Elementary Japanese II

Prerequisite: LAJA 101; or see the "Foreign Language Placement Policy" on the Global Languages and Literatures Department website This course is the second in the three-semester sequence of Japanese language courses. In this course, students will continue strengthening their spoken and written communication skills. By the end of the semester, students will be able to communicate comfortably in a culturally coherent manner with native Japanese speakers, both orally and in written form, in most essential everyday life situations. Focusing on the dynamics of communication across cultures, students will engage in multicultural communication and examine the forces underlying the ways that individuals from other cultures express their ideas in their native language, in comparison with students' own native language. Emphasis will be placed on respecting human similarities and differences, recognizing sociocultural influences on individuals' worldviews, and comprehending the diverse factors that establish and maintain cultural norms, including power, privilege, age, class and gender. Students who wish to continue working towards proficiency should plan to take the next course (LAJA 151) in the sequence. Offered fall and spring semesters.