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Course Levels and Curriculum
First‐Time Beginners to Intermediate
This information page needs updating. For the latest details on levels and the course curriculum, please contact us. Our levels and curriculum have been enhanced to better align with our students' needs. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Entry Level
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks)
- Goal
- To be able to ask simple questions
- Writing Skills
- Hiragana
- Expressions
- Asking names of people and items, directions, greetings, counting 1‐10, basic verbs (eat, drink, see, read, etc.)
After you've completed Level 1, you will have learned all of the basic skills you need to form a strong foundation. You will already be able to participate in short, simple conversations.
Elementary
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks) / A cumulative total of 4 months
- Goal
- To be able to ask simple questions
- Writing Skills
- Hiragana and Katakana
- Expressions
- Asking the time, quantifiers, verbs (daily conversation level), adjectives (daily conversation level: big, small, hot, cold, like, dislike, etc.), desire (want/would like, want to/would like to)
Once you've completed Level 2, you will have the primary language skills to be able to say what you want to say and understand what is said to you in familiar situations.
Beginner‐1
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks) / A cumulative total of
6 months - Goal
- To be able to carry on a daily conversation, as well as read and understand written Japanese
- Expressions
- Making invitations (Would you like to do…?), asking a favor (Would you do…?), giving permission (You can do…), prohibiting (You cannot do…), talking about experience (I have done…), learning the difference between polite expressions and colloquial expressions
Once Level 3 is complete, you will have successfully learned many additional expressions. You will now be able to communicate sophisticatedly, having mastered comprehensive basic Japanese conversation skills.
Beginner‐2
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks) / A cumulative total of 8 months
- Goal
- To be able to fluently carry on a daily conversation, as well as read and understand written Japanese
- Expressions
- Talking about possibilities (I can do…), asking for and giving directions (If you go…, when you reach…), give and receive (I give, I receive, someone gives me…), talking about hypothetical situations (If…, Potentially…), explaining one's situation and giving a reason (Because…)
Once you've completed Level 4, you will have successfully learned the proper use of the Japanese "polite style" and "plain style" ways of speaking. The "polite style" of communicating is used in more formal situations and the "plain style" is used when you're talking to your close friends, colleagues and family members.
Pre-Intermediate
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks) / A cumulative total of 10 months
- Goal
- To be able to explain things and express feelings in detail, as well as read and understand long passages, understand Japanese animations and TV drama series', and handle complex dialogue
- Expressions
- Describing two concurrent events (While…, …), talking about things you do in advance (I will prepare/do…), talking about a future event (I will…, am going to…), giving advice/a warning (You should…, You had better…), presuming (I/It might…, I/It could…)
Once you have completed Level 5, you will be able to speak and understand the Japanese language across a wide range of complex situations both in class and in everyday life.
Intermediate‐1
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks) / A cumulative total of 12 months
- Expressions
- Talking about conditions (If you do…), showing reluctance (Someone makes me do…, I am forced to do…), making an attempt (I try to do…, I will see if…), talking about immoderation (You do…too much, It is too…)
Once you have completed Level 6, you will have successfully learned to handle complex language in many situations, you will be able to understand detailed reasoning, and will have the ability to communicate with a rich and sophisticated Japanese vocabulary.
Intermediate‐2
- Time Period
- 2 Months (8 weeks) / A cumulative total of 14 months
- Expressions
- Describing levels of difficulty (It is easy to do…, It is difficult to do…), telling someone what you heard from someone else (someone said that…, I heard that…), causative verbs for ordering someone to do something, letting someone do something (I get/have someone to do/do…), using honorifics "Sonkeigo (honorifics), Kenjougo (showing modesty), Teineigo (polite expressions)"
Once you've completed Level 7, you will have successfully learned Keigo (honorific expressions), which is a form of Japanese communication that is used to show the speaker's respect for the listener. This type of expression is most commonly used in business situations in Japan.
Intermediate‐3/4
- Time Period
- 4 Months (8 weeks x 2 terms)
Level 8 gives ample support to learners who have language skills that are sufficient enough to understand and explore the Japanese culture and unique customs. This curriculum will give you a deeper understanding of Japan and its culture, and will allow you to develop your comprehensive Japanese language skills further – ultimately achieving full mastery of intermediate level Japanese.
High-Intermediate‐1/2/3
- Time Period
- 6 Months (8 weeks x 3 terms)
Level 9 allows you to further explore Japanese culture and speak freely to enhance your communication abilities at an advanced level. In addition, you will also learn negotiable conversation skills to be used in everyday situations. Practice lessons include reading pieces approximately 500‐800 characters in length, followed by detailed reviews, comments, communications, essay critiques, story sharing, articles and follow up writing on various topics.
