Japanese

Japanese language is the gateway to a rich and vibrant culture, and it opens doors to one of the world’s largest economies. From the business world, to the tech world, to entertainment, culture, fashion, and beyond, studying Japanese will create new career opportunities and new ways of thinking. If your goal is to tackle an important corner of the international market, to broaden your social media reach, or simply to enjoy reading Manga, Japanese is the way to go!

Whether NYU Shanghai is your home campus or study away site, you can begin or continue your Japanese studies in our small, dynamic, immersive class settings. Our Japanese program provides students the opportunity to begin or continue their studies at the elementary and intermediate levels, and prepares students for advanced coursework at the Department of East Asian Studies in Washington Square. See a complete list of course offerings below.

Course Offerings

Elementary Level
JAPN-SHU 5 Elementary Japanese I

Prerequisites: None | Credits: 4 | Meeting frequency: Four times a week | Offered every semester

Introductory course in modern spoken and written Japanese, designed to develop fundamental skills in areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Gives contextualized instructions to develop both communicative and cultural competency. Systematically introduces the Japanese writing system (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji). Open to students with no previous training in Japanese and to others on assignment by placement test.

JAPN-SHU 10 Elementary Japanese II

Prerequisites: JAPN-SHU 5 | Credits: 4 | Meeting frequency: Four times a week | Offered every semester

Open to students who have completed JAPN-SHU 5 Elementary Japanese I or the equivalent, or by placement exam (http://www.nyu.edu/cas/flpexam/). This course builds on the foundations of Japanese grammar and language through a balanced approach of the four skills. Students will learn relevant lexical items and grammar points in context.

Intermediate Level
JAPN-SHU 15 Intermediate Japanese I

Prerequisites: JAPN-SHU 10 | Credits: 4 | Meeting frequency: Four times a week | Offered every semester

This course is designed to build on the first year Japanese by studying increasingly complex grammatical patterns, vocabulary and phrases, and syntax in order to expand our level of comprehension and developing our ability to produce longer and more nuanced sentences in speaking, reading, and writing.

JAPN-SHU 20 Intermediate Japanese II

Prerequisites: JAPN-SHU 15 | Credits: 4 | Meeting frequency: Four times a week | Offered every semester

This course is a continuation of Intermediate Japanese I. It is designed for students to learn increasingly complex grammatical patterns, vocabulary and phrases, and syntax in order to expand their level of comprehension and developing their ability to produce longer and more nuanced sentences in speaking, reading, and writing. Furthering reading abilities is one of the major objectives. This course also prepares students to discuss, describe, explain, and summarize various topics by integrating the language skills. Prerequisite: JAPN-SHU 15 or equivalent with a minimum grade of C-, or placement exam.

Advanced Level
JAPN-SHU 25 Advanced Japanese I

Prerequisites: JAPN-SHU 20 or the equivalent (EAST-UA 249) with a minimum grade of C+ | Credits: 4 | Meeting frequency: Four times a week | Offered every semester

Continuing study of Japanese at the advanced level. Stresses reading comprehension, spoken fluency, and composition; uses original materials, such as newspaper/magazine articles, TV news, and video. Introduces additional Kanji characters. Advanced use of Japanese and character dictionaries.

JAPN-SHU 30 Advanced Japanese II

Prerequisites: JAPN-SHU 25 or the equivalent (EAST-UA 252) with a minimum grade of C+ | Credits: 4 | Meeting frequency: Four times a week | Offered every semester

Continuing study of Japanese at the advanced level. Stresses reading comprehension, spoken fluency, and composition; uses original materials, such as newspaper/magazine articles, TV news, and video. Introduces additional Kanji characters. Advanced use of Japanese and character dictionaries.