Nihongo (Japanese Language) Web is an interactive, online Japanese language program from The University of Alabama, which is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Nihongo Web is available for high school students (who must enroll through UA Early College), undergraduate and graduate college students, and adult learners with a high school diploma or equivalent. All students will receive college credit once they successfully complete the course. We offer the following courses both Fall and Spring semesters:
- JA 101-900/920 (4 credit hours)
- JA 102-900/920 (4 credit hours)
- JA 201-900/920 (3 credit hours)
- JA 202-900/920 (3 credit hours)
Our online Japanese courses are a hybrid of private tutoring and self-study of web-based materials, textbook, workbook and live interaction with peers, Japanese tutors, and the instructor via web conference. Most of our successful learners are studying on their own, without any classroom involved. All that is needed is a good internet connection, your UA-issued email address, access to UA’s Blackboard Learn system, and a headset/web camera for live tutoring. We will mainly use Zoom, and also possibly Skype for the live tutoring sessions.
To receive credit in the courses, you need to contact a local exam proctor (e.g., a teacher or administrator at your school or college who agrees to follow our procedures). The proctor does NOT need to know any Japanese, and all that is required is that he or she has an email account that can receive, open, and print PDF files. The proctor will mail, scan or fax tests back to us for grading.
Visit our Courses page for more information, or learn how to enroll in a course.
Learn Japanese!
Nihongo Web courses use the third edition Nakama textbook series. These textbooks are widely used in colleges around the United States. JA 101 and 102 (first and second semester) courses will use only the Nakama 1 textbook, and JA 201 and 202 (third and fourth semester) courses will use the Nakama 2 textbook and Student Activities Manual workbook. These books are also used in our classroom courses at the University of Alabama, and we follow the same curriculum, so students who pass with a grade of C- or higher can transition into the next level of on-campus Japanese if they attend UA as regular students.
For an overview of exactly what you will learn in each of the courses we offer, and to ask any questions about the program, please contact Laurie Arizumi at larizumi@ua.edu.
Timeline
You can enroll in any of these courses, all of which start both in the Fall term (begins in mid August and ends early December) and Spring term (begins in early January and ends in early May). We do not offer online courses in the summer term. To receive a letter grade, the courses must be completed within the term you enroll. If you want to skip into any higher level, you must first take a written Placement Exam. Please contact Laurie Arizumi to request an exam be sent to your proctor.