This course aims at developing overall Japanese proficiency by

1) choosing a topic/theme and conducting individual research on current political, economic, and social issues that Japan faces,

2) by watching and discussing an NHK program called 'Close-Up Gendai', and

3) by studying advanced vocabulary, expressions, and grammar/structure of the Japanese language.

The participants will choose topic/theme of their interest, and read authentic materials (academic paper, books, newspaper, magazines, web resources, etc.) extensively. In class, each participant will be given an opportunity to give short lectures on the topic, in which he/she summarizes the research and leads class discussion. A journal, in which participants exercise critical thinking and writing skills, will be utilized to aid their learning. Portion of the class time will be devoted to work on specific areas of the language, such as advanced grammar (e.g., particle use, conjugation words, etc.), how to construct well-organized paragraphs/discourses, how to compare/contrast, how to state own views/opinions effectively, how to utilize charts, graphs, etc., in your speech/writing, and so on.