Japanese (JAPN)

An introduction to the fundamentals of Japanese, emphasizing listening and speaking skills. Students learn to ask and answer simple questions in the present and past tense. Introduces reading and writing of Hiragana and approximately 30 Kanji along with essentials of Japanese culture and custom. Offered Fall semester.

A continuation of JAPN 2101. Introduction of Katakana and approximately 60 new Kanji. Useful grammatical patterns emphasizing the use of verbs and adjectives and verb conjugations. Practical patterns such as polite commands, permissions, prohibitions, and progressive forms are studied. Students continue to learn fundamentals of Japanese culture and lifestyle. Prerequisite: JAPN 2101 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Spring semester.

A course designed to improve oral proficiency as well as reading and writing skills in Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. More complex grammatical patterns such as giving advice and expressing one's desires. Approximately 60 new Kanji are introduced, and students write short essays on selected topics. Increased knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and customs. Prerequisite: JAPN 1102 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Fall semester.

A continuation of JAPN 2103. A course designed to enable students to express their ideas effectively through the use of more complex patterns such as advanced relative clauses, giving and receiving verbs, and volitional forms. Sixty new Kanji are practiced, and students write short essays on selected topics. Increased knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and customs. Prerequisite: JAPN 2103 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Spring semester.

This course concentrates on further perfecting the student's four communicative skills. It focuses on building more advanced vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and grammatical patterns. Informal and formal language, especially different levels of Keigo (polite speech), along with selected topics of Japanese culture and customs. The student learns approximately 60 Kanji and writes short essays (800 characters) on culturally intriguing topics. Prerequisite: JAPN 2104 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Fall semester.

This course is designed to help students further develop fluency in speaking, reading, and writing at an advanced-intermediate level. Discussions and compositions (800 characters) are based on selected, more socio-culturally interesting topics. The student learns passive, causative, and causative-passive sentences thoroughly along with 45 Kanji. More advanced knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture, history, art, and socioeconomics. Prerequisite: JAPN 3105 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Spring semester.

This course helps students acquire advanced language skills including communicative competence. Students will apply their language skills and socio-cultural knowledge in an actual teaching setting. The basis of this exploration of engaged learning is the gradual understanding of the challenges in culturally aware applications of a language in authentic situations. Prerequisite: JAPN 3106 or by LMU Placement Exam. University Core fulfilled: Flag: Engaged Learning. Offered Fall semester.

This course helps students acquire knowledge and perspectives regarding manga, anime and Japanese. Students will read four manga and watch anime in Japanese (manga solely in Japanese but anime can be in Japanese with subtitles). Manga and anime have become an international hit. Students will examine the history of manga and anime, mainly focusing on them after World War II. They also examine the growth of manga and anime tied with themes, historical and cultural background, and significance of that particular animation. Prerequisite: JAPN 3103 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Spring semester.

This course helps students acquire Knowledge and perspectives regarding contemporary popular Japanese culture. The instructor carefully selects topics to elicit articulate expressions, critical thinking, and information literacy. This course enables students to engage in examining Japanese culture with a critical eye as to why the Japanese find certain elements of culture so interesting in today's Japan. Prerequisite: JAPN 3105 or by LMU Placement Exam. Offered Spring semester.