Japanese Language and Culture Module for Exchange Students : Curriculum
Japanese Language and Culture Module (Nichibun) is for exchange students interestd in studying Japanese language and Japanese culture in Japanese.
- In principle, the applicants have at least one year's study of Japanese language at college level prior to start the program at Doshisha University
- Japanese is not the native language
Structure
- "Japanese language courses" are divided into 9 different levels: elementary, upper elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate, pre-advanced, advanced, upper advanced and high advanced. Class allocations will be made on the basis of the Japanese Placement Test before arrival.
- There are two courses, "Intensive Course" and "Elective Course". "Intensive Course" is designed to develop four basic skills of listning, speaking, reading and writing. It also offers the courses that are specifically designed to improve reading comprehension, written expressions, oral expressions and vocabulary. Taking intensive course at a designated level as a whole package allows students to have a repetition practice efficiently and to improve their learning retention and Japanese ability. "Elective Course" consists of courses that are specifically designed to improve grammar, oral expressions, written expressionst, reading comprehension and vocabulary and students can choose several courses whichever they like.
- A wide range of "Lecture Courses in Japanese studies" on Japanese language, culture and society and "Lecture Courses in international studies", as well as "Japanese language seminars" are scheduled in the afternoon.
- Several subjects provide students with the opportunity to learn Japanese traditional cultures through classes and off-campus learning: calligraphy, flower arrangement, tea ceremony and Shrine festivals, by making excellent use of our location in Kyoto.
- Exchange students are accepted as "Nichibun students" and study according to the curriculum offered by Nichibun. [In contrast, exchange students who intend to study principally take courses on Japanese Culture, Society, and Nature in English are accepted as “GEM students“.] In some cases, students who earn excellent scores on "Japanese Placement Test" will be allowed to attend lectures at undergraduate or graduate programs within the terms and conditions. However, some courses are not opened to the exchange students. Nichibun students also will be allowed to attend classes offered by Global Education Module.
- Nichibun students are entitled to use the same facilities as regular students.
Curriculum・Academic Calendar
Courses and Credits
- Japanese Language Course
Course Summary - Japanese Language Elective Course
Course Summary
2024 Course List of Nichibun Program
Syllabus System
https://syllabus.doshisha.ac.jp/↓
Academic Calendar
Outline of Courses
【Japanese Language Courses】
These courses are divided into 9
different levels: elementary
(Ⅰ), upper elementary (Ⅱ), pre-intermediate (Ⅲ), intermediate (Ⅳ), upper intermediate (Ⅴ), pre-advanced (Ⅵ), advanced (Ⅶ),
upper advanced (Ⅷ) and high advanced (Ⅸ). These are targeted at those who have a minimum of one year’s study of Japanese and conducted according to each student’s Japanese ability. These Courses are designed to help students to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing comprehensively and also offers the courses which specifically emphasize reading comprehension, written expressions, oral expressions and vocabulary.
Level Ⅰ (Elementary Level)
Target Students: Those who begin their studies from elementary level.
Course Goals: To learn and develop the fundamental grammatical expressions of the elementary level and
improve the four skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. To master the 1,500 basic words and 300
basic Chinese characters.
Level Ⅱ (Upper Elementary Level)
Target Students: Those who have partially completed elementary level studies.
Course Goals: To master the grammatical expressions learnt at the elementary level, as well as to develop
understanding and command of upper elementary and intermediate level grammar and to improve the four
skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. To master the 2,000 basic words and 500 basic Chinese
characters.
Level Ⅲ (Pre-Intermediate Level)
Target Students: Those who have completed the elementary level studies but are advised to review the
contents before proceeding to the intermediate level.
Course Goals: To review and master the grammatical expressions learnt at the elementary level, as well as to
develop understanding and command of the 50 most important intermediate sentence patterns and to
improve the four skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. To master the 3,000 basic words and 600
to 750 basic Chinese characters.
Level Ⅳ (Intermediate Level)
Target Students: Those who have completed and mastered elementary level studies.
Course Goals: To develop understanding and command of the 100 important intermediate sentence patterns
for further improvement of the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 4,000
basic words and 800 basic Chinese characters.
Level Ⅴ (Upper Intermediate Level)
Target Students: Those who have partially completed intermediate level studies.
Course Goals: To develop understanding and command of the 200 important intermediate sentence patterns
for further improvement of the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 6,000
basic words and 1,000 to 1,200 basic Chinese characters.
Level VI (Pre-Advanced Level)
Target Students: Those who have completed intermediate level studies but are advised to review the
contents at the same time with studying the advanced level.
Course Goals: To master the 200 important intermediate sentence patterns and develop understanding and
command of the 50 most important advanced sentence patterns for further improvement of the four skills of
reading, listening, speaking. To master the 8,000 basic words and 1,500 basic Chinese characters.
Level VII (Advanced Level)
Target Students: Those who have completed and mastered intermediate level studies.
Course Goals: To master the 200 important intermediate sentence patterns and develop understanding and
command of the 100 important advanced sentence patterns for further improvement of the four skills of
reading, listening, speaking, and writing. To master the 10,000 basic words and 2,000 basic Chinese
characters.
Level VIII (Upper Advanced Level)
Target Students: Those who have studied at the advanced level but are required to further improve their
proficiency.
Course Goals: To master the 100 important advanced sentence patterns and develop understanding and
command of highly advanced Japanese. To master the 10,000 basic words and 2,000 basic Chinese
characters.
Level IX (High Advanced Level)
Target Students: Those who have mastered the 100 advanced-level sentence patterns, 10,000 basic words
and 2,000 basic Chinese characters and have an advanced command of Japanese.
Course Goals: To develop understanding and command of more advanced Japanese.
【Japanese Language Seminars】
Japanese Language Seminars A to E
These seminars are aimed at improving students’ academic performance based on their individual abilities, ranging from reinforcing the individual ability of elementary and intermediate level students, to helping students prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students.
Intermediate Japanese Grammar Overview A, B
This course is designed for those who want to learn intermediate（N2~N3 Level in JLPT）Japanese grammar overview. The goal of this class is to master grammar, vocabulary, and Chinese characters in Intermediate Japanese through reviewing exercises.
Advanced Japanese Grammar Overview A, B
This course is designed for those who want to learn advanced Japanese grammar overview. The goals of this class are to understand typical functional words in advanced Japanese grammar, and to establish a learning strategy in advanced Japanese grammar in practical usage.
【Lecture Courses in Japanese Studies】
“Lecture Courses in Japanese Studies” offer the students the opportunities to study and analyze Japan from various perspectives, such as its language, arts, philosophy, religion, law, politics, economy, history, life and society. A wide variety of courses, including extracurricular activities, are offered to deepen students’ understanding of Japan. Some of these courses are conducted in languages other than Japanese.
【Lecture Courses in International Studies】
“Lecture Courses in International Studies” have been designed to deepen the student’s knowledge in academic field such as Religion, History, Business and Media in the global context. Some of these courses are conducted in languages other than Japanese.
Credit Load
Nichibun considers a course that meets for two hours, once a week (x15 weeks) as one or two credits.
The maximum course load for Nichibun students is 30 credits for one year (15 credits per semester). In some cases, students whose Japanese proficiency are sufficient and take courses offered by the appropriate faculty or graduate school, credits of taking those courses are also included in the maximum course credit load.
Students should take more than 7 classes (1
class=90 minutes) at least per week. It is prescribed by law*.
*Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria
Pursuant to Article 7. Paragraph (1), item (ii) of the Immigration Control and
Refugee Recognition Act.