Japanese Upper Intermediate (full syllabus)

Our Japanese Upper Intermediate course will allow you to communicate at a near to advanced level, working towards JLPT N2, which is the required level to work in a Japanese company.

The Japanese Upper Intermediate is the perfect follow-on programme for anyone who has completed the Japanese Intermediate course or has achieved JLPT N3 level.

The full course is made up of three 10-week modules – part 1, part 2 and part 3. Enrol on the full syllabus (parts 1-3) to gain a complete knowledge of upper intermediate Japanese at a discounted price.

Our teaching takes place once a week, ideal for those with various commitments or working full-time.

Who is it for?

To keep up in class you should have reached a good JLPT N3 level – around 240 hours of formal learning plus a sufficient amount of independent study. You could have recently finished our intermediate syllabus, or similar. More can be found in the eligibility section.

Timetable

This course consists of three modules, each taking place once a week for 10 weeks. Collectively the course will run for 30 weeks, accumulating to 60 hours of learning.

• Part 1 - October
• Part 2 - January
• Part 3 - April.

Benefits

• Study towards JLPT N2 level
• Small class size helps build a supportive study group
• Explore modern-day culture through books, film and music

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• easily converse about hobbies and interests
• join conversations discussing familiar everyday topics
• talk about experiences and expectations in a job interview
• converse with friends or colleagues about travel plans, parties or holidays
• with preparation, make a short speech at an occasion such as a leaving do
• follow discussions when participating in meetings at school or work
• generally understand TV shows or movies in standard Japanese
• with preparation, deliver a presentation on a specialised subject
• understand the content of articles in newspapers and magazines
• understand the content of official letters and e-mails written in polite Japanese.

Grammatical structures

Below are a sample of some of the many grammatical structures you will learn throughout the course.

Part 1

• 直ちに（ただちに） at once, immediately, directly, in person, automatically-
• 次第（しだい） as soon as, dependent upon
• と考えられる（とかんがえられる） one can think that, it is conceivable that, considered-
• ふうに this way, that way, in such a way, how
• をめぐって concerning, in regard to-

Part 2

• につき due to, because of, per, each
• に関わる（にかかわる） to relate to, to have to do with, relating to-
• ろくに～ない not well, not enough, improperly, insufficiently, unsatisfactorily-
• たまえ do-, order somebody to do something
• に決まっている（にきまっている） certainly, I’m sure/certain that, it must be the case that-

Part 3

• まい will not, will probably not, intend not to, must not-
• か～ないかのうちに just as, right after, as soon as-
• に応じて（におうじて） depending on, in accordance with-
• 抜きにして / 抜きで（ぬきにして/ ぬきで） without, leaving out, cutting out-
• 以上は（いじょうは） because, since, seeing that-

You will be awarded an official City St George’s, University of London certificate on completion of the course if you attend over 70 per cent of the classes. The course is not formally accredited.

You won’t need to sit an exam at the end of the course, but you will be required to complete several hours of homework each week.

Your tutor will give regular feedback and encourage you to sit a mock exam based on JLPT N2 level after part 1 and 2.

Teaching

We can tailor the course to your individual needs. Your tutor will work with you to identify areas where you excel and those which need more development. This will help you make effective use of your independent study time.

The weekly classes allow you to catch up with your tutor and classmates, and to discuss any films or TV clips you have watched over the week. You’ll also get time to practice your pronunciation through role-play and delivering short presentations.

Much of the course relies on your commitment to additional learning at home, not only to help keep up in class but to improve and increase your knowledge.

It is the right level if you have either:

• completed our intermediate syllabus or equivalent
• studied formally for 240 hours plus additional independent learning
• good JLPT N3 level.

Your tutor can assess you prior to enrolment to help determine your level and if this course is right for you.

You should already be able to:

• share your thoughts on familiar topics
• express your feelings, especially about something you particularly care about
• strongly assert your opinion about the outlook for the future
• give a somewhat critical assessment of a familiar person
• precisely explain a troubling situation and express a sentiment felt then
• use around 650 kanji.

We offer a variety of courses, so if this isn’t the right level, take a look at the others we teach.

Please contact tutor Taka Ogura at t.ogura@city.ac.uk to discuss which course is suitable for you.

English requirements

You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course, although, at this level the classes will mainly be taught in Japanese.