At the end of the first module, the student will reach a level of basic language proficiency (A1) according to the standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for all four main language skills:
Listening Comprehension - will recognize basic words and expressions that are used regularly, related to oneself, one's family and immediate surroundings when speaking slowly and clearly.
Written Comprehension - will understand words, familiar names and very simple sentences, e.g., short signs, posters and e-mails.
Oral Production - will use simple expressions and phrases to describe where they live, the people they know, and the habits they have.
Written Production - will be able to write short and simple messages in kana. They will know how to write their personal information, e.g., name, nationality and phone number, and their interests.
Course Prerequisites
No previous knowledge of Japanese laguage is required.
Teaching Methods
Lectures on grammar Active writing and translation exercises Oral production and comprehension exercises (Prof. Konno)
Assessment Methods
The examination consists of a written test and an oral test in the same day.
The written test has a maximum score of 30 points and is divided into three parts:
Grammar, vocabulary and characters (10 points) - multiple-choice questions Reading (10 points) - true-false questions Written composition (10 points) - short written essay chosen from those covered during the course
The oral test has a maximum score of 30 points and is administered by Prof. Konno.
The final grade consists of the average of the oral and written scores.
Important: In case of serious failures in the written or oral part (score of 16 or below), the student will be strongly advised to skip the next date and retry at least after four weeks.
Texts
Main textbook: Eri Banno, GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, Japan Times, Third Edition. (Lessons 1-6) Workbook: Eri Banno, GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook, Japan times, Third Edition. (Lessons 1-6) Grammar book: Seiichi Makino, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, Japan Times, 1991.
Contents
Phonetic kana syllabaries and about 60 common kanji.
Basic vocabulary and sentence patterns applied to communicative functions to introduce oneself, express preferences, and describe one's life and typical day. (Lessons 1-6 from Genki 1)
Greetings Numerals Nominal and verbal predicate Interrogative form Basic postpositions (specification, object, place, time) Topic particle and rheme Demonstrative pronouns and adjectives Adjectives and their conjugation Basic verbal conjugation (affirmative, negative, present-future, non-present) Verbs of existence -Te form
Course Language
Italian
More information
Lessons are taught in both Italian and Japanese. The GENKI textbook is written in both English and Japanese.
This course is divided into two modules, Japanese I (second semester) and Japanese II (first semester) of six credits each. There is also an optional third module, Japanese III (second semester, six credits).
Important: Students are required to attend classes regularly and take part in group activities with the Japanese Language Instructor.