East Asian Languages and Cultures

The Majors/Minor in Japanese

CC students learning a Japanese dance, kappore

There are three options for majors/minors in Japanese at Connecticut College: The new interdisciplinary East Asian Studies major formally launched in 2000. To complete this major, students combine intense Japanese language study with a selection of courses in history, government, economics, or anthropology.

There is also an East Asian Studies minor.

The third, the major in Japanese Language and Literature, which is anchored in foreign language study, offers strong Japanese language training for four years. After taking intensive courses through Japanese 202, students can choose to major in either East Asian Studies or Japanese Language and Literature. In addition to the language and a Japanese seminar within the department, students are required to take other courses in such related areas as History, Religious Studies, and Government.

Visit the CC online catalog to view the course reqiurements for these three major/minor options.

The core of the program is the rigorous language courses. Oral and aural skills are emphasized during the first two years. The intensive first-year courses JPN 101-102 meet seven and a half hours per week, and students make steady progress in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The second year (JPN 201-202) meets five hours a week and completes the study of core vocabulary, essential grammar patterns, and basic rules of social interaction. Most Japanese majors spend their junior year in Japan. Fourth-year students (JPN401-402) are required to read a broad range of contemporary materials and to write composition. They also work on oral skills to reach the intermediate-high level of the ACTFL oral proficiency test.