Chabot College
Fall 2009
Replaced Fall 2010
Course Outline for Japanese 50B
JAPANESE CONVERSATION AND CULTURE II
Catalog Description:
50B – Japanese Conversation and Culture II
3 units
Development of skills learned in Japanese 50A. Development of an understanding of spoken
Japanese through pronunciation, vocabulary, and applied grammar. Further study of the life and
culture of the Japanese-speaking people. Prerequisite: Japanese 50A (completed with a grade of “C”
or higher). 3 hours lecture, 1 hour laboratory.
[Typical contact hours: lecture 52.5, laboratory 17.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
Before entering the course the student should be able to:
1. pronounce Japanese words correctly;
2. have simple conversation in Japanese, using present and past tenses;
3. use active vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and basic grammar to engage in routine
conversational interactions in the target language;
4. demonstrate a basic familiarity of Japanese culture;
5. demonstrate a basic understanding and an appreciation of the culture of the Japanese-speaking
people.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
recognize and apply conversational patterns and vocabulary presented;
increase the pronunciation and sentence intonation skills;
narrate, describe, and explain not only current but also past activities;
carry on a conversation in Japanese on topics studied by applying their knowledge of vocabulary
and idiomatic expressions;
5. demonstrate reading and writing ability of the hiragana, Japanese phonetic characters;
6. demonstrate a deeper understanding and appreciation of the culture, the geography, and the
history of the Japanese-speaking people.
Course Content (Lecture):
1. Development of conversation skills using correct intonation and stress.
2. Development of correct Japanese syntax in sentences and questions.
3. Application of the past and present tense in everyday situations, common personal and family
news, well-known current events, and routine matters involving the home and workplace.
4. Further knowledge and skills in the “extra polite” level of Japanese in everyday situations.
5. Further study of the customs, values, attitudes, relationships, civil institutions, families, geography
and history of the Japanese-speaking countries.
Course Content (Laboratory):
1. Activate lecture content using interactive audio and audiovisual programs on CDs, DVDs, CD
ROMS, target language websites, etc., featuring culturally authentic and contextual guided
speaking, reading, writing activities.
2. Organized laboratory activities including conversation groups.
3. The fundamentals of the hiragana writing and pronunciation:
a. Writing and pronunciation of the forty-six hiragana characters
b. The Japanese sound system, including voiced consonants, long vowels, and double
consonants, glides, softening of medial and final “u” and “I” sounds.
Chabot College
Course Outline for Japanese 50B, Page 2
Fall 2009
c.
Development of correct sentence intonation skills.
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lecture/discussion in target language
Simulation by instructor and re-creation of dialogues and improvisation
Choral/individual repetition of model speech
Small group activities leading skits, dialogues, etc.
Use of supplementary materials such as audio and visual.
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments:
a Prepare a skit reflecting a social situation in a culturally appropriate manner for example,
greetings and introductions.
b. Read and present a brief newspaper or magazine article.
c. Watch short film clips or listen to audio material and report to the class.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
a. Class participation and homework assignments
b. Oral reports
c. Quizzes, written in Hiragana on the materials covered in class
d. Periodic oral tests
e. Mid-term examination
f. Final examination
Textbook(s) (Typical)
Japanese for Busy People, Revised 3rd Edition, Vol. 1, (Romanized version), AJALT, Kodansha,
Tokyo, New York, London, 2006.
Nakama 1 Introductory Japanese: Communication, Culture, Context, 2nd edition, Yokiko Abe Hatasa,
Seiichi Makino, and Kazumi Hatasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company: Boston, New
York, 2009.
Special Student Materials:
None
curriculum 0809
dk 11/13/2008