Registration is now open in our online store.

Japanese Level 1

This online interactive course is designed for complete beginners or students with little knowledge of the language. In order to make learning easy, the English alphabet, 'Roma-ji' is mainly used in class during the 1st semester. Then, in the 2nd semester the class gradually shifts from Roma-ji to Hiragana and Katakana, which are everyday scripts in Japan. Teaching is communicative with regular opportunities for pair and group-work. Class work emphasises listening, speaking and the practice of sentence structure; self-study consists of reviewing work done in class and practising language skills as advised by the tutor.

NB: The practice of writing and reading Japanese letters is not dealt with in class; it relies on self-study with the tutor’s support.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Small talk about yourself and others
• Numbers, time and dates
• Telephoning
• Shopping
• Ordering food
• Giving locations
• Talking about your activities
• Describing people and things 

On completion students will be able to:

• Read and write Japanese Kana (Hiragana & Katakana) and recognise a few Kanji
• Greet and introduce yourself and others
• Tell and ask the time and business hours, telephone numbers
• Go shopping
• Order food and drinks
• Talk about existence and the locations of people and things
• Talk about your schedule (when/where/with whom/by what)
• Talk about your activities
• Describe people and things (appearance, atmosphere, character, etc) 

The course book you need to buy is:  

Japanese for Busy People Book I (Revised 3^rd edition)  

• - Romanized version ISBN 4-7700-3008-8
   
  or

• - Kana version ISBN 4-7700-3009-6 which will be used from the second semester

(If you have already learned Kana, please buy “Kana version”)

Registration is now open in our online store.

Japanese Level 2

This online interactive course assumes that learners have previous basic knowledge of the language, such as verbs (- masu form) and their conjugation with appropriate particles, and adjective conjugation. Learners are expected to have had approximately 80 hours of previous study: 40 hours’ contact time and 40 hours’ personal study. In addition, Hiragana should have been mastered, and knowledge of Katakana is desirable. Learners are expected to have covered “Japanese for Busy People I” L1-14 or equivalent.

Level 2 introduces new grammatical structures and focuses on how to express topics relevant to daily life, such as inviting/suggesting someone to do something together, asking favours of people (imperative form), asking for permission, etc. The course also introduces cultural aspects in order to understand the background of the language and people. 

Some of the topics covered are:

• Giving and receiving things
• Invitations, suggestions, requests, giving and asking permission, etc.
• Giving and receiving directions
• Giving negative requests
• Telling people your state
• Telling people’s and your skills and preferences. 

On completion students will be able to:

• Say what you are doing and where you are working
• Invite people to do things together
• Find the way to where you want to go
• Tell people what you would like to do
• Forbid people to do something
• Make requests in a hotel, restaurant, taxi, etc.
• Talk about your skills and interests 

The course book you need to buy is: 

Japanese for Busy People Book I (Revised 3rd edition)  

Kana version ISBN 4-7700-3009-6 

This course is not offered in 2021-22 - sorry!

Japanese Level 3

This course is for students who have completed Level 2, which features te-form, “nai-form”, "~wa~ga~desu" etc., and/or are confident in using basic Japanese verbs and adjectives with the correct grammatical structures, conjugations and particles. particles. Generally you have completed “Japanese for Busy People I” or equivalent level and you must be able to read and write both Hiragana and Katakana perfectly. Basic Kanji are used in class but the practice of Kanji is not dealt with in the class in particular, it is left to self-study.

The class is taught in Japanese with a little help in English. This course introduces a variety of expressions such as comparison, nominalization, simultaneous action, experience etc. to develop conversational complexity. You will be expected to engage in conversation practice in a group or with your partner and/or teacher during each session.

Please note that this course is NOT SUITABLE for those who are advanced speakers and have already mastered how to use "plain form" with various expressions.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Asking for advice about a gift
• Choosing a Yukata
• Searching for a lost item
• Clocking in early
• Inviting a colleague to a hot spring
• Clocking out early
• Greeting a new employee
• Running into an old acquaintance
• Joining a civic orchestra

On completion students will be able to:

• Compare things and talk about your decision/ preferences
• Talk about your experiences
• Give advice/strong suggestions
• Ask for and offer explanations
• Decline invitations 
• Describe activities in detail with adverbial adjectives
• Express a sequence of events
• Describe a change in state
• Share your and other people’s comments/thoughts
• Forming modifying clauses
•  

Course books you need to buy are:

Japanese for Busy People II Textbook (ISBN: 978-4-7700-3010-8)

Japanese for Busy People II Workbook (ISBN: 978-4-7700-3035-1)

This course is not offered in 2021-22 - sorry!

Japanese Level 4

Japanese level 4 is aimed at learners having completed approximately 240 hours of previous language study (for example, high-grade GCSE, JLPT N5 or equivalent). The course is a continuation of previous study with more advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary to further develop speaking, writing and comprehension skills in more complex situations, to enable learners to communicate in real life situations in the country where the language is spoken. Grammatical structures of the language are practised with authentic materials and activities. The target language is used as much as possible in class.

Course book you need to buy is:

Japanese for Busy People II Revised 3rd edition  

This course is not offered in 2021-22 - sorry!

Japanese Level 5

Japanese level 5 is aimed at students who have completed Loughborough University's level 4 evening class, or have prior knowledge of the necessary language structures, including the conditional form, potential form, causative form, passive form, causative-passive form, and honorific language (Keigo).  During the course, the tutor will revise the above-mentioned expressions occasionally.

Methodology:  Teaching is communicative with regular opportunities for pair and group owrk.  Class work emphasises all four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing; selft study consists of reviewing work done in class, completing homework and practising language skills, as advised by the tutor.  Resources to support the course include on-line materials and resources, as advised by the tutor.

Textbook:  Depending on the level of students, either:

“まるごと初中級（A2/B1)”(Marugoto Shochūkyū A2/B1) or

“まるごと中級1 (B1)”（Marugoto Chūkyū1 B1) will be used. Additional resources will be provided by the tutor, if necessary.

 Some of the topics covered are:

• Looking for a house
• Visiting someone
• Talking about personal problems
• Problems when travelling
• Honorific expressions
• Looking for a job
• Wedding and Marriage
  

On completion students will be able to:

•  communicate reasonably fluently using more complex expressions with native speakers.

 Course outline: (まるごと初中級（A2/B1)”(Marugoto Shochūkyū A2/B1) )

First Semester

Second Semester

Registration is now open in our online store.

Japanese Level 1

This online interactive course is designed for complete beginners or students with little knowledge of the language. In order to make learning easy, the English alphabet, 'Roma-ji' is mainly used in class during the 1st semester. Then, in the 2nd semester the class gradually shifts from Roma-ji to Hiragana and Katakana, which are everyday scripts in Japan. Teaching is communicative with regular opportunities for pair and group-work. Class work emphasises listening, speaking and the practice of sentence structure; self-study consists of reviewing work done in class and practising language skills as advised by the tutor.

NB: The practice of writing and reading Japanese letters is not dealt with in class; it relies on self-study with the tutor’s support.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Small talk about yourself and others
• Numbers, time and dates
• Telephoning
• Shopping
• Ordering food
• Giving locations
• Talking about your activities
• Describing people and things 

On completion students will be able to:

• Read and write Japanese Kana (Hiragana & Katakana) and recognise a few Kanji
• Greet and introduce yourself and others
• Tell and ask the time and business hours, telephone numbers
• Go shopping
• Order food and drinks
• Talk about existence and the locations of people and things
• Talk about your schedule (when/where/with whom/by what)
• Talk about your activities
• Describe people and things (appearance, atmosphere, character, etc) 

The course book you need to buy is:  

Japanese for Busy People Book I (Revised 3^rd edition)  

• - Romanized version ISBN 4-7700-3008-8
   
  or

• - Kana version ISBN 4-7700-3009-6 which will be used from the second semester

(If you have already learned Kana, please buy “Kana version”)

Registration is now open in our online store.

Japanese Level 2

This online interactive course assumes that learners have previous basic knowledge of the language, such as verbs (- masu form) and their conjugation with appropriate particles, and adjective conjugation. Learners are expected to have had approximately 80 hours of previous study: 40 hours’ contact time and 40 hours’ personal study. In addition, Hiragana should have been mastered, and knowledge of Katakana is desirable. Learners are expected to have covered “Japanese for Busy People I” L1-14 or equivalent.

Level 2 introduces new grammatical structures and focuses on how to express topics relevant to daily life, such as inviting/suggesting someone to do something together, asking favours of people (imperative form), asking for permission, etc. The course also introduces cultural aspects in order to understand the background of the language and people. 

Some of the topics covered are:

• Giving and receiving things
• Invitations, suggestions, requests, giving and asking permission, etc.
• Giving and receiving directions
• Giving negative requests
• Telling people your state
• Telling people’s and your skills and preferences. 

On completion students will be able to:

• Say what you are doing and where you are working
• Invite people to do things together
• Find the way to where you want to go
• Tell people what you would like to do
• Forbid people to do something
• Make requests in a hotel, restaurant, taxi, etc.
• Talk about your skills and interests 

The course book you need to buy is: 

Japanese for Busy People Book I (Revised 3rd edition)  

Kana version ISBN 4-7700-3009-6 

This course is not offered in 2021-22 - sorry!

Japanese Level 3

This course is for students who have completed Level 2, which features te-form, “nai-form”, "~wa~ga~desu" etc., and/or are confident in using basic Japanese verbs and adjectives with the correct grammatical structures, conjugations and particles. particles. Generally you have completed “Japanese for Busy People I” or equivalent level and you must be able to read and write both Hiragana and Katakana perfectly. Basic Kanji are used in class but the practice of Kanji is not dealt with in the class in particular, it is left to self-study.

The class is taught in Japanese with a little help in English. This course introduces a variety of expressions such as comparison, nominalization, simultaneous action, experience etc. to develop conversational complexity. You will be expected to engage in conversation practice in a group or with your partner and/or teacher during each session.

Please note that this course is NOT SUITABLE for those who are advanced speakers and have already mastered how to use "plain form" with various expressions.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Asking for advice about a gift
• Choosing a Yukata
• Searching for a lost item
• Clocking in early
• Inviting a colleague to a hot spring
• Clocking out early
• Greeting a new employee
• Running into an old acquaintance
• Joining a civic orchestra

On completion students will be able to:

• Compare things and talk about your decision/ preferences
• Talk about your experiences
• Give advice/strong suggestions
• Ask for and offer explanations
• Decline invitations 
• Describe activities in detail with adverbial adjectives
• Express a sequence of events
• Describe a change in state
• Share your and other people’s comments/thoughts
• Forming modifying clauses
•  

Course books you need to buy are:

Japanese for Busy People II Textbook (ISBN: 978-4-7700-3010-8)

Japanese for Busy People II Workbook (ISBN: 978-4-7700-3035-1)

This course is not offered in 2021-22 - sorry!

Japanese Level 4

Japanese level 4 is aimed at learners having completed approximately 240 hours of previous language study (for example, high-grade GCSE, JLPT N5 or equivalent). The course is a continuation of previous study with more advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary to further develop speaking, writing and comprehension skills in more complex situations, to enable learners to communicate in real life situations in the country where the language is spoken. Grammatical structures of the language are practised with authentic materials and activities. The target language is used as much as possible in class.

Course book you need to buy is:

Japanese for Busy People II Revised 3rd edition  

This course is not offered in 2021-22 - sorry!

Japanese Level 5

Japanese level 5 is aimed at students who have completed Loughborough University's level 4 evening class, or have prior knowledge of the necessary language structures, including the conditional form, potential form, causative form, passive form, causative-passive form, and honorific language (Keigo).  During the course, the tutor will revise the above-mentioned expressions occasionally.

Methodology:  Teaching is communicative with regular opportunities for pair and group owrk.  Class work emphasises all four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing; selft study consists of reviewing work done in class, completing homework and practising language skills, as advised by the tutor.  Resources to support the course include on-line materials and resources, as advised by the tutor.

Textbook:  Depending on the level of students, either:

“まるごと初中級（A2/B1)”(Marugoto Shochūkyū A2/B1) or

“まるごと中級1 (B1)”（Marugoto Chūkyū1 B1) will be used. Additional resources will be provided by the tutor, if necessary.

 Some of the topics covered are:

• Looking for a house
• Visiting someone
• Talking about personal problems
• Problems when travelling
• Honorific expressions
• Looking for a job
• Wedding and Marriage
  

On completion students will be able to:

•  communicate reasonably fluently using more complex expressions with native speakers.

 Course outline: (まるごと初中級（A2/B1)”(Marugoto Shochūkyū A2/B1) )

First Semester

Second Semester