JAPN 402: Japanese Literature
MLO 1 & 2: Language and Culture courses taught in Japanese
Course Description:
This course aims to develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by authors of the modern period. Taught in Japanese.
Reflective Narrative:
In JAPN 402: Japanese Literature, we discussed numerous Japanese authors, primarily from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and analyzed some of their more significant works. We covered haiku, poems, as well as short stories. As we began studying each author, we first looked at who that author was, what some of their more famous works were, and what types of works they wrote. Then we read and analyzed one or two of their works.
As well as analyzing these works, we also learned how to write our own works. First we learned how to write haiku, following the 5-7-5 syllable style. We then learned how to write Japanese style poems. Finally, after reading and analyzing a few short stories, we learned to write our own short stories, following the format of some of the stories we read. The final project for this class was to read a Japanese story by ourselves, analyze it, and write a report on the story and its author. We then proceeded to create a presentation to explain to the class about the author and the story we read.
This class helped my understanding of Japanese culture and language on a number of levels. First, the Japanese language has a number of different styles in which it can be written and spoken. We have studied some of the basic patterns, but Japanese literature often uses various written patterns, as well as different dialects based on era or region, requiring us to develop a deeper understanding of how Japanese is written and how to analyze it.
Second, analyzing important literature illuminated various aspects of Japanese culture and values. Based on the topics of the poems and stories, as well as the author’s opinion on topic reflected through their works provides readers with a perspective through which they can better understand Japan as it was during that author’s lifetime.
Finally, by reading, analyzing, and reporting on a Japanese story by ourselves, we were required to use all of our knowledge of the Japanese language and Japan’s culture. For myself, I read Miyazawa Kenji’s short story The Nighthawk’s Star, and presented about Miyazawa and his life, summarized the story, explained what the theme of the story was, and related the story to my own life. In doing so, I feel that my understanding of Japanese language and culture expanded dramatically.
Course Description:
This course aims to develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by authors of the modern period. Taught in Japanese.
Reflective Narrative:
In JAPN 402: Japanese Literature, we discussed numerous Japanese authors, primarily from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and analyzed some of their more significant works. We covered haiku, poems, as well as short stories. As we began studying each author, we first looked at who that author was, what some of their more famous works were, and what types of works they wrote. Then we read and analyzed one or two of their works.
As well as analyzing these works, we also learned how to write our own works. First we learned how to write haiku, following the 5-7-5 syllable style. We then learned how to write Japanese style poems. Finally, after reading and analyzing a few short stories, we learned to write our own short stories, following the format of some of the stories we read. The final project for this class was to read a Japanese story by ourselves, analyze it, and write a report on the story and its author. We then proceeded to create a presentation to explain to the class about the author and the story we read.
This class helped my understanding of Japanese culture and language on a number of levels. First, the Japanese language has a number of different styles in which it can be written and spoken. We have studied some of the basic patterns, but Japanese literature often uses various written patterns, as well as different dialects based on era or region, requiring us to develop a deeper understanding of how Japanese is written and how to analyze it.
Second, analyzing important literature illuminated various aspects of Japanese culture and values. Based on the topics of the poems and stories, as well as the author’s opinion on topic reflected through their works provides readers with a perspective through which they can better understand Japan as it was during that author’s lifetime.
Finally, by reading, analyzing, and reporting on a Japanese story by ourselves, we were required to use all of our knowledge of the Japanese language and Japan’s culture. For myself, I read Miyazawa Kenji’s short story The Nighthawk’s Star, and presented about Miyazawa and his life, summarized the story, explained what the theme of the story was, and related the story to my own life. In doing so, I feel that my understanding of Japanese language and culture expanded dramatically.
Evidence:
japn_402_japanese_lit__essay.pdf | |
File Size: | 37 kb |
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japn_402_japanese_lit_book_report.pdf | |
File Size: | 54 kb |
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