Japanese Level 2

Mount Fuji

A post-GCSE or equivalent module in Japanese language and culture

Module details

  • Offered to all undergraduates
  • Monday, Tuesday or Thursday 16.00-18.00 (depending on year of study)
  • Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
  • Two-term module, worth 7.5 ECTS
  • Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
  • Extra Credit, or Degree Credit where your department allows
Degree credit module options by departmentHow to enrol

A communicative module for students with some prior knowledge of Japanese on the language and culture of Japan.

This module aims to:

  • Develop further all the basic language skills, i.e. reading, writing, listening and speaking
  • Revise and consolidate basic grammar
  • Introduce more complex grammatical structures and extend vocabulary
  • Introduce 85 Kanji characters for reading and writing purposes
  • Gain further insights into culture and daily life in Japan

To be eligible for this module you need to have done one of the following: 

  • Successfully completed Japanese Level 1
  • Gained a Japanese GCSE Qualification
  • Have already achieved the equivalent level by other means 

Please note that students wishing to study Japanese are required to take a placement test at the start of the autumn term to ensure that they are eligible for the level for which they have applied,  unless they have already taken the previous level.

Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of next academic year. 

Information blocks

Learning outcomes

Japanese Temple

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • read and write 85 Kanji characters and the related vocabulary accurately;
  • deploy basic grammatical structures and vocabulary accurately for basic communication; 
  • produce and respond to simple written texts in Japanese writing system;
  • express and respond to in speaking basic information related to everyday life;
  • comprehend and respond to the information by listening to simple monologes/dialogues.

Indicative core content

Japanese Lanterns

In this module, students will cover the following linguistic structures:

  • Revision of structures covered in Level 1
  • Different counters
  • Adjectives (past, past negative)
  • Comparatives and superlatives
  • Te-form
  • Polite requests
  • Progressive

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

  • Animals
  • The town
  • Weather
  • Seasons
  • Family
  • Travel and outings
  • Sending post/parcels
  • Eating out
  • Directions
  • How to use an ATM machine
  • Invitations
  • Everyday life

In addition, students will be introduced to 85 Kanji characters and the related vocabulary for writing and reading purposes.

Learning and teaching approach

In line with modern foreign languages communicative and active learning methodology, in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include pair work (e.g. dialogue practice, information gap exercises and vocabulary/grammar quiz), individual tasks (e.g. forming/writing sentences for various tasks and discovery/formulation of grammatical rules), and group work (e.g. reading aloud new vocabulary for pronunciation practice and reading texts/listening to the audio files for comprehension exercise), following the teacher's introduction on new language items (grammar, vocabukary and Kanji characters). Homework tasks give students the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills covered each week as well as to receive an individual feedback. This approach not only ensures students engage with a wide range of tasks, but also supports different learning styles.

All pieces of coursework are marked and feedback will be given in two weeks. Detailed feedback will be provided alongside suggestions for improvement and an overall percentage showing your provisional grade for that assessment.

Assessment

  • Coursework (6%): Composition 1: 400 Japanese Letters (i.e. one A4 paper or more) during the second half of autumn term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
  • Examination (25%): Test for Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading & Kanji in the last class of autumn term. 70 minutes.
  • Coursework (7%): Composition 2: 400 Japanese Letters (around one A4 paper or more) during the first half of spring term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
  • Examination (5%): Kanji test in the last week of spring term. 10 minutes.
  • Examination (30%): Test for Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading and Listening, in the last class of spring term. 90 minutes.
  • Coursework (7%): Composition 3: 400 Japanese letters (around one A4 paper or more) during the last week of spring term (approx. 1-3 hours for task completion).
  • Practical (20%): Oral Exam (prepared speech followed by generic Q&A) during the first three weeks of the summer term. 15 minutes.

Key information

  • 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
  • Available to take for credit towards your degree where your department allows. Also available for extra-credit.
  • You must be prepared to attend all classes and and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.

Coursebook:

Minna no Nihongo 1 (Second Edition) (Main Textbook and Translation and Grammatical Notes), 2012, by 3A Corporation and  Basic kanji book Vol. 1 by Bonjinsha, supported by an accompanied CD, other audio materials and additional handouts.

"I really enjoyed Japanese Level 2 this term, as the content covered related well with useful topics in the Japanese language."