Japanese 6 is a higher intermediate Japanese language course that equips students with the skills to read a range of real-world Japanese texts, such as newspapers and academic articles with the aid of a dictionary. During lectures, tutorials, and seminars, students work in small groups reading, discussing and writing about a broad range of real-world materials. The language of instruction for this class is Japanese and it is expected that all students will make every effort to use only Japanese in class time and class-related correspondence.

By the end of Japanese 6, students will, with the aid of dictionaries, be able to read a wide range of real-world Japanese materials (e.g., newspaper, academic article). Students will be familiar with the various spoken and written registers and will be able to write academic essays of medium length.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Use an active vocabulary of kanji (approximately 1500 vocabulary and kanji characters) and expressions, common to newspapers and similar media.
   
2. Demonstrate an ability to comprehend grammatical constructions and vocabulary necessary to read assigned texts, such as academic essay, without the use of a dictionary.
3. Develop independent reading strategies to engage with unfamiliar texts and read academic papers with the aid of a dictionary.
4. Recall, summarise, critically and creatively engage with key points of texts read.
5. Apply critical thinking skills to undertake research on contemporary Japanese social issues drawing on a range of Japanese language primary and secondary sources.
6. Express one's opinions and research outcomes in spoken and written Japanese, on a range of topics related to contemporary Japanese society. 

Research-Led Teaching

Based on research showing that intermediate and advanced learners seek to acquire not only textbook Japanese but also a variety of language forms used in different contexts, this course aims to develop students' awareness and mastery of these variations.

Required Resources

There is no prescribed textbook for this course. All required materials will be provided either through the course wattle page or in-class.

Recommended Resources

All students should have access to a good kanji dictionary, a good Japanese-English and Japanese-Japanese dictionary and a good grammar dictionary. Recommendations for grammar dictionaries can be seen below. 

 A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar

Author: Makino & Tsutsui

Publisher: Japan Times

ISBN: 978-4789004541

A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar

Author: Makino & Tsutsui

Publisher: Japan Times

ISBN: 978-4789007757

All About Particles: A Handbook of Japanese Function Words <--this is="" an="" extremely="" useful="">

Author: Chino, Naoko

Publisher: Kodansha America

ISBN: 978-1568364193

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	Lecture 1Tutorial 1Seminar 1
2	Lecture 2Tutorial 2Seminar 2	Online quiz 1
3	Lecture 3Tutorial 3Seminar 3	Online quiz 2 Mini writing test 1
4	Lecture 4Tutorial 4Seminar 4	Online quiz 3
5	Lecture 5Tutorial 5Seminar 5	Online quiz 4 Mini writing test 2
6	Lecture 6Tutorial 6Seminar 6	Online quiz 5In-Class Exam 1
7	Lecture 7Tutorial 7Seminar 7	Mini writing test 3
8	Lecture 8Tutorial 8Seminar 8	Online quiz 6
9	Lecture 9Tutorial 9Seminar 9	Online quiz 7 Essay - Draft
10	Lecture 10Tutorial 10Seminar 10	Online quiz 8
11	Lecture 11Tutorial 11Seminar 11
12	Lecture 12Tutorial 12Seminar 12	In-Class Exam 2
13		Essay - Final

Tutorial Registration

Via Allocate+

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Online quiz x 8 (Repeatable, Marked automatically)	5 %	12/10/2026	12/10/2026	1, 2,3
In-class exam x 2	40 %	29/10/2026	05/11/2026	1, 2, 3, 4
Essay (2,500 Japanese characters)	40 %	09/11/2026	26/11/2026	1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Mini writing test (200 Japanese characters) x 3	10 %	12/08/2026	19/08/2026	1, 2, 4
Participation	5 %	*	*	1, 2

* 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.

Assessment Task 1

Online quiz x 8 (Repeatable, Marked automatically)

From week 2 to week 10, students take an online quiz each week. The quizzes are due on Sundays at 23:55pm. The online quizzes are designed for students to prepare for Monday lectures. The quizzes are self-paced, and students may take the quizzes whenever they feel they are ready. If students are not satisfied with the mark they receive, they can repeat it any number of times without penalty. The last (not necessarily highest) score will count. Once the deadline has passed, no further attempts will be possible.

Each quiz has 20 questions. Time limit for each quiz attempt is 10mins.

Weight: 5% (0.625%x8)                          

Assessment Task 2

In-class exam x 2

There will be two in-class exams in weeks 6 and 12 (Seminar class time) that will test reading comprehension. Students will be expected to have learned all the relevant grammar and vocabulary highlighted in the lectures and tutorials and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the texts. Time limit for each exam is 45mins. Students will receive feedback within two weeks when feasible.

*No special arrangements will be made unless relevant certificates are submitted.

Weight: 40% (20%x2) 

Assessment Task 3

Essay (2,500 Japanese characters)

Students will submit an academic essay (2000-2500 Japanese characters) that requires critical thinking and analysis on topics related to Japanese culture/language. Students will have the opportunity to submit a rough draft and to receive written feedback on the rough draft prior to submitting the final copy. Marking criteria/rubric are available on Canvas.

Weight: 40% (Draft:20% + Final:20%) 

Assessment Task 4

Mini writing test (200 Japanese characters) x 3

In tutorial, we will study how to integrate the expressions, registers, and techniques employed in the text into our own work. The assessments for this component of the course are three mini-writing tests. Students are expected to write about 100-200 characters in each test. The instructors will endeavour to return marked tests within a week after the test. Time limit for each test is 10mins.

Weight 10% (Test 1: 3%, Test 2: 3%, Test 3: 4%)

Assessment Task 5

Participation

Participation mark will be based on your contribution to every class from Week 3. During class, your instructor will check your participation in class.

0.5 marks are available for each of the ten instructional weeks, for a total of 5% of the course grade. You can see your attendance record on MyTimetable.

Final participation marks are not returned before the final results are released.

Weight 5%

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