Master of Arts Programme in Japanese Language and Teaching
Graduation Requirement
Students are required to:
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complete 24 units of courses, normally within 1 year (Full-time) or 2 years (Part-time)
obtain a cumulative overall GPA of at least 2.0
pass the University I.T. Test
Course Description
1) Required Courses (6 units):
JAS 5501 Teaching Japanese as a Second Language (3 units)
This course introduces and discusses various concepts in teaching Japanese as a second language
which include course design, the procedures of handling classroom activities, the proper usage of
teaching materials and teaching tools, method of assessment of students, etc. These discussions
are essential to students who will pursue their career goals in Japanese language teaching upon
graduation. Moreover, this course will also examine methods used in teaching foreign language
with a focus on Japanese language education.
JAS 5502 Practice of Japanese Language Teaching (3 units)
This course is designed to prepare students who will pursue career goals in Japanese language
teaching upon graduation. The course teaches theory and practice. First, it introduces theoretical
and conceptual approaches of various methods of second language teaching. Students will have
the opportunity to prepare and give trial lesson(s) to Japanese language learners in a classroom
context. Students are expected to have a good grasp of the techniques and skills in teaching
Japanese language through the above theoretical framework and teaching practice. Pre-requisite:
JAS5501 plus 6 units of courses selected from JAS5511, 5512, 5513, 5514, 5515 and 5516.
2) Elective Courses (18 units) from the following:
JAS 5511 Special Topics in Error Analysis of Japanese Language Learners (3 units)
This course introduces different types of errors which are commonly made by Cantonese speaking
Japanese language learners. Emphasis will be placed on why those errors occur and the
examination of various methods which enable a Japanese language teacher to help learners
overcome these problems.
JAS 5512 Special Topics in Japanese-Chinese Contrastive Linguistics (3 units)
Linguistic topics in Japanese and Chinese languages will be selected in this course and the
comparison of the two languages will be conducted. Students will have the opportunity to discuss
and examine the linguistic features of both languages and focus will be put on the relationship
between those features and the difficulties experienced by the Hong Kong Japanese language
learners in the process of learning the language.
JAS5513 Special Topics in Japanese Phonology and Japanese Language Teaching (3 units)
This course introduces the basic knowledge of phonetics and Japanese phonology. In phonetics,
students will gain a solid understanding of articulatory mechanism for producing vowels and
consonants as well as accent and intonation. The phonology part of the course deals with
segmental phonology and suprasegmental phonology including accent, mora and intonation. This
course also discusses major previous research on Japanese phonology and their implications for
teaching Japanese as a second language.
JAS5514 Japanese Pedagogy Designed for Elementary/Intermediate Japanese (3 units)
This course is designed to provide theory and practice of teaching elementary and intermediate
Japanese courses to Cantonese speakers through demonstrating actual teaching practices at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong. The course consists of lectures on pedagogy-oriented
Japanese linguistics, focusing on syntax and phonology, as well as effective oral and pattern
practices, and practical training in teaching CU students in the classroom.
JAS 5515 Japanese Linguistics (3 units)
The aim of this course is to enable students to acquire a general understanding of different aspects
of the Japanese language. The contents include: 1) the sound system of Japanese, 2) Chinese
characters and kanas, 3) a brief introduction of theories on Japanese grammar, and 4) structure of
modern Japanese.
JAS5516 Special Topics in Linguistic Research and Japanese Language Teaching (3 units)
This course examines issues in linguistic research that is particularly applicable to foreign
language teaching and learning. Focus is put on the interface of theoretical analysis and their
implications for Japanese language teaching and learning as a foreign language.
JAS 5517 Decoding Japanese Communication through the Language and Culture in Japan
(3 units)
This course is designed for students who are interested in knowing more about the correlation
between Japanese language and culture. Topics to be covered will include: How does the use of
the Japanese language reflect its culture? How does the communication pattern of the Japanese
differ from those in other cultures? What are the factors that determine the success or the failure
of learning Japanese as a second language? Research on the use and acquisition of Japanese will
be surveyed.
JAS5518 Japanese Management Systems and Practice (3 units)
This course is designed for students to develop a basic understanding of the current Japanese
management systems and practice. The topics covered in this course will include cultural issues in
business, keiretsu systems, human resource management practice, and corporate governance and
strategies. Class meetings will consist of a mix of lecture and class discussion and presentations
on the selected topics.
JAS5519 Japanese Traditional Culture and Modern Society (3 units)
This course aims at analyzing the relationship between traditional culture and modern society in
Japan from a historical point of view. How Japanese national characteristics, or customs and
values, have been molded by the historical environment will be brought into focus. Japanese
people’s behavioral patterns and current affairs will also be addressed.
JAS5520 Sociolinguistics (3 units)
The term sociolinguistics encompasses the various aspects of linguistics applied toward the
connections between language and society, and the way we use it in different social situations.
This course is designed for students to develop a basic understanding of sociolinguistics and to
reconsider the teaching approach for Japanese learners by taking into account various factors
associated with sociolinguistics.
JAS5521 Decoding Intercultural Communication (3 units)
Communication is affected by culture to which the person belongs. Communication includes
verbal communication and non-verbal communication. This course is designed for students to
explore the basics of Intercultural Communication including conversation style, non-verbal
communication, and psychological factors.
JAS5522 Chinese-Japanese Interpretation (3 units)
This course aims to enable students with a good knowledge of Chinese to develop their skills and
techniques in interpreting Chinese into Japanese. Different text types will be used in the class,
and basic techniques of interpretation will be provided in stages. These techniques include
memory retention anticipation, and skill of processing information received in one language, notetaking and shadowing. Special attention will be given to the fundamental differences between
Chinese and Japanese, especially grammatical, syntactical and cultural differences.
JAS5530 Special Topics in Japanese Language (3 units)
This course will focus on specifc topics in Japanese language that are not covered in the regular
course offering. These topics will reflect academic needs/interests and faculty expertise.
Subject to the approval of the Programme Director, students are allowed to take this course more
than once and gain the units each time they pass the course.
JAS5531 Special Topics in Japanese Culture (3 units)
This course will focus on specific topics in Japanese culture that are not covered in the regular
course offering. These topics will reflect academic needs/interests and faculty expertise.
Subject to the approval of the Programme Director, students are allowed to take this course more
than once and gain the units each time they pass the course.