Japanese Fundamentals 2

Course Description

This course is for beginning level learners who have little to some knowledge of basic Japanese. The course goes deeper into understanding the basic Japanese sentence structures, especially noun and adjective sentences, while also practicing some common expressions used in personal conversations related to family, pets, occupations, and desires. This course also introduces a variety of basic particles that are essential to creating simple sentences. The course is designed as a continuation of Fundamentals 1, but completing Fundamentals 1 is not required to join this course. Prior knowledge of Japanese characters (Hiragana, Katakana, & Kanji) is not required to take this course. Through this course, students will be able to:

Appropriately demonstrate a variety of greetings and parting phrases.
Demonstrate the use of a variety of basic and essential daily expressions.
Practice sharing personal details such as occupation, family, talents and skills, etc.
Review and demonstrate some basic particles (はwa, がga, をwo, もmo, とto, のno, にni, etc)
Examine basic sentence structures, particularly noun and adjective sentences, and create original simple sentences.
Examine counters and how they work.
Practice how to ask basic questions (What, What kind, How many, etc.)
Recognize Hiragana and understand how it is different from Katakana, and Kanji.
Examine how cultural values are reflected in Japanese language use, exploring not just its structure but the social and cultural contexts.

Tuition & Registration

Member: $180
Non-member: $230

Membership Bundle*: $210 (Save $15!)
*JASDFW regular individual/family membership + Tuition

* The make-up day is only applicable if a class is canceled during the session. If no cancellations occur, the course will conclude on the scheduled date.

While taking Fundamentals 1 is highly recommended before taking Fundamentals 2, it is not a requirement. However, students should have some basic understanding of the following:

The function of desu (です) in a sentence.
The role of particles in Japanese sentences, especially a very basic understanding of wa（は）ga （が）wo（を）mo（も）& to（と）.
How to ask a simple question using nani and ka. e.g. Korewa nandesuka? （これはなんですか。）
Demonstrative Pronouns: Kore/Sore/Are（これ・それ・あれ）
Plain form vs. Polite (です/ます) form

Japanese Fundamentals 2 Check List

The following is a self-assessment check list to see if this course is the right fit for you. There are 25 prompts in total. If you check 20 or more (80% or more) as “Yes” or “I can do this,” you are ready to take Fundamentals 2.

Please note that checking above 20 does NOT mean you must take Fundamentals 2. You are more than welcome to take Fundamentals 1, where we dive deeper into these concepts. Reviewing is an essential part of learning, and you may still want to revisit some topics to build confidence and reinforce your understanding.

Plain Form vs. Polite Form

□ I know that Japanese has casual/plain forms and polite forms. □ I can recognize that “ですdesu/ますmasu” forms are polite, and dictionary forms are plain.

Self-Introduction

□ I know how to introduce myself in Japanese, using the three key expressions.

□ I can share at least three basics things about myself other than my name such as my nationality, my hometown, where I live, languages I speak, my occupation, etc.

Basic Sentences

□ I can recognize which type a sentence is (noun, adjective, or verb).

□ I know noun sentences end with です desu in polite form.

□ I understand that adjective sentences also end with です desu in polite form.

□ I understand that verb sentences end with verb ending ます masu in polite form. □ I can make simple noun sentences to identify or describe something (A は B です – A wa B desu.). •「これはペンです。」(Korewa pen desu) •「わたしは学生です。」(Watashiwa gakusei desu) □ I can make simple adjective sentences like: •「おもしろいです。」(い-adj) (Omoshiroi desu) •「きれいです。」(な-adj) (Kirei desu)

Basic Particles

□ I know what particles are and their role in a sentence. □ I understand that は (wa) is to mark the topic.

□ I understand that が (ga) is mainly to mark the subject, sometimes object. □ I understand thatを (wo/o) is to mark the object in simple sentences. □ I understand も (mo) is similar to “also.” □ I know と (to) is used for “and” or “with.” □ I can recognize か (ka) as a question marker.

Asking and Answering Simple Questions

□ I can ask “これはなんですか。Korewa nandesuka.” (What is this?) □ I can answer with something like “これは～です。Korewa _desu.”

Demonstratives: これ / それ / あれ

□ I know when to use: • これ kore (this, near me) • それ sore (that, near you) • あれ are (that over there, away from both of us) □ I can identify objects using these words in simple sentences.

Expressing Likes/Dislikes Using Adjective Sentences

□ I can say what I like using ～がすきです (__ga sukidesu), such as: •「たべものはすしがすきです。」(Tabemonowa Sushiga sukidesu)

□ I can say what I don’t like using ～がすきじゃないです(_ga sukijanai desu), such as: •「コーヒーがすきじゃないです。」(Coffee ga sukijanai desu)

□ I can ask someone what they like using なにがすきですか, such as: •「たべものはなにがすきですか。」(Tabemonowa naniga sukidesuka)

Japanese Language Program Policy

Our Language Program Policy outlines guidelines regarding refunds, cancellations, minor student participation, and related program policies. All participants must review the policy prior to registration.