Japanese

Courses

Japanese is offered as part of:

Location

Only offered at University of Adelaide campus via cross-institutional study.

Why study Japanese?

There are several good reasons for studying Japanese. One is that learning the language opens the door to an understanding of this rich and distinctive culture, at a time when relations between Japan and Australia are of unprecedented importance. Another is that Japanese itself is an important and fascinating language: its grammatical structure is built on different lines from the more familiar European languages, and Japanese is written in a unique writing system.

Japanese attracts students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of some aspect of the country or who are interested in taking up a new language, as well as students who wish to develop their earlier studies.

Other students may wish to take up Japanese out of an interest in Asia in general, for employment purposes or simply out of a desire to try something different and exciting.

Study overview

Japanese 1A is a subject for beginners in the language, followed by Japanese 1B in semester 2 to build up basic knowledge and skills in modern Japanese. Those who have studied the language at high school (or have reached an equivalent standard) may enrol directly in Japanese 1SA.

Japanese 1A and 1B aim to establish and develop a solid foundation in the basic skills of speaking, understanding and reading modern Japanese.

Japanese 1A is geared to take the beginner through the basics of grammar and to lay a foundation for proficiency in speaking and understanding. In addition, the writing system is introduced.

Japanese 1B will enable student to broaden the basic skills learned in Japanese 1A and to further consolidate a base of communicative competence at the introductory level in both spoken and written Japanese.

Contact hours consist of 5 hours per week for lectures and 1 hour unsupervised session per week for language laboratory. In general, class hours combine the presentation and explanation of facts about the language and actual practice in the use of the language, in the form of conversation and reading. Additional practice of oral skills takes place in the language laboratory, using tapes which accompany the basic textbook. Visual materials such as videos are also used.

Further information

Flinders Asia Centre, Flinders University
Tel (08) 8201 2404

Centre for Asian Studies, University of Adelaide
Tel (08) 8303 4288 or (08) 8303 5815

The Admissions/Prospective Students Office,
Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001
Tel (08) 8201 3074 or 1300 657 671 (local call cost) Fax (08) 8201 2580.
Email: admissions@flinders.edu.au