The foreign language courses offered by the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation can be taken by students as optional or compulsory courses or to fulfil the number of units required for graduation. Students are not allowed to register for more than one foreign language course per semester. They must complete at least two levels of a foreign language course before they are allowed to register for another foreign language course. However, students are not required to complete all four levels of a foreign language course.
LAJ100 - Japanese Language I
This course is an introduction to the Japanese language, Japanese society and its culture. Learners will distinguish typical Japanese pronunciation and acquire basic grammatical structures and a range of vocabulary related to communication in everyday situations. Learners will also identify and display words and sentences in Hiragana, one of the three writing systems of the Japanese language.
LAJ200 - Japanese Language II
This course aims to develop elementary proficiency in spoken and written skills of the Japanese language, focusing on listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural literacy. Learners will identify Katakana, one of the three Japanese writing systems, increase basic grammatical and lexical knowledge, and gain some insight into cultural aspects pertaining to Japanese society. By the end of the course, learners will be able to express and understand simple needs in predictable and common situations related to their personal lives.
LAJ300 - Japanese Language III
This course aims to consolidate learners’ command of Japanese grammatical structures and their acquisition of vocabulary. While mastering complex sentence structures, learners will be able to understand and use a variety of basic sentence patterns that will enable them to enhance their interaction skills as well as their comprehension of conversations. This will also improve their essay-writing skills. About 80 basic Kanji characters will be introduced.
LAJ400 - Japanese Language IV
This is the final course of the Japanese language course series. Learners will review and expand their grammatical, lexical and cultural knowledge of Japanese society to attain proficiency at the intermediate level. They will be able to communicate with more accuracy and complexity in oral and written Japanese. About 100 Kanji characters will be introduced.