FLJ 203  ---  Fall 2009  ---  Orientation

Instructor:

    John Mertz (ジョン・マーツ)
    PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures
    office:  #402 Withers Building
    email: John_Mertz@ncsu.edu     home page: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~fljpm/
    office hours: Mondays 1:00-2:00 at my office; T&H at 4:30~; or after class;
        or between other classes (schedule is on my door); or by appointment; or drop by any time.

Class Hours and Location: (note pending time shift for section 001 starting Aug 31!!!)

    FLJ 203 - section 001   Mondays   3:30pm - 4:20pm    Riddick 315
    FLJ 203 - section 002  Mondays   4:30pm - 5:20pm    Riddick 315

Objectives:

      This class is designed to provide supplementary instruction to the FLJ 201 curriculum.  This semester, we will devote the 203 class to reading, writing, and supplementary lectures on Japanese language structure and language learning, so as to maximize the opportunities for spoken practice in the 201 sections.  The schedule will work in parallel to the chapter schedule for the 201 class, centering on the reading and writing portions of the Genki text.  

Enrollment Requirements:

    FLJ 201 and FLJ 203 are co-requisites.  If you take one, you must be enrolled in the other.  

Required Texts:

    Genki texts and workbooks (volumes 1 & 2; same as for FLJ 201).  

Methods:
    Each class will involve the following:
    - Quiz: on kanji and vocabulary collocation (always) and structure (when appropriate).
    - Review of homework assignments (as necessary)
    - Writing/Reading/Review of new text material (kanji, vocabulary, reading passages)
    - Lectures on language structure and language learning (as necessary)

Assignments and Grading:
    
Grades for FLJ 203 will be calculated independently of the grades for FLJ 201.

Homework assignments (33%): Hand in the pages from the Genki workbook as assigned (use a pencil!).  
    Content and accuracy will be graded on a 1-7 scale.
    Handwriting will be graded on a 1-3 scale for clarity (aesthetics and readability; separate from accuracy).
    Total: 10 points each.  

Daily Quizzes (67%):  Questions may occur in any of several formats:
    a. Dictation (based on sample sentences)
    b. Representative Collocation (based on sample sentences)
    c.  Kanji Stroke Order
    d.  Structural Issues (based on lectures)

Since you will be graded every day, and since the FLJ 201 component includes a major final examination, this class will not include a final examination.   Final grading will be determined based on a curve: if it seems that the grading is harsh, please remember that everyone is together in this, and the curve holds across the entire class (both sections).  


Attendance and Make-ups:

It is important that you attend every class, because that is where the essential material is introduced, utilized, and exercised (and to a large extent, graded).  If you miss class, you will find that it is exceedingly difficult to catch up with the material and the pace, because you will have missed all of the practice.

It is important that you attend every class on time, because we will begin each class with a short quiz.

If you must miss a class, be sure to email me, or I will have to assume that you fell off the earth and are no longer in the class.

Since you will be graded with every class, my policy is not to offer make-up quizzes.  If you must miss a class for some reason, the way to boost your grade is to perform that much better on the remaining quizzes.  

You are welcome to come to either section (I will record your attendance on the basis of the quizzes, so it doesn’t matter to me which section you attend).  


Honor Code:  

If you make the same mistake as your neighbor, I will see it immediately and call you on it.  Avoid the trouble, for everyone’s sake.


Emergencies:

Your physical and mental health and well-being take precedence over everything else in life.  If you have an alcohol, drug, or depression problem, or if you experience signs of incipient spontaneous combustion (it happens!), then please come talk to us, or seek counselling services, etc.  If your classmates are having trouble, then you might be the only one who help them, so try to be nice.  You are always welcome at our offices if things are getting to you and you need someone to consult.  If you seek NCSU counseling and they want to schedule your appointment for sometime in the next century, then please see me (or one of the other Japanese teachers) and we will call them directly.