Department of Japanese Language and Literature, NTU - 【Column for High School Students】 Teaching Information

Goals and Features

Department of Japanese Language and Literature (DJLL) at National Taiwan University (NTU) was established in 1994, being as the first Department of Japanese among national universities. Through progressive courses and various academic events, we hope to reach the goals in those aspects that are mentioned below.

We develop students’ abilities in Japanese listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating.

We develop students’ humanities competencies and ability of independent thinking.

We develop students’ understanding in state of Japan, and help to eventually become talents with international perspectives.

We support students in developing cross-field specialties by implementing the programs of minors and double majors.

In order to reach the goals that are mentioned above, our department has these features:

Small class sizes. Students are placed in 3 different classes due to the last two digits of their student ID number: one is for those who has a remainder of 1 when divided by 3, another is for those who has a remainder of 2, and the other is for those who can be divided exactly. Since courses like communication and exercise need more interaction between students and teacher, as well as the time for teacher to check students’ homework, we arrange these courses into small size so as to enhance our teaching quality.

Courses in our department are divided into two categories, “Basic courses” and “Core courses”, so as to develop students’ abilities in five language skills progressively.

International academic events are held frequently in our department. We hope to enhance our students’ learning through those rich contents and diverse interaction with foreign teachers and students.

Curriculum Design

Courses in first and second grade are categorized as “Basic Courses”, which emphasizes in developing students’ abilities in Japanese listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating. Students in third and fourth grade will have to develop literacy of Japanese literature and linguistics, as well as the ability of independent thinking.
Elective courses like Japanese Interpretation, Japanese composition III, and The Lesson for Reading Japanese Research Papers can help improve students’ abilities in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating. In addition, courses like Selective Readings in Japanese Fairy Tales, Introduction to Japanese Literature and Culture, and Japanese History can help deepen students’ understanding in Japanese literature and culture. Furthermore, courses like Journalistic Japanese, Commercial Japanese, and Practical Japanese can help students be familiar with Japanese conditions. Courses mentioned above all have great complementarity with required courses that help construct students’ abilities required in various workplaces. On the other hand, courses like Seminar and Introduction to Japanese Drama and Multimedia can help summarize what students have learned and give students opportunity to put them into practice.
The following is the course map of DJLL.

Search for required courses and credits in bachelor program

Annual course schedule (including latest courses) and syllabus can be checked on NTU Online Course Information System.

Specialty Fields

In order to provide clearer guidance for students to explore or involve themselves in cross-discipline courses, and to build up more solid and diversified "academic knowledge" for career development or graduate school, we encourage each academic unit to set up field specializations. Each module consists of four to five courses, with approximately 12 to 15 credits.

Our department has planned three modules of specialties in "Japanese Literature and Culture," "Japanese Language Education," and "Japanese Translation," which are expected to be implemented from the 111th academic year.

For more information on the courses, credits and learning objectives of each specialty fields, please click on the names of the three fields of on the top of this page.

The course design is based on the general theory of literature and culture and the appreciation of literary works. The following courses are offered: "Japanese Culture (1) (2)" and "History of Japanese Literature(1)" for general theory courses, "Readings in Japanese Literary Masterpieces (2)" for basic skills on appreciation of literary works , and "Readings in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Literature (1) " and "Readings in Classical Japanese Literature (1) " for advanced skills on appreciation of literary works. All the courses are totally in 13 credits.

Core Relation: Japanese Literature and Culture	Level 1 General Theory Foundation Course ●Japanese Culture (1) (2) These courses are studies of the historical changes and the overall social and cultural context of Japan from ancient times to modern times.
	Level 2 Advanced General Theory Course ●History of Japanese Literature(1) Students will learn about the development, characteristics, and important literary ideas of pre-modern Japanese literature, build a basic knowledge of Japanese literature, and establish their fundamental knowledge for the study of Japanese literature.
	Level 3 Basic Literary Works Appreciation Course ●Readings in Japanese Literary Masterpieces (2) Students will learn how to appreciate the works of writers in various genres by understanding their biographies, history backgrounds, and the actual reading and analysis skills of their texts.
	Level 4 Advanced Literary Works Appreciation Course ●Readings in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Literature (1) Through text reading and analysis, students will learn the differences between Japanese oral language, literary expression, and literary style, and learn the unique features of Japanese expression such as subtlety and euphemism. Meanwhile, students will also be able to realize the influences brought by the interaction among modern Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese writers. Through text analysis and group discussions, students will gain insight into problematic points, develop analytical skills, and strengthen the spirit of teamwork. ●Readings in Classical Japanese Literature (1) The course will begin with the identification of written notation and part of speech of words, and then move on to the study of classical grammar, the reading of classical literature, and the analysis and discussion of the beauty of classical Japanese literature.

The purpose of the module is to enhance students' learning of theories and professional knowledge related to Japanese literature and culture, and to learn the relevance of literary works of contemporary historical, social, and cultural contexts through the process of text interpretation and analysis in the course. In addition, the students will learn to observe and understand things from different perspectives, and to develop the ability of analysis and reflection as well as a broad perspective through the interactive and comprehensive reports of small group discussions in the classroom.

After taking the specialized module in this field, students may continue to pursue academic research in Japanese literature, culture, or comparative literature, or engage in practical applications such as literary education and communication, or works of Practical application such as literary creation and editing.

The curriculum is designed to focus on the study of Japanese language theory and language education. The following courses are offered: Basic Language Course " Japanese Syntax (1) (2)", Language Theory Course " Introduction to Japanese Linguistics (1) (2)" and Educational Theory Course "Introduction to Japanese Language Education", and Practical Teaching Course "Japanese Language Teaching Method" and " Practical Japanese Communication " in totally 13 credits of 5 courses

Core Relation: Japanese Language Education	Level 1 Basic Language Course ●Japanese Syntax (2) This course provides students with a comprehensive study of Japanese grammar (words) and syntax (sentences), and develops a basic grammatical framework for the Japanese language, as well as enhancing the correctness of Japanese usage.
	Level 2 Language Theory Course ●Introduction to Japanese Linguistics (1) (2) Students learn the basic theories related to the nature of the Japanese language, such as phonetics and phonology, context, vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics, and strengthen the basic logical concepts of linguistics to develop the ability to analyze and do the research on the Japanese language and to establish the ability to use the Japanese language in teaching.
	Level 3 Educational Theory Course ●Introduction to Japanese Language Education Students learn the history, background knowledge, and theoretical framework of Japanese language education.
	Level 4 Practical Application Course ●Japanese Language Teaching Methodology Students will study various types of foreign language teaching methods, the use of teaching materials and teaching aids, and the design of assessments and tests, and will practice teaching in class to strengthen the link between theory and practical application. ●Practical Japanese Communication Students will be trained in writing letters, organizing content, oral expressions, and presentation skills, which can be applied to academic research presentations and oral expressions in the workplace.

The purpose of the module is to strengthen students' learning of theories and professional knowledge related to Japanese linguistics and Japanese education, and to integrate theory and practice through practical courses such as "Japanese Language Teaching Method" and " Practical Japanese Communication " in order to help students apply what they have learned in diverse and complex language contexts, translate what they have learned into concrete practical applications, and furtherly develop the ability to investigate and discover, think and analyze, and solve problems.

After taking this specialized module in this field, students can continue to pursue academic research in Japanese linguistics and Japanese education, or work in practical applications such as Japanese language teaching and workplace Japanese communication after graduation.

The course design focuses on practical translation training courses such as translation and interpretation to deepen students' language skills and acquire professional knowledge of translation for application in different fields of translation practice. This specialty field includes courses such as Japanese Translation (I) (1) and (2) for basic translating skills, Japanese Translation (II) (1) and (2) for advanced Japanese translating skills, Japanese Interpretation (1) and (2) for practical translating training, and Japanese-English Translation (I) for applying translation techniques, a total of 14 credits in 4 courses.

Core Relation： Japanese Translation	Level 1 Basic Japanese Translation Course ●Japanese Translation (I) (1) and (2) Students will learn how to translate in Japanese with different text types and special expressions through various types of trial translations, and gain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of the Japanese language, the differences between Chinese and Japanese language expressions and cultures, and develop basic translation skills in Japanese translation.
	Level 2 Advanced Japanese Translation Course ●Japanese Translation (II) (1) and (2) Students will learn the correct expression of Japanese through various types of trial translations, and gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of the Japanese language, the differences between Chinese and Japanese language expressions and cultures, and further develop their professional ability in Chinese to Japanese translation.
	Level 3 Practical Japanese Translation Course ●Japanese Interpretation (1) and (2) The teaching material covers short sentences, conference speeches, and videos on various social issues. Students will practice step-by-step interpretation and simultaneous interpretation in a professional interpretation classroom.
	Level 4 Applied Japanese Translation Course ●Japanese Interpretation (II) The teaching materials encompass short sentences, conference speeches, and various social topics in videos. Utilizing a dedicated interpretation classroom, students engage in step-by-step consecutive and simultaneous interpretation exercises. ●Japanese-English Translation (I) Through translation exercises between English and Japanese, students enhance their language proficiency in both English and Japanese, gain an understanding of language expression and cultural differences in English and Japanese, and cultivate talents in multilingual translation.

The purpose of the Japanese Translation Specialty Field is to deepen students' Japanese language skills and acquire professional knowledge of translation through practical courses such as "Translation" and "Interpretation", to explore the possibilities and limits of translation between different languages, to recognize the close relationship between language and culture, and to understand the differences between Chinese and Japanese contexts and cultures, so as to cultivate multilingual talents who truly know Japan and have a broad international perspective.

After taking courses in this field, students will be equipped with professional knowledge and ability in Japanese translation, and will be able to contribute to cultural exchange and knowledge dissemination in various fields of society, whether they pursue further education or employment after graduation.