Offered By	ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
Academic Contact	Dr Peter Hendriks

The Japan Centre offers a Japanese language major and a Japanese linguistics major in the comprehensive Japanese program. A primary aim of the Centre is to provide students with the linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge and skills necessary for successful communication with the Japanese.

Japanese courses are available to students in a wide range of degree programs, and are also taken in a variety of combined degrees. The specialist four-year Bachelor of Asian Studies (Japanese) degree as well as the Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies combined with the Graduate Diploma in Asia-Pacific Studies, afford students the additional opportunity to participate in the Year in Japan Program, currently involving study for a year at one of twenty-three selected Japanese universities.

The Japanese language program caters both to beginning students and to students who have previously studied the language. The program features an accelerated schedule at beginning and intermediate levels, and a separation of courses focusing on spoken and written Japanese. These permit more concentrated study and faster progress for students wishing to achieve high levels of competence, as well as appropriate placement for those with existing knowledge of Japanese. The program structure also provides for individual flexibility in pacing the study of the language within the context of a particular degree.

Beginning students follow a sequence, which permits them to complete a major (at least 48 units) in the language in two years. Incoming students with some knowledge of Japanese are required to take a placement test. This test is designed to allow program staff to make judgements about the students' spoken and written level of Japanese and to place them appropriately within the program. For those qualified, advanced level courses are available in both spoken and written Japanese.

Selection for the Year-in-Japan program is based primarily on academic performance. Students undertaking the course typically spend their third year (later, in the case of combined degree students) studying in Japan. The program currently requires language and disciplinary study at a Japanese university, an essay in Japanese submitted while in Japan, and an interview upon return to the ANU. Higher-level language courses focusing on academic Japanese and translation are available to returning students in their fourth year (later, in the case of combined degree students).

Requirements

The Asian Language Major (Japanese) may comprise courses from the Summary of Courses page and beginners must complete Spoken Japanese 4 and Written Japanese D.

Students who begin their study of spoken Japanese with Spoken Japanese 4 or lower, must include Spoken Japanese 4 in their Language Major. Students who begin their study of written Japanese with Written Japanese D or lower, must include Written Japanese D in their language major.

The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.