Japan: 301: adv Japanese language culture and communication
Description: This course further continues development of advanced proficiency in interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students develop communication strategies and cultural knowledge through content-based instruction. Taught in Japanese.
Course Reflective Narrative
This class focused on deepening or understanding of nuances of spoken Japanese and more difficult grammar structures. This class fulfilled all of the MLO 1 requirements by making us work on all three of the communication modes specified. Many of our class assignments were focused on learning specific nuances of Japanese communication. For example on one chapter we focused on Japanese onomatopoeia of which there are an unlimited amount. There are so many and they are so specific that I imagine you can communicate using only Japanese onomatopoeias. Knowing these onomatopoeia are definitely helpful in communicating on an interpersonal basis. In class we also gave many presentations on topics about Japanese culture that we could choose and research ourselves, thus fulfilling the interpretive and presentational requirements. This class was very helpful in improving my competency in understanding and speaking Japanese at a higher level. After taking this class I learned how important it was for people to communicate not only ideas but feelings as well. Subtle nuances in tone or signal words and actions that we may take for granted when not talking to native speakers are important for clear communication. In order to become fluent in both speaking and writing we must take into account our audience and make sure that who we are communicating with understand not only what we say but how we are saying it. In this regard I would like to learn more Japanese onomatopoeia and more non verbal Japanese language. Below I have posted one of my papers from this course written in Japanese about what I would do if I was in charge of a village of 100 people.