JAPN 320S: Advanced Japanese Service Learning:
Description:
This course is for students who have completed two or more years of Japanese or have reached an intermediate level of proficiency, and want to continue to build a higher level of proficiency. This course counts toward fulfilling CSUMB’s Japanese Major Learning Outcomes (MLO 1) and it also fulfills CSUMB’s upper division service learning requirement. Students will have opportunity to engage with community projects of import and relevance, while examining issues of justice, compassion, diversity and social responsibility. Students have opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture through their community service and develop communication skills through discussions, reflection essays and presentations.
Course Narrative:
For this course, I was able to fulfill MLO 1 because I had to write in Japanese as well as present in Japanese while in this class. An example of this was when we had to write about what we did at our service sites in Japanese. By doing this, it allowed us to expand our Japanese writing abilities as well as gain a better understanding on how to improve the Japanese writing that we have already learned. We as a class were able to reflect on what we did at our service sites and allowed us to check if our Japanese skills have improved over the years; it helped us to work with Japanese students in our class who were shy to talk to us American students; it gave me an opportunity to learn that I am shy to other people around me as well. Although I have taken this class, I feel that there are some aspects that I have not fully developed in this class. One example is my writing in Japanese. I feel like I should have remembered how to write in specific ways for each of my reflections. However, I had trouble with it and had to have someone look at it whenever I could. In order to expand on my learning from this class, I should do some activities in which I can practice writing in Japanese along with speaking in Japanese.
Even though I learned a lot of things while being class, I learned more things about myself outside of class. One example was making culture lessons I would have to teach the kids for each week we visited them. Sometimes it was very frustrating working with them because they would talk so much and get distracted really easily. However, I never got mad with them or yelled at them because I felt that it would set a bad example to the kids if I yelled at them. However, I learned that I enjoy being with these kids as it was fun to talk to them about random things as well as play games with them in order to help them fight off their boredom. I also liked how I would help them with their homework whenever they asked for help. Because of this class, it made me want to go out and teach kids. However, I want to try to teach in Japan more than I do in America.
Site Reflection # 4: PDF
Site Reflection # 5: PDF
Final Paper: PDF
This course is for students who have completed two or more years of Japanese or have reached an intermediate level of proficiency, and want to continue to build a higher level of proficiency. This course counts toward fulfilling CSUMB’s Japanese Major Learning Outcomes (MLO 1) and it also fulfills CSUMB’s upper division service learning requirement. Students will have opportunity to engage with community projects of import and relevance, while examining issues of justice, compassion, diversity and social responsibility. Students have opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture through their community service and develop communication skills through discussions, reflection essays and presentations.
Course Narrative:
For this course, I was able to fulfill MLO 1 because I had to write in Japanese as well as present in Japanese while in this class. An example of this was when we had to write about what we did at our service sites in Japanese. By doing this, it allowed us to expand our Japanese writing abilities as well as gain a better understanding on how to improve the Japanese writing that we have already learned. We as a class were able to reflect on what we did at our service sites and allowed us to check if our Japanese skills have improved over the years; it helped us to work with Japanese students in our class who were shy to talk to us American students; it gave me an opportunity to learn that I am shy to other people around me as well. Although I have taken this class, I feel that there are some aspects that I have not fully developed in this class. One example is my writing in Japanese. I feel like I should have remembered how to write in specific ways for each of my reflections. However, I had trouble with it and had to have someone look at it whenever I could. In order to expand on my learning from this class, I should do some activities in which I can practice writing in Japanese along with speaking in Japanese.
Even though I learned a lot of things while being class, I learned more things about myself outside of class. One example was making culture lessons I would have to teach the kids for each week we visited them. Sometimes it was very frustrating working with them because they would talk so much and get distracted really easily. However, I never got mad with them or yelled at them because I felt that it would set a bad example to the kids if I yelled at them. However, I learned that I enjoy being with these kids as it was fun to talk to them about random things as well as play games with them in order to help them fight off their boredom. I also liked how I would help them with their homework whenever they asked for help. Because of this class, it made me want to go out and teach kids. However, I want to try to teach in Japan more than I do in America.
Site Reflection # 4: PDF
Site Reflection # 5: PDF
Final Paper: PDF