Japanese: Elementary - Consolidation



Overview

This 10-week consolidation course is based on the syllabus of the previous two terms ( most recently Japanese: Beginners - Part 2 ) and is primarily tailored to meet the needs of students who completed the weekly class, but new students who are at the appropriate level of proficiency are also welcome. Students who missed some classes during the first two terms and wish to catch up for the next level up in the next academic year are encouraged to join.

The class activities will focus on listening, speaking and the exploration of culture; and students will be encouraged to practise reading and writing skills in their own time. There will be plenty of opportunities to interact in the target language, leading to the development of the four language skills as well as learning basic grammar structures.

Programme details

Course begins: 22 April 2025

Week 1: Kanji; reading and writing ideograph characters.

Week 2: Describing people and things.  

Week 3: Revising basic greetings for visiting people and receiving hospitality.

Week 4: Social etiquette and commenting on someone’s possessions.

Week 5: Attending a Japanese festival.

Week 6: Expressing own thoughts about experiences.

Week 7: Invitations and arranging to meet. 

Week 8: Offering help/accepting or rejecting someone’s offer.

Week 9: The KANSAI-dialect (around the Osaka area)

Week 10: Class choice: revision, video clip, language game, etc.

Background Reading

No Course book required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor. 

Certification

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add your badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £275.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Ms Rie Wakayama

An Oxford local, Rie is a qualified and very experienced Japanese language teacher. She has taught Japanese to adults for many years and also GCSE and A-Level syllabuses to children at local private schools. In her spare time, Rie loves Japanese cooking.

Course aims

  • Consolidate what has been learnt throughout the first two terms, and
  • Revise more challenging aspects of the language that are appropriate for level

Course Objectives:

  • To develop the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing for simple interaction in French
  • To equip students with basic information about the culture and daily life of the French-speaking countries
  • To familiarise students with basic vocabulary and grammar structures to understand simple short texts

Teaching methods

You will learn through a communicative teaching approach with the emphasis on actively engaging in classroom activities in the target language. These are likely to include role-plays, pair- and small group-work, and conversational practice conducted in a supportive, friendly and informal learning environment.

The course has been structured to help you primarily to develop your speaking and listening skills and to gradually gain an insight into the culture and daily life of your target language. You will also learn and practise new grammatical structures in a communicative context and will be encouraged to develop your reading and writing skills in your own time.

Learning outcomes

The following are brief indicators of what students should be able to do in each of the skills

Speaking (S), Listening (L), Reading (R), and Writing (W) by the end of the individual stages:

STAGE 1

S Participate in simple everyday conversation made up of familiar language

L Understand simple messages and conversations

R Obtain specific information from simple written texts

W Produce simple short texts using limited structures and vocabulary items

Assessment methods

You will be set short, optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an application form.

Level and demands

Find your language level

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support