JAPA126-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025

Elementary Japanese B

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

This course follows on from JAPA 125 or JAPA 127, and is the entry point for students with NCEA level 2 Japanese or equivalent. Teaching will focus on the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. At the end of the course, students should be able to understand and actively use a wide range of basic modern Japanese grammar and vocabulary, and approximately 120 kanji characters and be familiar with a range of key cultural aspects.

This course follows on from JAPA125 or JAPA127, and is the entry point for students with NCEA level 2 Japanese or equivalent. Teaching will focus on the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. At the end of the course, students should be able to understand and actively use a wide range of basic modern Japanese grammar and vocabulary, and approximately 120 kanji characters and be familiar with a range of key cultural aspects.

The course consists of four classroom hours per week, with one ‘flipped lesson’, where students will, in their own time, watch two or more short videos on the week’s grammar and kanji characters. Interaction, participation and collaboration with classmates in Japanese all play an important part of the classroom lessons, as well as learning vocabulary, grammar and kanji characters.

Learning Outcomes

  • As a student in this course, you will:

  • acquire skills in all four areas of the language (reading, writing, speaking and listening), which will become the foundation for developing strategies and skills needed to interact in Japanese.

    By the end of the course, you will:

  • be able to understand and actively use approximately 800 Japanese words and phrases;
  • be able to actively apply basic Japanese grammar and expressions used in simple everyday situations (e.g., greetings, shopping, telling the time and ordering at a restaurant);
  • be able to read and write the kana syllabaries (hiragana and katakana);
  • be able to read and write approximately 150 kanji characters;
  • have further developed learner autonomy and reflective skills;
  • have acquired more skills and competencies transferrable to a variety of disciplines;
  • have further increased their intercultural awareness and sensitivity.

    Also, you will:

  • develop more understanding of global conditions and will become competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts. This will help the language students to develop knowledge and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
  • have examined some of the basic social norms and values in Japan, which in turn will enable students to develop a better understanding and appreciation for cultures other than their own, including the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand. They should therefore be better able to comprehend the influence of global conditions on Japan and be more competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts;
  • develop specific linguistic skills in Japanese that will enhance students’ opportunities for a successful career;
  • have had multiple opportunities to engage with members of the wider Community of Practice and Learning Community, and have reflected on their own role and performance within those communities.

    (Image by Masayoshi Ogino.)
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

JAPA125, or
NCEA Level 2 Japanese with at least 12 credits, or
placement test.

Restrictions

JAPA142, JAPA115, JAPA116

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00 Jack Erskine 315
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
02 Tuesday 11:00 - 12:00 Jack Erskine 315
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
03 Tuesday 12:00 - 13:00 Jack Erskine 315
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 Jack Erskine 315
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
02 Wednesday 11:00 - 12:00 Jack Erskine 315
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
03 Wednesday 12:00 - 13:00 Jack Erskine 315
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 09:00 - 10:00 Jack Erskine 446
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
02 Thursday 10:00 - 11:00 Jack Erskine 446
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
03 Thursday 11:00 - 12:00 Jack Erskine 446
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Lecture D
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 09:00 - 10:00 Jack Erskine 446
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
02 Friday 10:00 - 11:00 Jack Erskine 446
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
03 Friday 11:00 - 12:00 Jack Erskine 446
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct
Drop in Class A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 14:00 - 16:00 James Logie 214-Mac Computer Lab
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Masayoshi Ogino

Tutor

Eri Kojima

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Tuesday online quiz (10) 10% including participation in special activities
Peformance check (6) 10%
Assignment, tasks and participation in special activities 26% Assignments 4 x 4% Education Perfect 6x 1.6% Senpai session 1x 1%
Speaking assessments (2) 13% Skit performance (5%), presentation (8%)
Interm test 1 18% 60 minutes
Interm test 2 23% 90 minutes

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda et al; Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese 1 ; 3rd Edition; Japan Times, 2020.

Eri Banno, Yoko Ikeda et al; Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook 1 ; 3rd Edition; Japan Times, 2020.

There is a Learn (Moodle) component to this course.

Other material, which may be helpful, can be found in the Library Subject Guides

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,788.00

International fee $8,200.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All JAPA126 Occurrences

  • JAPA126-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025