JAPN 1010

This is a very comprehensive course, and I would recommend to anyone who wants a thorough understanding of Japanese. Class material is beyond that of any textbook; Professor Kawai really helps you understand the nuances of the language.

Kawai-sensei is a really great teacher. Japanese is a very intense language but she made learning it more interactive so that it was fun and not just endless drilling. Although everyday was a challenge for me, I really enjoyed taking her class and am excited about taking Japanese 1020 next semester. Kawai-sensei is truly a delight. If you keep up with the vocabulary and grammar for each lesson you will get the most out of this class.

This class is a blast: absolutely hilarious. The reviews below are spot-on as well. Kawai-sensei is very helpful and really wants her students to learn the subtleties of the language. You learn a massive amount of material (the first two weeks are tougher than the rest), but you need to do your homework every night (and learn the lessons' vocab quick) to get a good grade and in order to participate (participation is 25% of your grade). Tests can be tricky and are graded pretty strictly. It's tough to manage a class that meets every day, but I loved it. Tough if you can't devote a lot of time to it though.

This is not a hard class, but it's definitely time consuming! The workload can become pretty heavy sometimes. But if you are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the language, you will sure get a lot out of it. The projects were enjoyable to do as well! Class participation turned out to be more important than expected. Kawai Sensei is a great teacher who really pushes you to try your best. If not for the large amount of works, my Japanese would never reach its current level after only one semester!

Kawai sensei wa kawaii da to omou! toranakuchaikenaino!

fast paced but great class, you learn a lot and kawai-sensei is a great teacher

You work hard in this class, but you really learn the language

Kawai is really a nice lady, she's patient and enthusiastic and friendly. She always makes herself available after classes so you can find her in her office almost anytime you want. She would love to help you understand and glad you ask questions. She's sweet that we all got candies and snacks in the end of the semester, and I love my classmates and all the activities in class. I would definitely recommend this class. Take it!

First off, I really did learn a lot in this class. You learn to speak very well, with better accents. Kawai really helps you to understand the nuances of the language. However, it was incredibly time consuming. You spend hours studying every night and much of the time, your efforts aren't reflected in your grade. After the intro level it only gets harder. So, unless you want to major in a field in which Japanese would greatly help, I wouldn't recommend it.

This may be an intro level course, but it is very fast paced and is difficult. After the intro level it only gets harder so unless you are committed to and/or love Japanese I would recommend a different language. If you are willing to put in the time this is an absolutely fantastic course. The course emphasizes a little of everything and you should plan on spending about an hour studying/completing homework every night. Sometimes it will be longer, sometimes it will be shorter. You will cover 6 lessons and take 3 tests. So each test will cover two lessons and take place every four weeks. There is not a cumulative final but there is a cumulative "review test" which was not bad at all. I found it easier than the regular tests.

Kawai-sensei is amazing. She genuinely wants everyone to succeed and tries very hard to support her students in any way she can. She can come off as a little intimidating, not because she is a mean person but because you want to please her. Go to her office hours whenever you have questions, to get advice, or just to get to know her. It will really help you and having a relationship with a teacher outside of the classroom, no matter how brief, shows her that you care. Keep up with the homework and don't be stupid like me and put off learning the Kanji. Kawai-sensei provides the schedule far in advance so take advantage of that! The course is a lot of fun and you will have a blast, even if you decide not to continue. I highly recommend it to those who are interested!