Short course
Japanese: Beginners Conversation
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
15/04/2027 - 17/06/202719:00 - 21:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Enhance your Japanese conversation skills in a range of simple everyday situations with our elementary-level conversation class, designed for learners with a basic foundation in the language.
The course focuses on developing listening and speaking skills, expanding vocabulary, and improving grammar accuracy in basic everyday situations.
Through interactive activities, real-life scenarios, multimedia resources, and constructive feedback, you'll refine your language and improve your speaking skills.
Is this the right level course for you?
To benefit from the course learners will have done one of the following:
- Completed our Japanese: Beginners level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
- Studied Japanese for two terms or 1 year; or
- Achieved or are near Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in Japanese.
New students, who have not completed 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level, are very welcome.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts 15 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 7.00-9.00pm.
The weekly schedule below is intended to give an indication of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.
Week 1: Kanji; reading and writing ideographic characters; introductions.
Week 2: Describing things and people.
Week 3: Basic greetings when visiting and receiving hospitality.
Week 4: Giving and receiving compliments.
Week 5: Attending a Japanese festival.
Week 6: Expressing thoughts about experiences.
Week 7: Invitations and arranging to meet.
Week 8: Offering help and accepting or declining someone’s offer of help.
Week 9: The KANSAI dialect (around the Osaka area)
Week 10: Class choice: revision, video clip, language game, etc.
Key grammar points
– Simple sentence structure
– Word order
– Structures for expressing likes/dislikes
– Expressions for accepting and declining an offer
Key functions
– Describing locations
– Asking for and giving simple information
– Socialising and complimenting
– Inviting others to an event
Course aims
Develop and consolidate learners’ conversational skills across a range of practical, everyday situations, thereby laying the foundation for further study.
Course objectives
- Enhance pronunciation, intonation and stress patterns to support clear communication.
- Consolidate learners’ ability to understand spoken language through a range of activities, such as listening tasks, simple dialogues, and practical real-life scenarios.
- Develop learners’ confidence in speaking by engaging in simple conversations on everyday topics.
- Expand the range of vocabulary and grammar for use in practical, everyday contexts, and consolidate the application of key grammatical structures in spoken communication.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to:
- engage in basic conversations and ask and answer simple questions.
- recognise and use key phrases for daily routines.
- ask for and provide basic information and express needs.
- demonstrate some basic knowledge of the cultural nuances and etiquette associated with the language.
Level and demands
This course is pitched at A1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Find out more about our language levels.
Teaching methods
Our language courses promote collaborative learning, encouraging peer interaction and real-life, scenario-based activities. You will learn through participating in engaging practical tasks in the target language. These are likely to include listening comprehension activities, guided role-plays, practical scenarios, and pair- and small-group work conducted in a supportive, friendly, and informal learning environment. The course has been structured to help you primarily to develop your speaking and listening skills.
Assessment methods
Formative assessment will be integrated into a range of classroom activities, including guided role‑plays, scenario-based pair and group work, and progressively less structured conversations and tasks. Learners will be encouraged to participate in these activities, using the target language to respond to realistic situations, and will benefit from ongoing tutor feedback to support development.
Mai Oyama
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £315.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Textbooks
No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Course reading
- Japanese for Busy People 1 Revised 4th Edition / AJALT
- Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Japanese Grammar, Premium Second Edition (NTC FOREIGN LANGUAGE) / Eriko Sato
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ / Online dictionary
Module code: O26P582XJW
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
