Vrouw voor Mount fuji bij Lake kawaguchiko in Japan

Language course Japanese for absolute beginners (A1 - part 1)

Would you like to learn Japanese and do you as yet have no knowledge of the language, writing and culture? If you are an absolute beginner, the Japanese A1 - part 1 language course is a great first step.

General

After completing this Japanese language course, you will be able to:

understand simple words, expressions and sentences;
ask and answer simple, short questions;
follow a simple conversation;
write simple, short sentences about personal matters;
read and write in Japanese.

The course focuses primarily on verbal communication, as well as reading, listening and writing skills. You will also learn more about Japanese culture. To receive a Radboud in’to Languages certificate, you need to attend 80% of the classes.

This course will help you on your way to level A1. After completing this course, you can continue with our courses Japanese A1 - part 2 and part 3 to complete the A1 level.

Why take a group course at In’to?

You notice rapid progress thanks to the fast pace
You learn by doing with plenty of interactive exercises – also in our online courses
You practise speaking a lot and learn how to really use the language
You learn about the culture and the nuances of the language so that you can really connect
Learning from and with each other in a group is effective and fun
Our teachers are your best motivation: they give you feedback and share both their knowledge and their love for the language and culture

Would you prefer individual classes, or a shorter, more intensive course? Check out our tailor-made courses.

Starting date

01 October 2026, 6 pm

This course ends on 3 December 2026. Each session takes 1.5 hours.

Costs

€340

Discount

50% (RU students), 10% (RU & Radboudumc staff and alumni; WUR students and staff)

VAT-free

Yes

Educational method

Combination of on-site and online

Main Language

Nederlands

Number of sessions

Maximum number of participants

Show more information

Factsheet

Type of education

Course

Level

Beginner

Result

Certificate

Organisation

Radboud in'to Languages

Contact information

Do you have a question? Or would you like to discuss which course best suits your needs and starting level? Feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you out.

024 - 361 21 59
info [at] into.ru.nl (info[at]into[dot]ru[dot]nl)

Programme

This course takes place from 1 October until 3 December 2026. There is no class in the weeks of 12 and 19 October.

Class day and time: Thursdays from 6.00 - 7.30 pm
Number of participants: min. 6 - max. 16

There will be 8 classes:
- 3 classes on campus in Nijmegen (class 1, 5 and 8) and
- 5 online classes via the Virtual Classroom (class 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7)
Read more about our courses using the 5-3 model

Approach and content

Japanese is spoken as much as possible during classes, with Dutch as the supporting language. This means you cannot take this course if you do not speak Dutch.

You should count on about three to four hours of individual study per week.

The script: Hiragana and Katakana

Through self-study and a free practice module, you can become familiar with the script (Hiragana and Katakana). In class, you will get help from the teacher, who will also devote attention to recognising important characters, such as inscriptions in stations, directions, etc.

What do the classes cover?

Skills

You will learn to read and write one of the three Japanese alphabets (hiragana)
You will learn to introduce yourself: your name, your age, where you are from, what work you do
You will learn how to talk about your or someone else’s family
You learn to talk about what you like
You will learn how to invite someone to do something
You will learn to count to 100

Grammar

We cover a range of topics in the Japanese halfway to A1 course, including grammar:

The particles wa, ka, ni, e, to, kara, made, no, de, o, ga
Using desu and masu verbs in the present, past and negative tenses
Conjugating verbs mashou(ka) and masenka
I-adjectives and post-adjectives and how to conjugate them
Demonstrative pronouns (those, that, these)

Course material

Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners, Tuttle 2011.
ISBN: 9784805311448

The course material can be purchased at Roelants bookstore. Course material is not included in the course fee.