Suzui Sensei has been excellent from the very first class. Not a week passes by without me being very excited to go into her class and continue learning and practise my Japanese skills with her and other students. She is the best Japanese teacher I've had! Japanese student, semester 1 2024-25

Qualifications

In semester 2, you have the option of sitting JLPT qualifications. To help you prepare for the exams, you can join our JLPT preparation workshops, which are offered free of charge to anyone enrolled on another Japanese course; they are not available to join as standalone classes. If you would like to join these workshops, please speak to your teacher after you have enrolled on your core course.

(Please note that JLPT exams are held at JLPT exam centres, and not at the University of Bath.)

Available courses

The following Japanese courses are available for members of the public, although not every class runs every semester. Check the timetable below to see which courses are running this semester. Please contact us for detailed entry guidelines and Schemes of Work for each course.

Complete Beginner: This course is suitable if you have never studied Japanese before, or if you know just a few words or phrases. During the course you will:

• be introduced to the language (pronunciation, vocabulary and basic grammar)
• learn to use greetings and useful phrases
• learn to introduce yourself and family (e.g. name, nationality, age, occupation, hobbies, likes and dislikes and describing people)
• learn to use the Japanese alphabets (Hiragana) and some Kanji
• learn to understand simple written and spoken texts
• be introduced to some aspects of traditional and modern Japanese culture, society, customs and habits

Post Beginner: This course is suitable if you have completed the Complete Beginner course with us or you are at a similar level. In order to join the course, you are need to be able to read Hiragana fluently. During the course, you will:

• learn how to talk about yourself and everyday topics, such as: family and friends, daily routines, weekend and holiday plans and experiences, and your hometown / home country
• learn to use some phrases for weather, shopping and at a restaurant
• learn to use the Japanese alphabets (Hiragana and Katakana) and some Kanji
• listen to/read short spoken and written texts, including both fiction and non-fiction
• be introduced to some aspects of traditional and modern Japanese culture, society, customs, and habits

Lower Intermediate Part 1: This course is suitable if you have completed the Post Beginners' course with us, or if you are at a similar level. You can also join this course if you are at CEFR A1 level, a rusty past GCSE level student or have achieved IB ab initio grades 1 – 5; or/and if you are preparing for JLPT N5. You need to be able to read Hiragana and Katakana fluently. There’s no specific vocabulary list, so you’ll also need to have a basic range of vocabulary. Kanji is not taught in lessons, but is used in lessons. Kanji readings are included in most lesson resources. During the course, you will:

• learn to talk confidently about yourself and everyday topics such as: family and friends, daily routines, hobbies and interests, abilities and talents, past experiences and events, customs and habits, and future plans using some complex grammar structures
• learn how to express your thoughts and opinions
• learn how to conjugate verbs
• listen to, read, write, and understand short texts, including both fiction and non-fiction
• learn how to talk about some aspects of traditional and modern culture, society, customs, and habits both in Japan and your home country

Lower Intermediate Part 2: This course is suitable if you have completed taken the Lower Intermediate Part 1 course with us, or if you are at a similar level. Alternatively, you can join this course if you are at CEFR A1/A2 level; have achieved a recent GCSE with a high grade or IB ab initio grades 6 or 7 / IB standard level grades 1 – 4; and/or if you have passed JLPT N5 or have just started preparing for JLPT N4. During the course, you will:

• learn to talk confidently and in detail about everyday topics such as: family and friends, weather forecasts and your health and wellbeing using some complex grammar structures
• learn to understand and follow instructions, including directions and during emergencies
• learn how to speak about a variety of subjects in formal and informal ways
• listen to, read, write, and understand longer texts, including both fiction and non-fiction
• learn how to talk about some aspects of traditional and modern culture, society, customs, and habits in Japan, your home country, and other countries

Class timetable

In semester 2 2024-25, classes start week commencing 10 February 2025 and finish week commencing 28 April 2025, with a two week break for Easter (7 - 18 April 2025).

Enrolments for semester 2 are now closed. The class timetable for semester 1 2025-26 will be published on this page later this year. If you would like to be notified when the timetable is available and enrolments are open, please complete this form.

More ways to develop your Japanese language skills

For more information on what it’s like to learn Japanese with us, check out our blog.

We also organise our own cultural events, student-led Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) sessions and Language Cafés. If you are enrolled on a Foreign Language course, you are welcome to take part in all these activities; please ask your teacher for more details after you have enrolled.