Japanese for beginners 1 (Coursera)

Upon completion of this course the learners will be able:

1. To read simple texts in Japanese and write using the hiragana and katakana scripts as well as the kanji characters.
2. To understand basic vocabulary in speech and use it in everyday communicative situations.
3. To form their own sentences using the provided grammar material.

The course provides extensive materials on Japanese grammar, phonetics, writing system and communication etiquette, as well as exercises for learners to apply the new knowledge. The vocabulary of the course consists of more than 200 words.
Those who are interested in continuing their learning of Japanese language can proceed to the second part of this course - Japanese for beginners 2.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
This week we are going to learn the general information about the Japanese language, the basics of phonetics and pronunciation, grammar structure of the Japanese sentences, and the first letters of hiragana script.

WEEK 2
This week's grammar materials contain the information about Japanese pronouns, the structure of a simple declarative sentence. In writing lessons you are going to learn how to write new hiragana letters.

WEEK 3
This week you are going to learn how Japanese verbs and adjectives change their form, as well as learn new Japanese suffixes. Writing lessons introduce another Japanese script - katakana.

WEEK 4
This week you are going to learn to introduce new objects and adverbial modifiers, ask new questions. In writing lessons you will learn the rules of voicing and invoicing in the katakana script.

WEEK 5
In this unit there will be less new grammar rules, and main attention will be paid to lexical aspects, as well as to etiquette and polite forms. In the writing lessons you will learn how to write your first characters.