Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies
Elective Course Syllabus (Subject to Change)
1. Introductory Informationooooooooooo

Course title: Becoming a world citizen through Japanese language: Projectbased course for intermediate Japanese ⽇本語で学ぶ世界：
中級⽇本語プロジェクトコース
Term taught: Fall 2023
Class days/times: TBA
Classroom location: Fusokan F212
Course format: Discussion- and activity-based
Number of points for the course: 4 points
Instructor name: NISHIMATA (FUKAI) Miyuki ⻄俣 (深井) 美由紀
Email address: mf2249@columbia.edu
Office location: Fusokan F203
Days/times of weekly office hours: By appointment
Prerequisites: Intermediate level; equivalent to KCJS A, B, and C Classes.
***All students must obtain instructor’s permission to take thiscourse.

2. Course Description
We live in a complex world in which we constantly face difficult problems. As world
citizens, we have a shared responsibility to strive to make our world better. In thiscourse, we will discuss and examine several of the following among a variety of
たぶんかきょうせい

contemporary social issues: multiculturalism/multicultural symbiosis (多⽂化共⽣),
たようせい

けいざいかくさかんきょう

diversity (多様性), economic inequality (経済格差), environment ( 環 境 ), education
きょういく

いみん

しけん

こうきょうせい( 教 育 ), immigration (移⺠), private rights and public welfare (私権と公 共 性 ).
Students will also plan and conduct a workshop that focuses on a specific social issueof their choice. All activities will be conducted in Japanese.
The purpose of this course is to integrate intermediate-level Japanese grammar andvocabulary into practical context by going beyond the classroom and textbook tostudy contemporary social problems in Japanese language and cultural context.
3. Student Learning OutcomesBy the end of the course, students should:• have wider and deeper knowledge of current social problems in Japan and theworld;• have examined and analyzed social issues critically in Japan and the world;• develop ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data in Japanese language;
1•develop Japanese language skills to address social issues in Japan and the world
as well as to communicate their opinions to others.

4. Required and Recommended Texts
All materials will be provided by the instructor.
They include, but not limited to, statistical data from the governments, research
institutes, and various organizations, excerpts from history textbooks, and videos.
Some materials are provided in English, but you will be required to discuss them inJapanese (i.e., input in English and output in Japanese).
5. Course Requirements
Preparation & class participation: 30%
This course is discussion- and activity-based. In other words, students areexpected to interact and negotiate meanings in Japanese regarding the topic ofeach meeting through pair, group, and whole-class discussions. To do so,students are required to complete specific assignments (e.g., a questionnaire toreflect their own experiences, collect data through the Internet/library searchetc. IN ENGLISH AND IN JAPANESE TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY related to thetopic of each meeting; to consider discussion questions) and to participate
vigorously in class discussions.
4 points – Comes to class prepared; Contributes to discussions with ample verbal
participation and attentive listening to others.
3 points – Comes to class mostly prepared; Contribute to discussions withsufficient verbal participation and attentive listening to others.
2 points – Comes to class with minimal preparation; Mostly fails to contribute todiscussions with minimal verbal participation and attentive listening toothers.
1 point – Comes to class without any preparation: Fails or refuses to contributeto discussions.
Quizzes: 10%
Students will take quizzes on vocabulary and grammar/expressions introduced
throughout the semester. These vocabulary and grammar/expressions arenecessary to discuss the topics.
Reflection essays: 30%
Students will be required to write a 1-2-page, double-spaced reflection essay inJapanese on each topic discussed in this course approximately every-other week.
Students are allowed to use translation tools such as Google Translate, as long as
they follow the rules below.
1) No more than 50% should be a product of translation tools.
2) List which translation tools you have used.
3) Specify the texts that are translated by the tools. To do so, provide both
non-Japanese (original) texts and their translated version. If your original2

texts are not in English, please provide them (i.e., you must put the texts inthree languages: non-English, English, and Japanese).
4) Identify what you can write in Japanese with help of translation tools.
Using words/expressions you have learned from the translated texts,
create at least two example sentences.
If students do not follow the above rules, and the instructor discovers use oftranslation tools, it is reported as an academic misconduct to Columbia
University.
Each reflection essay will be graded based on (1) depth of ideas, (2) organizationand coherence, (3) linguistic accuracy, fluency, and complexity. If students use
translation tools, examples sentences (read #3 above) will be graded.
Workshop & self- and peer-evaluation: 30%
Students will be required to plan and conduct a 30-minuite interactive workshop
in Japanese on a social issue of their choosing. As a workshop leader, students
are expected to study a specific social issue (e.g., its background, effect on oursociety, etc.), design a workshop to raise awareness about the issue, encourage
discussions about the issue, and stimulate their thoughts through interactive
activities that require audience participation (i.e., a lecture-style workshop isNOT allowed).
This workshop will be done with a partner. Self- and peer-evaluation will beconducted after the workshop, which will be part of the final grade. The
evaluation criteria will be determined later in class.
Tasks for the workshop will include writing a proposal, preparing a plan andmaterials, and executing the workshop. Self-evaluation will include a 2-page,
double-spaced reflection essay in Japanese.
Students will have the opportunity to seek assistance and improve their performancein class and assignments if necessary.
Grading Scale
100 – 94.0=A, 93.9 – 90.0=A-, 89.9 – 87.0=B+, 82.9 – 80.0=B-, 86.9 – 83.0=B,
79.7 – 77.0=C+, 76.9 – 73.0=C, 72.9 – 70.0=C-, 69.9 – 67.0=D+, 66.9 – 63.0=D,
62.9 – 60.0=D-, 59.9 – =F3

6. A detailed schedule of the semester (subject to change)
Week Topic
1
Course Orientation“Language and I”

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3

In-class Activity
Introduction to the course
Learn and practice expressions
used in discussion
Discuss what kinds of languages
we have been surroundedby/we have observed

Linguistic
LandscapeShare and analyze samples ingroupsLearn and practice expressions
used in presentation

Linguistic
LandscapeQuiz
Practice the presentation
Present the analysis to class
Discuss the findings and how
languages used around us
reflects our world
Share results of survey(Worksheet 2)
Analyze spending habits of class
Learn and practice how toexplain graphs

Linguistic
Landscape“Expenses and I”

4Assignments

Worksheet 1 “Languageand I”
Learn vocabulary andexpressions on theworksheet
Collect samples of“languages in Kyoto”• Research what kindof languages areused in signs, shop,stations, schools, etc.
in Kyoto.
• Take photos of atleast 5 separate
samples• Paste each photo oneach page in Google
Presentation andtype the information
about it (date, place,and type)• Learn vocabulary andexpressions used in
the presentation
Worksheet for sample
analysis
Worksheet 2 “Expensesand I” (survey)
Reflection essay 1:
Linguistic landscapeWeek Topic
4
Consumer society

Consumer society

5“History educationand I”
History textbooks

6

2History textbooks

History textbooks

7

Orientation forworkshop“Immigration/Globalmobility and I”

In-class Activity
Share and discuss
simulations with Japanese
students
Explain and analyze data
related to householdspending in Japan (dataprovided by Sankei
Shinbun, ⽇本政府 etc.)
Discuss the findings
Quiz
Explain and analyze data
related to consumption
and environment (dataprovided by JICA, Kyoto
City, etc.)
Discuss the findings & thevideo
Share knowledge andexperiences in history
education (K-12 &college)
Read sample excerpts fromJapan’s middle-school
history textbooks X and Y
in pairs/groups
Analyze how X and Y aresimilar/different inpairs/groups
Analyze how X and Y aresimilar/different in pairs
Present the findings toclass
With Japanese students:
Discuss the findings of allgroupsDiscuss issues in history
education
Quiz
Overview of workshopBrainstorm ideas
Plan a workshop
Share knowledge andexperience withimmigration/global
mobility

5Assignments
Worksheet (simulation ofhousehold expenses)

Worksheet for the video(星新⼀「おーい、でてこーい」)Worksheet 3 “History
education and I”

Reflection essay 2:
Consumer society
Vocabulary list of X and Y(look up readings andmeanings of words on thelist)

Worksheet for textbook
analysis
Worksheet 4 “Immigrationand I”

Reflection essay 3: History
education and textbooks
Workshop proposal*Students will meet withthe instructor for
consultation outside classduring Week 8.

Week Topic
In-class Activity
8
Multicultural society Quiz
Explain and analyze data
related to global mobility(data provided by NHK, ⽇本
政府 , US Census, etc.)
Multicultural society アメリカのデータ
⽇本との⽐較
910111214

Multicultural society With Japanese students,
discuss issues regarding
immigrants in Japan and theU.S.
Preparation forPlan a workshop (goals, tasks,workshop
assignments, etc.)
Prepare materials (handouts,presentation slides, etc.)“COVID-19 and I”
Share knowledge andexperiences with COVID-19
Share and analyze results ofsurvey (Worksheet 5)
Learn and practice vocabulary
for COVID-19
COVID-19
QuizExplain and analyze data
related to COVID-19
Discuss how COVID-19 have
impacted our society

COVID-19

Preparation forworkshopWorkshopWorkshopAssignments
Watch a shortmovie/news segments(NHK & France 1) on“aliens” in Japan
アメリカのデータを調べて、説明できるようにしておく
Worksheet 5 “COVID-19and I”
Reflection essay 4:
Multicultural society

Workshop plan andmaterials*Students will meet with
the instructor for
consultation outsideclass during Week 11.
Worksheet for the video(a segment from 報道特集)
Collect data to explain or
support your opinions
about the impact of
COVID-19 (youranswers to #2 onWorksheet 5)
Discuss with Japanese students Research support for
how COVID-19 haveyour opinions
impacted us and our society
and what we can do in thepost COVID-19 world
Rehearse workshop
Reflection essay 5:
COVID-19
Student-led workshop
Student-led workshop
Absolute deadline forself-evaluation ofworkshop

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7. Course Policies
General1) In the event of illness or other absence, please notify the instructor as soon as
possible by telephone or e-mail.
2) If you are a student with a disability and have a Disability Services-certified‘Accommodation Letter’ from your home institution, please send me this letter
before the first day of class to confirm your accommodation needs. If you believethat you might have a disability that requires accommodation and do not have anaccommodations letter, you should contact the Center for Undergraduate Global
Engagement at Columbia University (uge@columbia.edu).
3) Students are expected to abide by the “Terms of Participation” they signed during
the admissions process for KCJS, as well as the code of Academic Conduct outlinedin Columbia University’s General Handbook and your KCJS Handbook.
(http://www.college.columbia.edu/ccschonorcode)
As members of an academic community, each one of us bears the responsibility toparticipate in scholarly discourse and research in a manner characterized byintellectual honesty and scholarly integrity. Collaborative scholarship requires thestudy of other scholars' work, the free discussion of such work, and the explicit
acknowledgement of those ideas in any work that inform our own. This exchangeof ideas relies upon a mutual trust that sources, opinions, facts, and insights will beproperly noted and carefully credited.
In practical terms, this means that, as students, you must be responsible for thefull citations of others' ideas in all of your research papers and projects; you mustbe scrupulously honest when taking your examinations; you must 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
be tolerated.
4) Please be aware that faculty and staff can only answer email during business hours,
except in cases of emergency.
Preparation & Class Participation
1) Attendance is mandatory. NO make-up classes will be given.
2) Absences without prior notification to your instructor will be counted as zero.
3) Cumulative absences may negatively affect your attendance/participation grade.
4) Prepare fully before class and participate in in-class activities actively. Your
participation and performance will be evaluated as “Preparation & classparticipation” which accounts for 30% of your final grade.
Consult your instructor at any time if you have concerns about yourattendance/participation grade.
Quizzes
1) If you are not present when the quiz is distributed, you will not be allowed to takethe quiz.
2) You will not be allowed to make up or reschedule quizzes under any circumstances.

7Homework
1) All assignments must be handed in on time, i.e. at the beginning of the class.
2) Work will be considered as late submission if it is turned in after the class on theassigned day, and 50% will be deducted from the grade.
3) Consult your instructor to submit outstanding homework assigned during yourabsence.
4) All written homework must be done INDIVIDUALLY or otherwise instructed by yourinstructor. If it is discovered that a student has done any action against theColumbia University's Honor Code, they will be penalized accordingly.
http://www.college.columbia.edu/ccschonorcode5) You may be required to make self-corrections on homework assignments for abetter grade. Due dates will be set by the instructor.

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