Japanese Language Program
Course Descriptions

Just Getting Started (Pre 101-1)
Students learn:

  • Basic expressions for:

    • Greetings

    • Self-introduction

    • Communicating with front desk clerks at hotels

    • Communicating with salesclerks

    • Communicating with taxi drivers, bus drivers, etc.

    • Buying over-the-counter medication

101-1 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 1-3
Students learn:

  • Japanese Phonetic Symbols: Master the basics of Hiragana

  • Greeting and Self-Introduction Expressions: Acquire common expressions for greetings and self-introductions

  • Numbers 1 through 10: Learn numbers from 1 to 10

  • Demonstrative and Interrogative Pronouns: Understand demonstrative pronouns and interrogative pronouns (who, whose, what, what time, how much)

Goals:

  • Achieve proficiency in recognizing and using Hiragana

  • Gain insight into Japanese culture

  • Comprehend the distinctions between Japanese and English syntax

101-2 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 4-7
Students learn:

  • Japanese Loan Words: Learn Katakana symbols used for loan words

  • Large Numbers: Understand numbers greater than 10

  • Counters: Familiarize yourself with counters for solid items, floppy items, and rod-like or cylindrical items

  • Interrogative Pronouns: Grasp interrogative pronouns such as "how much," "where," "when," and "with whom"

  • Verbs of Movement: Learn verbs for "go," "come," and "return"

  • Vocabulary for Destinations: Expand your vocabulary related to destinations

  • Particles に: Understand the use of the particle に for direction and time reference

  • Japanese Currency: Familiarize yourself with Japanese currency

  • Days of the Week and Month: Learn the days of the week and days of the month

Goals:

  • Able to recognize Katakana symbols proficiently

  • Can identify and understand vocabulary related to transportation and destinations

  • Capable of communicating effectively with salesclerks

  • Can recognize and understand the prices of merchandise

  • Destination Arrival Inquiries

102 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 8-11
Students learn:

  • A variety of verbs and their conjugations (affirmative, negative, present, and past tense)

  • Two types of adjectives and conjugations (i-adjective and na-adjective

  • The time reference words and means of transportation

  • The interrogative pronouns (where, with whom, when)

  • Counter for people

Goals:

  • Can talk about daily activities

  • Can talk about activities that one is frequently engaged in

  • Can talk about the plan on weekends

  • Can ask and answer the time, days, or dates for a meeting or a business appointment

  • Can express impressions about experiences

  • Can place an order at Izakaya (Japanese-style bar)

105 | Japanese for Busy People Vol 1 (4th Ed.) | Lessons 21-24
Students learn:

  • The grammar patterns with the Te-form いますfor:

    • Present progressive

    • Habitual actions

    • Current states

  • Particle も to describe duplication

  • Particle は for contrasting

  • Negative Te-form　…ないで

  • Gerund …Dictionary form + こと

Goals:

  • Can inquire and describe someone’s current activities

  • Can discuss routine activities

  • Can contrast two things using the particle は

  • Can inquire and describer someone’s current state using expressions like

    つとめています, ついています　and　すんでいます

  • Can effectively communicate health issues to a medical doctor

  • Can ask and answer about the rules in the public space using

    …ないでください and …てもいいですか

201 | Minna no Nihongo Vol 1 | Chapters 12, 13, 16
Students who have finished Minna no Nihongo Vol. 1 or at the equivalent level learn:

  • Comparatives

  • Superlatives

  • Temporal Clause: Te Form + から　after doing

  • Te Form for adjectives

  • …は~が　Construction （が for specifier）

    • …が　ほしい

    • …が　すき

    • verb masu form stem + たいです

203 | Minna no Nihongo Vol 1 | Chapters 20-22
Students who have finished Minna no Nihongo Vol. 1 Chapter 19 or at the equivalent level learn:

  • Suffixes for casual speech

  • Verbs

  • I-adjectives

  • Na-adjectives

  • Noun

  • Embedding a quote in a statement.　…と思います、…と言っていました。

  • Modifying a noun by a relative clause

Goals:

  • Can talk about duties and responsibilities

  • Can talk about hobbies and interests

  • Can talk about experiences and weekend activities

302 | Minna no Nihongo Vol 2 | Chapters 29-31
Students who have finished Minna no Nihongo #2 Chapters 26-28 or at the equivalent level learn:

  • Transitive verbs and intransitive verbs

  • Transitive verbs ＋　てあります／Transitive Verb＋　ておきます

  • Te-Form + しまいました　to describe something unpredicted things happened.

  • Expressing intentions

    • Volitional Form + と思う

    • Dictionary Form + つもりです

Goals:

  • Can differentiate intransitive verbs and transitive verbs

  • Can understand and describe the state of things

  • Can understand and describe that something is done for some reasons

  • Can understand and describe that someone is well prepared for something

  • Can understand and describe someone’s project or plan in the future

Intermediate 4 | Marugoto Intermediate-1 | Topic 4: Hot Spring

  • Comprehend travel TV programs

  • Can inquire about food, rooms, and other hotel services

  • Can read customer reviews on travel-related topics

  • Can write inquiry emails to hotels

Intermediate 5 | Marugoto Intermediate-1 | Topic 5: How Have You Been Lately?

  • Can understand the conversations about what happened recently

  • Can talk about one’s recent news

  • Can read a letter or an email from an acquaintances about recent updates

  • Can write a letter or an email about recent updates