Offered: Full Year
Prerequisite: None for this course

This is an introductory course in Japanese and is intended for students who have no previous study of Japanese.  In this course, initial lessons introduce the Japanese writing system – the phonetic Hiragana and Katakana and the character-based Kanji.  The content of the course includes pronunciation, speaking skills, listening practice, and reading and writing.  Upon completion of this course, students should have acquired essential grammar, a basic vocabulary, Hiragana/ Katakana and 35 basic Kanji and be able to communicate in everyday simple and practical situations.  The focus is on situations directly related to the student’s activities and surrounding environment.