Japanese I

Full-year course. This introductory course is designed to excite students about the language and culture of Japan and give them a foundation for continued study in high school or at the college level.  Students will use skills in the following areas and build global competency skills for future careers and experience based on the World-readiness Standards for Learning Languages from the ACTFL: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities.

Students will develop basic competencies in the four modalities of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to introduce themselves and answer simple questions about topics covered in the class (speaking), provide basic biographical information with accuracy using the hiragana phonetic writing system (writing), be able to recognize and understand a few spoken expressions in conversation (listening), and understand short texts that convey simple information in the hiragana phonetic writing system (reading).

We recommend that students enrolling in Japanese I be comfortable with the topics covered in Grammar II. Grammar instruction is not a pre- or co-requisite, however we have found that students are more successful learning a new language when they have a strong understanding of grammar rules. Use the placement tests found in our grammar course descriptions to find the appropriate grammar course for your student. 

Note: We do not offer a delayed section for this course because live interaction is key to learning a language.

Why Study Japanese at WTMA?

At WTMA, learning Japanese is about more than memorizing vocabulary. In our live online classes, instructors introduce Japanese in context and guide students through practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. As students gain confidence, they apply what they’ve learned through conversation and cultural exploration.

Learn more about our approach to language learning, our instructors, and our middle school and high school language courses. WTMA’s Approach to Language Learning >>

See What Students Can Accomplish in Japanese at WTMA

Japanese 4 student Blake Fowler and WTMA instructor Kappenman Sensei reflect on Blake’s experience studying Japanese. They start the conversation in English and then the second half of the conversation is in Japanese. This discussion gives families a peek into the level of Japanese students can develop through continued language study at WTMA.