EAS120Y1Y/EAS1301Y1Y Modern Standard Japanese I: Syllabus (2020-2021)

Objectives of the Course

This course is designed for those with no or very limited Japanese language background. The course aims to develop your basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as to provide relevant cultural information. By the end of this course, you should expect to be able to:

• understand the general features of Japanese
• understand and use basic grammar patterns and expressions
• read and write 175 kanji
• understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of concrete type (e.g., communication at stores, post offices, and stations)
• introduce yourself and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where she/he lives, people you know, and things you have
• interact in a simple way on familiar topics (e.g., hobbies, food, weekend plans)
• understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of the most immediate relevance (e.g., very basic personal and family information, shopping, walking directions, announcements, local geography, employment)
• communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters (e.g., meeting schedules, simple emails)
• describe in simple terms aspects of your background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need (e.g., short entries in a diary, short sentences for post cards)

The course will be conducted in an interactive manner; students are encouraged to interact with both the instructor/teaching assistants and their peers in Japanese in the class. Active participation in class is strongly encouraged. This course is not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Teaching Staff

Instructor: TOMITA, Yasuyo （富(とみ)田(た)　恭代(やすよ)）

Office: Room 14233, Robarts Library 14th Floor

E-mail Address: yasuyo.tomita@utoronto.ca (for personal or urgent matters only; I respond 8am-5pm on weekdays)

Office Hours: 2pm- 3pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, or by appointment

Course Website: Quercus, University of Toronto
It is your responsibility to check the information on Quercus every day. Important announcements on the course will be posted there and/or directly e-mailed to your “utoronto” e-mail address.

Teaching Staff:   

• Ikuko Komuro-Lee (ikuko.komuro.lee@utoronto.ca),
• Yukiko Yoshizumi (yukiko.yoshizumi@utoronto.ca), TBA

Teaching Assistants:

• Natasha Anita
• Edwin Michielsen
• Zachery Nelson

Class Timetable & Locations

Textbook and Other Materials

A) Mandatory Materials

You must purchase both the textbook (third edition) and workbook (third edition). The usage of any copies violating copyrights is not permitted in this course. .  

1. Genki I (Third Edition). Tokyo: The Japan Times, 2020 (ISBN-10: 4789017303; ISBN-13: 978-4789017305)
2. Genki I Workbook (Third Edition). Tokyo: The Japan Times, 2020 (ISBN-10: 4789017311; ISBN-13: 978-4789017312)
3. Genki I Additional Kanji Handouts (Please download and print them from the Quercus course website.)
4. Other supplementary handouts need to be downloaded and printed from the Quercus course website.

B) References

1. Makino. Seiichi and Michiko Tsutsui. A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. Tokyo: The Japan Times. 1986
2. Kodansha’s Furigana English-Japanese Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha International. 1996
3. Kodansha’s Furigana Japanese-English Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha International. 1995
4. The Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary. Tokyo: Kodansha International. 1999
5. Banno et al. Kanji Look and Learn .Tokyo: The Japan Times, 2009
6. Genki-Online Self-study Room
7. Arimori sensei’s website
8. Other useful online resources will be introduced at Quercus and/or in class.

Format of the Course

1. You must watch a 2-hour lecture video on Mondays. The video becomes available at 9:00am on Mondays.
2. The lecture video is only for students enrolled in EAS120Y1Y (2020-2021). Please do not upload the videos anywhere, re-produce them, or share them with anybody.
3. Attending the weekly online tutorial is mandatory in order to achieve the course's educational goals. Your attendance will be recorded. There are no tutorial videos.
4. You may not register for another course that overlaps with your tutorial section. You are not allowed to attend the tutorial other than your own.
5. All tutorials start on time. There is no 10-minute buffer. You are responsible for making it to the tutorial on time.
6. You must keep your video on during the class. You must keep your microphone on during the speaking activities. If your video is off, we assume that you have Internet issues or your computer is frozen. So, we will remove you from the class so that you can restart your computer. You must come back to the class with your video on if you want your attendance to be recorded.  
7. Students are expected to participate fully in every class.
8. Students should be in a quiet place, where they can attend the synchronous class alone.
9. Using virtual backgrounds is prohibited, unless instructed for educational purposes.
10. It is your responsibility to collect the information which was given during class in case you are late or absent. General information on the class schedule is posted on Quercus.
11. Refer to the class schedule on a regular basis. The main textbook, the workbook, and the Additional Kanji handouts must be brought to class every time. Prepare and review the class regularly using all the course materials, including the audio files attached to the main textbook and the workbook.
12. You are encouraged to visit the instructor during office hours when you have any questions and concerns.

Important Dates

Please reserve the following days for the tests:

Speaking Tests: Oct 9, Nov 6, Dec4, Jan 29, Mar 5, Apr 5

Tests: Oct 30, Nov 20, December 11-22 (TBA), Feb 5, Mar 12, April 7-30 (TBA)

Grading

Your final grade will be determined based on the following:

• Details including the format of the test of #4 will be given when the time approaches.
• Your final grade must be C+ (67%) or above in this course in order to take EAS220Y1.
• Graduate students must have a final grade of 70% or above in order to earn a credit.
• Students who need to be absent from class for any reason (e.g., COVID, other illness or injury) and who require consideration for missed academic work should report their absence through the online absence declaration. The declaration is available on ACORN. Students should also inform the instructor about their absence before the class (i.e., the class that you will miss) starts.
• Although there will be no make-ups for assignments, quizzes, speaking tests, or tests, if you have to miss them for reasons entirely beyond your control, you may, before the class/test starts (or before the assignment due), submit to the instructor a written request for special consideration explaining the reason for missing them, and submit to the instructor appropriate documentation of a medical certificate or a College Registrar’s note within one week of the missed assignment, quiz or test. It your responsibility to check your emails and follow the instructions.
• A student who believes an individual item of work needs a re-evaluation or correction must make such a request, in writing, to the course instructor as soon as possible after receiving the work back, but no later than 2 weeks after it was returned. If a remarking/correction is granted, the students must accept the resulting mark as the new mark, whether it goes up or down or remains the same.
• If any cheating during quizzes/tests should be found, you will receive a grade of zero as well as disciplinary actions to be undertaken by the University of Toronto according to proper student conduct. Plagiarism is also strictly prohibited.
• All work you submit must be your own and must not be done by/with your classmates or others. Work submitted that is not your own will be given a failing grade and may result in a failing grade for the course. Providing false information about your background in Japanese language is also considered an academic offence and the department reserves the right to remove students from the course at any time if it is discovered they have done so. For more specific information regarding the University of Toronto policy, visit U of T's Academic Integrity website.