Japanese module information

Whether you're a University of ºù«Ӱҵ student, a member of the public, or a member of staff, our Japanese language modules are designed to improve your Japanese language skills.

A street in Osaka, Japan

If you are unsure about your level, let us know when applying and we will invite you for a short placement interview to understand your previous experience and current needs.

All levels are available as either 10 or 15 credit modules. All undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public will be enrolled on 10 credit modules. Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit will be required to complete an extra assessment, and will be enrolled onto the 15 credit module.


Beginner

You have no previous experience of learning the language.

EAS1081:Japanese for non-specialists 1, Autumn (10 credits)

This module aims to enable students with no prior knowledge of Japanese to acquire basic practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. Japanese scripts will be introduced at the start and used throughout. On successful completion of the module students will; have a vocabulary of about 300 words related to daily life, understand simple sentences and classroom expressions related to daily activities, be able to obtain specific information from written and audio materials, be able to hold simple conversations; and be able to write about the topics covered in class in simple sentences or forms. This module is for all undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public.

EAS6122: Japanese for non-specialists 1, Autumn (15 credits)

This module aims to enable students with no prior knowledge of Japanese to acquire basic practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. Japanese scripts will be introduced at the start and used throughout. On successful completion of the module students will; have a vocabulary of about 300 words related to daily life, understand simple sentences and classroom expressions related to daily activities, be able to obtain specific information from written and audio materials, be able to hold simple conversations; and be able to write about the topics covered in class in simple sentences or forms. This module is for Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit.

EAS1082: Japanese for non-specialists 2, Spring (10 credits)

This module aims to enable students with some elementary knowledge of Japanese to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. On successful completion of the module students will; have a further vocabulary of about 400 words related to daily life; understand and use the written forms of all the introduced core grammar patterns; and understand selected simple spoken and written structures and be able to use them as spoken and written communication. This module is for all undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public.

EAS6123: Japanese for non-specialists 2, Spring (15 credits)

This module builds on EAS6122, with an emphasis on learning more elementary knowledge of Japanese to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. On successful completion of the module students will; have a further vocabulary of about 400 words related to daily life; understand and use the written forms of all the introduced core grammar patterns; and understand selected simple spoken and written structures and be able to use them as spoken and written communication. This module is for Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit.

Post-beginner

You have some basic experience of learning the language and aren't a complete beginner.

EAS2081: Japanese for non-specialists 3, Autumn (10 credits)

This module aims to enable students with some elementary knowledge of Japanese to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. On successful completion of the module students will; have a further vocabulary of about 400 words related to daily activities; understand and use the written forms of all the introduced core grammar patterns; and understand selected simple spoken and written structures and be able to use them as spoken and written communication. This module is for all undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public.

EAS6124: Japanese for non-specialists 3, Autumn (15 credits)

The module follows on from and consolidates the skills acquired in EAS6122/6123. New grammatical patterns and a broader range of vocabulary and a further 111 kanji are introduced and practised. Students will further develop their oral competence in spoken practice through role-plays and discussion activities, focusing on clear and appropriate communication. Students will acquire the skills to read or extract information from unseen materials in reading comprehension class. This module is for Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit.

EAS2082: Japanese for non-specialists 4, Spring (10 credits)

This module aims to enable students with some elementary knowledge of Japanese to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. On successful completion of the module students will; have a further vocabulary of about 400 words related to daily activities; understand and use the written forms of all the introduced core grammar patterns; and understand selected simple spoken and written structures and be able to use them as spoken and written communication. This module is for all undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public.

EAS6125: Japanese for non-specialists 4, Spring (15 credits)

The module follows on from and consolidates the skills acquired in EAS6124. New grammatical patterns and a broader range of vocabulary and a further 122 kanji are introduced and practised. Students will further develop their oral competence in spoken practice through role-plays and discussion activities, focusing on clear and appropriate communication. Students will acquire the skills to read or extract information from unseen materials in reading comprehension class. This module is for Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit.

Intermediate

You have studied the language for one to two years, possibly have (the equivalent of) a good GCSE, and can interact with 'friendly' native speakers in common, expected situations.

EAS3081: Japanese for non-specialists 5, Autumn (10 credits)

The module follows on from and consolidates the skills acquired in Japanese for Non-Specialists 4 and aims to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. New grammatical patterns and a broader range of vocabulary and kanji are introduced and practised. Students will further develop their oral competence in spoken practice through role-plays and discussion activities, focusing on clear and appropriate communication. This module is for all undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public.

EAS6126: Japanese for non-specialists 5, Autumn (15 credits)

The module follows on from and consolidates the skills acquired in EAS6125. New grammatical patterns and a broader range of vocabulary and a further 121 kanji are introduced and practised. Students will further develop their oral competence through roleplays in more practical and detailed situations and discussion activities, focusing on clear and appropriate communication. This module is for Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit.

EAS3082: Japanese for non-specialists 6, Spring (10 credits)

The module follows on from and consolidates the skills acquired in Japanese for Non-Specialists 5 and aims to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. New grammatical patterns and a broader range of vocabulary and kanji are introduced and practised. Students will further develop their oral competence in spoken practice through role-plays and discussion activities, focusing on clear and appropriate communication. This module is for all undergraduate students, not-for-credit postgraduate students, staff and members of the public.

EAS6127: Japanese for non-specialists 6, Spring (15 credits)

The module consolidates the skills acquired up to EAS6126. It is aimed to train students to apply their knowledge in more practical and realistic situations. Further necessary grammatical constructions, a broader range of vocabulary and a further 120 kanji are introduced. The principles underlying the structure of kanji will be confirmed and students will practice how to use a kanji dictionary, thus enabling greater independent study. Students will further develop their oral competence through role playing, speeches, presentations and discussion activities, focusing on clear and appropriate communication. This module is for Postgraduate taught students and Doctoral Development Programme students taking the module for credit.

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If you'd like to study Japanese as an undergraduate or postgraduate degree with the School of East Asian studies, you can find out more information by visiting:

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The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it is up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research, funding changes, professional accreditation requirements, student or employer feedback, outcomes of reviews, and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

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International scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international students, including undergraduate and postgraduate taught scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee.

Applications are open for existing offer holders for programmes starting in autumn 2025.