This accelerated introductory course to the Japanese language will include the prescribed learning outcomes for Japanese 9 and 10 in one semester.  Students will be introduced to the foundations of Japanese writing (hiragana and katakana alphabets), reading, listening and speaking skills through a variety of activities which showcase Japanese cultural festivals and celebrations. Along with learning grammar, common expressions, interesting Japanese customs and traditions, students will have many opportunities to demonstrate their appreciation and understanding of Japanese language and culture through course assignments such as New Year’s greeting cards, Japanese games, anime comic strips and powerpoint projects.  Students may also participate in many cultural celebrations throughout the year such as Japanese Children’s Day, New Year’s celebrations, haiku and anime poster contests, Night Market and meeting Japanese high school students on their annual visit to Riverside.

 Japanese 11

This course continues with the study of Japanese language and culture through cultural activities.  Students will learn some Chinese kanji characters.  Students will have opportunities to demonstrate a deeper appreciation and knowledge of the language through a series of engaging  projects , television commercials, skits and other oral presentations.  Students will be able to practice and improve written and conversational fluency through participation in and planning of many annual cultural celebrations such as Japanese New Year’s, Children’s Day, Night Market, haiku and anime poster contests, and annual visits from Japanese high school students.  

Japanese 12

Japanese 12 will strengthen reading and writing skills in   Japanese by using hiragana, katakana and kanji characters to create original poetry, compositions, letters, dialogue scripts, tour pamphlets, etc. Conversation fluency and communication skills will be demonstrated through practical assignments which will allow students to express their interests in Japanese classical and pop culture, technology, music, movies, anime , etc.  Students will have many opportunities to participate in and organize annual cultural events such as Japanese New Year’s celebrations, Night Market, haiku and anime poster contests, and preparing presentations for visiting Japanese high school students.  Keen students may be eligible to participate in the annual Japanese speech contest sponsored by the Japanese consulate.  There is an optional provincial exam for this course.