Where can I learn Japanese? | Culture and Language Studies

Experience with Japanese?

Build a solid language base in our Japanese courses. Our interactive courses help you to develop oral, comprehension, and writing skills.

Complete a Language Diploma

We offer two language diplomas Japanese Language I and Japanese Language II for students enrolled in degree programs or any non- or post-degree academic plan. Students must successfully complete two academic course units (four courses) with a minimum cumulative diploma average of 65%. Diplomas I and II are mutually exclusive. Only one diploma can be granted.

To graduate with a Diploma in Japanese Language, students must declare the diploma on their Application to Graduate form.

JAPAN Course Offerings

JAPAN Level 100 courses

JAPAN 101R - First-Year Japanese 1

An introductory course for students who have little or no knowledge of Japanese to develop basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Practical oral and written exercises incorporating the Hiragana Writing System provide a firm grammatical foundation for further study.

(Not open to students with native, near-native, or similar advanced ability.)

JAPAN 102R - First-Year Japanese 2

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills acquired in JAPAN 101R are further developed. Practical oral and written exercises incorporating the Katakana Writing System are used to develop a more solid grammatical base.

JAPAN 111R - Japanese for Business 1

An introductory course to develop basic comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills specifically related to the Japanese business culture. This course is designed for students with little or no previous knowledge of Japanese.

(Not open to students with native, near-native, or similar advanced ability.)

JAPAN 112R - Japanese for Business 2

A continuation of JAPAN 111R designed to further develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Language skills required for the business environment are stressed.

JAPAN Level 200 courses

JAPAN 201R - Second-Year Japanese 1

A continuation of the study of grammar and vocabulary through development of listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Some study of Japanese culture is also included. By the end of the course, 120 Kanji (Chinese characters in their Japanese readings) will have been introduced.

JAPAN 202R - Second-Year Japanese 2

In this course, students continue to develop their language skills with an increased emphasis on spoken Japanese. In addition, students work on improving grammatical accuracy and vocabulary development as well as continue to acquire basic information about Japanese culture. The writing of an additional 200 Kanji is taught.

JAPAN Level 300 courses

JAPAN 301R - Third-Year Japanese 1

This course concentrates on advanced conversation, polite forms, and idioms. It provides an opportunity to revise and practise the Hiragana and Katakana writing forms. Upon completion, students should be able to write 800 characters and use a Japanese dictionary with ease.

JAPAN 302R - Third-Year Japanese 2

This course builds on the materials learned in JAPAN 301R by employing current newspaper articles for reading practice, thematic discussions, and writing exercises in order to enhance students' skill in the use of the Japanese language.

JAPAN 391R - Special Topics

This course deals with advanced topics in Japanese language and literature. Students are expected to have at least an intermediate level of language proficiency.