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Ursinus College offers a full four-year curriculum in the Japanese language, along with courses on Japanese history, society, and culture. The Japanese language curriculum is designed to develop the five language skills—speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. Students of the Japanese language are encouraged to consider majoring or minoring in East Asian Studies and/or such departments as History and International Relations. Students may also pursue a student-initiated major that includes the study of Japanese. In all courses, students work with authentic materials and teaching assistants who are native speakers. Ursinus offers carefully selected study abroad opportunities for summer, semester, and full-year programs, and is one of three institutions in Pennsylvania to offer a teacher certification program in Japanese.
Requirements for Minors
A minor in Japanese consists of 20 semester hours, including JPN-211, 212, eight additional credits at the 300-level, and one of the following: EAS-224, 299 (when topic is on Japan), 314; HIST-151, 254, 352, 354, or another non-language course on Japan as approved by the Modern Languages chair in consultation with Japanese-language faculty.
Secondary School Certification
Students planning to obtain certification for secondary-school teaching in Japanese are required to take the following courses: JPN-211, 212, 301, 328; ENGL-224; HIST-151 or POL-346; and EAS-299, 314, or 401. In addition to the course requirements, students are required to pass a qualifying examination before they will be admitted to candidacy for certification and a competency examination before being certified.
These tests will examine students’ linguistic competence, orally and in writing, testing phonetics, conversation, grammar and composition. The exit exam will also check their knowledge of Japanese literature and culture, including the arts, history and geography. Students and their advisers should consult the Ursinus College Education Department. Language majors and students preparing for certification are required to supplement their work at Ursinus by spending a summer, a semester or an entire year in a foreign country with a program approved by the department. Exceptions to this policy may be made by petition to the department chair.
Courses
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JPN-101. Elementary Japanese I
An introduction to the Japanese language. The course is designed to introduce the student to the basic rules of spoken and written Japanese while providing basic communicative skills. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)
JPN-102. Elementary Japanese II
Continuation of JPN-101. The focus is placed on situation-sensitive language use and the systematic introduction of basic grammar and sentence patterns. Basic kanji characters are introduced. Prerequisite: JPN-101 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)
JPN-111. Advanced Elementary Japanese I
Continued introduction of the fundamental structures of spoken and written Japanese. Development of interpersonal communication skills beyond the functional level. Prerequisite: JPN-102 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)
JPN-112. Advanced Elementary Japanese II
Continuation of JPN-111. Development of more sophisticated structures and patterns, moving towards conversational fluency. Continued study of reading and writing, with knowledge of 200-300 kanji characters by end of course. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)
JPN-211. Intermediate Japanese I
Review of basic structures combined with further enhancement of oral and written communication skills. Continued expansion of knowledge of kanji characters, plus development of ability to handle complicated situations. Prerequisite: JPN-112 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (H, L.)
JPN-212. Intermediate Japanese II
Continuation of JPN-211. Completion of study of fundamentals of Japanese language. Development of ability to read and discuss authentic texts, and to handle a wide range of conversational situations. Prerequisite: JPN-211 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (H, L.)
JPN-311. Advanced Japanese I
Study of complex linguistic structures in the context of the development of an analytical understanding of the Japanese language. Reading and viewing of advanced-level authentic materials in written and video texts, with an emphasis on a nuanced understanding and an ability to discuss and write about the texts in depth. Three hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Prerequisite: JPN-212 or equivalent. Four semester hours. (H, L.)
JPN-312. Advanced Japanese II
Continuation of JPN-311. Upon completion of this course, students should have developed the resources to handle virtually any conversational situation or modern text. Three class hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (H, L.)
JPN-328. Advanced Japanese Grammar
In-depth study of Japanese phonetics, morphology and syntax with special emphasis on the problems related to the teaching of the language. Prerequisite: JPN-312 or permission of the instructor. Four hours per week. Four semester hours. (H, L.)
JPN 335. Independent Study in Japanese
Individual study of topics in Japanese literature, society or culture. Prerequisite: JPN-312 and permission of the instructor. Two to four semester hours. (XLP, if 4 credits.)
JPN-381. Internship
An academic work/experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Open to juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), B (winter), C (spring), or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter I. The intern must complete a minimum of 120 hours of work. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: Four courses in Japanese and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Three semester hours. (XLP.)
JPN-382. Internship
An academic work/experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Open to juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), B (winter), C (spring), or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter I. The intern must complete a minimum of 160 hours of work. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: Four courses in Japanese and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
JPN-491. Research/Independent Work
This course is open to candidates for departmental honors and to other students with the permission of the department chair. This course does not satisfy the College requirement of a capstone experience. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
JPN-492W. Research/Independent Work
A continuation of JPN-491. This is a writing intensive course and at least one formal oral presentation is required. This course satisfies the College requirement of a capstone experience. Prerequisites: JPN-491 and permission of the department chair. MCS-102 is strongly recommended. Four semester hours. (XLP.)