Another popular East Asian language, Japanese is spoken by upwards of 128 million people across the world. It's the national language of Japan and is also spoken in other Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Hong Kong. Japan is considered a Japanic language, although it did have some connections to Chinese in the past. Although learning Japanese requires learning a whole new alphabet, the task isn't as daunting as it may seem. The writing system is actually very similar to the writing system used in Chinese. Plus, English words and influences are becoming more and more common in Japanese. The goal of Level 1 is to leave you with a wide basis of vocabulary, an ability to converse freely in Japanese, and a beginner's knowledge of Japanese grammar, sentence structure, and syntax. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to have conversations in Japanese and will have a strong foundation to continue learning the language and new vocabulary