This course aims to develop and maintain an advanced competence in modern Japanese and a working knowledge of the issues currently confronting Japanese society. Course materials are taken from a variety of up-to-date authentic media, TV, film, podcasts, websites and print media. Focusing on listening, speech-making and presentation skills, students will progress from intermediate to advanced language skills—moving from the more controlled textbook learning environment to an engagement with ‘real’ materials.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate mastery of intermediate to advanced level vocabulary and grammatical constructions necessary to understand Japanese media.
- Critically analyse real-world Japanese news media to demonstrate knowledge of the major issues in present-day Japanese society.
- Communicate confidently in writing and speaking, and in collaborative groups, on topics drawn from a variety of up-to-date authentic media, TV, film, podcasts, websites and print media.
- Demonstrate appropriate listening, speech-making and presentation
skills, to present academic arguments fluently and clearly.
- Demonstrate the ability to compose academic essays on complex
subjects.
Other Information
Proficiency level: Students who successfully complete this course will typically achieve a level of proficiency roughly equivalent to JLPT N2 to N3, depending on their performance and degree of engagement.
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On successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to engage at an Advanced level of Japanese.
Students with native speaker proficiency (may include cognate languages and dialects) must review the language proficiency assessment site and contact the CAP Student Centre for appropriate enrolment advice. Students with previous “language experience or exposure” are required to undertake a language proficiency assessment to ensure enrolment at the most appropriate level.
Relevant past experience includes:
- Previous study of the language (both formal and informal, for example but not limited to, at school, or, home, or through online activities, etc.)
- Being exposed to the language in childhood via a family member or friend
- Travel or living in a country where the language is spoken
- The language being spoken in your home (even if you do not speak it yourself)
Students who are not sure if they need to undertake a language proficiency assessment should seek advice from the course or language convenor. Students who intentionally misrepresent their language proficiency level may be investigated under the Academic Integrity Rule 2021 as having failed to comply with assessment directions and having sought unfair advantage. This may results in a penalty such as reduced grades or failure of the course.
Students are not permitted to enrol in a language course below one that they have already successfully completed, except with permission of the language and/or course convenor.
Indicative Assessment
- Preparation Quizzes x 10 (3% x 10 = 30%) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Group Research Project (45) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Reports x 2 (10% x 2 = 20%) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Participation (5) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
This course requires a total of 130 hours of work on the following activities: three hours per week in class-activities, online activities and independent study.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Will be made available on Wattle.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $4500 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $5820 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4954 | 22 Feb 2027 | 01 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | 28 May 2027 | In Person | N/A |