This advanced Japanese course develops high-level language competence through engagement with authentic materials drawn from diverse sources including media, literature, academic texts, and real-world content spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Students develop and demonstrate advanced proficiency by working with genuine Japanese materials that address contemporary societal issues, cultural themes, and literary works from multiple disciplinary perspectives including linguistic, anthropological, sociological, and psychological viewpoints. The course emphasises developing advanced literacy skills, critical reading abilities, listening comprehension, and presentation skills while students learn to navigate complex texts independently. Through careful reading, discussion, and analysis of these authentic materials, students gain deeper insights into modern Japanese society, culture, and literature while mastering the language skills necessary to engage with sophisticated, real-world Japanese content across various genres and formats.

Students can take this course up to four times, where the class topic is different. Individual class topics will focus on the following broad themes as decided by the relevant staff in the Japanese language program. These include

• Issues in contemporary Japan
• Japanese language in context
• Readings in society and culture
• Readings in literature 

Each class topic will have different delivery formats and assessment selected to best suit the content and support and assess your learning. The indicative assessment given elsewhere on this page should be understood as indicative only, and represents the commonalities between the different topics. Please consult the relevant class summary for specific information or contact the relevant staff member.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate advanced Japanese language proficiency through mastery of complex vocabulary, grammatical constructions, and literary analysis skills 
2. Critically analyse and interpret authentic Japanese texts and materials from multiple disciplinary perspectives 
3. Communicate effectively in both written and spoken Japanese through collaborative group work and academic discussions
4. Present academic arguments fluently and with confidence on complex topics related to Japanese society, culture, history, and literature, contextualising issues within broader cultural and historical frameworks.
5. Compose sophisticated academic work across written and oral formats, demonstrating advanced information gathering skills, persuasive writing abilities, and the capacity to integrate multiple sources and perspectives in original academic discourse.
   

Examination Material or equipment

No examinations

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Introduction; Reading short essays
2	Reading juvenile literature
3	Reading juvenile literature
4	Reading novella	AT1 Short writing
5	Reading novella
6	Analysing the theme of literary works	AT3 Mid-term exam
7	Reading short stories	AT4 Project proposal and word list
8	Reading Japan's modern literature
9	Reading Japan's modern literature	AT2 Short writing 2
10	Tanka, Haiku, and Poems
11	Presentation week	AT5 In-class presentation
12	Reading manga

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Short writing 1	5 %	20/08/2026	1,2
Short writing 2	10 %	08/10/2026	1,2
Mid-term exam	20 %	02/09/2026	1,2,4
Project proposal and word list	10 %	24/09/2026	1,3,4
Oral Presentation	15 %	19/10/2026	1,2,3,4,5
Final Exam	30 %	*	1,2,3,4,5
Participation	10 %	*	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

See AT7 above

Assessment Task 1

Short writing 1

Task: submit a short essay

Due: 20th August

Length: 300-400-ji

Weighting: 5%

Submission format:Typed; double spaced; in Word or PDF file

Feedback: Students will receive feedback within 2 weeks when feasible

Assessment Task 2

Short writing 2

Task: write a summary of the literary work students selected

Due: 8th October

Length: 500-600 ji

Weighting: 10%

Submission format: Typed; double spaced; in Word or PDF file

Feedback: Students will receive feedback within 2 weeks when feasible

Assessment Task 3

Mid-term exam

Task: in-class exam

Due: 2nd September 

Length: approx. 800-1000 ji (1.5 hours)

Weighting: 20%

Submission format: handwritten on distributed paper

Other requirements:

-no materials permitted except for those specified in Seminar 1, Week 6

-use of internet, machine translation, and generative AI is strictly prohibited

Feedback: Students will receive feedback within 2 weeks when feasible

Assessment Task 4

Project proposal and word list

Task: Write a project proposal for the course’s project work plus making a word list

Due: 24th September

Length: approx. 400-500 ji (including bibliographic details of your selected work) plus a word list

Weighting: 10%

Submission format: Typed; in Word or PDF file

Feedback: Students will receive feedback within 2 weeks when feasible

Assessment Task 5

Oral Presentation

Task: Give an oral Presentation about the selected ?????? for your project work in Week 11. Oral Presentation materials (ie. Power point slides) must be posted to Canvas by 9 am Monday Week 11. Students must use the submitted slides for their presentation, even though their presentations are scheduled later in Week 11.

Due Dates: 19th October

Length: 5 minutes (4.5-5.5 minutes) plus brief Q&A

Weighting: 15%

Submission format: power point slides must be submitted to Canvas by 9 am Monday

Feedback: Students will receive feedback within 2 weeks when feasible

Assessment Task 6

Final Exam

Task: exam during the exam period

Length: 1600-2000 ji (excluding name and essay question)

Weighting: 30%

Submission format: handwritten on distributed paper

Other requirements:

-no materials permitted except for those specified in Week 12

-use of internet, machine translation, and generative AI is strictly prohibited

Feedback: Marks are not returned before the final results are released

Assessment Task 7

Participation

Regular attendance is essential and impacts on class participation and so students are expected to attend all classes.

Much class work is done in pairs and groups, so erratic attendance by any student has an adverse effect on class morale and on progress of other students.

Only coming to class does not guarantee a good participation mark. Your active involvement in discussion will be crucial part of this.

Note: class participation is recorded from Week 2. Participating one seminar will be worth 0.45 points. Final participation marks are not returned before the final results are released.

Rubric

HD+	HD	D	CR	P	N
Proactively engaged in class discussions	Actively engaged in class discussions	Engaged in class discussions when nominated	Responded when questioned	Minimal engagement in class discussions without voicing	No visible engagement
Proactively lead group discussions; supporting peers	Actively engaged in group discussions	Engaged in class discussions with supports of peers	Participating in group discussions in some ways	Minimal participation in group discussions without voicing	No visible engagement

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

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.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students