This is a hybrid course. It is available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The course content, delivery and assessment will be identical for both groups of students.

Subject Area: Japanese Studies

The course presents a comprehensive treatment of five important and mutually related aspects of the Japanese language: phonology, graphology, lexico-grammar, register and genre. The course takes the view that to understand Japanese, an understanding of these five aspects including the notion of language variety is essential. Students will discover that there is much more to understanding Japanese than just what is written in Japanese language textbooks and that the so-called standard language is in fact in a state of flux depending on either spoken or written contexts of use. The course uses the five aspects as thematic focal points, each drawing upon a range of views, both Japanese and non-Japanese, that assist in the characterisation of the Japanese language. A variety of Japanese and English language source materials are used throughout the course to provide students a platform for informed discussion and reflection.