Which beginning Japanese course should you take?

Let's say you have no or nearly no prior knowledge of Japanese.

If you want to use Japanese for the language requirement, or you want to major or minor in Japanese,

choose between JPAN021/022 and JPAN011/012.

JPAN021/022: Intensive Beginning Japanese I & II Choose this option, if any of the following apply:

You want to complete the language requirement (4 c.u.) in one year.

You want to study Japanese abroad in your junior year, especially at a Japanese-only institution such as Kanazawa University or Hitotsubashi University.

You want to go to Japan next summer.

You have some knowledge of Chinese characters or speak a language related to Japanese. This course is not designed for students with such background, but such students will probably prefer to study Japanese intensively.

For freshman, JPAN021, which is 2 c.u. per semester, will constitute half your course load. This has the advantage of enabling you to concentrate on fewer subjects during your freshman year.

JPAN011/012 & JPAN0111/112: Beginning Japanese I & II/III & IV

Choose this option if any of the following apply:

You don't mind taking two years to complete your language requirement (4 c.u.).

You have never studied any foreign language and are apprehensive about the pace of an intensive course.

The content of JPAN011/012 (fall and spring, 2 c.u. total) plus JPAN111/112 (fall and spring, 2 c.u. total) is identi cal to JPAN021/022. If you take JPAN011/012 as a freshman, you will be able to take more courses in your freshman year, but you will have to take JPAN0111/112 in your sophomore year in order to complete the language requirement. If you plan to major in Japanese, you will also have to take JPAN211/212: Intermediate Japanese I & II, in your junior year.

If you have some prior knowledge of Japanese, and you want to use Japanese for the language requirement

or major or minor in Japanese, you many be abl e to place somewhere into the JPAN011/012/111/112 sequence. Completion of JPAN112 (or JPAN022) will fulfill your requirement no matter where you begin. (If you choose to major or minor, you will still need a total of 14 c.u. or 8 c.u. respectively, the rest of which you may fulfill with other EALC courses.)

Please see Hiroko Kimura Sherry (hsherry@sas.upenn.edu /215-898-7459) about placement.

If you do not need to use Japanese for your language requirement, and you do not plan to major or minor in Japanese, you may want to take CGS Japanese courses.

JPAN001/002/003/004: Introductory Japanese I - IV (CGS)