World Languages
Discover the World of Japanese Writing: Learn the First 80 Kanji (JLPT N5-Level)
Average rating: 5.0Number of reviews: (2)
Completed by 9 learners
Unlock the art of Japanese writing! Master 80 Kanji (JLPT N5-Level) with this 5-week homeschool course, including reading, writing, common mistakes, culture, and more. Ideal for beginners to Japanese kanji.
Mr. Kelsey P. ケルシー先生
Average rating: 4.9Number of reviews: (345)
11-16
year old learners
Beginner
Level
4-10
learners per class
$16
per weekCharged weekly
Flexible schedule
Over 5 weeks
No live meetings
Available times
Pacific
Description
Class Experience
*********************************************************************************************** The IJC Japanese Kanji Crash Course: Level 1 (入) - Basics & Foundations is a suggested prerequisite to this course, regardless of current proficiency. Also, as we will be using hiragana and katakana almost exclusively throughout these courses to interpret the kanji, it is required that students *either* ➡ Complete the Japanese Kana: All 92 Hiragana + Katakana course (here:...
Students will be able to: - Read and write at least 80 basic Japanese kanji characters - Distinguish between multiple readings of the characters (i.e. their "kunyomi" and "onyomi") - Utilize furigana and okurigana to decipher readings of unknown kanji characters - Develop a "reading instinct" that will allow them to interpret meanings of words and characters even when their readings are not easy (or necessary) to remember - Appreciate the unique historical and cultural connections between Japan and its writing systems
Mr. Kelsey studied Japanese language, culture, history, and economics both at home (Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota) and a year abroad (Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan). He returned to Japan after graduating to live for another three years in Kagawa prefecture, Shikoku, where he worked in language instruction and Japanese-English translation. He attained certification in the 2nd highest level of the internationally recognized Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), and twice sat in for the 1st level. His teaching experience in language instruction continues to this day in private lessons for both children and adults in Japanese language learning and JLPT test prep. This includes literacy in kanji and the language's other character sets, as well as comprehension and production in both informal and business-level conversation. It also means a top-down approach to deconstructing, studying for, and tackling the JLPT for those students looking to take their Japanese to the next level and even get this important certification that can land them a job abroad.
Homework will be assigned after every class. Learning mastery games ("Kanji Challenges") will also be assigned for each lesson. One mid-course assessment and one final assessment will be administered as per the assessment schedule (see "Assessment" section below).
While it isn't required, I recommend checking out additional kanji workbooks as separate supplementary material to this course, which you can find on our home site's resources page: https://immersionlanguageclub.com/courses-resources
Furthermore, students are also welcome (but are in no way obligated) to further supplement their studies using flashcard apps/extensions and language sites such as the ones below (Mr. Kelsey's personal list of favorites).
+ Ankiweb.net
+ Memrise.com
+ JapanesePod101.com
+ FluentU.com
+ ReadLang.com
+ LingQ.com 1 file available upon enrollmentA Japanese character handwriting template sheet will also be provided that can be downloaded and printed out for practice during class for those students who choose not to buy the book. Students are also welcome to use their own paper or a whiteboard instead if desired. Please be sure to use a fat-edge pen (or marker if using a whiteboard) in order for the teacher and other students to more easily see the characters that will be written and shown on camera.
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Students will be expected to finish the assessments of previous material on Weeks 3 and 5 (see the weekly breakdown in "Class Description" above). A link to each assessment will be shared on the designated days and is expected to be completed within 48 hours of its posting. Students will receive downloadable printouts of their results soon afterward. The final assessment will be cumulative over material from the whole course. Students who score 75% or higher on *at least* the final assessment, turn in at least 12 of the 14 handwriting assignments, and correctly answer at least 10 of the 20 Mastery Check activities (weighed by score) will receive a Certificate of Completion. Students who score 80% or higher on *both* assessments, turn in all 14 handwriting assignments, and correctly answer at least 12 of the 15 Mastery Check activities (weighed by score) will receive a Certificate of Excellence. In addition to this, we will be using a Course Badge Tracker for students to see their own and others' progress throughout the course. Badges include the following: - Inspiration Badges: Share a picture of your handwriting practice in the classroom discussion forum (14 total) - Kanji Challenge Badges: Complete each Kanji Challenge game and share your score on the classroom discussion forum (12 total) - Apprentice Badges: Correctly answer three Mastery Check activities in a row. - Master Badges: Correctly answer at least six Mastery Check activities. - Expert Badge: Correctly answer at least 12 Mastery Check activities and make 85% or above on both assessments.
No live meetings, and an estimated 2 - 4 hours per week outside of class.
This course is hosted in part on the main Immersion Language Club websites for ease in finding and tracking lessons and assignments. It also utilizes Easy Test Maker for the purpose of administering ad-free assessments. No account registration is required by the learner to access either resource. Regarding learner psychology, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) ranks Japanese as a Category V language among world languages in the highest level of difficulty (based on average time of acquisition) alongside Chinese, Korean, and Arabic. Learners of these languages often require approximately 2200 hours (or 88 weeks) of use and study to reach conversational fluency. (Source: https://2009-2017.state.gov/m/fsi/sls/orgoverview/languages/index.htm) It is important to help students keep in mind that more difficult languages such as Japanese require effort and diligence to master. As enjoyable as it often is to learn, it can also be challenging and even downright frustrating at times to achieve confidence. Please support them where necessary by reminding them of this fact and, if possible, finding creative solutions together toward continually rediscovering the fun and magic of this language. Need suggestions? Try looking through manga or watching an anime show together, or perhaps even practicing some basic phrases at the dinner table, to inspire and reinvigorate them when the going gets tough. And, as always, feel free to reach out to Mr. Kelsey for additional support at any time.
For supplementary study materials, see the Courses & Resources page of the IJC main website here: https://immersionlanguageclub.com/courses-resources/
Meet the teacher
Mr. Kelsey P. ケルシー先生
Average rating: 4.9Number of reviews: (345)
------- At a Glance ------- + Magna cum laude graduate in philosophy with honors and concentrations in Japanese studies and religion + Praxis II 5161 (Mathematics Content Knowledge) certification-holder + 2nd Highest Level JLPT (Japanese...
