Major Learning Outcome 1: Language and Communication
Outcomes:
1.1. Students are able to communicate effectively in Japanese in three modes: interpersonal, interpretive and presentational; and in a culturally appropriate manner in a variety of social and professional settings and circumstances at the Intermediate-High level of language proficiency, according to the ACTFL Guidelines.
1.2. Students gain competency in the Japanese language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse, and compare and analyze the structural differences between Japanese and English.
Courses:
Core Class (Grammar) IIIS:
This core grammar class that I took while I studied abroad in Nagoya, Japan, was the first class I had taken that was completely in Japanese. As such, it pushed me to develop a deeper understanding of the Japanese language not just for the sake of completing homework, but simply to understand what the teacher was saying. Initially I was struggling just keep up with understanding what the teacher was saying, but by the end of the semester, by studying the grammar taught in the class and paying close attention to the teacher whenever she spoke, I was able to not only understand her, but reply as well, creating conversations in Japanese.
JAPN 301: Advanced Japanese Language, Culture & Communication:
This course developed my interpretive skills through reading various articles and papers, in both Japanese and English, and analyzing them in Japanese. The midterm project also developed my presentational skills, requiring me to have an understanding of spoken Japanese versus written Japanese. On top of this, many of the articles we read were in regard to learning a second language and the challenges of structural differences between languages.
Reflective Narrative:
The first major learning outcome for the Japanese major is language and communication. This means being able to communicate efficiently in the target language in multiple settings, while also having a detailed understanding of the inner-workings of the language. Every Japanese language class I have taken have contributed to my fulfillment of this major learning outcome. Each course promoted my understanding of the writing systems (hiragana, katakana, as well as kanji), various grammar points, and the cultural influences on how the language is spoken. One course that specifically helped fulfill this outcome was the Core Class (Grammar) IIIS course I took while studying abroad in Nagoya, Japan. This core class taught many advanced grammar points as well as new kanji. Most importantly, however, this class helped me understand how and when to use what grammar points. Japanese is unique in that there can be multiple grammar forms and words that can be used to mean the same thing. It is important to understand when to use what forms and what words, based on the context. There are forms when speaking to someone important, when speaking with friends, when writing a letter, writing a paper, and so on. The Japanese language courses I had taken up til this point had taught me some of the basics of the language, but this core grammar class was my first in-depth study of these unique aspects of the Japanese language, thereby helping me to fulfill MLO 1.2. This is evident in the paper I wrote for this class, entirely in Japanese, detailing some interesting points about California (see sample 1). This course also helped me fulfill MLO 1.1 in that it was the first course I had taken taught entirely in Japanese. As such, it pushed me to develop a deeper understanding of the Japanese language not just for the sake of completing homework, but simply to understand what the teacher was saying. Initially I was struggling just keep up with understanding what the teacher was saying. By the end of the semester, however, by studying the grammar taught in the class and paying close attention to the teacher whenever she spoke, I was able to understand her as well as reply to her, creating conversations in Japanese.
JAPN 301: Advanced Japanese Language, Culture & Communication was also key to developing my Japanese language skills, in that we were required to read scholarly articles and reflect upon them. We also had to create a presentation for the midterm, in which we explained some aspects of Japanese culture and how it differs from or is similar to that of the U.S., thereby fulfilling MLO 1.2 (see sample 2).
What I learned in these classes lead to my first paper written all in Japanese as well as a presentation about an in depth analysis between Japan's and America's culture. Although the paper appears short, when I wrote the paper it was the longest paper I had yet written in Japanese,
The understanding I garnered from writing this paper all in Japanese, as well as the midterm presentation, helped me in all of my other Japanese language classes, and will help me in writing my Japanese paper and creating my presentation for my Capstone project.
Sample Works:
1.1. Students are able to communicate effectively in Japanese in three modes: interpersonal, interpretive and presentational; and in a culturally appropriate manner in a variety of social and professional settings and circumstances at the Intermediate-High level of language proficiency, according to the ACTFL Guidelines.
1.2. Students gain competency in the Japanese language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse, and compare and analyze the structural differences between Japanese and English.
Courses:
Core Class (Grammar) IIIS:
This core grammar class that I took while I studied abroad in Nagoya, Japan, was the first class I had taken that was completely in Japanese. As such, it pushed me to develop a deeper understanding of the Japanese language not just for the sake of completing homework, but simply to understand what the teacher was saying. Initially I was struggling just keep up with understanding what the teacher was saying, but by the end of the semester, by studying the grammar taught in the class and paying close attention to the teacher whenever she spoke, I was able to not only understand her, but reply as well, creating conversations in Japanese.
JAPN 301: Advanced Japanese Language, Culture & Communication:
This course developed my interpretive skills through reading various articles and papers, in both Japanese and English, and analyzing them in Japanese. The midterm project also developed my presentational skills, requiring me to have an understanding of spoken Japanese versus written Japanese. On top of this, many of the articles we read were in regard to learning a second language and the challenges of structural differences between languages.
Reflective Narrative:
The first major learning outcome for the Japanese major is language and communication. This means being able to communicate efficiently in the target language in multiple settings, while also having a detailed understanding of the inner-workings of the language. Every Japanese language class I have taken have contributed to my fulfillment of this major learning outcome. Each course promoted my understanding of the writing systems (hiragana, katakana, as well as kanji), various grammar points, and the cultural influences on how the language is spoken. One course that specifically helped fulfill this outcome was the Core Class (Grammar) IIIS course I took while studying abroad in Nagoya, Japan. This core class taught many advanced grammar points as well as new kanji. Most importantly, however, this class helped me understand how and when to use what grammar points. Japanese is unique in that there can be multiple grammar forms and words that can be used to mean the same thing. It is important to understand when to use what forms and what words, based on the context. There are forms when speaking to someone important, when speaking with friends, when writing a letter, writing a paper, and so on. The Japanese language courses I had taken up til this point had taught me some of the basics of the language, but this core grammar class was my first in-depth study of these unique aspects of the Japanese language, thereby helping me to fulfill MLO 1.2. This is evident in the paper I wrote for this class, entirely in Japanese, detailing some interesting points about California (see sample 1). This course also helped me fulfill MLO 1.1 in that it was the first course I had taken taught entirely in Japanese. As such, it pushed me to develop a deeper understanding of the Japanese language not just for the sake of completing homework, but simply to understand what the teacher was saying. Initially I was struggling just keep up with understanding what the teacher was saying. By the end of the semester, however, by studying the grammar taught in the class and paying close attention to the teacher whenever she spoke, I was able to understand her as well as reply to her, creating conversations in Japanese.
JAPN 301: Advanced Japanese Language, Culture & Communication was also key to developing my Japanese language skills, in that we were required to read scholarly articles and reflect upon them. We also had to create a presentation for the midterm, in which we explained some aspects of Japanese culture and how it differs from or is similar to that of the U.S., thereby fulfilling MLO 1.2 (see sample 2).
What I learned in these classes lead to my first paper written all in Japanese as well as a presentation about an in depth analysis between Japan's and America's culture. Although the paper appears short, when I wrote the paper it was the longest paper I had yet written in Japanese,
The understanding I garnered from writing this paper all in Japanese, as well as the midterm presentation, helped me in all of my other Japanese language classes, and will help me in writing my Japanese paper and creating my presentation for my Capstone project.
Sample Works:
mlo_1_sample_1_california_paper.pdf | |
File Size: | 82 kb |
File Type: |
mlo_1_sample_2_japn_301_midterm_japanese_myths.pdf | |
File Size: | 255 kb |
File Type: |