With over 1600 enrollments each year, the Japanese language program in the Department of Asian Studies at UBC is the largest such program in North America.
Curriculum
Our program, which comprises a diverse student body from Canada and many other countries, including new learners, learners with prior knowledge of Japanese, and heritage learners, provides students at all levels a friendly environment in which to learn Japanese and cross-cultural communication. Our courses focus on communicative competencies with an emphasis on developing reading, writing, listening and speaking skills for active use of language in real-life situations, while also raising awareness of the sociolinguistic and cultural differences between Japanese and other languages.
In addition to the core language skills, students at more advanced levels study Japanese historical, cultural and social topics in order to gain a better understanding of the country while reflecting on and evaluating their own culture for genuine cultural understanding.
Placement Procedure
Some students are required to take an online placement test and attend an advising session for placement purpose, while some students may proceed to register for a course appropriate for their levels without taking a placement test.
You are required to take a placement test and attend a placement advising session if you:
1) live with family members (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.) who speak Japanese
2) have prior knowledge in Japanese language (through self study, living or studying in Japan for an extended period of time, watching dramas, anime or reading manga, novels, etc.)
3) were born in Japan and/or has attended school in Japan.
Steps:
- First, complete the online portion of the placement test (link here).
- Upon completion, attend a placement advising session.
Winter Terms (2024/25)
In-person format only. No appointment is necessary. Students will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Online interview option not available. (for Distance Education course, please email JAPN.placement@ubc.ca)
| Date | Time | Location |
| Friday, September 6, 2024 | 4pm-6pm | BUCH B307 |
| Monday, September 9 2024 | 4pm-6pm | BUCH B307 |
| Thursday, January 9, 2025 | 3pm-5pm | TBA |
| Friday, January 10, 2025 | 3pm-5pm | TBA |
| Late February for Summer 2025 registration | TBA | TBA |
Note:
1) To ensure that you register yourself in a course appropriate for your level, you should make every effort to attend an advising session/placement test before your registration date.
2) Although a recommendation will be given by an advisor on the advising/placement test days listed above, a student may be placed at another level at the discretion of the course instructor after classes have begun. In such a case, a space will be guaranteed in the appropriate course.
3) If you are unable to attend any advising session or take a placement exam during summer, you should try to register into a course which you think is most appropriate for your level. However, in such a case, if you are referred to another course at the discretion of the instructor at the beginning of term, a space will not be guaranteed.
4) A set of textbooks for the Japanese 100 and 200 level courses are reserved at the Asian Library for your reference. You may also consult Course Descriptions for information on textbooks.
You are NOT REQUIRED to take a placement test if you:
1) are a continuing UBC student who has successfully completed a Japanese prerequisite course may proceed to register for the next higher level
2) are a transfer student from a post-secondary institution with Japanese language transfer credits may proceed to register for the next higher level.
3) are a new student that has studied Japanese at a BC high school (add note: if you have completed Japanese 11 (not beginner Japanese 11), you may skip JAPN_V 100 and register for JAPN_V 101; if you have completed Japanese 12, you may skip JAPN_V 100 and JAPN_V 101 and register for JAPN_V 200/201 or 260).
4) are a new student with no prior Japanese language background should register for JAPN_V 100/101 or JAPN_V 160.
NOTE: If you joined the Faculty of Arts in the 2024 Winter session, you cannot waive the language requirement through a proficiency test. Please see the UBC Vancouver Calendar for more information.
60 minute on paper test and 10 minute interview; no appointment is necessary.
Please note that the Japanese test for language exemption is different from the placement test. Inquiry: JAPN.placement@ubc.ca
| Date | Time | Location |
| Friday, September 6, 2024 | 4pm-6pm | BUCH B307 |
| Monday, September 9, 2024 | 4pm-6pm | BUCH B307 |
| Thursday, January 9, 2025 | 3pm-5pm | TBA |
| Friday, January 10, 2025 | 3pm-5pm | TBA |
For all questions specifically for Japanese courses (JAPN): JAPN.placement@ubc.ca
Emails should include your full name and student number in the title. If your inquiry is about a certain course, add the course code in the title as well. You may experience delays if the email title convention is not followed.
Please allow between 2 -5 business days before sending in another email with the same inquiry.
Students in one of the following categories are recommended to register for the following courses:
UBC Continuing Students
Students who have successfully completed a modern Japanese language course should proceed with the next level course(s). We strongly recommend taking the following pairs of courses consecutively in the same academic year:
JAPN_V 160/260, JAPN_V 100/101, JAPN_V 200/201, JAPN_V 360/361, JAPN_V 320/321, JAPN_V 322/323, JAPN_V 400/401.
Transfer students with Japanese language transfer credits
Based on your qualified transfer credits, enroll in the next level. Please bring a record of UBC transfer credits and your transcript for the first day of class.
New students who have studied Japanese in high school
If you have taken Japanese 9, 10 and/or introductory 11 in secondary school (in BC), please register for either JAPN_V 100/JAPN_V 101 (we recommend you take both courses as a pair) or JAPN_V 160.
If you have taken Japanese 11 in secondary school (in BC), please register for JAPN_V 101.
If you have taken Japanese 12 in secondary school (in BC), please register for JAPN_V 200/JAPN_V 201 (we recommend you take both courses as a pair) or JAPN_V 260.
New students with no prior Japanese language background
Enroll in one of our two streams of beginner courses:
Intensive: JAPN_V 160/ JAPN_V 260
Non-Intensive: JAPN_V 100/JAPN_V 101
