Course Outline

JPN210 Intermediate Japanese 1

Course Coordinator:Levi Durbidge (ldurbidge@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

Ready to take your Japanese to the next level? This course is designed for students who already have a solid understanding of the basics of the Japanese language. Through this course, you'll hone your ability to communicate in a diverse array of face-to-face and online environments, preparing you to navigate both formal and informal situations with confidence. As you progress, you'll be learning how to tailor your language learning experience to your unique needs and interests, becoming a more independent and effective communicator. This course allow you to enhance your personal and professional communication ability and contribute to the important global goal of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies (SDG 16)

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Online learning material to be engaged with before workshops 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Scheduled face to face workshops. 1hr Week 1 12 times

Course Topics

  • Intermediate Japanese communication strategies
  • Giving reasons and supporting opinions
  • Navigating formal and informal situations
  • Making requests and suggestions
  • Speculating and showing uncertainty
  • Building connections in Japanese
  • Introduction to Japanese Speech Styles
  • Traveling in Japan

What level is this course?

200 Level (Developing)

Building on and expanding the scope of introductory knowledge and skills, developing breadth or depth and applying knowledge and skills in a new context. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally, undertaken in the second or third full-time year of an undergraduate programs.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Understand and interact with others in a range of everyday contexts Knowledgeable
Empowered
2 Apply a growing understanding of Japanese language, culture and society to appropriately navigate some formal and informal contexts Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Ethical
3 Act as an independent learner to develop competence in areas relevant to language needs. Empowered
Engaged

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

INT121 OR JPN111

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

It is assumed students commence this course with the ability to read and write in hiragana, katakana and around 110 introductory kanji. You should be able to complete basic interactions in Japanese, write simple messages and be able to engage in transactions such as shopping and ordering in a restaurant. You should have an understanding of the main verb conjugations (plain, past, ます、て、ない)

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Weekly quizzes will provide formative feedback on understanding. 

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Oral and Written Piece Individual or Group 40%
Various. See Canvas for details.
Refer to Format Online Submission
All 2 Plan Individual 25%
800 Characters (+/- 10%)
Week 10 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Oral Individual and Group 35%
10 mins
Week 12 To be Negotiated
All - Assessment Task 1:Mastery Tasks
Goal:
These tasks are designed to apply the language skills you are developing, demonstrate your abilities and receive ongoing feedback on your performance. Using a variety of media, language registers and your own creativity, you will complete a series of tasks either individually or in groups throughout the trimester.
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Online in weeks 3,6,9 & 12.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Ability to comprehend instructions and produce appropriate responses
1 2
2
Use Japanese across a variety of modalities and contexts
1 2 3
3
Demonstrate originality and creativity in responses.
3
Generic Skills:
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Independent research assessment
Goal:
Research and develop a plan for a trip to Japan. You will select areas to visit in Japan based on your interests and then research the attractions, accommodation and transportation of the area using Japanese language materials. You will then produce a report that details your plans to travel to and spend time in those areas using the language introduced in the course.
Product: Plan
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Online submission in PDF
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Appropriate use of language functions covered in the course to produce comprehensible output.
1
2
Structure and organization of ideas
2
3
Quality of research
3
4
Creativity and originality in response
3
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Interaction assessment
Goal:
This task will involve interacting in pairs to achieve a specific communicative goal. You will need to draw on the language and abilities your have developed throughout this course in your interactions.
Product: Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Completed in pairs with an instructor present.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Ability to produce and comprehend spoken language and employ repair strategies when comprehension is not achieved
1 2
2
Demonstrate understanding of contextually appropriate language and interaction strategies
1 2
3
Work collaboratively with partner to make meaning and achieve desired communicative outcome
1 2
Generic Skills:
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Required Japan Foundation 2020 Irodori Elementary 1 1 https://www.irodori.jpf.go.jp/en/elementary01/pdf.html

Specific requirements

At this level you are expected to be aware of various Japanese learning resources that you can use to independently develop your knowledge and abilities beyond the core contents of the course. You are also expected to be able to read and type hiragana, katakana as well as around 100 everyday kanji.

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: