A Class (Second-Year Japanese)
Syllabus
Fall Semester, 2023
Instructor
にしまた

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Instructor: 西俣（深井）美由紀, mf2249@columbia.edu
Office: Fusokan 203
TEL: (075)251-4996
Office hours by appointment

Course Details
Meeting times: M-F 9:00-11:10 (1st period: 9:00-10:10; 2nd period: 10:10-11:10)
Classroom: F204
Credits: 8 points

Objective of KCJS’s Japanese Program
The objective of KCJS’s Japanese Program is to enhance the student’s communicativecompetence and to enable interactions with others in Japanese. In particular, a KCJS
student will come to:
1. Understand the intentions of others when Japanese is spoken;
2. Understand the intentions of others when written materials of various genres and media
are presented;
3. Control the use of Japanese expressions, both spoken and written, in order to fit thesocio-cultural settings and purposes of communication;
4. Expand the modes of communication used to include such genres as formal
presentations, negotiations, projects, the organization of events, and their follow-up.

Course Description
The 2nd-year Japanese is designed for students who have completed at least one year ofcollege-level Japanese or the equivalent (around 150 hours of Japanese study). Students
who want to take this course are expected to be at least at the Novice-High level of the
ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency Guidelines atthe beginning of the course.
Please note that the language levels used at KCJS (i.e. 2nd-year, 3rd-year, etc.) may notexactly match those used at your home institution. The placement test, however, will help
ensure that you are enrolled in a class that will improve your skills most effectively.
You will learn basic Japanese grammar utilizing the four language skills (speaking, listening,reading, and writing). We will use Genki II first and Task-Based Learning Japanese forCollege Students.Other materials will be provided as needed by the instructor.
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Course Objectives/Goals
Our goal is for students to 1) learn how to study Japanese effectively and 2) further develop
competence in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication andto expand their overall abilities to function effectively in Japanese in various socio-cultural
settings. To this end, we will assist students to:
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learn effective study methods,
establish good study habits,
reinforce basic grammar points in order to use them accurately and more effectively,
master beginning-level grammar points to advance beyond the current level ofJapanese,
expand vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and kanji,raise awareness of the differences between spoken/written language, andformal/casual speech styles.

<Speaking>••••develop conversation strategies to improve daily communication,
speak appropriately in a given situation,
manage longer discourse in a coherent manner by using complex sentences,conjunctions and transitional devices,
give detailed explanations and report on events and experiences.

<Listening>••

comprehend conversational utterances and stories in both formal and casual speech
registers,
gather details from spoken discourse.

<Reading>••

manage texts of slightly longer and complex style of various genres,
read for a variety of purposes.

<Writing>••

write short response papers, and speeches of multiple paragraphs, using complex
sentences, conjunctions and transitional devices in written Japanese.
read and write at least 230 new kanji.

Course Materials for First Half
Banno, E., et al. (2020). Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese II (Third
Edition). Tokyo: Japan Times.Links to an external site.

You must purchase a paper copy at Doshisha CO-OP (10% discount). E-books
are NOT allowed.
The textbook for the second half will be announced later.

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IMPORTANT: You are not allowed to, unless otherwise instructed:•••

Share all materials distributed in class, such as, but not limited to, handouts inpaper/PDFs, grammar videos, with others including classmates;
Audio- or video-record class meetings;
Take screenshots or photos at any time during online/in-person class meetings.

Useful Tools
See CourseWorks > Modules > コースのこと・資料 (Schedule and Resources) > 2nd Year
Japanese Resources

Course Policy
General
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In the event of illness or other absence, please notify your language instructor, thedirector or the office staff as soon as possible via e-mail.
Students are expected to abide by the “Terms of Participation” they signed during theadmissions process for KCJS, as well as the code of Academic Conduct outlined inColumbia University’s General Handbook and your KCJS Handbook.
Students with disability paperwork should contact their instructors as soon as possibleat the beginning of the term in order to discuss accommodations.
You are strongly encouraged to communicate with each other in Japanese in the
Fusokan.
No consuming food in class.
Use formal speech (です/ます) style when talking to faculty and staff members.
Email sent after 5pm Monday through Thursday will NOT be answered until thefollowing morning. Emails sent after 5pm on Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday will
not be answered until Monday morning.
Use a binder as your “portfolio” to organize handouts, quizzes and exams.

Attendance/Participation•••

Daily attendance is mandatory. NO make-up classes will be given.
Your preparation, attendance and participation will be assessed per class meeting.
If you are absent from or late to class, one point will be deducted from yourparticipation score for every 5 minutes you are absent. Tardiness of 1, 2, 3, or 4 minutes
will be treated as 5 full minutes. In other words, your score will be as follows, if you
arrive:<1st period> 9:00-9:05 = 9 points <2nd period> 10:10-10:15 = 9 points
9:06-9:10 = 8 points

10:16-10:20 = 8 points

9:11-9:19 = 7 points

10:21-10:29 = 7 points

After 9:20 = 0 point

After 10:30 = 0 points
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At the end of the semester, your lowest six performance scores will be dropped fromyour record when your grade is calculated. You should save them for illness andemergencies that prevent you from attending class.
From the seventh class absence, you will receive a zero for each class you missed,
including 1st and 2nd [Note that this refers to class absences, not days absent. If you areabsent for a whole day, it will be counted as two zeroes.]If you fail to notify your language instructor about your absence prior to or on the dayof your absence, then your score for that day will NOT be dropped at the end of thesemester and it will remain as zero.
For absences arising due to extenuating circumstances beyond the seven class absences(e.g., return to your country for the funeral of a relative), please write an explanation of
the situation and submit it to the director with a copy to your language instructor forconsideration with respect to your final grade within five days upon your return. If you
fail to submit the written explanation within five business days upon your return, then,your scores for those days will not be dropped at the end of the semester, and they willremain as zero.
Do not come to class if you have a temperature of 37.5℃ (99.5F) or higher even if you
tested negative for COVID-19.

Quizzes & Lesson Tests
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All graded quizzes, each of which has its time limit, are available online and gradedautomatically except for Kanji writing quizzes. Read the instructions carefully andfollows them. All graded quizzes must be completed by 8AM on the assigned day. Kanji
writing quizzes must be turned in at the beginning of class on the assigned day.
When paper-and-pencil quizzes are administered, you will be notified beforehand andmust be present when the quiz is distributed. If not, you will not be allowed to take thequiz.
The lowest 3 quiz grades will be dropped from the final score at the end of thesemester.
You will not be allowed to make up or reschedule quizzes under any circumstances.
You may be permitted to make up lesson tests at the discretion of the instructor, except
for personal reasons.

Homework
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All assignments must be handed in on time, i.e. at the beginning of the class orotherwise instructed.
It will be considered late if it is turned in after the class on the assigned day.
If an assignment is turned in late, 50% will be deducted from the grade.
No homework handed in beyond two days late will receive a grade.
Outstanding homework assigned during your absence must be submitted no later than
the second day of your return to class. A 50% grade penalty will be applied to theoutstanding assignment after the third day of your return to class. Completed
homework assigned during your absence will not be accepted beyond the fourth day of
your return to class.
All homework must be done INDIVIDUALLY. If it is discovered that a student has done
any action against the Columbia University's Honor Code, they will be penalizedaccordingly.
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You will be required to re-submit homework assignments that require self-corrections
for “redoing (やり直し)”. You must correct and resubmit the homework by the dateindicated on the returned assignemnts or the original grade you received for that work
will stand.
Under no circumstances will students be allowed to submit redo homework after thelast day of class.
Homework must be written in pencil.

Academic Integrity
As members of an academic community, each one of us bears the responsibility toparticipate in scholarly discourse and research in a manner characterized by intellectualhonesty and scholarly integrity. Collaborative scholarship requires the study of other
scholars' work, the free discussion of such work, and the explicit acknowledgement of thoseideas in any work that inform our own.
This exchange of ideas relies upon a mutual trust that sources, opinions, facts, and insights
will be properly noted and carefully credited. In practical terms, this means that, as
students, all work submitted in this course, whether in draft or final form, must be yourown. You must be responsible for the full citations of others' ideas in all of your research
papers and projects; you must be scrupulously honest when taking your examinations; youmust always submit your own work and not that of another student, scholar, or internet
agent. Any breach of this intellectual responsibility is a breach of faith with the rest of ouracademic community. It undermines our shared intellectual culture, and it cannot betolerated.
The use of ChatGPT or any other AI tools for course assignments (with the exception of
artificial neural networks like DeepL for machine translations, duly cited as instructed inpages 2-3) is tantamount to plagiarism. Any cases of plagiarism or cheating will be reported
to Columbia Undergraduate Global Engagement and the academic advisor at your homeinstitution and are subject to the code of academic conduct there. In such cases, your final
grade will be determined by your home institution and not by KCJS.

Plagiarism
The use of words, phrases, or ideas that do not belong to the student, without properly
citing or acknowledging the source, is prohibited whether in draft or final form. This may
include, but is not limited to, copying computer code for the purposes of completing
assignments for submission.
To avoid committing plagiarism, cite all sources properly.

5Grade Breakdown
Course grades will be based on the following items and percentages.
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Preparation, participation, attendance 25%
Homework 15%
Quizzes 15%
Lesson Tests 15%
日本の学生と話そう＆多読 5%Community Involvement Project 5%
前半まとめテスト 10%
後半まとめテスト 10%

Grade ReportYour grade is updated in the online grade book. You should access the grade book regularly
to gauge your progress. If you find an error, it is your responsibility to let the instructor
know immediately so that necessary adjustments are made in a timely manner. Please notethat we do not round numbers when we determine your final grade. To earn the letter
grades below, your final numerical grade must fall within the given ranges.

Grade
Based on the relative weights indicated on the previous section, a composite numerical
grade will be computed, to which a letter grade will be assigned as follows:A

100 - 94A-

93.9 - 90B+89.9 - 87B

86.9 - 83B-

82.9 - 80C+79.9 – 77C

76.9 - 73C-72.9 - 70D+69.9 - 67D

66.9 - 63D-

62.9 - 60

F

59.9 -

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Grading Scale For Preparation, Participation, AttendanceNote: “Preparation” includes, but not limited to, reading textbooks, watching grammar
videos and taking self-check quizzes. Your access logs to materials in CourseWorks will be
reviewed and used as the basis for assessing your preparation.

<10>
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Preparation for assigned materials is thoroughly done.
The student is able to actively participate in class activities, and their performance issmooth.
In student’s preparation, unclear areas are identified clearly.
The content of the material is understood accurately.
Performance clearly reflects the feedback instructors have given previously.

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Participation is active, but preparation has not been thoroughly performed.
In the student’s preparation, unclear areas are not identified clearly.
The content of the assigned material is not understood thoroughly or accurately.
Performance is not smooth in order to communicate without difficulty.
Mistakes are repeatedly made in the same areas where instructors have given feedback
previously.

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Lack of thorough preparation hinders active participation in class activities.
In the student’s preparation, unclear areas are not identified clearly.
The content of the assigned material is only partial or greatly misunderstood.

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Preparation has not been performed, and nor is there participation in class activities.
In the student’s preparation, unclear areas are not identified clearly.
The content of the assigned material is not understood.

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To Ensure a Successful Working RelationshipIn our course, there will be many opportunities to discuss ideas in small groups. To support
a productive, respectful, and learning-focused discussion, I ask that you participate with thefollowing classroom norms, which we will review and add to together as a class:
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Listen respectfully. Comments that you make (whether asking for clarification, sharing
critiques, or expanding on a point) should reflect that you have paid attention to theprevious speakers’ comments.
Be open to changing your perspectives based on what you learn from others.
Understand that we are bound to make mistakes in this space, as anyone does whenapproaching complex tasks or learning new skills. Strive to see your mistakes andothers’ as valuable elements of the learning process.
Understand that your words have effects on others. Speak with care.
Understand that others will come to these discussions with different experiences fromyours. Be careful about assumptions and generalizations you make based only on yourown experience.
Understand that there are different approaches to solving problems. If you are
uncertain about someone else’s approach, ask a question to explore areas of
uncertainty.
Differentiate between opinion--which everyone has--and informed knowledge, whichcomes from sustained experience, study, and practice. Hold your opinions lightly andwith humility.

みんなでがんばりましょう！

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