BA Sociology and Japanese

Residence abroad support

We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.

You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.

RWS Brode Scholarship

You may be eligible for this scholarship if you fulfill the following conditions:

• your qualifications were achieved at a state-funded school in the UK;
• your total household income does not exceed £60,000 (as verified by the Student Loan Company);
• you achieve high marks in your A-levels (or equivalent qualifications), usually AAB or above;
• you apply to (and remain on) either a single honours Language course, or a dual-language course.

Awards will be made according to a sliding scale, benefitting those who have achieved the highest marks relative to backgrounds.

You will be automatically assessed for this after you have registered on your degree.

You simply need to make sure you allow the University access to your records when applying for your student lLoan (we cannot otherwise assess your eligibility).

This is an advanced level language course which teaches receptive skills (reading and listening) and productive skills (speaking and writing) in Japanese. 

Please note that there are heavy timetabling requirements for both Japanese and for laboratory-based science subjects. Attendance at dedicated catch-up and/or replacement drop-in sessions on Wednesday afternoons (details to be confirmed) may be required in order to allow students from across the university to cover all the materials adequately.

Available on: BA Japanese Studies and Combinations involving Japanese with other languages and area studies degrees and BA Modern Language with Business and Management etc. 

Not available as a free choice – but if the level is appropriate the convenor may exceptionally admit an external student.

Building on students’ prior learning in JAPA51042 or for those at an equivalent level, this course aims to broaden students’ vocabulary (both spoken and written), hone their communication and analytical skills and deepen their understanding of grammar. There will also be translation exercises between English and Japanese. The module aims to prepare students for a period of residence in Japan by giving them the language skills for reading and for competent spoken and written communication. 

The acquisition of the grammatical. lexical, phonetic, written and communicative aspects of Japanese initially follows the progression of a set textbook (Tobira). However other materials will be selected by the course tutors. Some of the grammar classes in Semester 2 will support students preparing for Japanese Language Proficiency Examination (JLPT) N2 but the JLPT examination itself is not a part of this course. Classes are complemented by an Independent Language Learning Programme (ILLP) which is an integral part of study and assessment. Teaching and learning are supported by a Blackboard environment.

4 hours of tutorials per week (a combination of close reading, grammar analysis, writing skills, reading, and listening and speaking with exercises (including group and pair-work)). There will be regular assignments.  

There are timetabled office hours for staff teaching this unit who are available for consultation.  

Please note that there are heavy timetabling requirements for both Japanese and for laboratory-based science subjects. Attendance at dedicated catch-up and/or replacement drop-in sessions on Wednesday afternoons (details to be confirmed) may be required in order to allow students from across the university to cover all the materials adequately.

All students have access to the Language Centre and should use its resources regularly.  All students are further expected to participate in learning partnerships with Japanese students where possible.  

There is an Independent Language Learning Portfolio component.  

By the end of this course students should be able to:

• demonstrate control of approximately 1,500 Kanji characters and 5500 vocabulary items.

By the end of this course students should be able to: 

• understand themselves as advanced learners and be able to engage effectively with the appropriate resources to negotiate understanding 

 

By the end of this course students should be able to: 

• express themselves orally in discussion and debate as well as in conversations on everyday matters and on a wide range of topics relating to Japanese society and language. 
• show proficiency in reading authentic Japanese texts and reports and viewing and hearing TV and other audio and video material in standard Japanese and in some variants 
• write stylistically appropriate Japanese prose, as well as translate Japanese into appropriate English 
• have developed higher level skills in both close and gist reading 
• be engaging confidently with unedited language in a variety of genres  
• translate and use translation tools 

By the end of this course students should be able to: 

• have confidence in interacting with native speakers 

• feel well prepared for residence abroad in Japan 

Assessment task	Formative or Summative	Weighting within unit (if summative)
Written examination at the end of semester 2	Summative	40%
Oral examination at the end of semester 2	Summative	20%
Regular revision exercises (20%) and coursework (5%)	Summative	25%
Portfolio of reading and translation work at the end of semester 2	Summative	15%

 

Resit Assessment

Assessment task

Written Exam (75%)

Oral Exam (25%)

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
Feedback on progress with language learning is provided to students through in-class feedback and through regular coursework, through corrected versions of written work.	Formative & Summative
Students are also able to consult individually with language tutors in their office hours.	Formative

 

There is a set textbook for this course in semester one.

The set textbook is Tobira Gateway to Advanced Japanese, along with its two accompanying workbooks, Grammar Power and Power Up Your Kanji.  

Tobira Gateway to Advanced Japanese: Learning Through Content and Multimedia (Tokyo: Kurosio 20092010) (ISBN-10: 4874244475 / ISBN-13: 978-4874244470) 
 

Grammar Power: Exercises for Mastery (Tokyo: Kurosio 2012) ISBN 978-4-87424-570-5  

Power Up your Kanji: 800 Basic Kanji as a Gateway to Advanced Japanese (Tokyo) (ISBN-10: 4874244874 / ISBN-13: 978-4874244876)

Recommended texts:  

Donna toki dou tsukau/ Nihongo hyougen bunkei jiten [JLPT N1-N4] (Tokyo: Ark 2010) ( ISBN-10: 4757418868 / ISBN-13: 978-4757418868 )  

Makino and Tsutsui, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar (The Japan Times, 1992), ISBN: 978-4789004541.