Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Tokyo offers a unique opportunity for international students to learn Japanese through its Global Unit Courses (GUC). The program is designed for learners at six different levels, from absolute beginners to advanced learners.

Course Details

The course GUC25S312JL | Level 1 Further Steps (Lower Elementary Level) is a 5-day online course that emphasizes oral communication. The course is tailored for beginners and focuses on introducing simple expressions, with explanations about language structures provided to allow students to expand and customize their expressions.

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide elementary level international students with useful Japanese phrases and vocabulary necessary to deal with communication in daily life. Students who successfully complete this course will improve their knowledge and ability in the following areas:

• Useful vocabulary
• Expressions for asking questions and seeking support
• Detailed expressions for describing objects
• Closing the distance with others through high-context interactions, which are preferred in Japanese

Course Schedule

The course consists of five sessions:

1. Talking about your hobby

• Items: Verb sentences (1)

2. Explaining special food from one's home country

• Items: Interrogative words, particle 'tte'

3. Asking for help in various situations

• Items: Adjectives, '-n des kedo' as an indirect request expression

4. Asking for recommendations with detailed requests

• Items: 'no' as a pronoun, '-node', complex predicate with 'ga,' etc.

5. Inviting a friend to an event

• Items: Verb sentences (2), '-tte shitte mas ka?'

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria for the course are as follows:

• Excellent (S) 90-100
• Very good (A) 80-89
• Good (B) 70-79
• Pass (C) 60-69
• Fail (D) 0-59

Evaluation Methods

The evaluation methods for the course are:

• Attendance and Participation 60%
• Assignments 40%

Prerequisites

The prerequisites for the course are:

• Only students who are registered for one of the non-language GUC courses are allowed to apply
• This course is suitable for elementary level learners who have been judged to be "Level 1 Lower Elementary" or above in the level check test
• The ability to read Hiragana and Katakana is not required at the time of application, but it is necessary for reading textbooks and materials written on the board

Course Materials

The required readings for the course are the Center's original materials. Reference readings will be offered in the class.

Notes on Taking the Course

The pre-assessment of the applicant's Japanese language learning background may lead to a suggestion that the applicant enroll in a course at a different level than initially desired. Students are required to complete a worksheet provided every day (1-2 pages) and are expected to spend about one hour every day reviewing the day's lesson.