JAPN 402: Japanese Literature
This course aims to develop advanced proficiency through introducing various aspects of modern Japanese literature, including short stories and significant works by authors of the modern period. Taught in Japanese.
Towards MLO 1 and MLO 2
Reflective Narrative
As a course focused on Literature, this upper division Japanese course focused on using cultural products as an immersive tool for language learning. Different historical and modern Japanese authors were introduced, including Yoshimoto Banana and Matsuo Basho. Through their works and others, as well as haiku, we were familiarized with historical and modern Japanese artistic sensibilities. Art and writing are windows into cultural values and beliefs, so through this course we learned more about the Japanese mind and culture. The authentic Japanese poems and texts provided challenges to our language learning, and pushed us to improve our reading comprehension and general language abilities.
To demonstrate and practice what we learned in class, we had many assignments based on the Literature we read. During the poetry unit, we were required to write different types of poems. One of which was a poem about "My Ideal Day." During the literature units, we wrote many book reports. Our final project was to read a Japanese book by ourselves, write a script, and give a presentation on it. The book I read was 「飴チョコの天使」 ("Chocolate Angel"), a children's book.
Through this course I gained a greater knowledge and appreciation of Japanese poetry and literature. My favorite unit was the poetry unit, specifically when we were learning about Haiku and how to write them. It was also interesting to learn about the literary figures of Japan. Reading some of the stories, it's also clear that Japanese writers sometimes have a different way of telling and thinking about a story than western writers, though there is overlap. You can really learn a lot about the Japanese cultural values by reading their literature.
I'd like to further develop my reading speed and comprehension. To that end, I took an Extensive Reading course while I was in Japan. The JAPN 304: Intro to Translation and Interpretation course also helped me improve in this area. I still have more to learn, so I will keep practicing using NHK News Easy, manga, and books. I'd also like to practice haiku on my own in Japanese once more.
To demonstrate and practice what we learned in class, we had many assignments based on the Literature we read. During the poetry unit, we were required to write different types of poems. One of which was a poem about "My Ideal Day." During the literature units, we wrote many book reports. Our final project was to read a Japanese book by ourselves, write a script, and give a presentation on it. The book I read was 「飴チョコの天使」 ("Chocolate Angel"), a children's book.
Through this course I gained a greater knowledge and appreciation of Japanese poetry and literature. My favorite unit was the poetry unit, specifically when we were learning about Haiku and how to write them. It was also interesting to learn about the literary figures of Japan. Reading some of the stories, it's also clear that Japanese writers sometimes have a different way of telling and thinking about a story than western writers, though there is overlap. You can really learn a lot about the Japanese cultural values by reading their literature.
I'd like to further develop my reading speed and comprehension. To that end, I took an Extensive Reading course while I was in Japan. The JAPN 304: Intro to Translation and Interpretation course also helped me improve in this area. I still have more to learn, so I will keep practicing using NHK News Easy, manga, and books. I'd also like to practice haiku on my own in Japanese once more.