J1A: Elementary Japanese A (5 Units)
Japanese 1A is designed to develop basic speaking skills and to learn hiragana, katakana, and approximately 150 kanji. At the end of the course, the students should be able to describe themselves, their family and friends, and to talk about everyday events with basic vocabulary and grammatical constructions. They also should be able to read simple passages in Japanese. Prerequisites: None.
The textbook we use is Elementary Japanese.
J1B: Elementary Japanese B (5 Units)
Open to students with a passing grade in Japanese 1A at UCB. New and transfer students who have taken 3 or 4 years of high school Japanese or a second-semester college Japanese course elsewhere should contact Yuriko Miyamoto Caltabiano before the first meeting of the course.
During J1B, we study Volume II (Lessons 15-26) of Elementary Japanese.
J10A: Intermediate Japanese A (5 Units)
In this course, students will learn how to integrate the basic grammatical constructions and vocabulary which they have learned in Japanese 1A/B in order to express a wider range of ideas and will study new grammatical constructions and vocabulary necessary to express such ideas in a manner appropriate for many social situations. Students are expected to participate fully in class activities and discussions. Although the main emphasis will be aural/oral skills, an increasing amount of reading and writing will also be required. Prerequisites: Japanese 1B or equivalent; or consent of instructor. Students who have not taken Japanese 1B at UCB may wish to contact Kyoko Takahara-Ahn to have their language proficiency assessed.
During J10A, we study the first half of Tobira: Gateway to Advanced Japanese Learning Through Content and Multimedia (Mayumi Oka, et al. Kurosio Publishers, 2009).
J100A: Advanced Japanese A (5 Units)
This course aims to develop further communicative skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing in a manner appropriate to the context. It concentrates on enabling students to use acquired grammar and vocabulary with more confidence in order to express functional meanings, while increasing linguistic competence. Course materials include the textbook, supplemented by newspaper and magazine articles and short stories to provide insight into Japanese culture and society. Active student participation is not only encouraged but required. Prerequisites: Japanese 10B or equivalent; or consent of Chika Shibahara.
During J100A, we study Lessons 1-5 of New Authentic Japanese: Progressing from Intermediate to Advanced (Osamu Kamata et al., The Japan Times, 2013).
J101: Fourth-Year Readings: Aspects of Japanese Society (4 Units)
Students develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills further to think critically, to express their points of view, and to understand Japanese culture and society in depth. The readings are mainly articles on current social issues from Japanese newspapers, magazines, and professional books as sources of discussions. Students are required to write short essays on topics related to the reading materials. Prerequisites: J100B, J100X, or equivalent; or consent of instructor. Please contact Maki Takata before the first meeting of the course.
J103: Fourth-Year Readings: Japanese Literature (4 Units)
This course is designed for students who have studied Japanese at college level for at least three years (450 hours). It aims to improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills by increasing their vocabulary and by their learning more effective ways to express their ideas. Readings include Japanese novels, poems, short stories, plays, articles and essays, providing opportunity to learn various writing styles. Students participate in group discussions on contemporary issues related to assigned readings, write short essays, and deliver individual oral presentations. A significant amount of course time is devoted to critical reading of Japanese literature. Prerequisites: J100B, J100X, or equivalent. This course will not be offered this academic year.
No student auditing is permitted in UCB Japanese language courses.
To secure a place in a Japanese language course, attendance to all meetings is mandatory during the first week of classes. Students who miss a class will be dropped from the course.
Transfer students intending to declare a major in Japanese and students wishing to ask for more information about the major or minor should contact the Undergraduate Student Services Advisor: Cassandra Dunn
Appointments are available via Calendly(link is external)
Email: cassandrajj@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)
Office: 7228 Dwinelle Hall
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