Japanese is the national language of Japan, a nation that is not only one of Australia's major trading partners, but is also a country with which many young Australians have deep personal ties. Japanese is the most popular foreign language in Australian schools and universities and the depth of the ties between Australia and Japan mean that knowledge of the language will be a valuable asset for many years to come. Studying Japanese as a minor can have many linguistic and cultural benefits that reach well beyond the classroom.
Students in this minor can spend time studying at one of the twenty-plus tertiary institutions in Japan with which the ANU has ties. This can be done either through intensive in-country study in the summer break, or through the Semester in Japan program. Competitive scholarships are available to qualified students.
Learning Outcomes
- Express themselves confidently both verbally and in writing in modern Japanese in a variety of settings,
- Demonstrate independent reading and listening skills to engage with real-world materials in Japanese
- Demonstrate the appropriate linguistic skills to respond spontaneously in both speaking and writing to contemporary issues, and to state opinions,
- Engage with authentic media such as television news broadcasts, movies, and magazines,
- Confidently use polite, neutral or informal registers, appropriate to the genre and the audience, and
- Demonstrate an understanding of socio-cultural issues in past and present Japanese society, including such topics as social structures, traditional arts and crafts, and everyday life
Other Information
Students with previous “language experience or exposure” are required to take a language proficiency assessment to ensure enrolment at the most appropriate level.
Relevant past experience includes:
- Previous study of the language (both formal and informal, for example, but not limited to, at school, or, home, or through online activities, etc.)
- Being exposed to the language in childhood via a family member or friend
- Travel or living in a country where the language is spoken
- The language being spoken in your home (even if you do not speak it yourself)
Students who are not sure if they need to take a proficiency assessment should seek advice from the course or language convenor.
Students who intentionally misrepresent their language proficiency level may be investigated under the Academic Integrity Rule 2021 as having failed to comply with assessment directions and having sought unfair advantage. This may result in a penalty such as reduced grades or failure of the course.
Students are not permitted to enrol in a language course below one that they have already successfully completed, except with permission of the language and/or course convenor.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This minor requires the completion of 24 units, which must include:
24 units from completion of courses in the following list:
JPNS1012 Japanese 1: Spoken
JPNS1014 Japanese 1: Written
JPNS2003 Japanese 2: Spoken
JPNS2005 Japanese 2: Written
JPNS3201 Japanese 3
JPNS3202 Japanese 4
JPNS3203 Japanese 5
JPNS3204 Japanese 6
JPNS2024 Japanese Grammar and Expressions
JPNS3005 Advanced Japanese: Issues in Contemporary Japan
JPNS3006 Advanced Japanese: Language in Context
JPNS3007 Advanced Japanese: Readings in Culture and Society
JPNS3008 Advanced Japanese: Readings in Literature
JPNS3012 Teaching Japanese: Content
JPNS3013 Japanese - English Translation
JPNS3014 Teaching Japanese: Method
JPNS3023 Research Topics in Japanese: History & Society
JPNS3102 Debating Japan: Contemporary Intellectual Debates
ASIA3525 Learning Language Locally (6 - 12 units)
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