This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)

Module JPNS3012: JAPANESE LANGUAGE 4

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Japanese)

JPNS3012: JAPANESE LANGUAGE 4

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	3	40	Available in 2025/2026	None.	Durham

Pre-requisites

Japanese Language 2B (JPNS2012), Japanese Language 2A (JPNS 2161) or equivalent qualification, subject to decision by the module language coordinator.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combinations

Any CFLS-coded Japanese Language modules.

Aims

The focus of this module is proficiency in oral and written Japanese. It aims to develop students' an ability to write and speak correct Japanese in expressing ideas in a broad range of topical issues, explored from different (e.g. historical/ cultural) perspectives context.
To encourage individual talents and proclivities and help students to achieve their maximum potential

Content

Teaching will concentrate on the following:
Use of advanced grammatical constructions and appropriate register forms (e.g. plain, -masu, honorific)
Topic-based discussion and composition related to contemporary Japanese culture and society
Translation Japanese <> English
News and current affairs comprehension (written and audio-visual)
Oral expression
The teaching and resources in this module reflect a commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity. This positions the richness of the Japanese-speaking world at the core of its syllabus’

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

By the end of this module students should gain an understanding of modern Japanese society in a broad historical and cultural context

Subject-specific Skills

By the end of this module the students should be able to demonstrate communicative competence in grammatically correct Japanese with appropriate use register of and the ability to perform contextual and linguistic analyses of original texts.

Key Skills

By the end of this module the students should be able to discuss topical or general issues confidently and fluently in Japanese, to express their own ideas in written form and be able to translate a wide range of original texts into the target language.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Weekly seminars which give students practice in translating, analysing and commenting on Japanese original texts.
Independent learning will be structured around the preparation for seminars and research for the cultural context.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours	Attendance Monitored
Language Classes	80	4 per week	1 hour	80	Yes
Spoken Japanese Practice	20	1 per week	1 hour	20	Yes
Listening Comprehension	20	1 per week	1 hour	20	Yes
Preparation and Reading				280
Total				400

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Length/Duration	Element Weighting
Written Assessment	60%	Continuous assessment of written skills		25%
Written Assessment	60%	Written Exam (in person)	3 hours	75%
Oral Assessment	20%	Continuous assessment of oral skills		25%
Oral Assessment	20%	Oral Exam (in person)	15 minutes	75%
Aural Assessment	20%	Continuous assessment of aural comprehension skills		25%
Aural Assessment	20%	Aural Exam (in person)	1 hour	75%

Formative Assessment

In addition to weekly exercises (kanji & vocabulary), as specified by the teachers, there will also be formative assessments: Listening Comprehension and / or written test(s). These will be recorded.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.