MA Modern Languages and Cultures / Course details

Year of entry: 2025

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Course unit details:
Advanced Readings in Japanese

Course unit fact file
Unit code	JAPA62000
Credit rating	15
Unit level	FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s)	Full year
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

This course unit is for advanced learners of Japanese. It aims to develop students’ proficiency in accurate understanding of advanced Japanese texts, as well as in discussion and writing in Japanese. Furthermore, the course advances students’ knowledge of Japan, enabling them to get to grips with the perspectives of Japanese authors. During the course, students read unedited Japanese texts on a range of topics. They make oral presentations in Japanese about the texts studied and engage in discussion of the texts and the issues raised in them, also in Japanese. Classes will also translate selected text sections. In addition, the classes will focus on developing students’ abilities to write natural and accurate Japanese. Students will be able to use the vocabulary they have acquired through reading in oral and written work, thus advancing their language abilities in an integrated way.

Aims

· To develop students’ proficiency in accurate understanding of advanced Japanese written texts, including proficiency in translating such texts into English.

· To develop students’ proficiency in advanced spoken Japanese through oral presentation and class discussion in Japanese.

· To develop students’ proficiency in writing Japanese.

To develop students’ understanding of a range of important aspects of modern Japanese culture and society through engaging with key works by Japanese authors.

Syllabus

Between two and five topics are covered each semester, with between one and four weeks being devoted to any given topic. Topics covered in recent years have included precarious and casual employment; school non-attendance; social withdrawal; gender; childrearing; nuclear issues. The above should be considered representative examples, as topics may change from year to year.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course unit, you will have:

· Acquired knowledge and understanding of native Japanese perspectives on a range of major issues related to modern Japanese society and culture.

· Demonstrated in-depth knowledge and understanding of native Japanese perspectives on one of these issues, along with the ability to critically assess these perspectives in relation to one another.

Intellectual skills

On completion of this unit, successful participants will have further developed their abilities to:

think and argue critically and coherently
present information and arguments in a clear and cogent manner, both orally and in writing

Practical skills

On completion of this unit, successful participants will:

be able to demonstrate accurate understanding of advanced, unedited Japanese texts
have acquired the ability to make a fluent and coherent oral presentation in Japanese about a topic of advanced difficulty
have developed skills for oral discussion in Japanese
be able to write discursive texts in natural and accurate Japanese on topics of advanced difficulty

Transferable skills and personal qualities

On completion of this unit, successful participants will have further developed their abilities to:

work independently
think and argue critically and coherently
present information and arguments in a clear and cogent manner, both orally and in writing
appreciate, understand and critically appraise other societies and cultures

Employability skills

Analytical skills: gathering, critically selecting, and organizing information and ideas; analytical, critical thinking; interpreting and assessing sources
Oral communication: Articulate participation in oral discussion
Other: Communication: articulating coherent, logical and convincing arguments and supporting them by relevant evidence

Assessment methods

Assessment task	Formative or Summative	Length	Weighting within unit (if summative)
Up to four presentations in Japanese (with assessment of oral presentation, question and answer on the presentation, and accompanying written text for the presentation)	Formative	Oral presentation: 5 mins, followed by 5 mins Q&A Written text: 650 characters (approx. half an A4 page using 12 point font).	N/A
Japanese to English unseen translation exercise	Formative	90 minutes	N/A
Two presentations in Japanese (with assessment of oral presentation, question and answer on the presentation, and accompanying written text for the presentation)	Summative	Oral presentation: 5 mins, followed by 5 mins Q&A	20% (each presentation 10%)
Essay on one of the topics covered in the course unit (in Japanese, handwritten).	Summative	Between 6 and 8 A4 pages, written double-spaced.	25%
In-class summary (written)	Summative	90 minutes	10%
Examination at end of semester 2 consisting of two parts: (a) Japanese to English translation (b) short essay in Japanese (questions to be about the topics covered in the course).	Summative	2 hours	45%

Feedback methods

Oral and/or written comments on formative (practice) oral presentations; written comments on essay and written texts for presentations; global feedback on assignments, delivered orally in class; comments made during class discussion regarding the relevance and coherence of student participation in discussion; feedback on student comprehension and translation in class. Feedback will be returned within the time limits specified in the relevant Faculty and SALC feedback policies. Students are also welcome to come to see the teacher to discuss their essay assignments and comments on them, on the understanding that this de-anonymises the marking.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Seminars	34.5

Independent study hours
Independent study	115.5

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