East Asian Lang & Literature 240 - JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

This course will introduce the historical, social and ideological background of "standard Japanese" and the Japanese writing system. We will also look at basic structural characteristics of the language and interpersonal relations reflected in the language, such as politeness and gender, as well as contemporary trends in popular media. This course is suitable for students with little knowledge about the language as well as those in Japanese language courses. All readings are in English translation. Enrollment limited to 30.