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Foreign Languages · Japanese

Japanese Foundations: From the Dojo to Daily Life

Beginner Japanese: writing and speaking

Level
Beginner
Lessons
24 lessons in 4 modules
Estimated study
About 16 hours
Format
Online, self-paced
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Before you start

Review the lesson outline and any lesson-specific preparation before you practise.

Full study requires active Academy access. This course can be audited independently of optional assessed programs.

About this course

Learn beginner Japanese through hiragana, katakana, introductory kanji, listening and conversation. Four modules alternate writing and speaking lessons: tracing, independent and paper handwriting practice, polite requests, Japanese sound length and speech recordings. Begin with respectful dojo language, then communicate in daily life.

Course outline

Read and write the first 43 hiragana while you learn to greet your teacher, follow class cues and count repetitions.

  1. Hiragana begins: vowels, k and s sounds40 minFree preview
  2. Enter the dojo: greet your teacher and classmates40 min
  3. Hiragana continues: t, n and h sounds40 min
  4. Understand class: begin, stop, stand and repeat40 min
  5. Hiragana: m, y and r sounds40 min
  6. Count repetitions: numbers and 回40 min

Finish hiragana, learn katakana and introduce yourself with polite questions and answers.

  1. Complete hiragana: wa, the object particle and n40 min
  2. Body and direction: left, right, front and back40 min
  3. Katakana begins: vowels, k and s sounds40 min
  4. Introduce yourself: topics and sentence endings40 min
  5. Katakana: t, n and h sounds40 min
  6. Ask questions and answer politely40 min

Add voiced sounds, small kana and long vowels, write number kanji, and make polite requests about time, food and price.

  1. Complete katakana: m, y, r, wa and n40 min
  2. Sound marks: voiced kana, small kana and long vowels40 min
  3. Requests and repair: please repeat; I do not understand40 min
  4. Number kanji: one through ten40 min
  5. Time and class: when does practice begin?40 min
  6. Food, shopping and money: order and ask a price40 min

Write dojo kanji, ask for directions, talk about habits and plans, and finish with a written and spoken review.

  1. Everyday kanji: day, moon, water, person and inside40 min
  2. Get around: the station, transport and directions40 min
  3. Dojo kanji: hands, feet, the training hall and a bow40 min
  4. Daily and social conversation: habits, yesterday and plans40 min
  5. Writing review: read, remember and write on paper40 min
  6. Conversation review: meet, ask, clarify and make a plan40 min