Students

JPNS1010 – I Japanese Studies 1

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convener
Wes Robertson
wes.robertson@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides introductory Japanese language instruction for students with no previous knowledge of Japanese. Students develop basic speaking, listening, reading & writing skills, including mastery of the hiragana & katakana scripts. By the end of the course, students should be able to describe their surroundings, ask questions, make plans, and effectively participate in a variety of fundamental conversations. Furthermore, the unit will also assist students in developing an awareness of sociocultural issues which influence Japanese language use. The unit provides opportunities for interactive language learning, and a wide variety of methods for Japanese practice through the use of online resources.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Develop elementary level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Japanese language.
  • ULO2: Identify, describe and evaluate a few aspects of Japanese-speaking cultures and societies.
  • ULO3: Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of Japanese at elementary level.
  • ULO4: Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate an awareness of some language and language use in both Japanese and English.

General Assessment Information

Rubrics and indicative samples are provided in iLearn as additional guidance on standards of achievement for different assessment types.

Submission of most tasks is via iLearn. All assessment tasks are compulsory and must be submitted on time. Assignment tasks handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Reflexive Workbook 15% No Week 3, Week 6, Week 9, & Week 12
Mid-Semester Test 40% No Week 7
Final Test 45% No Week 12

Reflexive Workbook

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 3, Week 6, Week 9, & Week 12
Weighting: 15%

 

Students will complete the workbook for each week, check their answers against a model, note areas for improvement, and then submit the corrected file via iLearn, creating a log of their progress across the semester.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop elementary level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Japanese language.
  • Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of Japanese at elementary level.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of some language and language use in both Japanese and English.

Mid-Semester Test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 40%

 

A mid-semester written test that comprehensively evaluates students' progress on their speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills across the first half of the semester.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop elementary level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Japanese language.
  • Identify, describe and evaluate a few aspects of Japanese-speaking cultures and societies.
  • Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of Japanese at elementary level.
  • Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of some language and language use in both Japanese and English.

Final Test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 45%

 

A final test covering the content of the unit, assessing students' abilities to read, write, comprehend, and speak Japanese at the beginner level.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop elementary level skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Japanese language.
  • Identify, describe and evaluate a few aspects of Japanese-speaking cultures and societies.
  • Identify, evaluate and deploy the grammatical structures of Japanese at elementary level.
  • Apply relevant language conventions to create meaningful intercultural encounters.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of some language and language use in both Japanese and English.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

TEXTBOOK

A Unit Book is provided free on iLearn. Please download and have a copy ready by Week 1. Printing off a hard copy is recommended, but not required.

Online Unit

Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Is my unit in iLearn?:https://unitguides.mq.edu.au/ilearn_unit_status/ to check when your online unit will become available.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

For students attending classes on campus we strongly encourage that you bring along your own laptop computer, ready to work with activities in your online unit. The preferred operating system is Windows 10.

Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required. If applicable, students are required to download the relevant language package prior to Week 2.

Please contact your course convenor before the end of Week 1 if you do not have a suitable laptop (or tablet) for in-class use.

Unit Schedule

Start Date: Classes start in Week 1

Week 1: Introduction, Basic Sentences, Counting + Hiragana 1/3

Week 2: This/That, Here/There, and Basic Questions + Hiragana 2/3

Week 3: Negation & verbs + Hiragana 3/3 + Katakana 1/3

Week 4: "い" adjectives + Katakana 2/3

Week 5: "な" adjectives, and に・で Particles + Katakana 3/3

Week 6: Family Terms, Time, and に・と Particles

Week 7: Likes, Dislikes, Existence, and Ownership + Midterm Tests (Speaking + Online)

Break

Week 8: Advanced Counting, and Past Tense

Week 9: が-fronting, Talents, and Reasons

Week 10: Advanced Particles, Frequency + Kanji 1/2

Week 11: Invitations + Kanji 2/2

Week 12: Review + Final Test (Written part)

Week 13: Final Test (Speaking part)

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook