Foothill College is one of the few community colleges in the United States that offer a major in Japanese language. The study of Japanese is an excellent choice for students in the Bay Area since much business and trade is carried on with Japan by California industries. The electronics industry is especially interested in employing people who know Japanese. It is an excellent major or minor for those who plan to work in international business.

Foothill offers first year (JAPN 1, 2, 3) and second year (JAPN 4, 5, 6) Japanese as well as intermediate and advanced Japanese conversation (JAPN 13A, 13B, 14A, 14B).

In these courses, students develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, as well as knowledge of the Japanese culture. In "Advanced Composition & Reading" courses (JAPN 25A, 25B), students expand their vocabulary and develop reading skills by reading various authentic materials. We also offer a course on Japanese culture and calligraphy (JAPN 33), which focuses on Japanese philosophy, literature, culture and the Japanese "way of brush (shodo)". We have a daytime program on our main campus and an evening program at our Middlefield Campus. Foothill offers an AA degree as well as various certificates in Japanese).

Japanese community volunteers, who serve as in-class tutors, support our Japanese Program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, or pursuing a tutor training certificate ("Certificate of Achievement in Japanese Tutoring"), please contact the Japanese Program Chair, Ikuko Tomita Radkow, Ph.D., at rakowikuko@foothill.edu.

Credit by Exam.
Students with some prior knowledge of Japanese can get credit by exam for one quarter of Japanese. Learn more.

(The following text is in Japanese. Please choose a Japanese encoding on your web browser.)

日本人の皆様、

フットヒル大学ではボランティアのチューターの方を常時募集しています。語学のクラスでは授業内での小グループによる会話の練習等の手伝い、また筆の嗜みのある人の場合には文化・書道の講座の手助けなどがその主な役割です。アメリカ人の学生と対応することにより、英会話の練習や新らしい友達をつくる良いチャンスにもなります。また、長期的に外国語としての日本語の教授法を学びたいという人のためにはTutor Certificate Programもありますので、興味がある人は日本語学科長の冨田までお問い合わせください。

Get ahead. Expand your horizons. Study Japanese.

top of page