The programme aims to enable students with little or no previous knowledge of Japanese language and culture to acquire and develop interest in and understanding of Japan, including the Japanese language, history, literature, culture and society. It offers society the resource of intellectually trained individuals capable of acting as conduits of knowledge and understanding between Britain and Japan. The programme is taught within the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures. The first year of study provides a structured introduction to Japanese grammar and also enables students to read and write hiragana and katakana, the Japanese syllabary, as well as approximately 200 Japanese characters (kanji). There are practical exercises in using Japanese for simple spoken and written communication. In the second year, Japanese 2A is a continuation of Japanese 1 and is aimed at enabling students to speak, read and write Japanese at intermediate level. Work in the Languages Microlab, introduced in the first year as an optional complement to the teaching, provides students with the opportunity to develop word-processing skills and to acquire computer literacy in Japanese. For the third year, the Japanese section has 14 partner universities for exchange programmes, from which students can choose their destination of study, - pending on exchange arrangements with the University’s International Office. Students are prepared for their study abroad in a series of workshops providing individual advice about administrative procedures for each University as well as general briefings.