Japanese (JPN)

College of Liberal Arts
Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures
907-474-7396

JPN F100A      Japanese Culture and Conversation IA      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Courses JPN F100A and JPN F100B are introductory courses in the Japanese language and culture with an emphasis on the spoken and written language. Does not meet Perspectives on the Human Condition requirements, or Foreign Language major or minor requirements.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F100B      Japanese Culture and Conversation IB      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Courses JPN F100A and JPN F100B are introductory courses in the Japanese language and culture with an emphasis on the spoken and written language. Does not meet Perspectives on the Human Condition requirements, or Foreign Language major or minor requirements.

Prerequisites: JPN F100A.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F100E      Japanese Culture and Conversation IIA      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

This is the first semester of second-year exploration of Japanese culture and conversation and requires completion of JPN F100B with a grade of C- or higher. This course does not meet Perspectives on the Human Condition requirements, or Foreign Language major or minor requirements.

Prerequisites: JPN F100B.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F100F      Japanese Culture and Conversation IIB      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

This is the first semester of second-year exploration of Japanese culture and conversation and requires completion of JPN F100E with a grade of C- or higher. This course does not meet Perspectives on the Human Condition requirements, or Foreign Language major or minor requirements.

Prerequisites: JPN F100E.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F101X      Elementary Japanese I
4 Credits

Offered Fall

Introduction to spoken and written Japanese. Student will acquire a vocabulary of approximately 1,000 words and will learn to read and write the two syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, as well as 150 kanji. Cultural dimension is explored implicitly through language and explicitly through audiovisual materials. Courses are taught in Japanese.

Attributes: UAF GER Humanities Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F102X      Elementary Japanese II      (h)
4 Credits

Offered Spring

Introduction to spoken and written Japanese. Student will acquire a vocabulary of approximately 1,000 words and will learn to read and write the two syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, as well as 150 kanji. Cultural dimension is explored implicitly through language and explicitly through audiovisual materials. Course is taught in Japanese.

Prerequisites: JPN F101X or equivalent.

Attributes: UAF GER Humanities Req

Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F201      Intermediate Japanese I      (h)
4 Credits

Offered Fall

The student will learn to read and write an additional 250 kanji. Conversational ability and listening comprehension enhanced by using videotape materials. Course is taught in Japanese.

Prerequisites: JPN F102X.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F202      Intermediate Japanese II      (h)
4 Credits

Offered Spring

The student will learn to read and write an additional 250 kanji. Conversational ability and listening comprehension enhanced by using videotape materials. Course is taught in Japanese.

Prerequisites: JPN F201.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F210      Beginning Kanji      (h)
2 Credits

Offered Fall

Students will learn to read and write 500 basic kanji (Chinese characters) through studying their history, composition and artistic value.

Prerequisites: Hiragana and Katakana recognition.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F301      Advanced Japanese      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Development of advanced conversational and reading skills. Topics may include: modern Japanese prose fiction; newspaper Japanese; advanced conversation through the study of common contractions and idiomatic usage in the standard Tokyo dialect; and a study of television drama series. May be repeated with different topics.

Prerequisites: JPN F202.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 4 times for up to unlimited credits

JPN F302      Advanced Japanese      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Development of advanced conversational and reading skills. Topics may include: modern Japanese prose fiction; newspaper Japanese; advanced conversation through the study of common contractions and idiomatic usage in the standard Tokyo dialect; and a study of television drama series. May be repeated with different topics.

Prerequisites: COM F131X or COM F141X; JPN F301.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to unlimited credits

JPN F310      Intermediate Kanji      (h)
2 Credits

Offered Spring

Continuation of JPN F210 Beginning Kanji. Students will learn to read and write additional 500 kanji (Chinese characters) through studying their history, composition and artistic value.

Prerequisites: JPN F210.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F311      Advanced Kanji      (h)
2 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Continuation of JPN F310 Intermediate Kanji. Students will learn to read and write additional 1000 kanji (Chinese characters) through studying their history, composition and artistic value.

Prerequisites: JPN F310.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F330      Classical Japanese Literature      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

A survey of the major works and genres of Japanese prose and poetry from the 8th to 18th centuries including Heian tales (monogatari), medieval folk tales and military chronicles, and the playful literature of the Edo period. Major emphases include the Tale of Genji, the Tale of the Heike and mastering the conventions that continue to be both adapted and subverted in modern Japanese literature. Course is taught in English.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F331      Women's Voices in Japanese Literature      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Selected novels, short stories, poems and diaries by Japanese women from the tenth century to the present which reveal the personal, social, aesthetic and intellectual concerns of women in different periods of Japanese history. Focus on the changing role of women in Japanese society and the role of women writers.

Prerequisites: WRTG F111X; WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X; ENGL F200X or FL F200X.

Recommended: HIST F121, HIST F122X, HIST F331.

Cross-listed with WGS F331.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F332      Japanese Cultural Traditions and Arts      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall Even-numbered Years

A study of Japanese cultural traditions and arts as influenced by the religious and philosophical systems of Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Lectures will cover a wide range of Japanese traditional arts such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, martial arts, Noh, Bunraku, and Kabuki. Course is taught in English.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F333      20th-Century Japanese Prose Fiction
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

A study of selected novels, short stories and film scripts in translation representative of styles and themes which characterize twentieth century Japanese literature. Analysis of each work in terms of characterization, themes, structure, style and as an expression of social problems or intellectual issues in modern Japanese society. Course is taught in English.

Prerequisites: Junior standing.

Special Notes: Course may be repeated for credit when topic varies.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to unlimited credits

JPN F431      Studies in Japanese Culture      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Fall

Further study of advanced written and spoken Japanese through essays, newspaper and journal articles, and television documentaries dealing with topics in Japanese culture.

Prerequisites: JPN F302.

Special Notes: Course may be repeated for credit when topic varies.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to unlimited credits

JPN F432      Studies in Japanese Language      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring

In-depth study of Japanese language or literature. Course may be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Prerequisites: JPN F302.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to unlimited credits

JPN F475      Seminar on Contemporary Japan      (h)
3 Credits

Offered Spring

Ties together various threads of the Japanese studies program and gives students an opportunity to apply their knowledge to contemporary issues in Japan. Provides a forum for student presentations of research papers begun in Japan.

Prerequisites: Upper-division semester in Japan at pre-approved program.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

JPN F482      Selected Topics in Japanese      (h)
3 Credits

Offered As Demand Warrants

Focuses on topics not covered in JPN F431 or JPN F432.

Prerequisites: JPN F302; junior standing.

Special Notes: May be repeated for credit.

Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0

Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus

Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 3 times for up to unlimited credits