This course is an introductory, skills-oriented course in Japanese. The primary goal is communicative fluency in a limited variety of situations in Japanese. In this course, you will learn greetings, self-introduction, describing things and people, describing and commenting on places, and talking about daily routine. You will learn by using Wimba Voice Tools (introduced and explained as we go through lessons) and various types of online materials. I have a strong belief in the communicative approach in language learning. Therefore, you will actually speak to me and to classmates with the help of technology. As one of my colleagues love to say, this is not your grandmother's online course!! My hope is that your class will become a collaborative learning community where learners work together and help each other, rather than working in isolation. 

Also, it has been apparent during my years of teaching that a student's success in learning Japanese is mostly determined by class attendance, participation and diligence in completing the assignments in a timely manner. Language learning is like preparing for a marathon. To be able to go the distance, an athlete has to go through a cumulative and often repetitive process over a period of time. Learning Japanese is a similar process. It requires at least half an hour of listening/speaking out loud with the CD/sound files everyday, and 2-3 hours of total preparation will be required for each week. "Cramming" right before the test will definitely not work here. Please make Japanese a part of your daily routine. It is not an easy path, but if you decide to choose to take this journey, I will try my best to help you want to learn more. I promise you that you will be rewarded very nicely if you put forth some effort in this class. After all, language is one of the most powerful tools you can acquire.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to;

1. Understand short, learned utterances, and occasionally sentence-length utterances where context is clear. Comprehension is limited to vocabulary and some simple questions/statements related to everyday events, such as greetings, introductions, descriptions of rooms/housing, campus/towns, and daily schedule/activities.
   
   
2. Make short statements and ask simple questions, primarily by relying on memorized utterances and set phrases. Occasionally, expand to sentence-level production to accomplish tasks in contexts similar to those stated above. Ask for meanings of unknown words in Japanese and expand their vocabulary.
   
   
3. Understand written materials in hiragana and katakana. Comprehension is limited to vocabulary and some simple questions/statements related to contexts similar to the aforementioned contexts. Occasionally comprehend some unfamiliar materials in which the context is clear.
   
   
4. Write short phrases and sentences in hiragana and katakana with accuracy. Write self-introductions and compose simple memos.

The required textbooks and materials for this course are:

• Nakama 1, Makino,
  Seiichi, Hatasa, Yukiko and Hatasa, Kazumi. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
  Company, 1998.
  
  
  
• Audio
  cassette tape or CDs to accompany Nakama 1. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
  Company, 1998.
  
  
  
• Nakama 1, Workbook/Laboratory Manual. Hatasa, Yukiko and Hatasa,
  Kazumi. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
  
  
  
• Cassette or CD Program to accompany Nakama 1, Workbook/Laboratory
  Manual. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.

For information on how to order your textbooks, go to http://eli.nvcc.edu/books/

Your course grade will be determined by your performance on the following requirements:

Your final grade will be based on the following scale. Please note that you must also pass at least 60 % of the Final Exam in order to pass the course, regardless of your scores on the other assignments.

There are 2 online exams in this course. You are expected to take your examinations at one of the NVCC campus Testing Centers. Be sure to allow enough time to complete your exam before the Testing Center closes; Testing Centers have specific policies relating to the administration of ELI exams. You will need to take a photo ID, your NovaConnect empl ID number, and the appropriate Exam Pass when you go to the Testing Center.  

For Testing Center locations, hours of operation and policies, click here.

For information on taking exams outside of the metropolitan area, click here.

We arehere to help you succeed in this course. Occasionally questions or problems may arise. Here is how to contact us when they do:

E-mail : tshigehisa@nvcc.edu
Telephone : 703-933-3971
You may also call me to schedule a meeting in person, either at ELI or my campus office in Woodbridge. 

1. Use your web browser to connect to http://www.nvcc.edu/bbstart. Follow the directions to determine your email, Blackboard and VIVA account user names and passwords.
2. Access your email account and make sure you know how to use it; you will be required to use this account for all course-related email.
3. Log on to Blackboard at http://learn.vccs.edu.
4. Click on this course under "My Courses." Review the entire course to make sure you understand what will be required of you. Then start completing the assignments.

Please note that account generation takes approximately one week from the time of your paid registration. If you cannot log on after one week, contact the IT Help Desk. If you can log on to Blackboard, but your course isn't listed, please contact ELI or your instructor.