JPNS202 Intermediate Japanese 2

JPNS202 Intermediate Japanese 2

Spring 2015

Classroom and Time:

Section 01: MTWRF 9:10 AM–10:00AMLA 243

Professor:

Dr. Brian DowdleOffice: LA 326 Tel: 243-5480

Office Hours: M-TH 10:10-11:00,

Andby appointment, as needed

Course Objectives

Intermediate Japanese 202is intended to improve your abilities in speaking, writing, reading, and understanding spoken Japanese, with the goal of enabling you to function linguistically in a wider range of everyday situations. Each course policy, assignment, and activityis intended to help you achieve these goals. Students can expect to learn how to interact in real-life situations specifically related to health, life and careers, communication and media, and nature. Students will also learn additional vocabulary, grammar, cultural knowledge, and approximately 250 new kanji. This course will cover through Chapter 7 of Yookoso! Continuing with Contemporary Japaneseand lessons 28-45 of Basic Kanji Book vol. II.

Prerequisites:

In order to take this course, two semesters of university-level study of Beginning Japanese at The University of Montana, or the equivalent, are required. You must have attained a grade of C or higher in Japanese 201 to enroll in this course. If you are new to the Japanese language program at the University of Montana, you must take a placement test prior to the first day of class or on the first day or class by arrangement with the instructor in order to be allowed to enroll in this class.

(1) Required Textbook/Workbook/CDs:

All materials required for this course are available at the UM Bookstore.

1. Combo Package forYookoso! Continuing with Contemporary Japanese, by Yasu-HikoTohsaku. McGraw-Hill College, Third Edition, 2006. ISBN 0-07-345582-2.
2. Basic Kanji Book, vol. 2. Pub. By Bojinsha, Tokyo 1989, New 2011.
3. White Board

Recommended Material:

A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, by Seiichi Makino and MichioTsutsui. Tokyo: The Japan Times, 1989. ISBN 4-7890-0454-6.

Kanji Dictionary such as The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary

(2) Components of Student Assessment

Chapter Exams / 30%
Final Exam (2 hours,Tuesday, May 12th10:10-12:00)
--Includes Oral Exam given last week of class / 20%
Quizzes (c. 8 total)
Skits and Interviews / 10%
10%
Homework and Language Journal for NHK / 15%
Attendance/participation/daily performance grade / 15%
Total / 100%

You need to obtain a grade of C or higher to continue in JPN 301.

Course/Exam Grading:Students in the top two points of a grade range will typically receive a plus enhancement, while those in the lower two points of the range a minus.

A: 100 – 90 B: 89 – 80 C: 79 – 70 D: 69 –60 E: Below 60.

Grading criteria for daily participation will be on a 10 point scale. In order to receive an“excellent”evaluation for the day, you must show active participation and thorough preparation for class. This assessment does not mean that you should be afraid to make mistakes; trial and error is the only way to learn how to use the language, and we expect students to make errors and receive correction. On the contrary, failure to participate or reluctant participation will seriously impact your daily grade.

Daily Grading Criteria

10 = / excellent performance/level of engagement; high level of fluency and accuracy; outstanding preparation is apparent
9 = / very good/strong performance with some minor weak areas; memorized most materials; no need to refer to textbook
8 = / good performance with some areas of weakness; student memorized some new materials; occasionally needed to refer to textbook. Some hesitation or lack of appropriate speed in performance
7 = / fair performance, but weak in several major areas; memorized some materials; demonstrated need to refer to textbook fairly often; hesitant or slower than average in performance of communicative activities
6 = / poor performance, weak in most areas, refers constantly to textbook; unable to easily participate; may be silent/halting when called upon, unable to respond appropriately. Late arrival to class (1-20 minutes).
5 = / entirely unsatisfactory performance; student appears unprepared for class or is largelydisengaged from class activities; more than 20 minutes late; eating, drinking, snoozing, having cell phone “on,” speaking English out of turn, or other disruptive activities.
0 = / student was absent

(3) Homework

You are required to complete all the homework without fail. Homework is to be turned into the professor at the beginning of the classon the date it appears on the syllabus. (Please do not ask to be able to return home to get your homework or to turn it in after class, if you left it at home.) All homework must be stapled with your name at the top of the first page. Place your homework on your professor’sdesk before class begins. Homework will be graded as follows: a “3” (points) for excellent, 100% complete and accurate work; “2” for work that is “good” or “well above average” and fully complete, but may have more errors or may be somewhat less neatly written; the grade of “1” will be for work that is “passable,” i.e., satisfactory or marginally satisfactory, but somehow less competent than “good.” For example, it may show even more errors, perhaps some messiness, or it may have brief incomplete portions. Unsatisfactory work with many errors suggesting a lack of care or comprehension of material, or work that is quite messy or hard to read, or may contain one or more substantial incomplete portions will receive “0” points. This policy is designed to encourage you to put forth a full effort each and every time you do homework. I don’t think you will actually read this, but I am including it here: I like cats more than dogs.

Kinds of Homework

• Online Learning Center: This “learning center” is found at the textbook website

Simply go to this address, choose the textbook icon for the “Yookoso: Continuing with Contemporary Japanese,” and then note the “Online Learning Center” icon at the left of the page, in the middle. Choose the ‘student’ materials section (not ‘instructor’) at the left of the screen. You will find therein practice quizzes, “laboratory audio” materials which correspond to your WORKBOOK/LABORATORY MANUAL, and also “textbook audio” materials which are those contained in your main YOOKOSO TEXTBOOK. These will be evaluated as ‘homework,’ using the 3-2-1-0point scheme already described. You may re-do the exercises as many times as you wish and submit your best score obtained.

• Vocabulary/Kanji Quiz preparation through memorization and independent drilling: Learning vocabulary words, kana scripts, and kanji is an indispensable element of gaining proficiency in Japanese. Daily effort and a commitment of time outside of class are required. You will be evaluated by your performance during class activities andon vocabulary quizzes and homework.

• Preparation of Workbook/Laboratory ManualMaterials: Often times, the front page of a worksheet is assigned for one day and the back of the same worksheet for the following day. In such a case, make a photocopy of the page/s so that you can work on the questions on the back of the worksheet after you turn it in on the first day. This is your responsibility to arrange.

• Language-Study Journal. Students are required to maintain and use a language-study journal. This journal will have three separate sections, one for vocabulary, one for grammar, and one for Kanji.
• For the vocabulary section students must copy all new and unfamiliar vocabulary from each section, including words in lists and from all example sentences. Never miss the chance to learn a new word!
• The grammar section shall include an entry for each grammar pattern in the textbook and two to three example sentences from the textbook or class. Also write down sentences that interest you or that seem unfamiliar.
• The kanji section shall included notes and entries for all of the Kanji introduced in Yookoso and notes and work from Basic Kanji Book. This section shall also include notes (lists, readings, and key compounds) for all Kanji from Yookoso and BKB.

• The Basic Kanji Book (BKB) Vol.2 has 17 chapters, which you will cover during 202. In the
• U1 ユニット1: Exploration activity, figure out what is going on, learn readings, make flash cards.
• U2-1 ユニット2-1: Copy each characterand vocabulary 3 times on to genkōyōshi paying close attention to the proper stroke order. Use the Look, Cover, Write, and Check pattern.
• U2-2 ユニット2: Write the question and answer for words and sentences.
• U2-3 ユニット2-3: Please read sentences and questions aloud and write out your answers.

(4) Make-up Policy for the Course:

There will be no make-up homework of any kind. Your professor will decide whether to allow make-ups for Quizzes and Chapter Tests after careful consideration of the merits of the request. If you are unable to attend class on a quiz or test day due to an emergency, and you want to ask your teacher to consider giving you a make-up, you must contactyour professor (by sending an email, calling your professor’s office phone, leaving a message, or speaking directly to the professor), before the time the test was to be given. Legitimate reasons for such requests include bona fide family emergencies (death, severe illness, documented in writing by a doctor or similar professional) or major university-sponsored activities (documented by a coach or similar in writing). Students who do not communicate as requested with their professor will not be given a makeup test. This policy encourages students to stay abreast of their lessons and permits professors to promptly mark and return the assignments/quizzes, usually by the next day. Please do not ask for exceptions to be made. Thank you for your cooperation.ご協力ありがとうございます。

(5) Attendance and participation

Attendance and active participation in class are expected and will be recorded at each class session in the form of a daily grade estimate. Foreign language learning is an on-going cumulative process requiring diligent daily effort, full concentration, and mastery through memorization and repetition; it is essential that you come to class and practice Japanese every day.

Eight or more absencesfor any reasonconstitute an automatic failure in the course: this is Japanese section policy and will be strictly enforced. In the unlikely event that you become seriously ill for several days or have a major emergency, you must contact your professor immediately. The decision about how to make arrangements with you to catch up will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Please be punctual because you may miss important information and pose a distraction for the rest of the class. If you are late to class, you will not be given extra time to complete exams or quizzes—please do not request extra time. If you are more than 20 minutes late, it will also be considered as one absence in our records and your daily grade will be a “6” by default. Early departures will be treated in the same fashion as late arrivals and are subject to the same criteria described above. If you are late, leave early, or miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed and what you need to do for the following day.

(6) Classroom Etiquette and Decorum

Your professors will try to establish and maintain the kind of classroom atmosphere in which the best learning of Japanese can take place. The ground rules will be as follows:

a. English will be permitted only during grammar lectures, or during the professor’s office hours.All other communication must be done in Japanese – please read item (8) below for more information.

b. Professors in this course (and all other Japanese courses) should be addressed as “Sensei.” This is the standard, obligatory form of address to any teacherin Japan. If you must speak English, address your faculty as “Dr. Rabinovitch,”“Dr.Dowdle,” or Dr. Tuck. Never address/refer indirectly to your Japanese faculty by theirfirst name or last nameonly, as this level of informality is considered to be insulting in Japanese culture.

c. Please refrain from disruptive and disrespectful behavior in class, as it prevents others from learning. Turn off your cell phones during class.

(7) How to Prepare for Class

Consult the daily course schedule for specific information about what to prepare each day. Please note that you are expected to preview the material to be covered and complete the homework listed for each day BEFORE the class meets. You are expected to come to class well prepared so that you will be ready to participate with your instructor and classmates. Read all of the assigned pages with care; take notes to reinforce your learning; listen to the audio faithfully;and prepare questions you wish to ask your professor (as they may benefit others as well). Please be aware that since this is a fairly intensive language course meeting daily, you are expected to study at least two hours every day, so that all requested homework activities have been completed and sufficient textbook study, review/kanji practice may also be done.

(8) Use of Japanesein class

You will have little exposure to Japanese outside of class, and so it is all the more important that you make full use of the precious opportunities available to speak Japanese in class. You are asked to speak only Japanese in class, unless you seek, and are granted, permission to speak English for a particular purpose. You may say “英語で話してもいいですか” (“May I speak in English?) to seek permission to speak in English.Students failing to adhere to this important practice will be penalized on their daily participation evaluation.Please understand that if the professor denies permission, it is for a specific reason that will be explained to you after class. At times when grammar or other linguistic information is being explained, English will be used as needed to explain technical points.

(9) Kanji Learning

Knowledge of kanji is essential if you are to become a competent reader of Japanese materials, whether they are shop signs, email, advertisements, newspapers, novels, or manga. The learning of kanji is a cumulative process, and it is your responsibilityto do whatever it takes in the way of daily review to retain your kanji knowledge over time. Many students find it useful to practice writing out kanji 10 times each and to make flashcards that you can use daily for quick review. To aid your retention of kanji, you are expected to use all kanji that have been introduced in class in every assignment, quiz, or exam, from the beginning of the class forward. On exams, you must use all kanji you have been previously asked to learn in order to be given full credit.

(10) Remedial Practice

You are asked to do additional writing practice for any kana or kanji you miss on quizzes and exams. The writing practice paper for this may be found on the Japanese section website. You should write each kana/kanji individually 10 times and each compound including kanji that you missed 10 times. Remedial work will not be collected, but may be checked

(11) Additional Information for Students

(a) The last day to drop this course is the 30th instructional day of the semester. If you wish to receive a drop with a refund, however, you will need to meet an earlier deadline. Please consult Griz Central. After the 30th day, the Japanese section will not entertain petitions to drop.

(b) Students may not add the course after the first week of class.

(c) Students taking Japanese as a Japanese major or minor (or a prospective one) may not take courses as CREDIT/NO CREDIT, if the course in question is required for their major or minor program. Please make sure you have the traditional grade option in place. Please be aware that Japanese is not a subject that lends itself to casual “recreational” learning. We strongly discourage students from requesting a credit/no credit evaluation, even if they are not intending to major or minor in the language. According to the UM calendar, students may not change from pass/not pass to a regular grade option, or visa versa, after the 30th day of instruction.The use of a drop/add form is required after the 15th day.

(d) Students majoring and minoring in Japanese must follow the Japanese BA requirements that are in place the first semester they are enrolled at the university and taking Japanese courses. These requirements will be distributed to all students. Students enrolled from earlier years have the option of following the old or the new requirements.

(e) Accommodations for students with disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with Disabled Student Services (DSS). That office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the professor when requesting accommodation.If you need help, do not hesitate to communicate with your professor and visit during office hours for advice.

(f) Your are expected to abide by the academic integrity polices contained in the Student Conduct Code.

(12) Final Exam

Final Exam regulations, and all matters relating to grading and the granting of ‘incompletes’ will follow university policy as set forth in the UM Calendar for the year in question.

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