Course Introduction
Foreign Language Courses
(Also for undergraduates)
"Intensive Reading Seminar" and Foreign Language Courses in General Education
Many of the faculty members in GENSHA also teach General Education courses for undergraduates, making the most of their specialisation. In particular, they are in charge of foreign language courses, not only English, but also so-called second language courses such as German, French and Chinese. Some of the "Advanced" language courses (German / French) in General Education overlap with the "Intensive Reading Seminars" in GENSHA. The combination of students who have studied at the elementary and intermediate levels in the undergraduate course, and the graduate students in GENSHA who study in their own specialised language, as well as graduate students from other departments, often makes a good team. Undergraduate students are encouraged to meet graduate students who are researching in their second languages. On the other hand, graduate students can also learn from the excellent undergraduate students in completely different fields.
In increasingly globalised world, it is essential for students to learn English, but at the same time, the significance of learning a foreign language other than English is becoming also significant. It goes without saying that if one explores cultures and histories closely related to languages, it is necessary to be familiar with language concerned, but for graduate students who pursue their own specialisation, learning a second, third or even fourth foreign language will enrich your specialization.
The language courses at GENSHA are designed to cultivate the ability to read the various documents required for specialised research, so they basically provide quite advanced training. All the English "Intensive Reading Seminars" (not co-taught with the General Education) often require students to read a considerable amount of texts at a considerable speed. In constrast, German and French "Intensive Reading Seminars" which are co-taught with General Education for undergraduates, there is a wide range of texts to be read together and the level of training is rather flexible, depending on the student body. Read the syllabus and choose what suits you best. If you want to learn a certain language but find that the course seems too difficult for you (after all, there are not many courses available), you can take the intermediate or elementary level in General Education for the undergraduates. Although these are not counted for completion credits, if you are eager to learn a new language, it will be beneficial to take these and study.
The only exceptions are Latin and Greek "Intensive Reading Seminars", which are co-taught with the elementary and intermediate language courses in General Education for undergraduates, and can be counted as completion credits. These two classical languages are very important not only for those who want to study Western languages, but also for those who want to learn about the West more broadly. It is true that those classical languages are difficult to master, but even a little knowledge of them will eventually be very helpful in understanding the cultural context of the West, which in turn will make it easier to learn modern languages. Even graduate students can start to learn from elementary level and earn the completion credits. We reccomend you to give it a try if possible. For undergraduate students, this could be the first opportunity to meet graduate students on the equal level.
There is also a Japanese "Intensive Reading Seminars", which is not particularly geared towards international students, unlike the course "Specialist Japanese Expression Techniques". Being a native speaker of Japanese does not necessarily mean that one is "proficient" in the language, and it is always essential for humanists to review their mother tongue at every opportunity (there are currently no Japanese and Chinese "Intensive Reading Seminars" co-taught with courses for undergraduate). "Intensive Reading Seminars" in English, German, French, Chinese, Greek, Latin and Japanese are offered every year, and sometimes in other languages as well.
For reference, here are some pages related to language courses from the Centre for General Education. It contains "selection guides", "reading and dictionary guides" and "study guides" (only in Japanese) for foreign language courses in General Education. Although these are desigined for undergraduates, graduate students may also find them useful for study tips.
For German and French language study, "Study Abroad" programs are available. Only undergraduates can earn the conpletion credits from this program, but graduate students can also participate. If one makes use of this training as a basis for their research, it will have a far greater significance. If you are interested, please search the syllabus under "Study Abroad" (General Education).
"Study Abroad" Programs (for German / French studying)
German
Every year in August, the Aachen Language Academy (Sprachenakademie Aachen) offers a German language course, which is conducted online from 2020. The course in August 2023 will also be offered online.
Although it is not possible to visit Aachen, an important historical city and a crossroad for tourism in Europe today, and interact with students from other countries, an online course will help you financially. The course takes place every weekday evening in August (morning in European local time) and lasts four weeks.
It matches students those having completed the elementary level in the undergraduate course or higher. (There is a placement test). Students should take the course "Intermediate German (Preparation for Study Abroad Program)" (Wednesdays, 4th period, generally every other week) in the spring and summer semesters (the title of the course suggests "intermediate", but all the participants can take this course). In addition to preparation for German language courses conducted in all German, this course also provides practicall information on how to apply to the local school and how to send money (including additional support with passport applications, travel arrangements, etc.).
Graduate students in GENSHA are also encouraged to take German “Intensive Reading Seminars”, which is countable for completion credits.
See also here.
French
You can take part in a four-week French language course, which is offered every year from February to March, in the form of a program offered by Campus France (French Government Study Abroad Agency). The destination is Saint-Etienne or Grenoble in the Rhône-Alpes region, both of which are university-affiliated language teaching centres.
There are an average of 20 hours of tuition per week, with approximately 80 hours over four weeks. The program is open to all levels, from beginner to advanced French. There is a placement test before departure, but you will be re-assigned to a different class before you start your course on site, so that you can study in a class appropriate to your level (you can also move classes during the course).
This program was suspended due to COVID-19, but has resumed from the academic year 2022 It is not conducted online, but on-site in France.
Trainees are required to take “Intermediate French (Preparation for Study Abroad Program)” (Wednesday 4th period, generally every other week), which is offered in the autumn/winter term (the course name says “Intermediate”, but students at beginner or advanced levels can also take it). In addition to simple French language training, the course provides information on how to apply to local schools, how to send money and support in preparing for your trip to France.
Graduate students in GENSHA are also encouraged to take French “Intensive Reading Seminars”, which is countable for completion credits.
For more information, Please see the links below.