About the subjects

The United Nations officially recognizes English and French as official languages, so if you want to work at a UN organization, you will be required to learn these two languages. In addition, there is the "Francophone Summit" which is held every two years as an international political organization, and it is composed of the countries that are members of the Francophonie Charter (49 of the 55 participating countries are official member countries). As such, French is used not only in France, but also in more than 20 countries in Europe, including Canada (Quebec), parts of Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, Lebanon in the Middle East, and mainly in West Africa, as well as in the African continent.

When you think of French, the first thing that comes to mind is French culture (literature, cuisine, music, paintings, etc.), but it is also an extremely useful language when conducting regional studies around the world. In particular, it is no exaggeration to say that it is essential when conducting research on the West African region. Learning the language is not the goal. A language is, after all, an important tool to achieve your goals.

Soka University's exchange program includes the Novancia College of Technology, recognized as one of France's Grandes Écoles, the University of Montreal and University Laval in Canada (Quebec), and the National University of Dakar-Chec Anta Diop in the Republic of Senegal in West Africa, which has produced many African leaders.
　
I encourage all of you to study abroad at these institutions of higher education and acquire a wide range of knowledge and values.

Germany is the world's fourth largest economy in terms of GDP after Japan, plays a central role in the European Union, and is one of Japan's most important partner countries. Learning German means gaining a deeper understanding of the culture and society of German-speaking countries, including Austria and Switzerland.
　
German is offered from I to VI, and in the first year, students will take I in the first semester and II in the second semester, each twice a week. Classes are conducted without using Japanese as much as possible. There is a common European Framework of Reference for Languages established by the EU, which is divided into six levels from beginner (A1) to native level (C2). With these four credits, students aim to pass Start Deutsch1, the first level of the A1 qualification. Students can take III to VI from the second year onwards. Students who are motivated should continue to take these classes and improve their German.

In addition, a short-term language training course to study at a university in the historic city of Leipzig is held every spring break. Soka University is also the venue for the German Language Proficiency Test (Dokuken), which is held every June. These training courses and exams are also good goals for learning German.

Why not try experiencing the original "sound" of the kanji we use every day? Also, why not try having a conversation using only the pronunciation of the kanji? Currently, simplified kanji are used in China, but if you learn a few rules, deciphering them will not be such a big problem. You will gradually be able to see kanji compound words.
　
Chinese is offered in Chinese I, II, III, IV, V, and VI. I and II are beginner level, III and IV are intermediate level, and V and VI are advanced level. I is offered in the first semester of the first year, and II in the second semester, for a total of 4 credits. III, IV, V, and VI can be taken from the second year onwards.
　
For the beginner and intermediate levels, we use the same textbooks to ensure that students receive the same level of English regardless of which class they take. The exam content is also standardized.
　
Japan and China are neighboring countries separated by only a strip of water. They are important neighbors with a history of friendly exchanges and cultural exchanges that span two thousand years. Why not "experience" a part of that by studying Chinese?
　
Furthermore, our university offers study abroad programs and short-term language training at famous universities in China. Please give it a try!

Korea and North Korea have a deep relationship with Japan historically, geographically, and culturally. Recently, interest in movies, dramas, K-POP, anime, and more has expanded, and relations with Korea are experiencing unprecedented exchange. Currently, on average, more than 10,000 people travel between the two countries every day, and Korea is one of the top overseas travel destinations for Japanese people.

Korean is said to be one of the foreign languages that Japanese people find familiar and easy to learn. As you know, the unique characters and pronunciation make it an initial hurdle, but once you overcome this, it becomes much easier to speak. In the first year, students take "Korean I and II." We also offer classes for continued study.
　
Our university has an exchange program and short-term language training at partner universities in Korea, opening the door to friendship with neighboring countries. One of the experiences you want to have during your time as a student is studying abroad. The purpose of studying abroad is not just to improve your language skills, but to experience a different culture and open yourself up to new possibilities. I recommend that you take on the challenge.

Russia, a great power in literature and the arts that gave birth to Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Tchaikovsky, is now attracting great expectations in the economic sphere as one of the BRICS countries, and the social demand for people who can speak Russian is greater than ever. Russian, which is of the same family as Polish and Bulgarian, is also widely spoken in Central Asian countries and Mongolia due to its geographical location and historical background.

The unusual Russian characters Ж, Ш, and Ф are called Cyrillic, and are actually also used in the Balkan languages, including Bulgarian, and Mongolian. In other words, Russian is a language that will expand your field of activity to the vast space of the Eurasian continent, stretching from Sakhalin Island in the east to Eastern Europe and the Balkan Peninsula in the west, with the Mongolian steppes and the eternal Silk Road in between, and it can be said to be a language with great future potential.

It is often said that Russian is a difficult language, but that is a mistake. The textbooks used in the first and second semester Russian I and Russian II courses are designed to teach the basic structure of Russian through expressions commonly used in conversation, so we recommend that you first learn the basic letters and pronunciation.

There are approximately 450 million Spanish speakers in the world, and it is one of the official languages of the United Nations. Spanish is spoken not only in Spain itself, but also in 18 countries in Central and South America, including Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina, as well as in Guinea in Africa. In addition, in Puerto Rico in Central America, Spanish was designated the only official language in 1991. Furthermore, there are approximately 45 million Spanish-speaking people in the continental United States who are known as "Hispanics."
　
Spanish, like Italian, French, Portuguese, etc., has Latin as its common ancestor, so these four languages have many similarities in vocabulary and grammatical structure. For example, Spaniards can understand about 75% of Italian when they hear it, and 95% when they read Portuguese. This means that Spanish is closer to Italian as a spoken language, and closer to Portuguese as a written language.
　
At our university, students take the compulsory Spanish I, II, III, and IV courses to learn the basics of pronunciation, conversation, grammar, etc. For those who wish to study abroad in Spanish-speaking countries, Spanish V and VI, as well as the "Spanish Language and Culture Studies" course offered by Faculty of Letters, introduce the culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries.

From ancient times to the present, the civilization of the Italian peninsula has always played a central role in the world. Italy has made particularly notable contributions in the fields of art, architecture, literature and music, and is the country with the most World Heritage Sites. Italian cuisine, fashion and soccer are loved by many people around the world, and products that combine technology and design, such as automobiles, are also attractive. This course is aimed at students who wish to understand the imaginative and profound Italian culture while having fun learning Italian and becoming able to converse in everyday conversation.
　
Italian I and II are for students who are learning Italian for the first time. Starting with the familiar pronunciation of the Italian alphabet, students steadily learn basic grammar and expressions using an interactive approach. Furthermore, by carefully studying Italian I to IV, students can improve to the "A1" level (※), as well as everyday conversation skills. Italian V and VI are "A2" level, and classes are conducted only in Italian. Students will develop more advanced language skills while improving their conversation, listening and reading skills. In addition, a short-term language training program is held at the University for Foreigners of Siena every spring break, so students can have an intensive and enjoyable experience of learning Italian in a city that still retains its medieval atmosphere.

*The "A1" and "A2" levels are equivalent to the EU language education level standards, and more information is available in the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages." The "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR) is a common standard and framework for measuring language proficiency created by the Council of the EU.

Portuguese is spoken as an official language in eight countries around the world, including Brazil, Portugal, five African countries such as Angola and Mozambique, and East Timor in Asia. Currently, Brazil is one of the BRICs countries, while Mozambique and Angola are attracting attention from around the world for their natural resources such as oil.

In this course, you will study the fascinating language of Brazil, which includes soccer and music. In Portuguese I and II, you will learn greetings, how to form basic sentences, and expressions necessary for daily conversation using present tense verbs. In Portuguese III and IV, you will learn how to form sentences using tenses such as the past tense of verbs, further improving your expressiveness. Using a textbook written in Japanese, and based on simple dialogues, the course is an orthodox but familiar flow of pronunciation practice, vocabulary, grammar, and exercises, allowing you to steadily progress through your studies step by step.

Bulgaria is a Central European country known in Japan for its yogurt, roses, and wine. It became a full member of the EU in 2007 and is taking over the EU presidency in the first half of 2018. The Bulgarian language is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, the same as Russian. Let's create another drawer of the Slavic world through the language.
　
The founder gave a commemorative lecture at Sofia University in 1981 on the theme of "Seeking Green Fields for East-West Fusion." Soka University and Sofia University have also had an exchange student system that has been running since 1985. You will be surprised and learn a lot from interacting with international students from Sofia University.

The terrorist attacks that occurred in September 2001 have drawn people's attention to the Middle East and the Islamic world. English, spoken by approximately 333 million people in 80 countries and regions around the world, is certainly a language that is familiar to us, followed by French, spoken in 50 countries and regions around the world. However, Arabic is the third most widely used language in the world, with approximately 235 million speakers in the Middle East and North Africa, and what is less known is that it is today an official language of the United Nations.

As a first step in communicating with people from Arab countries, this course will teach you basic Arabic vocabulary repeatedly and give you an understanding of basic Arabic grammar, such as how these words are used in sentence structures.

Turkish is the international language of the Silk Road. It is spoken in a vast area, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Siberia, and Xinjiang in China. Turkish has the same word order as Japanese, making it familiar to Japanese people, and is also an essential language for studying Middle Eastern and Islamic history, politics, and culture. Turkey is said to be the most pro-Japanese country in the world, and Turkish cuisine is one of the three great cuisines in the world. We hope that you will become interested in Turkey and Islam.

In the classes, we will not only teach grammar, but also conversation, videos, the latest situation, and Lecturer 's experiences studying abroad and traveling, making the classes fun. Whether you like languages or not, please enjoy learning Turkish.

The founder visited the United Nations Headquarters in 1960 and, seeing the young leaders from African countries, predicted that "the 21st century will be Africa's century." The African continent, which now has a population of over 1.2 billion, has seen remarkable economic development and is expected to achieve great things not only in the economy but also in various other fields.

Used as the national and official language in a vast area of East Africa, Swahili continues to spread to other regions, and its usefulness as a language that transcends national and ethnic boundaries is increasing.
　
In addition, the only Swahili speech contest in the country has been held over 30 times, and we believe that studying Swahili at our university is extremely valuable in honing one's international perspective, which will be useful in the future.

Indonesian is used as the national language and official language along with Malay in the Republic of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, blessed with natural gas and other resources and experiencing rapid growth, and in neighboring countries. The language is written in the alphabet, pronunciation is almost entirely in romanized characters, and the grammar is simple, making it an easy language for Japanese people to learn.
　
The relationship between the two countries has traditionally been centered on economics, as shown by the expansion of Japanese companies into Indonesia, but in recent years it has become more multifaceted, with AKB48's sister group JKT48 gaining popularity in Indonesia and the number of tourists visiting Japan increasing sharply. Indonesia is a country where the majority of the population is Muslim, but it is not a religious nation and aims for harmony between different religions.
　
For those who want to learn English plus a foreign language, or those who are interested in Indonesia, "Come on, let's learn together!" (Mari belajar!).

Thailand, the Land of Smiles, has achieved remarkable economic growth since the 21st century. The Thai people who live in Thailand have become more familiar to Japanese people than ever before. People who have been transferred to Thailand for work or for travel often say things like, "I don't really know what it's like, but I'm glad I went to Thailand. I'd like to go again." If you want to meet and interact with Thai people in the future, there's no denying that Thai language is an essential element. It's no exaggeration to say that the days of communicating with Thai people in English are over.

Thai pronunciation is not particularly difficult, and its distinctive feature is that it has five tones. These five tones make Thai a beautiful language to listen to. The grammar is also very simple. Unlike English, words are not inflected or conjugated at all, so it is very easy to learn the conversation.

Let's learn Thai and start using it right away. The charm of Thailand is that you can feel several times more familiar with it just by speaking a few words.

In recent years, not only are there more Japanese people traveling to Vietnam, but there are also more Vietnamese people visiting Japan, and Vietnam is becoming an increasingly familiar country to us. Vietnamese, which is spoken in Vietnam, is a language in the Chinese character culture, just like Japanese, and it is said that more than 60% of the vocabulary is of Chinese origin. In addition, the language is easy to learn, as it uses characters based on the Roman alphabet and there are no inflections such as verb conjugation.

However, Vietnamese has the characteristic that the meaning changes depending on the intonation (tone) of the six sounds, and there are 11 simple vowels, which makes it a little difficult to pronounce. However, the joy of having your Vietnamese properly understood is priceless, making it a language worth challenging.