EPD 330 Basic Technical Japanese I

3 graduate credits

Instructor: Professor James L. Davis
Phone: 608/262-4810
E-mail: jdavis@engr.wisc.edu

Course objective:
To provide a foundation for students to begin to read (with the aid of a dictionary) Japanese technical documents such as journal articles, conference preprints, project reports, patents, instruction manuals and product brochures.

Course description:
Introduces the three types of Japanese writing and the fundamentals of Japanese grammar. Covers hiragana, katakana and 100 of the most frequent kanji in the sciences and engineering. Offers short readings for mastery of grammar and technical vocabulary.

Prerequisite:
None.

Note: Students with at least one year of previous Japanese language study should take Intermediate Technical Japanese I.

Homework:
Weekly assignments that reinforce vocabulary and grammatical patterns. Assignments include short-answer and translation questions.

Exams:
Three two-hour exams.

Computer requirements:
Access to the Internet and e-mail.

Textbooks:
Basic Technical Japanese, E.E. Daub, R.B. Bird, and N. Inoue, University of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 0-299-12730-3. (Vendor: The University of Wisconsin Press Chicago Distribution Center, 11030 S. Langley Ave., Chicago, IL 60628, 773/568-1550)

Reference Books:
The Modern Reader's Japanese-English Character Dictionary, A.N. Nelson, Tuttle, ISBN 0-8048-0408-7 or The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary, J.H. Haig, Tuttle, ISBN 0-8048-2036-8; Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, I. Kondo and F. Takano, Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-510253-5. (Vendor for all: University Bookstore, 711 State Street, Madison, WI 53703, phone 800-993-2665, fax 608-257-9479).

Course notes:
Handouts will be provided by instructor at no charge.