The Asian Studies Program (Kansai Gaidai University) - Online Summer Program 2024

This coming summer we will continue to offer the online courses taught by our well-experienced faculty members and the summer program will include unique and fun opportunities to interact with local KGU students.

• Three to six-week course programs during June - July, 2024
• Introductory Japanese courses (taught in Japanese)
• Intermediate Japanese courses (taught in Japanese)
• Virtual intercultural interaction with Kansai Gaidai local students

Course Descriptions

• Japanese Level 1 (5 credits): The first level of Japanese for beginners who have no formal training in the language. This course aims mainly at the development of speaking and listening skills, but also writing in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji. Approximately 300 vocabulary words will be introduced. At the end of the course, successful students will be able to function in Japanese in everyday situations such as making requests, stating reasons, describing things, etc. Also, approximately 40 kanji will be introduced. This course will cover Lessons 1 through 6 of Genki I, third edition.
• Japanese Level 2 (5 credits): The second level of elementary Japanese. At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to adequately handle everyday conversation to meet basic communication needs in Japanese, including expressing opinions, and talking about experiences and giving advice. Also, approximately 70 kanji will be introduced. This course will cover Lessons 6 through 12 of Genki I, third edition.
• Business Japanese (Non-credit e-certificate): This course is suitable for students who are interested in the working culture of Japanese companies. In this course students will practice daily business conversations such as greeting, telephoning, making appointments focusing on superior-subordinate/ingroup-outgroup distinctions in the workplace. We will also read short texts about the working culture of Japan and discuss them. The course participants are expected to have an intermediate Japanese language level
• Let’s Begin Learning Japanese (Non-credit e-certificate): This course is for anyone who wants to begin learning Japanese! No prior knowledge of Japanese is required. During the three weeks, we will learn basic greetings and how to hold very short conversations on topics such as a self-introduction, hobbies, your daily life, etc. We will focus mainly on speaking in this course, but a brief introduction to the Japanese writing system will be given as well. Let’s begin learning Japanese and have fun exploring the language and culture of Japan this summer!
• Learning Kansai Japanese (Kansai dialect) (Non-credit e-certificate): In the Kansai region, where Kansai Gaidai is located, locals speak a different version of Japanese from the so-called hyoujungo, standard Japanese, that students diligently study in classes and textbooks. This dialect is called Kansai-ben, and it contains many differences in accent, grammar, and vocabulary from the standard version. In this course, students will learn words and phrases to survive in the Kansai area by listening to many example conversations. Students will create and perform skits with local students who speak Kansai-ben at the end of the course. This course is suitable for those with an intermediate mastery of Japanese grammar and syntax.