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Cost: £430
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Overview - Japanese (all levels)
These ten-week online evening courses are open to everyone and will help you to communicate effectively in Japanese.
You'll learn Japanese as it's spoken in everyday situations and develop your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
Two-hour classes are held once a week on weekday evenings from 5pm or 7pm, depending on the class/level.
Courses are taught at various levels, from complete beginner to proficiency. You can start at any level (if you meet the entry requirements) and you'll be able to progress to the next level after ten weeks.
These courses are run by the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE).
What you'll learn (by level)
- Levels 1 & 1+ - Beginners Japanese
These courses will help you function at a basic everyday survival level, introducing you to basic vocabulary, grammar and phonetics.
You'll be introduced to various language learning skills, including autonomous learning and how to approach some authentic material.
You will also begin to learn how to read and write Hiragana and Katakana.
On completing both levels you'll be able to communicate in and understand Japanese on a number of practical everyday matters.
Detailed course content can be found on the CLIE website.
- Levels 2 & 2+ - Lower Intermediate Japanese
These courses will give you the opportunity to revise and develop your language skills.
You'll practise reading and writing sentences using kanji.
You'll develop your cultural awareness through topics such as traditional culture and entertainment, positions in society and an exchange of presents in lessons.
You'll also develop your language learning skills, including how to approach authentic material.
On completing both levels you'll be able to communicate in and understand Japanese on many practical everyday matters relating to various aspects of culture.
Detailed course content can be found on the CLIE website.
- Levels 3 & 3+ - Upper Intermediate Japanese
These courses will help you to communicate and interact at an intermediate level and further develop your skills and knowledge of Japanese language and culture.
You'll be given more sophisticated written texts as your reading and writing abilities improve.
You'll further develop your cultural awareness and knowledge of Japanese life style, and learn the meanings of some of famous proverbs.
On completing these two levels you'll be able to to communicate in a wide range of daily situations and understand Japanese in many practical situations.
Detailed course content can be found on the CLIE website.
- Levels 4 & 4+ - Advanced Japanese
These courses will help those with a good knowledge of Japanese to become more fluent in the language.
You'll take part in discussions on a wide range of topics and make use of a large volume of written texts as your reading and writing abilities improve.
You'll further develop your cultural awareness and knowledge of Japanese life style.
On completing these two levels you'll be able to to communicate in a wide range of daily situations and understand Japanese in many practical issues.
Detailed course content can be found on the CLIE website.
- Levels 5 & 5+ - Post Advanced Japanese
These courses will help those with an advanced knowledge of Japanese to become more fluent in the language.
You'll:
- improve your command of topic-related vocabulary and ability to vary your style according to the situation
- take part in discussions on a wide range of topics and make use a large volume of written texts
- review grammar, vocabulary, kanji and idiom (kanyouku)
- further develop your cultural awareness and knowledge of Japanese life style
On completing these two levels you'll be able to use your language skills in a wide variety of situations.
Detailed course content can be found on the CLIE website.
- Proficiency - Japanese
This course is designed for very advanced-level students who want to develop Japanese language proficiency.
The main emphasis will be on conversation and group discussions with the extensive use of authentic materials.
On completing this course you'll be able to use your language skills in social and professional environments.
Detailed course content can be found on the CLIE website.
Full details of the courses syllabi are available on the CLIE website.
Who these courses are for
CLIE language courses are open to everyone aged 18 years and above. Classes are usually made up of a wide range of ages and professions, with various motivations for learning.
Entry requirements
Unless you're a complete beginner, or re-enrolling, you may need to take an assessment so you can join a class at the most appropriate level.
Assessments involve an informal conversation with a tutor and should take no longer than 15 minutes. See the CLIE website for more information.
- Levels 1 & 1+ (beginners) - suitable if you have no previous knowledge of Japanese
- Levels 2 & 2+ (lower intermediate) - suitable if you've studied Japanese before, for instance up to GCSE level, and have some knowledge of the main present and past tenses
- Levels 3 & 3+ (upper intermediate) - suitable if you have a good basic knowledge of Japanese or have studied it at A level some years ago. You should be able to give instructions and describe events, talk about the future and have a basic knowledge of the conditional and subjunctive
- Levels 4 & 4+ (advanced) - suitable if you have a good command of Japanese and its main grammatical structures or have recently achieved a good grade at A level
- Levels 5 & 5+ (post-advanced) - suitable if you're able to use Japanese with a high degree of fluency and accuracy
- Proficiency - suitable if you're able to use Japanese fluently and accurately
Self-Access Centre and online resources
While enrolled on a CLIE evening course, you'll be able to use the Self-Access Centre, where you can access books, films, documentaries, course videos and audio recordings in a wide variety of languages.
You'll also have access to a range of online resources (e.g. lectures, films, TV documentaries) to help you practise your listening and oral comprehension skills at home.
Technical requirements
While these courses are being run online, you'll need a:
- laptop or PC
- headset (recommended) or speakers and a microphone
- webcam
- modern browser, upgraded to the latest version (Chrome recommended)
- fast internet connection (we recommend speeds of at least 5 Mbps)
Dates and enrolment periods
Classes are held once a week on a weekday evening from 5pm to 7pm or 7pm to 9pm, depending on the class/level. You can see the available days and times for different classes when you enrol.
The 10-week courses will run from:
- 9 October to 14 December 2023 (term 1)
- 15 January to 21 March 2024 (term 2)
- 22 April to 37 June 2024 (term 3)
Cost and concessions
The standard fees for external students are:
- one term (10 lessons) - £430
- two terms (20 lessons) - £735
- three terms (30 lessons) - £965
Discounts are available for UCL and University of London (UoL) staff, students and alumni.
Detailed fees information is available on the CLIE website.
CPD accreditation and certificates
This course has been accredited by The CPD Certification Service.
You can request a UCL certificate of attendance on completing at least 70% of the course.
If you're a UCL undergraduate student and complete at least 70% of the course, a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) can be included in your examination transcript.
Further information
For more detailed information about our language classes, visit the CLIE website.
Course team
Our language teachers
Language teachers at UCL Centre for Languages & International Education are either native speakers, or have native fluency in the languages they teach. They're highly qualified and popular with their students, creating a friendly, stimulating environment for language learning.
"UCL's evening language courses are a great way to brush up on your language skills. The classes are small and lively, with plenty of opportunities to practise speaking and listening."
"Classes are fast-paced, friendly and fun and I'm thrilled with how much they've helped me to progress."
"You are challenged but always encouraged and never made to feel foolish."
"The customs and cultural aspects of a language are useful and interesting to learn about, and something that is difficult to pick up from self-study, online courses, etc."
"The course is more like a place to have fun without any pressures of exams or assessments. Since it is not the aim to pass certain tests, everyone is free to ask any question, have casual conversations and learn what is really useful for real life!"
"Motivating and encouraging teachers; interactive and engaging lessons; emphasis on communication and on the practical use of language. Language classes at CLIE are excellent!"
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Course information last modified: 14 Aug 2023, 16:59