JAPN 407
An Exploration of Japanese Language and Culture Fall 2016
Division I Writing Skills
This is not the current course catalog

Language is the primary means for human beings to lead social lives and it expresses, embodies and symbolizes cultural and social reality. This tutorial will examine the intertwining ways in which the Japanese language reflects the patterns of life and intrinsic beliefs of Japanese, while exploring how this linguistic code influences and shapes the ways Japanese think. We will look into the following topics: polite languages and the variety of personal pronouns in order to examine how the hierarchical structure of Japanese society is reflected in them. Also, we will explore women’s speech, youth and queer Japanese to discuss social and gender identities and the role of linguistic stereotypes in manga, anime and TV dramas as well as the “easy Japanese movement,” which depicts the shift from a monolingual to multi-lingual Japanese society. And finally, our examination will investigate the semantic and cultural losses that occur in translations from Japanese prose to English prose. The course is conducted in Japanese with materials drawn from linguistics and socio-cultural studies both in Japanese and English. Students will not only develop analytical and critical thinking, but will gain more advanced Japanese skills such as reading to understand the logic of arguments, exponent narrative, and academic presentations and writing.