Soko Gakuen Japanese Language School
1881 Pine Street
San Francisco, California 94109
Phone 415-928-9608
COURSE SYLLABUS
Term (Contact hours) WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, & FALL (33 hours each)
Class & Section INTERMEDIATE 1 WE
Instructor Aya Kazama (ayakazama@gmail.com)
Meeting day & Time Mondays 6:00-9:00 p.m.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this level, you should be able to: compare two things or people and compare three or more things or people; consult someone about what to buy as a souvenir; ask someone their preference or state one’s preference; describe body parts and the characteristics of the components of things. express your decisions or discuss an event or a shopping item you are going to decide on together; state opinions or impressions and speculations; Ask for a suggestion; say that you will try on something; state the reason for leaving for some place for a while; talk about characteristics of an item or a person; talk about past experiences; asking for and offering explanations; give examples of actions or events; describe simultaneous actions; offer to do something and answer either to accept or decline. Reproduce 80% or more KANJI introduced during the term.
TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS
1. Required: Japanese For Busy People II 4th edition (Lessons 1-8, textbook & workbook) by Kodansha International / AJALT. [Available at Kinokuniya Bookstore, San Francisco--Geary at Webster. Phone 415-567-7625].
2. Recommended:
a) Makino, S., & Tsutsui, M. (1999). A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. Tokyo, Japan: The Japan Times.
b) Practice Japanese online.
http://www.manythings.org/japanese/kana
http://mykikitori.com
3. Audio files.
Visit https://www.kodanshausa.com and locate Japanese for Busy People II and click on corresponding Audio Lessons.
EVALUATION
1. One final exam (2.5 hours).
2. Upon successful completion (80% or higher attendance rate and 80% or higher final exam score) of the course, a STUDENT PROGRESS REPORT will be written if requested at the time you take the final exam.
3. Your final exam score (%) and attendance (%) will be kept in a digitized form @STUDENT GRADES AND INFORMATION REPOSITORY.
TEACHING STYLE
The instructor will create a relaxed, low-anxiety atmosphere through which you can acquire the previously mentioned course objectives with less effort and with ease. The instructor will use an eclectic teaching method.
PROCEDURES
1. The instructor will follow the CALENDAR /Weekly Schedule printed below.
2. In class, student and teacher (and student and student) will engage in interactive language activities, a variety of exercises, using Japanese as much as possib le. The instructor, however, will use some mechanical and meaningful drills, when necessary, to develop your kinetic memory for the training of the perceptual motor skills.
3. Students will reinforce and develop vocabulary, structure, listening (via audio files) and conversational skills through weekly assignments.
4. The class, however, may be conducted in accordance with the needs of the students in class within the course objectives.
CALENDAR / Weekly Schedule
Week 1. . . . . Lesson 1
Week 2. . . . . Lesson 2 Grammar/Kanji quiz #1
Week 3. . . . . Lesson 3 Grammar/Kanji quiz #2
Week 4. . . . . Lesson 1-3 Review Lesson 4
Week 5. . . . . Lesson 4 Grammar/Kanji quiz #3
Week 6. . . . . Lesson 5 Grammar/Kanji quiz #4
Week 7. . . . . Lesson 6 Grammar/Kanji quiz #5
Week 8. . . . . Lesson 7 Grammar/Kanji quiz #6
Week 9. . . . . Lesson 7 and Review Lesson 1-7
Week 10. . . . FINAL EXAM L.1 – L.7
Week 11. . . . Lesson 8
*Weekly assignments on specific dates will be available from your instructor in class.
PLEASE NOTE
1. You are expected to listen to the audio files or CDs, memorize new words, read the grammar explanation in the textbook and to complete all assignments before coming to class.
2. KANJI quizzes (KANJI from the textbooks) will be given as shown in the calendar.
3. Please be on time for class; otherwise, you interrupt the lesson for others. Regular class attendance and participation are essential for language learning.
4. Excessive absences (more than 3 class meetings) may be cause for repetition of the course.
5. The results of your final exam (%) and attendance (%) will be kept in a digitized form @STUDENT GRADES AND INFORMATION REPOSITORY. Your PROGRESS REPORT will be kept in the Soko Gakuen Records Office, and the Office will release it only upon your request.
6. When you obtain a score of 80% or higher on the final exam, you move up to a higher level class. Soko Gakuen's exit criteria for each class/level are based on the 1987 ACTFL Japanese Language Proficiency Guidelines.
POLICY ON FINAL EXAM
If you are unable to take the final exam on the scheduled date due to circumstances beyond your control, the exam will be given only in a similar test-taking situation (under supervision of an instructor at Soko Gakuen). Unless the final exam is made up before the PROGRESS REPORT is submitted (from the teacher to the Soko Gakuen Records Office), NO CERTIFICATES can be issued.