Developing Advanced Asian Language Skills (LANG305)

This is a repeatable unit. However, topics/subjects are not repeatable and the unit cannot be undertaken more than once in any one teaching period. Enrolment is subject to unit coordinator (or delegate) approval.

Students must apply to the unit coordinator for permission to enrol at least three weeks prior to the commencement of the relevant Trimester.

Topics/subjects may change biennually.

2027 topics/subjects

Trimester 1

• Japanese:

Reading Contemporary Japanese Fiction and Authentic Texts

Reading a range of texts written in Japanese offers you an insight into the structure of language and the culture of Japanese society which helps to solidify your learning. Due to the complexity of Japanese script, at this level it is necessary for you to devote intensive study to the skill of reading to support your continued progress in the acquisition of the Japanese as a whole. Therefore, in this subject you will undertake a reading program in Japanese comprising a variety of genres and some authentic texts at the intermediate to upper-intermediate level.

There are no Chinese or Indonesian subjects/topics available in LANG305 in Trimester 1.

Trimester 2

• Indonesian:

A History of Indonesian and its Role in Society

In this subject you will learn about the history of Malay/Indonesian. You’ll cover topics such as: Malay and its relatives; Old Malay; Classical Malay; Colonialism and the development of Malay; nationalism and the rise of Indonesian; language planning; diglossia in Indonesian; the influence of English and other foreign languages; and the relationship between regional languages and Indonesian. Some of the topics include the study of original texts (with English translation) that illustrate various aspects of the discussion. However, the subject material is mainly in English and taught in English. Assessment tasks may require Indonesian, but those who do not have Indonesian can do alternative assignment tasks in English. Through study of Indonesian/Malay language history you will gain a greater understanding of the various forms of Malay/Indonesian in the Indonesian archipelago (and beyond). Moreover, it also provides a general understanding of the history of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

• Japanese:

Japanese Through Contemporary Culture

This subject aims to further develop your Japanese proficiency to a higher level, while introducing you to Japanese contemporary culture. You will enhance your reading, listening, writing and speaking skills through learning activities using a variety of literary/audio-visual texts such as manga, anime, literature and film. The subject also provides you with opportunities to acquire cultural knowledge as well as sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence.

There are no Chinese topics available in LANG305 in Trimester 2.