AEAJ201(1901/1902/6325)
Intermediate Japanese I

Fall, 2008

Instructors/Office Hours/Phone/E-mail:

Michiyo Kaya Wojnovich
(Lecturer)

Office: HU223
Office Hours: Tue. and Thr. 10:30-11:30 or by appointment
Phone: 442-4126
E-mail: michiyow@albany.edu

Kayoko Fukuma Meyerer
(Lecturer)

Office: HU267
Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 12:35 - 1:35 or by appointment
Phone: 442-4429
E-mail:kmeyerer@albany.edu

Meeting Time/Locations:

Call NO1901 (Fukuma Meyerer)

M.W.: 1:40 - 2:35 (HU 019)
T.TH.: 1:15 - 2:35 (SS134)

Call NO 1902 (Kaya Wojnovich)

M.W.: 2:45 - 3:40 (HU019)
T.TH.: 2:45 - 4:05 (HU019)

Call NO 6325 (Fukuma Meyerer)

M.W.: 11:30 - 12:25 (HU114)
T.TH.: 11:45 - 1:05 (HU114)

Course Objectives:

The goal of this course is for the students to acquire basic communication skills in Japanese and to learn Japanese culture. By the end of this course, students will be able to understand and engage in basic Japanese conversations and communicate using the polite and casual speech levels in basic social settings. Also, students will be able to demonstrate correct usage of basic grammar such as potential and volitional verb forms, sentences to qualify nouns, give/receive verbs, making suggestions, making requests, hearsay, tara-conditional, and transitive/intransitive verb pairs. Additionally, 93 new kanji characters are introduced. Students are expected to read and write them by the end of the semester.

Textbooks:

  1. Eri Banno, Yutaka Ohno, Yoko Sakane, Chikako Shinagawa, Kyoko Takashiki. Genki II: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese. The Japan Times (Required)
  2. Eri Banno, Yutaka Ohno, Yoko Sakane, Chikako Shinagawa, Kyoko Takashiki. Genki II: An Intergrated Course in Elementary Japanese. Workbook. The Japan TImes (Required)
  3. Genki Students CD II. The Japan Times (Required)
  4. Kodansha's Furigana Japanese dictionary: Japanese English, English Jpanase, Kodansha (recommended)

Class Work:

  1. Lessons to be covered: Lesson 13 - 17, and part of Lesson 18
  2. Kanji 93 reading and writing practice
  3. Japanese composition practice
  4. Some Japanese culture studies

Grading:

Homework Assignments

10%

Participation/Preparation

10%

Lesson Quizzes

30%

Kanji Quizzes

10%

Vocabulary Quizzes

5%

Japanese Composition (Sakubun)

5%

Midterm Examination

15%

Final Examination
(Listening 3%/ Grammar and Kanji 12%)

15 %

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: 9/11(TH) Lesson 13 Quiz, 9/25(TH) Lesson 14 Quiz, 10/16(TH) Midterm Exam (L13,14,15), 11/4(T) Lesson 16 Quiz, 11/20(TH) Lesson 17 Quiz

Kanji Quizzes: 9/15 (M) Lesson 13 (+ L9 Review) Kaqnji Quiz, 10/2 (TH) Lesson 14 (+L10 Review) Kanji Quiz, 10/20(M) Lesson 15 Kanji Quiz (L13,14,15), 10/30(TH) Lesson 16 (+L11 Review) Kanji Quiz, 11/18(T) Lesson 17 (+L12 Review) Kanji Quiz

Vocabulary Quizzes:9/2(T) L13 Vocabulary #1, 9/4(TH) L13 Vocabulary #2, 9/17(W) L14 Vocabulary #1, 9/22(M) L14 Vocabulary #2, 10/6 (M) L15 Vocabulary #1, 10/8(W) L15 Vocabulary #2, 10/22(W) L16 Vocabulary #1, 10/27 (M) L16 Vocabulary #2, 11/6 (TH) L17 Vocabulary #1, 11/11 (T) L17 Vocabulary #2

Listening Final Examination: 12/8(M)

Grammar and Kanji Final Examination (L16, L17, part of L18) : TBA (Examinatin Week)

Composition:
Students are expected to write a Japanese composition using new grammar structures in every lesson. The titles of the composition and the dues are listed below. You must write at least 200-400 letters.

  1. sakubun #1: omoshiroi keiken(9/15): Use potential form of verbs,-shi ,-sodesu ,-temiru .
  2. sakubun #2: watashi no nayami (10/2): Use give/receive verbs,-hoshii ,-kamoshiremasen .
  3. sakubun #3: watashi ga sukina tokoro (10/21): Use volitional form of verbs, relative clauses.
  4. sakubun #4: watashi ga hoshii dougu(10/29): Write about a dream gadget you want to invent. Use-tekureru /ageru /morau ,-toii ,-toki .
  5. sakubun #5: watashi ga shitteiru hito(11/17) Write a gossip about somebody you know. Use-sodesu ,-tara ,-mitaidesu ,-maeni/-tekara .

Class Work Schedule


Wk of Aug. 25

Syllabus discussion, 101, 102 Review, L13 Grammar 1
Wk of Sept. 1 9/1 No Class, L13 Grammar 2,3,4, L13 Vocabulary Quiz #1, #2
Wk of Sept. 8 13 Grammar 5, 6, L13 Reading Practice, L13 Review, L13 Quiz
Wk of Sept. 15 L14 Grammar 1, 2,3,4, L14 Vocabulary Quiz #1, L13 (+ L9) Kanji Quiz, Sakubun #1 due
Wk. of Sept. 22

L14 Grammar 5, Reading Practice, L14 Review, L14 Vocabulary Quiz #2, L14 Quiz
Wk of Sept. 29 9/29, 9/30, 10/1 No Class, L15 Grammar 1, Sakubun #2 due, L14 (+L10) Kanji Quiz
Wk of Oct. 6 9/9 No ClassL15 Grammar 2,3,L15 Vocabulary Quiz #1,#2
Wk of Oct. 13 L15 Reading Practice, Review, Midterm Examination (L13, 14, 15)
Wk of Oct. 20 L16 Grammar 1, 2,3,4, L15 (L13, 14,15) Kanji Quiz, Sakubun due #3, L16 Vocabulary Quiz #1
Wk of Oct. 27 L16 Grammar 4,5, L16 Reading Practice, Review, L16 Vocabulary Quiz #2, Sakubun due #4, L16 (+L11) Kanji Quiz
Wk of Nov. 3 L17 Grammar 1,2, L16 Quiz, L17 Vocabulary Quiz #1
Wk of Nov. 10 L17 Grammar 3,4,5,6, L17 Review, Vocabulary Quiz #2
Wk of Nov. 17 L17 Reading Practice, Review, Sakubun #5 due, L17 (+L12) Kanji Quiz, L17 Quiz
Wk of Nov. 24 9/26, 9/27 No Class, L18 Grammar 1, L18 Vocabulary Quiz #1
Wk of Dec. 1 L18 Grammar 2, L16,17,18 Review, L18 Vocabulary Quiz #2
Wk of Dec. 8 Listening Final Examination

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 10 minutes 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 COMMANDMENTS)

  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 and been granted the permission before the scheduled test time, except for emergency cases with written proof. The time for taking the make-up must be asoon 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 lerning. 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. When you are in Japanese class, you are often in the Japanese society. You are 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 going to the bathroom during class. /Turn off your cell phone. 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 for some reason, you could not call in advance, 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.