Enhancing Cultural Understanding and Embracing Cultural Differences Through Japanese Children’s Books (JPN4218.01)

Ikuko Yoshida

In this second-term Japanese course, students will examine Japanese cultural values and create digital books which will teach Japanese children how to embrace cultural differences. Students will read Japanese children’s books and watch children’s TV shows to explore and analyze how social and cultural values are represented and taught. Based on their analyses and understanding of social and cultural values in Japan, students will write their own digital book stories which teach children to embrace cultural differences as a final project of the course. Their digital book stories will be read by Japanese children at the Albany Japanese Language School, Schenectady, New York. Students will continue to develop their linguistic skills by learning about Japanese stories and interacting in Japanese through stating and supporting their ideas and opinions during discussions that focus on narrative texts. Approximately 60 new Kanji characters will also be introduced. Conducted in Japanese.


Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to
①. Analyze social and cultural values in Japanese children’s books and reflect on them objectively and subjectively.
②. Embrace cultural differences.
③. Raise valid questions on what they’ve observed and learned and discuss their ideas in a culturally appropriate manner.
④. Create their own digital books which will help Japanese children to learn how to embrace cultural differences.


Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Prerequisites:
One term of Japanese or permission of the instructor (contact: IYoshida@bennington.edu).
Corequisites: CSL Series
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 5
M/W/Th 8:30AM - 9:50AM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Course Frequency: Once a year

Categories: 4000 , All courses , Five Credit , Fully In-Person , Japanese
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