Japanese Level 4

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of level 3+.

Term duration

10 x 2-hour classes.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students to communicate in a wide range of daily situations and understand Japanese in many practical issues. Students will be given more sophisticated written texts after their abilities of reading and writing are further developed. Cultural awareness and knowledge of Japanese life style will be further developed during the course.

Functions

• Telling how you would like something to be done
• Talking about a hypothetical situations
• Giving requests at beauty salon or barber shop
• Conveying information one has obtained from another source
• How to cope with a situation

Course content

Main topics/themes to be covered:

• Saving money
• Office supplies and tools
• Hair style  
• Protecting the earth
• Ideal partner
• Emergency situations
• Roots of Katakana words
• Onomatopoeia (擬音語・擬態語)
• Discipline
• How to make a formal telephone call
• How to write a formal letter

Linguistic structures/ Phonetics

Irregular rules of the pronunciation of Spoken Japanese.

Grammar

• …するために、…
• …（し）そうだ(conjecture)
• …すぎる
• …やすい / にくい
• …ばあい（場合）は、
• …のに、
• …ところだ
• …はずだ
• …そうだ
• …ようだ (conjecture)
• The Causative form
• Honorific Expressions ( Respectful / Humble/ Polite Expressions)
• 漢字（かんじ）

Learning resources

Books

• Course book: Minna no Nihongo (shokyu 2) (Lesson 42 – Lesson 50)  published by 3A Corporation
• Other material: Minna no Nihongo 2 Translation & Grammatical Notes (Lesson 42 – Lesson 50)  published by 3A Corporation
• Kihon kanji 500 Vol. 2  published by Bonjinsha Co.,Ltd

Useful websites

In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.