Module JPNS2012: Japanese Language 2B

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Japanese)

JPNS2012: Japanese Language 2B

Prerequisites

• Japanese Language 1B (JPNS1012) or equivalent qualification, subject to decision by the module's language coordinator.

Corequisites

• At least one additional level 2 module with a JPNS prefix.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• Japanese Language 2A

Aims

• To build on the knowledge and skills acquired in at Level 1
• To consolidate and develop comprehensive linguistic and communicative competence across mediation, reading, writing, listening, and speaking
• To develop an understanding of the grammatical system and the ability to use grammatical structures and vocabulary appropriate to this level
• To deepen awareness of the culture(s) of the target language, in order to support their study and to prepare them for their Year Abroad.
• To develop metalinguistic competence, independent learning strategies and digital literacy.

Content

• A review of key grammatical structures and functions appropriate to this level
• Translation from Japanese into English, with a focus on reading comprehension, and translation from English into Japanese, with a focus on written composition. This includes the development of translation skills through comparative analysis of Japanese and English syntax, idiomatic expressions and register, with careful attention to cultural and contextual appropriateness.
• A broad range of communicative tasks involving written, spoken, and audiovisual material designed to develop expression in the target language and transferable skills.
• Activities focussed on intercultural communication, cultural diversity, digital literacy, and the use of AI tools for language learning.
• Practical preparation for the year abroad.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module, students should have:
• Extended their basic vocabulary to a level commensurate with Level 2 study and completed the process of familiarisation with more complex grammatical structures, extended their knowledge of kanji, and become exposed to a greater diversity of registers, including honorific and plain forms, and text-types.
• Developed practical knowledge relevant to real-life contexts, including preparation for the year abroad.

• By the end of this module, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate skills in translation (from Japanese into English and English into Japanese), through producing more sophisticated spoken and written Japanese, and through processing aural and visual material in the target language.
• Use digital tools, including AI-assisted resources, to support language learning, translation, and self-correction.

• By the end of this module, students will have developed:
• The ability to work independently within a prescribed framework and across a range of differentiated tasks.
• The ability to present a clear argument in the target language in both oral and written form.
• Employability skills, including intercultural competence, digital literacy, and adaptability.

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

• This module is delivered through seminar-style classes and lab sessions.
• A grammar lecture provides the foundation for a series of skills-based sessions, including small-group oral classes, each focusing on one or more of the four key skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
• Classes will facilitate active learning and will allow students to develop their familiarity with a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary and to use these appropriately across a range of contexts, and will enable engagement with a broad variety of cultural artifacts. In-year formative and summative assessment, devised to monitor and support learning, will prepare students for the final examinations.
• The end-of-year written and oral examinations should take place in person, on campus.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Regular homework and assignments will be given to enable students to practise and consolidate what they have learned in class, as well as to prepare for the following session. Tasks may incorporate the use of AI tools, the consideration of intercultural issues, and engagement with academic content relevant to communication in Japanese. Formative feedback will be a combination of self- assessment, peer feedback, oral and written tutor feedback.

■ 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.