Instructor: Miyo Uchida, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, College of Letters and Science
Description: Japan and the US have celebrated one hundred fifty years of diplomatic relations. Japan remained in self-isolation towards the rest of the world for two hundred sixty years until the time when Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Japan to request the opening of Japanese ports to US ships in 1854. During the long isolation, various unique traditional cultures flourished in Japan. Students will explore the cultural differences and influences between Japan and the US through the media after acquiring the basic historical, geographical and linguistic knowledge of Japan. The media will include mostly TV commercials, written/online advertisements, and clips from popular drama, movies and “anime”. Students will analyze and compare the differences and similarities of communicative interactions/expressions, conversational postures, non-verbal communication, lexical choices, suggested gender bias and targeted audience. Information will be presented through lectures, readings and discussion. Students will be assigned various projects and expected to present their findings in class as well as in written reports. Instead of assigned projects, students, with the approval of the instructor, may create their own projects which are related to the topics covered in class. Students will be exposed to modern Japanese culture and provided with Japanese authentic materials such as Japanese magazines while being reacquainted with American culture.
Format: The seminar will meet for two hours each week for ten weeks. The time will be divided between lecture, presentations, students’ presentations, and discussions. The previous knowledge of the Japanese language is not required, but the strong interest in Japan is advised. There will be a required textbook and the supplement. Grading: Students will be given a letter grade on the quality of their participation: Class Participation/Discussion (20%); Projects & Oral Presentation (30%); and Two Short Papers (2 pages each) (50%).
About the Instructor: Miyo Uchida has been a Lecturer for twelve years in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at UC Davis, where she teaches elementary, intermediate and third level courses of the Japanese language. Her interest includes Japanese syntax, sociolinguistics, and analysis of Japanese modern culture. She is the organizer of the joint project of creating online video materials for teaching Japanese. This project, corroborated with four other UC campuses will be ready to be presented to the UC Consortium for grants by February 2005.