Japanese Advanced (full syllabus)

Our full syllabus Japanese Advanced (Year 6) course will allow you to communicate at a higher level, working towards the Japanese-Language Proficiency test N1 which is the requirement to enter Japanese universities.

Taught in the native language, this course is the perfect follow-on programme for anyone who has completed the Japanese Upper Intermediate (Year 5) or has a solid JLPT N2 level and wishes to progress and deepen their knowledge.

For those who obtained their JLPT N1 a while ago, this is a great course to help maintain the same level and top-up on existing knowledge.

The full course is made up of three 10-week modules – part 1, part 2 and part 3 running for a total of 30 weeks. Committing to this year long course will enable you to enhance your written, listening, read and writing skills if you are looking to obtain a specific standard in order to work or study in Japanese.

Who is it for?

This course is ideal for learners who have completed the Japanese Upper Intermediate (Year 5) level or similar. You should be confident at JLPT N2 level to enrol on this course. More can be found in the eligibility section.

Timetable

This course is ideal for learners who have completed the Japanese Upper Intermediate (Year 5) level or similar. You should be confident at JLPT N2 level to enrol on this course. More can be found in the eligibility section.

The course includes 60 hours of learning and is taught across three terms, starting in October and finishing in July.

Each term consists of a two-hour lesson for ten consecutive weeks:

• October – December (Part 1)
• January – March (Part 2)
• April/May – July (Part 3).

Benefits

• Signing up to the full syllabus is cheaper than paying for each module separately.
• Taught in small groups by an experienced Japanese tutor
• Opportunity to sit a mock JLPT N1 examination

By the end of this course, you will be able to

• understand general content of lectures and themes you are interested in
• express your opinion in a logical manner when joining discussion and debates
• write letter and e-mails using basic polite Japanese
• read novels, understanding the feelings of characters and main storyline
• understand TV programmes covering everyday topics like cooking, travel etc
• explain and write about the background and cause of unpredictable occurrences e.g., an accident
• understand content of enquiries about your work or field of expertise
• speak polite or casual Japanese depending on the person you are conversing with
• read and understand main points covered in articles on politics, economics in newspapers and magazines
• write reports on topics you specialise in.

Grammatical structures

Below are a sample of some of the many grammatical structures you will learn throughout the course.

Part 1

• ないまでもeven if [A] is not done, then [B]
• というわけではないit’s not that, it doesn’t mean that
• を皮切りに（をかわきりに）starting with
• まみれcovered with, stained, smeared with
• となると / となればonce/when something happens
• こそすれonly the first point is true, the second point cannot be true

Part 2

• といえどもeven, even if
• たことにして expresses a decision or news that does not reflect the truth
• なくしてwithout
• をもって1) by means of, with. 2) at the time
• ものとしてto assume, to suppose
• 並み（なみ）same level as, equal to, on par with , each, row of

Part 3

• かたがたwhile, at the same time, for the purpose of
• たる(those) who are, (that) which is,
• ずくめcompletely, entirely, nothing but
• であれ/であろうとwhoever / whatever / however
• こそあれalthough, even though
• うと～うと/うが～うがwhether/even if [A] or [B].

You will be awarded an official City, University of London certificate on completion of the course if you attend at least 70 per cent of the classes. The course is not formally accredited.

There will be two JLPT N1 mock tests. One will take place at the end of part 2, which will decipher whether you will progress to part 3. Then on completion of part 3 there will be a larger mock test which you will need to pass to graduate from the course.

Teaching

This course takes a very active approach to developing your skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking; with lots of interaction with your teacher and fellow students.

Your tutor will work with you to identify areas where you excel and those which need more development. This will help you make effective use of your independent study time.

The virtual classes allow you to discuss any films or TV clips you have watched over the week. You’ll also get time to practice your fluency through role-play and delivering short presentations.

At this level you are expected to be studying daily to enhance your learning and comfortable to put in several hours outside of the classroom to your practice.

It is the right level if you have either:

• completed our upper intermediate syllabus or equivalent
• good JLPT N2 level
• be able to study for several hours a week independently.

Your tutor can assess you prior to enrolment to help determine your level and if this course is right for you.

However, you should already be able to:

• talk about your hobbies and interests
• express personal feelings and emotions with reasons
• be able to organise meetings with friends and colleagues
• join conversations discussing familiar everyday topics
• generally understand TV shows or movies in standard Japanese
• understand the content of official letters and e-mails written in polite Japanese
• understand the content of general articles in newspapers and magazine
• use around 1,000 kanji.

We offer a variety of courses, so if this isn’t the right level, take a look at the others we teach.

Please contact tutor Taka Ogura at t.ogura@city.ac.uk to discuss which course is suitable for you.

English requirements

You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course, although, at this level the classes will mainly be taught in Japanese.