Department of Modern Languages Japanese
Located strategically on the Pacific Rim, Canada and in particular British Columbia have enjoyed close historical, cultural and economic ties with Japan for over a century. After World War II, Japan underwent rapid economic growth becoming one of Canada's major trading partners. Japan's relationship with Canada as well as its position as a dominant economic power in Asia makes learning Japanese a logical choice if your long term goals include participation, commercially and professionally, in the global economy of the 21st century.
An invitation to learn Japanese
Your time spent learning Japanese at Langara College will acquaint you with a rich and stimulating culture and provide you with the tools necessary to communicate and experience it more fully.
For example, if you are attracted to Japanese pop culture disseminated via the entertainment industry – music, video games and animation – or are intrigued by the Japanese ingenuity for inventing high tech electronics, your knowledge of Japanese will help you creatively and assist you in making important connections needed to establish your career.
If you are considering a degree in Japanese literature or fine arts, then learning the language is essential to unlocking the meaning of the unique aesthetic sensibility that infuses all of the arts in Japan: architecture, garden design, theatre, painting, calligraphy, and ceramics.
Whether the study of Japanese becomes a lifetime passion as you establish yourself in a chosen field – trade, business, academia, education – to name a few, or you learn it as only one of many bridges you cross on your life’s journey, we invite you to join us on the adventure.
Outcomes & Objectives
We are dedicated to helping you gain a sound knowledge and competency in Japanese through a program of academic foundation courses transferable to accredited degree granting institutions.
The focus of our courses is learning basic grammatical structure, common use vocabulary, and the formal and informal forms of speech needed to engage in conversation. The graduate of the program is then free, with further academic study or immersion in the culture, to build upon this foundation making it possible to read, write, listen and converse with confidence and sophistication in any social or business situation.
Emphasis is placed on learning the three orthographies (writing systems) in Japanese: two syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, as well as Chinese characters called kanji. Students must be able to demonstrate their ability to read and write these three orthographies on all examinations and assignments in order to meet transferability requirements.
Knowledge of a second Asian language is a requirement toward earning a graduate degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in Asian Studies at UBC. Learning Mandarin is a plus for anyone majoring in Japanese studies or planning to do business in Asia. The Japanese writing system was adapted from the Chinese writing system, many Japanese words are derived from Chinese vocabulary, and Japanese culture was greatly influenced by Chinese culture for more than a thousand years.
Related Programs
Discover the beauty and complexity of a modern technological society undergoing rapid social change yet deeply rooted in its ancient history and traditions by supplementing the language from the rich variety of courses on Japan and Asia offered at Langara College.
Consider learning Japanese as an elective in conjunction with a Degree in International Business or as part of the Asian Studies Program, if you're interested in working or traveling in the Asia-Pacific region. Learn more about the nations leading the new global economy, and transfer your language skills to a university business or social science program.
Transferability
Beginner's Japanese I and II (Japn 1115/1215) and Intermediate Japanese I and II (Japn 1117/1217), taught over four semesters are equivalent to the two year non-intensive program at the University of British Columbia. For details, visit British Columbia Council on Admission & Transfer.
Placement tests
Students with a background in Japanese must write a placement test before registering in Japanese 1115. Students wishing to register in JAPN 1215, 1117 or 1217 who have a background in Japanese or have taken Japanese courses from another institution must also write a placement test. For any questions, please e-mail japanese [at] langara.ca (japanese[at]langara[dot]ca) or contact an instructor in person or by phone.
Opportunities
Speech contest
Every year, Langara College students of Intermediate Japanese II are invited to participate in the Japanese Speech Contest sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan in Vancouver. The contest takes place at the University of British Columbia in the spring and draws contestants from secondary and post-secondary institutions throughout British Columbia. Langara students are frequent participants at the annual national finals.
Cultural Experiences
External studies
In alternating years in April and May, Langara College offers an opportunity for students to get first-hand experience of the Japanese language and culture through the Buddhism in Japan external studies program. Students complete a credit course in April and May and travel to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, in the following month. They follow the ancient pilgrimage route of Buddhist temples on the island of Shikoku and visit the great Shingon monastery of Mount Koya while spending most nights as guests at the various Buddhist temples along the way.
The Asian Centre - UBC
The Department of Asian Studies and the Asian Studies Library are housed in the Asian Centre, the shell of which is the former Sanyo Pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. Opened in 1981, the interior was designed by the Japanese-Canadian architect, Donald Matsuba. It is located behind the innovative Choi Building, home of the Institute of Asian Research. The entire complex is the anchor for what are today the best facilities in North America for Asian area studies.
Nitobe Garden
The Nitobe Garden was built in 1959 adjacent to the Asian Centre at the University of British Columbia. It is dedicated to Dr. Inazo Nitobe who was undersecretary of the League of Nations – the only non-European senior official of the League – from the League's founding until 1926. Nitobe represented interests in Japan trying to maintain peaceful relations with the west. In 1933 he attended an international conference in Banff, Alberta on the international crises precipitated by Japan's takeover of Manchuria. Following the conference he gave a lecture at UBC. That was his last public appearance. He died shortly thereafter in Victoria. The Nitobe Garden was built to symbolize the bridge of peace between Canada and Japan.
Career Opportunities
Your knowledge of Japanese, coupled with a degree in a relevant discipline, allows you an exceptional range of career options to choose from on either side of the Pacific Ocean. These include:
- international law
- politics
- journalism, media and communications
- trade and commerce
- medicine and bio-medical research
- fashion and design
- hospitality and tourism industry
- education
High tech electronics and the film, video and animation industries offer career opportunities on the cutting edge, as do robotics and fuel cells research, in which both Canada and Japan are world leaders.
The influx of Japanese immigrants, students and tourists into Canada since the crest of Japan’s economic boom in the 1970’s has increased the need for Japanese-speaking employees.
In the 1980’s the demand that Japanese be taught in the school system resulted in the development of what is today a well-established curriculum, with school boards consistently requiring qualified Japanese language teachers.
The popularity of Japanese has not abated in spite of a downturn in the Japanese economy in the 1990’s. The Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, which is the largest Asian Studies Department in North America, has in recent years enrolled close to seven thousand students a year for all Asia-related courses. The fact that nearly two thousand of these students take Japanese courses each year indicates that the prospects for graduates knowledgeable in the language are wide open for those who creatively integrate it into a well-rounded career plan.
