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JAPANESE

Full Module Descriptions

LAJ1201 Japanese 1
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-1-4
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

This is the first part of introductory-level Japanese. It is designed to provide competence in handling various language tasks in authentic situation, using basic linguistic and socio-cultural skills. While more emphasis is placed on the development of oral communication skills, students will also learn how to read and write using hiragana, katakana, and approximately 100 kanji (i.e. Chinese characters) and 170 kanji - words. Students are also trained to learn basic self-study skills in Japanese to enable them to continue studying Japanese both in and outside of the classroom.

LAJ2201 Japanese 2
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-1-4
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ1201 or placement test
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

This module builds upon the basis of Japanese 1 and aims to develop basic linguistic and socio-cultural skills to expand the repertoire of the daily topics and situations with simple structures. Approximately 110 kanji and 180 kanji - word s will be introduced. While more emphasis is placed on the development of oral communication skills, students will also learn how to read and write simple and short compositions.

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LAJ2202 Japanese 3
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-1-4
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ2201 or passed placement test
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

Building upon the basis of Japanese 2, this module develops students' ability to communicate and expands the repertoire of daily topics and situations. Complex structures such as transitive and intransitive, conditionals and passive forms are introduced. Approximately 150 kanji and 200 kanji - words will be introduced. With this knowledge of characters, student s will be able to understand and write simple and short essays.

LAJ2203 Japanese 4
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-1-4
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ2202 or placement test
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

Building upon the basis of Japanese 3, this module aims to further develop students' communication skills on daily topics of general interests. It enhances students' socio-cultural awareness and enables them to communicate meaningfully in appropriate manner using polite expressions. Approximately 150 kanji and 200 kanji - words will be introduced. With this knowledge of characters, students will be able to understand letters with fairly formal written language.

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LAJ3201 Japanese 5
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-2-3
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ2203 or placement test
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

This module aims to equip students with skills and strategies to discuss fairly complex topics, such as social and cultural issues. Students will also acquire the ability to express their thoughts in writing by using complex structural patterns with conjunctions and transitional phrases. By the end of th is module, students should be familiar with the language to the extent of being comfortable in using it as a medium of communication (oral, written, listening, and reading) with native speakers.

LAJ3202 Japanese 6
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-2-2
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ3201, LAJ3203 or placement test
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

This module further enhances skills and strategies to discuss complex topics such as social, cultural, and historical issues based on authentic materials. S tudents will also learn how to summarize long and difficult texts, how to structure essays and skills to read newspapers. By the end of this module, students will attain good all-round proficiency in the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and will be able to handle more elabora te situations in communicating with native speakers.

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LAJ3203 Business Japanese 1
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-2-3
Pre-requisites: Passed LAJ2203 or placement test
Preclusions: LAJ3202 and JLPT Level 1
Cross-listing(s): NIL

Students will be taught the specialised communication styles found in the Japanese business world, including both the written and the oral forms of communication. The ability to read, understand and write minutes will be emphasised. Students will also be introduced to the language-related work style found in the Japanese business environment.

LAJ3204 Business Japanese 2
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-5-0-2-3
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ3203, JLPT level 3, GCE 'O' Level, GCE ‘AO' level Japanese or placement test
Preclusion: NIL
Cross-listing(s): NIL

This is a continuation of LAJ3203 Business Japanese 1. Students will be taught more specialised vocabulary and communication styles found in the Japanese business world, including both the written and the oral forms of communication. The ability to read, understand and write minutes will be further covered. Students will also be further familiarised with the language-related work style found in the Japanese business environment.

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LAJ4203 Newspaper Reading
Modular credits: 5
Workload: 4-0-0-3-6.5
Pre-requisites: Passed LAJ3202, JLPT Level 2 or 1, GCE ‘AO' level Japanese or placement test.
Preclusion: JS4203
Cross-listing(s): NIL

In this module, students learn how to read, understand and analyse articles in newspapers and business journals. The aim is to familiarise students with a wide range of more advanced reading materials that are relevant to current social, economic and political developments in Japan.

LAJ4205 Expository Writing and Public Speaking
Modular credits: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-6.5
Pre-requisite: Passed LAJ3202, JLPT Level 2 or 1, GCE ‘AO' level Japanese or placement test.
Preclusion: JS4205
Cross-listing(s): NIL

This module is designed to assist students' projects so that they can present their ideas effectively in oral and written form. Students are expected to have some data at hand for analysis or at least a concrete project topic. Contrastive analysis of English and Japanese expository writing styles will be carried out by comparing some sections of journal articles. Participants are expected to make progress reports on their projects and to comment actively on each other's presentations. This module is particularly useful for students researching topics that involve quantitative data, in such fields as linguistics, language teaching methodology, anthropology and sociology.

* Workload: A-B-C-D-E
The components are as follow:
A: no. of lecture hours per week
B: no. of tutorial hours per week
C: no. of lab hours per week
D: no. of hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week
E: no. of hours for preparatory work by a student per week

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