AEAJ101L(1897/1898/1899/1900/4804/6286)
Elementary Japanese I

Fall, 2008

This course is designed for students who have no experience of Japanese language learning. The course covers basic grammatical structures,writing system and ritual expressions.

Instructors/Office Hours/Phone/e-mail address

Michiyo Kaya Wojnovich
(Lecturer)

Office: HU 223
Office Hour: Tuesday and Thursday: 10:30 - 11:30 and by appointment
Phone: 442-4126
e-mail: michiyow@albany.edu

Yasuko Kuwata
(Lecturer)

Office: HU 265
Office Hour: Monday and Wednesday: 1:40 - 2:40 and by appointment
Phone: 442-2601
e-mail: ykuwata@albany.edu

Kyoko Mano Ullrich
(Lecturer)

Office: HU264
Office Hour: Tuesday and Thursday: 1:00 - 2:00 and by appointment
Phone: 442-4582
e-mail: kullrich@albany.edu

Kae Fukushima Moat
(Lecturer)

Office: HU 265
Office Hour: Tuesday and Thursday 1:30-2:30 and by appointment
Phone: 442-2601
e-mail: kmoat@albany.edu


Meeting Time/Locations

Call NO 1897(Kaya Wojnovich)

MW:11:30-12:25(HU027)
TTH:11:45-1:05(HU027)

Call NO 1898(Kuwata)

MW: 12:35-1:30(HU114)
TTH:1:15-2:35(HU114)

Call NO 1899(Kaya Wojnovich)

MW: 1:40-2:35(HU114)
TTH: 1:15-2:35(HU027)

Call NO 1900(Mano Ullrich)

MW:1:40:-2:35(HU114)
TTH: 2:45-4:05(HU114)

Call NO 4804(Fukushima Moat)

MW: 2:45-3:40(BA214)
TTH: 2:45-4:05(HU027)

Call NO 6286(Fukushima Moat)

MW: 4:15-5:10(ES144)
TTH: 4:15-5:35(HU019)

 

General Education Information

This course fulfills the General Education category of Foreign Language Courses.

Characteristics of all General Education Courses

  1. General Education courses offer introductions to the central topics of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.
  2. General Education courses offer explicit rather than tacit understanding of the procedures, practices, methodology and fundamental assumptions of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.
  3. General Education courses recognize multiple perspectives on the subject matter.
  4. General Education courses emphasize active learning in an engaged environment that enables students to be producers as well as consumers of knowledge.
  5. General Education courses promote critical inquiry into the assumptions, goals, and methods of various fields of academic study; they aim to develop the interpretive, analytic and evaluative competencies characteristic to critical thinking.

Learning Objectives of Foreign Language Courses

Basic proficiency in the understanding and use of an ancient or modern human language other than English as demonstrate by:

  • the satisfactory completion of the second college semester(i.e., level Elementary II) of foreign language study or its equivalent: or
  • passing a Regents "Checkpoint B" Examination or a Regents-approved equivalent with a score of 85 or above: or
  • demonstration of competency in a language other than English, including languages not currently offered for formal instruction at this university; or
  • satisfactory completion of at least one college semester in a study abroad program in a country where English is not the primary language of instruction.

Course Objectives:

  1. You will acquire the sounds of the language.
  2. You will acquire Hiragana and Katakana characters.
  3. You will acquire 54 Kanji
  4. You will acquire basic functions and grammar for the level
  5. You will acquire basic communicative skills for the level.
  6. You will learn Japanese culture as well as language skills.

Textbooks:

  1. Eri Banno, Yutaka Ohno, Yoko Sakane, Chikako Shinagawa. Genki 1 : An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese The Japan Times (Required)
  2. Eri Banno, Yutaka Ohno, Yoko Sakane, Chikako Shinagawa. Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese. Workbook. ( Required)
  3. Genki Student CD I. The Japan Times (Required)
  4. Oxford Starter Japanese Dictionary Oxford University Press (Recommended)
  5. Apika Gakushuuchoo (Japanese character practice notebook) (Recommended)

Class Work:

  1. Lesson 1-6
  2. Hiragana and Katakana character reading and writing practice.
  3. Kanji 58 reading writing practice
  4. Some Japanese culture studies

Grading:

Homework Assignments

10%

Participation/Preparation

10%

Lesson Quizzes

30%

Kana and Kanji Quizzes

10%

Vocabulary Quizzes

5%

Mid term Examination

15%

Final Examination
(Listening 5%/Grammar&Kanji 15%)

20%

The grading scale is shown below.
93-100% A, 90-92% A-, 87 -89% B+, 83-86% B, 80-82% B-, 77-79% C+, 73-76% C, 70-72% C-, 67-69% D+, 63-66% D, 60-62% D-, 0-59% E

Test Schedule

Lesson Quizzes/Tests

9/15(M)Lesson 1, 10/6(M) Lesson 2, 10/21(T) Lesson 1-3, 11/5(W) Lesson 4, 11/19(W) Lesson 5

Kana and Kanji Quizzes

8/28(TH) Hiragana #1, 9/3(W) Hiragana #2, 9/8(M) Hiragana #3, 9/24(W) Katakana #1, 10/7(T) Katakana #2, 10/20(M) Katakana #3, 10/23(TH) Kanji #1(L3), 11/10(M) Kanji #2(L4), 11/24(M) Kanji #3(L5)

Vocabulary Quizzes

9/4(TH)L1Voc#1, 9/10(W) L1 Voc#2, 9/17(W) L2 Voc #1, 9/22(M)L2Voc #2, 10/13(M) L3 Voc #1, 10/16(TH) L3 Voc #2, 10/27(M) L4 Voc #1, 10/29(W) L4 #2, 11/1(T) L5 Voc #1, 11/13(TH) L5 Voc #2, 11/25(T) L6 Voc #1, 12/1 (M) L6 Voc #2

Mid-term Exam

10/21(T)
Lesson 1,2,3

Listening Final Examination

(Lesson 4,5,6) 12/8(M)

Grammar & Kanji
Final Examination

TBA (Examination Week)

Class Work Schedule:

Wk of Aug. 25

Syllabus discussion, Hiragana, Greetings, Numbers, Time, Hiragana Quiz #1

Wk of Sept.1

Hiragana, Telephone #, L1 Grammar 1, 2, Hiragana Quiz #2, L1 VOcabulary Quiz #1, 9/1 (M) No Class

Wk of Sept. 8

L1 Grammar 3,Reading Practice, Review, Hiragana Quiz #3, L1 Vocabulary Quiz #2

Wk of Sept. 15

Katakana, L2 Grammar 1,2,3,4, L1 Quiz, L2 Vocabulary Quiz #1

Wk of Sept. 22

Katakana, L2 Grammar 5,6,7,Reading Practice, Review, L2 Vocabulary Quiz #2, katakana Quiz #1

Wk of Sept. 29

L3 Grammar 1 9/29(M) 9/30(T) 10/1(W) No Class

Wk of Oct. 6

L3 Grammar 2,3, L2 Quiz, Katakana Quiz #2, 10/9 (TH) No Class

Wk of Oct. 13

L3 Grammar 4,5,6,7,8, L3 Reading Practice, L3 Review, L3 Vocabulary Quiz #1,#2

Wk of Oct. 20

L3 Review, L4 Grammar 1,2, Katakana #3, Midterm Examination (L1,2,3), Kanji #1(L3) Quiz

Wk of Oct. 27

L4 Grammar 3,4,5,6,7, Review, L4 Vocabulary Quiz #1, #2

Wk of Nov. 3

L4 Reading Practice, L4 Review, L5 Grammar 1, L4 Quiz

Wk of Nov. 10

L5 Grammar 1,2,3,4, Kanji #2 (L4) Quiz, L5 Vocabulary Quiz #1, #2

Wk of Nov. 17

L5 Reading Practice, L5 Review, L6 Grammar 1, L5 Quiz

Wk. of Nov. 24

L6 Grammar 2,3,4, Kanji #3 Quiz (L5), L6 Vocabulary Quiz #1, 11/26(W) 11/27(TH) No Class

Wk of Dec. 1

L6 Grammar 4,5,6, L6 Reading Practice, L6 Review, L6 Vocabulary Quiz #2

Wk of Dec. 8

Listening Final Examination (L4,5,6)

Attention

  1. Penalty for absences (No extra work can make up for the absences.) Attendance is very important Absences are excused only if written notes on an institutional stationary are provided.
    • One grade lower for more than 4 inexcusable absences.
    • Two grades lower for more than 6 inexcusable absences.
    • One letter grade lower for more than 8 inexcusable absences.
    • Additional one grade lower for every 2 times of inexcusable absences after 9.
  2. When you come late, report it to the instructor at the end of the class on that day. OTHERWISE YOU ARE CONSIDERED ABSENT.
    • Three times of being late for more than 10minutes to 30 minutes will equal one day absence.
    • Being late for more than half the class time will equal one day absence.
  3. Penalty for late homework assignments
    • If you miss the due date for an assignment, one grade lower for one class day late assignment.
    • D(70% of the score for the assignment) is given when overdue for more than one class/day.
    • Homework that is overdue by more than a week is acceptable with consent of the instructor.
  4. Participation (based on the instructor's observation)
    • Students are always expected to fully participate the class. Your instructor will grade how you participate the class in every session. Your class performance will be graded on the basis of following criteria. Be prepared!
    •  

On a scale of 1-10

10

almost always prepared and participated

*

5

half of the time prepared and participated

*

0

absent

Policies (OUR TEN COMMANDEMENTS)

  1. No Cheating/Plagiarizing. Cheating/Plagiarizing will lead to failure on the test/assignment.
  2. Make-up Tests: Missing a test will lead to failure on the test unless you arrange a make-up with the instructor in advance. Make-ups are given only if you have contacted the instructor an been granted the permission before the scheduled test time except for emergency cased with written proof. The time for taking the make-up must be as soon as possible after the original test , at the instructor's discretion.
  3. Always Speak Japanese! The moment you have learned a Japanese word, forget the English equivalent. You do not have to know everything to say a Japanese sentence. Use a Japanese sentence structure and throw English words in it, if you do not know them in Japanese.
  4. Instructors are your Learning Tools. We are here for your learning. If you want a tutor, we are your tutors. Ask any of the instructors not just the instructor of your class.
  5. Make Many Mistakes! You learn the best when you make mistakes. Others can learn from ;your mistakes, too. Do not be afraid of making mistakes.
  6. Ask Many Questions! You also learn the best when you ask questions. There are NO stupid questions. If you do not understand something, do not hesitate to ask your instructor questions.
  7. Do as Japanese Do. When you are in Japanese class, you are often in the Japanese society. You often expected to follow Japanese ways in class. Remember that your class is one of the few, if not only, occasions to experience Japan. Pretend that you are in Japan when in class.
  8. No chewing gums and eating food./No goting to the bathroom during class. These things are not permitted during class in Japan.
  9. Keep your appointment with instructors. Be punctual. If you cannot come at the scheduled time or must reschedule, call beforehand. If ,you could not call in advancefor emergency, call afterward as soon as you can.
  10. It takes TIME, EFFORT, and RELAXED ATTITUDE to master a foreign language. Be patient, relaxed, and STUDY HARD.