ELJ101: Elementary Japaense 1

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Course information

Class Modality and Announcements

ELJ101.0324 (50387) in Fall 2024 is a hybrid class. Please see below for information about the instruction modality of this course.
  1. Each lesson cycle (each week -- two lectures and one lab) is in the following structure.
    • Reading: You should read the sections of the textbook that will be covered in each lesson (See the weekly schedule for the class below.)
    • Quiz: You should take weekly quizzes during your asynchronous hour. Almost all quizzes will be delivered on Blackboard. The quiz will be open-book (you can use any resources), but it will be timed.
      • Quizlet: Vocabulary is central to learning any new language and it is one of the major focuses in this class. Students will receive a set of vocabulary exercises on Quizlet every week. This is an optional activity, but students will receive additional points (up to 5pt) for the weekly vocabulary quiz.
      • Blackboard: Students will have to complete weekly quizzes every week on Blackboard. There will be practice questions for the quiz. Each quiz is worth 10 points of the grade.
    • Weekly assignments:
      • Students will have to submit workbook assignments every week. Assignments must be submitted through Blackboard before the deadline (usually at the midnight of Sunday). Use the workbook submission sheets to submit your workbook homework.
      • Project-based assignments: Students will be assigned to several project-based assignments during the semester. Projects may include but not limited to (recorded) presentations, written essays, group projects, and fieldwork assignments. For projects, we will employ different tools such as Flipgrid, Google Doc, and xxx.
  2. Course communication will take place on two platforms on Blackboard and Discord.

Weekly schedule

Lecture topic
  • Introduction to class and class tools
    • Class website and Blackboard
    • Asynchronous lessons and assignments (YouTube playlist etc)
  • Class surveys: https://bit.ly/3ApQTDz or use this QR code (https://bit.ly/3GfZ6uH) .
  • Grammar:
    • Sec.x: あいさつ (p.30)
    • Sec.x: あいさつとおじぎ (p.32)
    • Sec.x: すうじ (0～100) (p.35)
  • ひらがな (あ〜こ) (pp. 296)
  • Practice Quiz & Quiz 1
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, September 15, 2024
  1. Respond to the class surveys.
  2. Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week01: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.00 Greetings (listening)
    • Week01: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.00 Greetings
    • Week01: Asynchronous Lesson - Recorded lectures
  3. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Make hiragana flash cards; use the workbook (p.11) or this file (You don't need to submit anything for this assignment. Just make your flashcards.)
    • Workbook Ch.00 (WB pp.13-14): Greetings
  4. Prepare for Quiz 1 (Sample quiz 1 | answer key ).
  5. Take "Week01: Quiz 00 Practice Quiz (ungraded)" on Blackboard
  6. Take "Week01: Quiz 01 Useful Expressions" on Blackboard
  7. Asynchronous Lab (see the instructions on Blackboard)
  8. [Extra points] Use the tutoring service and work on your assignments with a Japanese tutor. See https://t-nagano.com/mycourses/ELJ101/#tutoringSchedule for the tutoring schedule.

Lecture topic
  • ひらがな (さ〜と, な〜ほ, ま〜よ, ら〜ん)
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.01 Sec.1: X は Y です (e.g., メアリーさんは アメリカじんです。) (p.41)
    • Ch.01 Sec.2: Question Sentences (e.g., メアリーさんは アメリカじんですか。) (p.42)
    • Ch.01 Sec.3: Noun1 の Noun2 (e.g., にほんごの がくせいです。) (p.43)
  • Ch.01 Vocabulary
  • Practice self-introduction
  • Numbers up to 100
  • Quiz 2
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, September 22, 2024
  1. Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week02: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.00 あ〜と
    • Week02: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.00 あ〜ん
    • Week02: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.00 Hiragana Read Aloud
    • Week02: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.00 Numbers up to 100
    • Week02: Asynchronous Lesson - Recorded lectures
  2. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.121-122): Hiragana (あ〜こ) & Hiragana (さ〜と)
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.123-125): Hiragana (な〜ほ) & Hiragana (ま〜よ) & Hiragana (ら〜ん)
  3. Prepare for Quiz 2 (Sample quiz 2 | answer key )
  4. Take "Week02: Quiz 02 Hiragana" on Blackboard
  5. Asynchronous Lab (see the instructions on Blackboard)
  6. [Extra points] Complete the anime dictation exercises that we started in class. See the instructions on Blackboard.
  7. [Extra points] Use the tutoring service and work on your assignments with a Japanese tutor. See https://t-nagano.com/mycourses/ELJ101/#tutoringSchedule for the tutoring schedule.

Lecture topic
  • More on ひらがな
    • Dots (が〜ぼ), Circles (ぱ〜ぽ), and Palatalized consonants (small ゃゅょ)
    • Double consonants (small っ)
    • Long vowels
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.01 Sec.1: X は Y です (e.g., メアリーさんは アメリカじんです。) (p.41)
    • Ch.01 Sec.2: Question Sentences (e.g., メアリーさんは アメリカじんですか。) (p.42)
    • Ch.01 Sec.3: Noun1 の Noun2 (e.g., にほんごの がくせいです。) (p.43)
    • Ch.02 Sec.1: これ/あれ/それ/どれ (e.g., これは なんですか。) (p.60)
    • Ch.02 Sec.2: この/その/あの/どの＋Noun (e.g., このほんは いくらですか。) (p.61)
    • Ch.02 Sec.3: ここ/そこ/あそこ/どこ (e.g., ぎんこうは あそこです。) (p.62)
  • Ch.01 Vocabulary
  • Practice self-introduction
  • Large numbers up to 99,999
  • Quiz 3
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, September 29, 2024
  1. Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week03: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.01 Listening to self-introductions (part 1)
    • Week03: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.01 Listening to self-introductions (part 2)
    • Week03: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.02 Numbers up to 999999999
  2. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.16): XはYです
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.17): Question Sentences
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.18): Noun1 の Noun2
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.21-22) 聞きく練習れんしゅう (Listening Comprehension) | Audio files https://bit.ly/Genki3Audio
  3. Prepare for Quiz 3 (Sample quiz 3 | answer key )
  4. Take "Week03: Quiz 03 Vocabulary Ch.1" on Blackboard
  5. Asynchronous Lab (see the instructions on Blackboard)
  6. [Extra points] Complete the hiragana writing practice that we started in class. See the instructions on Blackboard.
  7. [Extra points] Use the tutoring service and work on your assignments with a Japanese tutor. See https://t-nagano.com/mycourses/ELJ101/#tutoringSchedule for the tutoring schedule.

Lecture topic
  • Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week04: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.02 Demonstratives (こそあど)
    • Week04: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.02 Sentence Read Aloud
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.02 Sec.1: これ/あれ/それ/どれ (e.g., これは なんですか。) (p.60)
    • Ch.02 Sec.2: この/その/あの/どの＋Noun (e.g., このほんは いくらですか。) (p.61)
    • Ch.02 Sec.3: ここ/そこ/あそこ/どこ (e.g., ぎんこうは あそこです。) (p.62)
    • Ch.02 Sec.4: だれの Noun (e.g., これは だれの かさですか。) (p.62)
  • Ch.02 Vocabulary
  • Self-introduction presentation
  • Quiz 4
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, October 6, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.126): Hiragana (Dots/Circles/Smallゃゅょ)
    • Workbook Ch.01 (WB p.127): Hiragana (Double consonants/Long vowels)
    • Workbook Ch.02 (WB p.25): すうじ
    • Workbook Ch.02 (WB p.27): この/その/あの
    • Workbook Ch.02 (WB p.28): ここ/そこ/あそこ/だれの
  2. Presentation 1 (see the instructions at Presentation 1 )
  3. Prepare for Quiz 4 (Sample quiz 4 | answer key )
  4. Take Quiz 4 on Blackboard
  5. [Extra points] Complete the money amount exercise on Blackboard. See the instructions on Blackboard.
  6. [Extra points] Use the tutoring service and work on your assignments with a Japanese tutor. See https://t-nagano.com/mycourses/ELJ101/#tutoringSchedule for the tutoring schedule.

Lecture topic
  • Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week05: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.03 Verbs 1
    • Week05: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.03 Verbs 2
    • Week05: Asynchronous Lesson - Ch.03 Verb Conjugation
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.02 Sec.4: だれの Noun (e.g., これは だれの かさですか。) (p.62)
    • Ch.02 Sec.5: Noun も (e.g., おかあさんも にほんじんです。) (p.62)
    • Ch.02 Sec.6: Noun じゃないです (e.g., メアリーさんは にほんじんじゃないです。) (p.63)
    • Ch.03 Sec.1: Verb Conjugation (e.g., 食たべる → 食たべます) (p.86)
    • Ch.03 Sec.2: Verb Types and the "Present Tense" (e.g., 私わたしはよくテレビを見みます。) (p.88)
    • Ch.03 Sec.3: Particles (e.g., 図書館としょかんで雑誌ざっしを読よみます。学校がっこうに行いきます。) (p.88)
  • Quiz 5
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, October 13, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.02 (WB p.29): Nounも/Nounじゃないです
    • Workbook Ch.03 (WB p.32): Verb Conjugation
  2. [Extra points] Complete the verb exercise on Blackboard. See the instructions on Blackboard.
  3. [Extra points] Use the tutoring service and work on your assignments with a Japanese tutor. See https://t-nagano.com/mycourses/ELJ101/#tutoringSchedule for the tutoring schedule.
  4. Start preparing for the midterm. See the sample questions Mid-term sample questions | answer key .

Lecture topic
  • Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week06: Asynchronous Lesson - Recorded lectures on YouTube
    • Week06: Asynchronous Lesson - Mid-term practice
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.03 Sec.1: Verb Conjugation (e.g., 食たべる → 食たべます) (p.86)
    • Ch.03 Sec.2: Verb Types and the "Present Tense" (e.g., 私わたしはよくテレビを見みます。) (p.88)
    • Ch.03 Sec.3: Particles (e.g., 図書館としょかんで雑誌ざっしを読よみます。学校がっこうに行いきます。) (p.88)
  • Preparing for the mid-term (see Mid-term sample questions | answer key )
  • Ch.03 Vocabulary
  • Quiz 6
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, October 20, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.03 (WB p.33): Nounを Verb
  2. Prepare for Quiz 6 (Sample quiz 6 | answer key )
  3. Take Quiz 6 on Blackboard

Lecture topic
  • Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week07: Asynchronous Lesson - Introduction to Katakana
  • Grammar:
    • Sec.x: カタカナ (p.300-303)
  • Mid-term
  • [Extra points] Complete the katakana practice sheet. See the instructions here
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, October 27, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.02 (WB p.128-132) Katakana (only "II Write the words below in Katakana". Skip "I Practice writing ...")
  2. Submit all overdue homework

Lecture topic
  • Asynchronous lessons:
    • Week08: Asynchronous Lesson - Verbs with particles
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.03 Sec.1: Verb Conjugation (e.g., 食たべる → 食たべます) (p.86)
    • Ch.03 Sec.2: Verb Types and the "Present Tense" (e.g., 私わたしはよくテレビを見みます。) (p.88)
    • Ch.03 Sec.3: Particles (e.g., 図書館としょかんで雑誌ざっしを読よみます。学校がっこうに行いきます。) (p.88)
    • Ch.03 Sec.4: Time References (e.g., 何時なんじに起おきますか。) (p.90)
  • Mid-term
  • [Extra points] Complete the verbs with particles exercise . See the instructions here
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, November 3, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.03 (WB p.34): Verbs with Places
    • Workbook Ch.03 (WB p.35): Time References

Lecture topic
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.03 Sec.5: ～ませんか (e.g., コーヒーを飲のみませんか。) (p.90)
    • Ch.03 Sec.6: Frequency Adverbs (e.g., 毎日まいにち、本ほんを読よみます。) (p.91)
    • Ch.04 Sec.1: X があります/います (e.g.病院びょういんがあります。) (p.107)
  • Ch.04 Vocabulary
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, November 10, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.03 (WB p.36): Suggestion using 〜ませんか
    • Workbook Ch.03 (WB p.37): Frequency Adverbs
    • Workbook Ch.04 (WB p.41): Xがあります/います
  2. Prepare for Quiz 7 (Sample quiz 7 | answer key )
  3. [Extra points] Try using the AI-bot Japanese tutor. See the instructions here

Lecture topic
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.04 Sec.1: X があります/います (e.g.病院びょういんがあります。) (p.107)
    • Ch.04 Sec.2: Describing Where Things Are (e.g., 図書館としょかんはどこですか。) (p.108)
    • Ch.04 Sec.3: Past Tense of です (e.g., 先生せんせいは大学生だいがくせいでした。) (p.110)
    • Ch.04 Sec.4: Past Tense of Verbs (e.g.月曜日げつようびに何をしましたか。) (p.110)
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, November 24, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.04 (WB p.42): Describing Where Things Are
    • Workbook Ch.04 (WB p.43): Past Tense (Nouns)
    • Workbook Ch.04 (WB p.44): Verb Conjugation (Past Tense)
  2. Start preparing for the final exam. See the practice questions below .
  3. Start preparing for the final presentation. See the instructions below.

Lecture topic
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.04 Sec.5: も (e.g., コーヒーも飲のみます。) (p.111)
    • Ch.04 Sec.7: たくさん (e.g.写真しゃしんをたくさん撮とりました。) (p.112)
    • Ch.04 Sec.8: と (e.g.日本語にほんごと英語えいごを話はなします。) (p.113)
  • Ch.05 Vocabulary
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, December 1, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.04 (WB p.45): Past Tense (Verbs)
    • Workbook Ch.04 (WB p.46): も
  2. Prepare for Quiz 8 (Sample quiz 8 | answer key )
  3. Take Quiz 8 on Blackboard
  4. Prepare for the final exam. See the practice questions below .
  5. Prepare the final presentation. See the instructions below.

  • The last day of the semester is Saturday, December 7, 2024.
  • The final exam takes place on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 (during the regular class time).
  • The presentation 2 is due on Sunday, December 8, 2024 (draft) and Tuesday, December 10, 2024 (recorded presentation). Please submit your presentation draft as soon as you can so that you will have sufficient time for practicing your presentation.
Lecture topic
  • Grammar:
    • Ch.05 Sec.1: Adjectives (e.g., Present Tense) (e.g., 高たかいです。)
    • Ch.05 Sec.2: Adjectives (e.g., Past Tense) (e.g., 高たかかったです。)
    • Ch.05 Sec.3: Adjectives (e.g., Noun Modification) (e.g., 高たかい時計とけいですね。)
    • Ch.05 Sec.4: 好すき（な）/きらい（な） (e.g., 魚さかなが好すきですか。)
Assignments. The assignment with will be graded. Deadline is on Sunday, December 8, 2024
  1. Workbook (submit through Blackboard; use the workbook submission sheets ):
    • Workbook Ch.05 (WB p.50): Adjective Conjugation
    • Workbook Ch.05 (WB p.51-52): Adjectives (e.g., Present Tense)
    • Workbook Ch.05 (WB p.53): Adjectives (e.g., Present Tense)
    • Workbook Ch.05 (WB p.55): 好すき（な）/きらい（な）
  2. Prepare for the final exam. See the practice questions below .
  3. Prepare the final presentation. See the instructions below.

Handouts & Practice Slides

Lecture Slides
Chapter handouts
Exams
Practice Slides
Presentations
Bonus exercises