (SAM ). As noted above, you need to do these assignments when they are scheduled and integrate/reinforce the learning with what was practiced in class. The next class period will review the material introduced on the previous day, and then the Homework will be collected.

6. At any time, if you are in need of extra help or instruction, you can come in to see me during office hours (right after class) or by appointment. We have another wonderful resource if you feel you need help or additional practice: our Japanese Language Assistant, Asuka Tobe <atobe@willamette.edu>. You can sign up for tutoring sessions with her on WISE (My Japanese Space). Her regular hours wll be: Monday evening 7:00-8:00 pm and Thursday evening, 7:00-9:00 pm.

Also, the World Language Students usually has someone capable in Japanese to assist you.

Course Requirements

1. Regular class attendance; please be on time. No more than 3-4 unexcused absences during the semester. Advance preparation of Grammar Points and activities, etc. (10%)

[If a student should somehow exceed 12 absences, there should be no expectation of passing this course.]

2. Full attention and participation during class time. NO EATING IN CLASS, PLEASE!

3. Completion of all assigned homework in a REGULAR timely manner AS ASSIGNED; late homework will be given only limited credit (15%)

5. Completion of all in-class quizzes and an Oral Assessment Interview at the end of the semester (15%)

6. In-class Unit Tests plus the final Exam (60%)

7. Complete Tasks with Language Partner as Assigned.

Note: I will respect any accommodations authorized by the Office of Disabilities Services. Please let me know about these accommodations as soon as possible.

Textbooks:

Makino & Hatasa,Nakama 1 by Makino and Hatasa plus the Student Activities Manual (SAM)

Nakama1a is a textbook that brings practical, everyday Japanese into the language classroom with an emphasis on gaining language proficiency. Each lesson has clear objectives in terms of teaching students to be able to carry out certain language tasks: introducing yourself, meeting others, talking about yourself, getting around, counting, shopping, telling time, etc. Your text, and the materials which accompany it--including access to the Audio Component through the publisher's website, the SAM workbook, and any other handouts--are your keys to a successful language learning experience.

In this class, you must be able to learn by ear because speaking skills cannot be learned solely through the eye. All our work in class and the studying you do at home are based on this principle. Feel free to consult the Nakama Resouces Webpage.　Portions of assignments may be on the student CD and all will be avialble also as audio files through WISE at the Nakama Audio 2009 site.

Class Time

Homework/Assignment

First Week:

August 28 (Monday) First Day: Course Overview, Introducing Yourself (Nakama 1, p. 7) Learning Hiragana	Homework Assignment: Hiragana I, SAM, pp. 1-3 (Assigned today, due the next class period) Hiragana Table; Genki Version Kana and LLC Programs
August 29 (Tuesday) Review Hiragana あ〜そ　Reading Practice (p. 6) Learn Next 3 Lines fo Hiragana た〜ほ Addressing People (p. 6) Daily Greetings (pp. 10 -12) See "Aisatsu" (Greetings) (move cursor over greeting for sound) Leave taking, 15-16 Useful Expressions (p. 20), Polite Requests, Thanking, (18); Useful Expressions (p. 22) More Greetings Useful Expressions;	Homework Assignment: Hiragana II, SAM, pp. 4-6
August 31 (Thursday) Hiragana III Hiragana Reading Practice (p. 10) Review, Apologizing, Requesting (23). Useful Expressions, pp. 22-23 "How do you say?" (25-28) Asking for Japanese Equivalents of English Words (Nakama 1, 25-28) Online Vocab Quiz	Homework Assignment: Hiragana III, SAM. pp 7-8
Friday September 1 Reading Practice p. 15 More Reading Hiragana Writing: Voiced consonants and Long Vowels 17-20 ; Practice: p. 18 Double Consonants and Glides (21-25) ; Greetings and Introductions Nakama 1 pp. 26-40	Homework Assignment: Voiced consonants and long vowels, SAM pp. 9-12 Plus Hiragana I Supplements 1 PDF and 2 PDF, (for additional practice)

Flashcards to quiz yourself on hiragana

Week 2

September 4 Monday is Labor Day NO CLASS
Tuesday Sept. 5 Begin L. 2 Review Double Consonants and Go over Glides Hiragana Reading Practice pp. 18, 20-21, 25 **** Begin L. 2 Countries and Nationalities See Lesson 2: and Nationalities and Language and Languages; Year in School	Homework: SAM, Listening pp. 13-24 Also, SAM, L.2, p. 2５ Plus Hiragana Suppl 3-5 PDF Plus Hiragana Suppl 6-9PDF (Suppl 7-9 PDF) The Hiragana Supplements Above Cover: -- the Hardened Sounds (4,5), --the Double Consonants (6), --the Long Vowels (7), and --the Glides (8-9) Please complete them as you can.
Thursday Sept. 7 L. 2 Review Double Consonants and Glides Review Hiragana Reading Practice p. 25 Majors and Time Expressions Introduce and Practice Dialogue Ch. 2, 41-43 L.2, Grammar I: The X wa Y desu Pattern: Identifying Someone or Something Activities 1-3     Dialogue, Year in School, Majors, Gender terms	Homework SAM, L.2, I, p. 27   "Lab Activities" in the SAM: Double consonants and glides, pp. 13-18
Friday Sept. 8 L. 2 Grammar II, Asking Y/N Questions 50-52; Practice "I am..." or "S/he is....." Pattern (46-49); Hiragana I-III Quiz;	Homework from the SAM: 1. Finish L. 1 Listening 19-24 2. L.2, II, "Asking はい／いいえ Questions", pp. 29-30

4 Sentence Types and here.

Week 3

Sept. 11 (Monday) Review L. 2 Grammar II, Asking Y/N Questions 50-52; More Examples   L. 2 Introduce New Grammar III: Using の to connect 2 Nouns Noun1+no+Noun2, See Nakama pp. 53-55	Homework SAM, III p. 31
12 Review L. 2 Grammar III Noun1+no+Noun2, pp. 53-55; Introduce L.2, Grammar IV, Asking for Personal Information with Interrogativeslike なん／なに／どこ, pp. 56-60 Using Interrogatives: What, where, which?	SAM, IV p. 33-34
14 Review L.2, Grammar IV, Asking for Personal Information with Interrogatives, pp. 56-60 Using Interrogatives: What, where, which? Introduce Grammar V, Listing/describing similarities with も／MO, 61-63; See also here.	SAM V, pp. 35-36; Hiragana II Quiz Review Materials
15 L.2 Review Grammar V, も Hiragana Quiz II Review Dialogue (41-42); Listening 65; Reading practice (67-69)	SAM, Integration p. 37; Lab Activities SAM pp. 39- 43

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Week 4

Week 5

Week 7

Week 8

WEEK 9

WEEK 10

WEEK 11

WEEK 12

WEEK 13

WEEK 14

WEEK 15

Final Exam:

Final will be Friday Dec. 15 8:30 am

You can get started at 8:00 am if you wish