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Japanese

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Faculty

Chair: Choi

Professor: Higurashi

Assistant Professor: Kitajima

Lecturer: Miyamoto

Offered by the Department of Linguistics and Oriental Languages

Major in Japanese.

Major in international business, with emphasis in Japanese. See International Business.

Minor in Japanese.

The Major

Students who major in Japanese will gain proficiency in Japanese language skills, and the department offers a broad variety of courses designed to prepare majors for a number of careers after graduation. A major in Japanese is also a good preparatory curriculum for graduate programs in such areas as international business, international law, librarianship, public administration, and journalism.

A knowledge of Japanese is a valuable asset in finding positions as interpreters and translators employed by the federal government, the United Nations, international conferences, trade councils, and publishers, as well as internationally oriented companies, government agencies, the press corps, and the tourism industry. It also gives graduates an advantage in looking for positions in Japan in such areas as language teaching, business consulting, or journalism.

Advising

Japanese Major

All candidates for a degree in liberal arts and sciences must complete the graduation requirements listed in the section of this catalog on "Graduation Requirements."

Students majoring in Japanese must complete a minor in another field to be approved by the departmental adviser in Japanese.

All students with transfer credits must take placement test at the Test Office at SDSU.

Note: Speakers of Japanese who have completed compulsory education through junior high school in Japan, or those who pass level one of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, created and edited by The Association of International Education and the Japan Foundation, or equivalent, will receive no credit for Japanese 311, 312, 321, 322, 411, 412, 421, and 422.

Preparation for the Major . Japanese 111, 112, 211, and 212. (24 units) A maximum of 24 lower division units of Japanese courses may be used to satisfy degree requirements.

Foreign Language Requirement. The foreign language requirement is automatically fulfilled through coursework for preparation for the major.

Upper Division Writing Requirement. Passing the University Writing Examination or completing one of the approved writing courses with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Major. A minimum of 32 upper division units in Japanese to include Japanese 311, 312, 321, 322, 411, 412, 421, and 422.

Japanese Minor

Courses in the minor may not be counted toward the major, but may be used to satisfy preparation for the major and general education requirements, if applicable. A minimum of eight upper division units must be completed in residence at San Diego State University, and a proficiency level equal to that of Japanese 411 must be demonstrated.

Foreign Language Requirement for the B.A. Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Students electing the study of Japanese to fulfill the foreign language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts and sciences must successfully complete Japanese 211 or the equivalent level of achievement. The usual sequence of coursework is Japanese 111, 112, and 211. Refer to section of catalog on "Graduation Requirements" for additional ways to satisfy competency.

High School Equivalents

Secondary school language courses can be used as follows:

1. The first two years of high school level language count as the equivalent of the first semester of a college level course, although students with fewer than three years of high school level language may complete the first semester college course for graduation credit.

2. The first three years of high school level language count as the equivalent of the first two college semesters, although students with fewer than four years of high school level language may complete the second semester college course for graduation credit. Students who have completed three years of foreign language in high school will not receive credit for the first semester college course unless at least five years separate the last high school course and the first college course.

3. Four years of high school level language count as the equivalent of three college semesters or five college quarters, thus fulfilling the foreign language requirement.

Courses

Native speakers of Japanese will not receive credit for taking lower division courses except with advance approval from the department.

All lower division courses in Japanese are taught in Japanese.

No credit will be given for lower division courses taken after successfully completing any upper division Japanese course taught in Japanese.

No credit will be given for Japanese 111, 112, 211, 212 taken out of sequence.

Elementary language skills: fundamental grammar, idiomatic expressions, hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji characters. Reading, writing, speaking, oral-aural drills, and relationship between language and culture. Not open to students who have completed three years of high school Japanese unless the third course was completed five or more years ago. (Formerly numbered Japanese 101.)

Prerequisite: Japanese 111.

Continuation of Japanese 111. Preparation for Japanese 211. Not open to students who have completed four years of high school Japanese unless the fourth course was completed five or more years ago. (Formerly numbered Japanese 102 and 202.)

Prerequisite: Japanese 112.

Continuation of Japanese 112. More kanji and grammar. Further development of language competence for advanced courses in Japanese. Preparation for Japanese 212. (Formerly numbered Japanese 201 and 303.)

Prerequisite: Japanese 211.

Strengthening communication skills in Japanese; various literary styles; additional kyoiku kanji. Cultural values shaping modern Japanese society; intercultural communication. Preparation for Japanese 311.

All upper division courses in Japanese are taught in Japanese unless otherwise stated.

No credit will be given for Japanese 311, 312, 411, 412 taken out of sequence.

Prerequisites: Japanese 212 and completion of the General Education requirement in Foundations II.C., Humanities.

Continuation of Japanese 212. Strengthening of communication skills in Japanese; various literary styles; all kyoiku kanji. Cultural values shaping modern Japanese society; intercultural communication. Preparation for Japanese 312.

Prerequisites: Japanese 311 and completion of the General Education requirement in Foundations II.C., Humanities.

Further strengthening of communication skills in Japanese; various literary styles; introduction of chugaku kanji. Social and economic issues in Japan and the U.S.; cultural values shaping business conduct in Japan; characteristics of Japanese management; intercultural communication. Preparation for Japanese 411.

Varieties of Japanese such as broadcasting Japanese, lectures, business negotiations, and ceremonial discourses. Focus on listening comprehension.

Development of advanced conversation skills through understanding and analysis of social and linguistic aspects of modern Japanese drama. Role play, practical vocabulary, and useful expressions; conversation on assigned topics.

Continuation of Japanese 312. Further strengthening of communication skills in Japanese; various literary styles; more chugaku kanji. Social and economic issues in Japan and in the U.S.; cultural values shaping business conduct in Japan; characteristics of Japanese management; intercultural communication. Preparation for Japanese 412.

Continuation of Japanese 411. Further strengthening of communication skills in Japanese; various literary styles; all joyo kanji. Social and economic issues in Japan and the U.S.; cultural values shaping business conduct in Japan; characteristics of Japanese management; intercultural communication.

Japanese literature from earliest times to present. Major works of modern Japanese fiction as a literary genre and their cinematic interpresentation.

Advanced readings in general and specialized texts selected from current newspapers and magazines published in Japan. Discussion of text and development of related compositions.

499. Special Study (1-3) I, II
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Individual study. Maximum credit six units.

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