EPD 374 Intermediate Technical Japanese I

3 graduate credits

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

Course objective:
To enable a student 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 300 of the most frequent kanji in the natural sciences. Readings range from individual sentences to page-long essays drawn from physics, chemistry, and several engineering disciplines. Emphasis is placed upon fundamental concepts in science and engineering.

Prerequisite:
One year of Japanese language instruction. Note: Students with no previous Japanese language study should take Basic Technical Japanese I.

Homework:
Weekly translations of increasing length and scope. Homework will be submitted and returned via e-mail.

Exams:
Two exams and a final translation. Exams will be submitted and returned via e-mail.

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

Textbooks:
Intermediate Technical Japanese, Vol. 1, ISBN 0-299-18554-0, and Vol. 2, ISBN 0-299-18564-8, J.L. Davis, University of Wisconsin Press. Other recommended texts are listed below.

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 the instructor at no charge.