Go Forward

The curriculum presented here applies to students enrolled before the 2022 academic year.

 The School of Global Japanese Studies (SGJS) offers eight levels of Japanese courses from introductory Japanese to upper-advanced level. Our goal is not only to facilitate the acquiring language knowledge such as grammar and vocabulary, but also developing the ability to perform tasks through project work using Japanese that has been learned at each level. Students also develop the ability to observe and evaluate society by accessing a variety of resources. They deepen their understanding of Japanese society and culture by comparing the information with that of other countries. The product of the project work will be presented as a presentation, a poster, and a short report in Japanese.

Japanese education suitable for students' level

  SGJS's Japanese program provides Japanese language education that suits students’ level of Japanese. Even students who have never learned Japanese before arriving in Japan can aim at achieving the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 level after four years of studying Japanese.* Students who have a prior knowledge of Japanese can focus on performing academic tasks using advanced level Japanese.

* 80% of students pass the JLPT N1 level after completion of the courses.

Course details

  There are eight levels of Japanese courses at the SGJS from introductory Japanese to upper-advanced Japanese, as shown on the table. Each level consists of “General course” and ”Vocabulary and Kanji course” from levels 1 to 6. The general course is offered three times a week and aims to develop a comprehensive Japanese ability, combining language knowledge and skills. The vocabulary and kanji course is offered once a week and focuses on learning the vocabulary and kanji for each level. Level 7 consists of “Reading”, “Listening”, “Writing”, and “Speaking” classes and each class is offered once a week. Furthermore, there are two upper-advanced classes at level 8. They are “Integrated Japanese” and “Introduction to Advanced Academic Japanese” and these are offered once a week. Students use four different skills obtained at level 7 and apply them in the integrated Japanese class. The introduction to Advanced Academic Japanese aims to develop more specialized Japanese knowledge and skills.  
   You can receive three credits from the general course, level 1 to level 6, and one credit from the remaining courses and classes. In addition, the class level will be determined by a placement test (written examination and interview) for new students and results of the previous semester for continuing students.

Importance of taking Japanese courses

   Japanese language ability is needed not only for living in Japan and studying at university but also for seeking employment in Japan after graduation. Japanese language courses are not mandatory for English Track students, but we strongly recommend taking Japanese courses in order to live in Japan, to learn many things, and to increase options for your future, such as seeking employment, entering a graduate school, and so on.

Japanese Proficiency Levels

   Course names, Japanese proficiency levels, number of kanji, and equivalent JLPT levels after taking each course are shown in the table below.

Class level  
Proficiency in Japanese
 
JLPT Class JLPT
Level 8
Upper-advanced Japanese
 Can understand academic lectures or specialized books about various topics such as politics, economy, society, culture, and philosophy. Can discuss, make a presentation and write a report about a similar theme, using four skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) appropriately. (Over 2000 Kanji)    
Level 7
Advanced Japanese
 Can understand academic and current topics such as documentaries, newspapers and articles. Can make an academic presentation based on an interview or survey and then write a logical report in appropriate academic format. (About 2000 Kanji)   N1
Level 6
Pre-advanced Japanese
 Can understand opinions or claims of academic or current topics. Can discuss or make a presentation about a similar theme. Can also collect and arrange information and then write a short report showing student’s own opinions and claims. (About 1500 Kanji) JLPT
Preparation
(Advanced)
Level 5
Upper-intermediate Japanese
 Can understand most topics about social or cultural themes, including abstract matters and can discuss or make a presentation about a similar theme. Can also collect, compare, and organize information into a simple report or a presentation. (About 1200 Kanji) JLPT
Preparation
(Intermediate)
N2
Level 4
Intermediate Japanese
 Can talk or make a formal speech about familiar topics using appropriate language that matches the situation and the person you are talking to. Can make an outline of a text, and write a short explanation, as well as express personal opinions. (About 1000 Kanji)
Level 3
Pre-intermediate Japanese
 Can understand topics about daily scene and situation. Can read and write a short text taking note of the situation, the person you are talking to, and differences between written and spoken language. (About 700 Kanji)   N3
Level 2
Elementary Japanese
 Can understand most daily conversations and simple texts. Can explain or write a short composition about familiar topics, such as family and hometown. (About 500 Kanji)   N4
Level 1
Introductory Japanese
 Can understand simple instructions and conversations. Can speak and write about familiar or personal topics in simple Japanese. (About 200 Kanji, All Hiragana & Katakana)   N5