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Program Address
Program of African & Asian Languages
Kresge Hall 4-400
1880 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208-2209
Phone: (847) 491-5288
Fax: (847) 467-1097

 

 

News General Info Faculty Placement Test
Course Information Course Resources Study Abroad Opportunities Language Table
Minor in Japanese Language & Culture Job/Internship Opportunities Useful Info

 

Last updated: 11/16/12

 

NEWS

Japanese Language Proficiency Test 2012 (JLPT 2012) will take place at various test sites on December 2, 2012 (De Paul University Lincoln Park Campus will be a host for Chicago test site.) Registration will end on October 2, 2012. For more information please check "Japanese Language Proficiency Test in U.S." at the web site of the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.


General Information

The Japanese language program was established in 1975. Japanese courses are offered through the Program of African & Asian Languages (PAAL) of Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS). The Japanese language program currently provides four levels of practical language training for students in all fields of study. All four skills are taught: speaking, reading, listening and writing. Students may begin with no prior knowledge of Japanese; subsequent levels of study extend to upper-intermediate proficiency. By the fourth level, students will be using authentic (non-textbook) printed and visual materials and doing various forms of expository writing. Study abroad in year-long, semester and summer programs in Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto is available. Students may also use their language study to add the minor in Japanese Language and Culture.

 

Faculty

 

 

Placement Test

Students who know some Japanese and who are planning to take Japanese at Northwestern must take the placement test. This rule applies to ALL students in ALL schools and programs, including Graduate School and Professional Schools. Please read the following information and take the placement test. Contact Junko Sato, the placement test coordinator, if you have any questions.

Course Information for Fall 2012-Spring 2013

JAPANESE 111-1, 2, 3 (Formerly AAL 115-1, 2, 3): Japanese I

Course Description

This is a year-long elementary Japanese course. In this course, students will develop four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) through communicative activities. Various functions of grammar patterns will be introduced in order to develop practical communication skills. The students are expected to solidify their knowledge of basic Japanese grammar and to fully master Hiragana, Katakana and basic Kanji. The students will also learn various aspects of Japanese culture and society. Upon the satisfactory completion of the course, the students will be able to greet, introduce themselves, discuss their daily routines and experiences, and write letters to teachers and friends.

Textbook

ICU (1996). Japanese for College Students vol. 1 & 2. Tokyo: Kodansha.
(Vol.1 of the textbook is available at the Course Reserve Room in the main library.

Prerequisite

None for JAPANESE 111-1. For JAPANESE 111-2 and -3, successful completion of a preceding course (JAPANESE 111-1 and -2 respectively) or permission from the program (a placement test will be given) is required.

        For more information

Contact Junko Sato, the first-year Japanese coordinator

 

JAPANESE 121-1, 2, 3 (Formerly AAL 116-1, 2, 3): Japanese II

Course Description

This year-long course is sequent to Japanese I (JAPANESE 111 / AAL 115) and covers the second half of basic Japanese grammar. In this course, the students continue developing the four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) through various communicative activities and tasks. The emphasis will be on developing accuracy (appropriate to the given contexts) and developing skills to use complex sentences to express subtle differences in meaning. Upon the satisfactory completion of the course, the students will be able to handle various types of more complex conversational situations and passages.

Textbook

ICU (1996). Japanese for College Students vol. 2 & 3. Tokyo: Kodansha.

Prerequisite

Successful completion of JAPANESE 111-3 / AAL 115-3 or permission from the program (Placement test will be given)

        For more information

Contact Yumi Shiojima, the second-year Japanese coordinator

 

JAPANESE 211-1, 2, 3 (Formerly AAL 217-1, 2, 3): Japanese III

Course Description

This is a year-long intermediate Japanese course. The students will develop their oral and written communication skills with appropriate styles for different settings. They will learn and discuss various aspects of Japanese culture and society. Japanese word processing will be introduced and the students will master typing short written assignments by the end of the course. The students will be eventually exposed to authentic written materials toward the end of the course. Upon the satisfactory completion of this course, the students will be able to summarize passages, exchange opinions and get involved with discussions.

        Textbook

Miura & McGloin (2008). An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese.
Tokyo: The Japan Times.

Prerequisite

Successful completion of JAPANESE 121-3 / AAL 116-3 or permission from the program (Placement test will be given)

For more information

Contact Noriko Taira Yasohama, the third-year Japanese coordinator

JAPANESE 311, 312, 313, 314 (Formerly AAL 318-4, 1, 3, 2): Japanese IV

Course Description

Japanese IV is a series of four advanced Japanese language courses. Each course is designed to provide the students with opportunities to further develop their overall Japanese language proficiency, to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and socio linguistic elements and to be familiarized with various styles of the language use. Each course prepares the students to be more autonomous learners.

JAPANESE 311 (Formerly AAL 318-4) (Reading Modern Japanese Literature in Japanese): Through reading of original texts of modern short stories, focus on learning pre-1946 orthography. Translation skills are emphasized; Discussion in English; Fulfills WCAS Ares VI distrubution requirement.

JAPANESE 312 (Formerly AAL 318-1) (Contemporary Japanese Literary Works for Reading and Discussion): Focus on reading contemporary Japanese poems, essays, non-fiction, and novels through various reading methods; Discussion in Japanese; Fulfills WCAS Area VI distribution requirement. (This course will not be offered in 2011-12.)

JAPANESE 313 (Formerly AAL 318-3) (Japanese Newspaper Reading and News Listening): Focus on reading Japanese newspaper articles and debating in Japanese the issues discussed in the articles. News listening skills are also developed.

JAPANESE 314 (Formerly AAL 318-2) (Japanese Essay Writing): Focus on refining writing skills: narrative, descriptive, persuasive and argumentative. Review of grammar and expressions through writing clinics.

 Students who have successfully completed JAPANESE 211-3 / AAL 217-3 are qualified to take any of the above Japanese IV courses.

In the 2012-2013 academic year, JAPANESE 311 will be offered in the fall, JAPANESE 314 in the winter and JAPANESE 312 or 313 in the spring. (The time of the course offerings might change during the academic year. Please check CAESAR for the up-to-date information.)

Prerequisite Successful completion of JAPANESE 211-3 / AAL 217-3 or permission from the program (Placement test will be given)

For more information

Contact the course coordinators:
       JAPANESE 311: Phyllis Lyons
       JAPANESE 312: Junko Sato
       JAPANESE 313: Noriko Taira Yasohama
       JAPANESE 314: Yumi Shiojima

 

JAPANESE 399-1, 2, 3 (Formerly AAL 399-1, 2, 3): Independent Study
(Offered upon the availability of the instructors and the approval of the Program.)

Course Description

(Independent Study is designed by students.)

Prerequisite

Those who have successfully completed all four courses of AAL-318 (Japanese IV) that is offered in the preceding years or equivalent are qualified to design an independent study. Students must submit a proposal and obtain approval from the Japanese program before registration.

To obtain approval for Independent Study

Please refer to Program of African and Aisan Languages for detail.

 

 

Course Resources

Click the course number that you are enrolled and download course resources. Some of the download sites are password-protected. If you have any questions regarding the passwords and the course resources, contact your instructor.

 

 

 

Study Abroad Opportunities

Study Abroad in Japan Information Session 2012-13


There are a variety of programs that NU students can participate -- one-year, two quarters, one quarter, summer abroad programs. Programs are listed in alphabetical order.

For more information on NU's affiliated and non-affiliated study abroad programs and application procedures, contact the Study Abroad Office.

 

Scholarship Information

 

Bridging Project, American Association of Teachers of Japanese

Freeman-Asia Award

Critical Language Scholarship

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Undergraduate Language Grants for summer intensive language study, Northwestern University


Financial Aid for Study in Japan, American Association of Teachers of Japanese


Funding Study Abroad: Scholarships, NU Study Abroad Office

 

 

Japanese Language Coffee Hours

If you want to practice Japanese in an informal setting or if you want to discuss various cultural and social issues in Japanese, come to our language coffee hours! Anyone with Japanese proficiency (beginning through native speaker levels) is welcome! The schedule for the Coffee Hours for 2012-13 is as follows:

Day and Time: every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (There will be no Coffee Hour on January 8, April 2.)

Location: Kresge Hall 4-350

 

Job/Internship Opportunities

 

Teaching English in Japan


Job/Internship Opportunities For Japanese-English Bilinguals:

 

 

Useful Information

Japan Related Organizations at NU

 

 

Japan Related Organizations in Chicago

 

Japan Related Web Sites