Japanese
Japanese language learning is for students for whom Japanese is an additional language.
Learning new languages gives us insights into various worldviews and cultural expectations. We live in a technologically advanced age that enables us to work together, both remotely and in person, with people from a range of different cultural and language backgrounds. Being able to see things from different points of view gives language learners an advantage when it comes to collaboration and communication - an important advantage in our increasingly connected global community. Not only does learning a new language make it easier to learn additional languages later in life, studies show that language learning boosts students’ achievement in other subjects, as well as improving literacy levels.
Beginners are welcome to join the course and will be given an individualised programme to work on, to ensure that the basics are covered before attempting NCEA.
Programme Description :
In Level 1 Japanese we build on the skills and abilities developed in Year 10, in spoken and written Japanese communication, starting with familiar topics such as our everyday lives. We will cover topics such as:
- Whakawhanaungatanga - building relationships and establishing connections. Students will learn how to build relationships by sharing information about themselves, where they live, and their culture(s) with Japanese speaking people.
- Manaakitanga. As with the Japanese concept of omotenashi, manaakitanga is about putting others first before yourself by supporting others, being of service to others and making sure visitors are looked after and cared for. Students will learn about culturally appropriate behaviour in Japan, and develop an awareness of culturally appropriate behaviour and etiquette in different contexts (eg, at home, at play and at school).
- Hauora - wellbeing. Students will explore the importance of looking after their wellbeing. Taha tinana (body); taha hinengaro (mental/ emotional); taha wairua (spiritual); taha whānau (social).
Learning Outcomes/Contexts:
- We explore how the Japanese language is structured, making comparisons with English, te reo Māori and other known languages.
- We deepen our understanding of Japanese culture(s) and make comparisons with other known cultures.
- We use our Japanese communication skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) to express our personal ideas and respond to the ideas and opinions of others.
Skills and Capabilities:
Students in Level 1 Japanese are supported to develop their self-management and independent learning skills, as well as their ability to work creatively and collaboratively with others, not only here at school but also with students in Japan through online collaboration and actual school visits during our Japan trip.
Cross Curriculum Links:
Japanese Language learning links to and complements learning in English; Te Reo Māori; Social Sciences; Visual Arts; Tourism and Hospitality.
Possibly leads to :
- Japanese is a University Entrance approved subject.
- Study and work opportunities overseas.
- Job opportunities with international companies in New Zealand.
- Employers in Japan are keen to employ bilingual (English and Japanese-speaking) people in a wide range of fields, including marketing and advertising, IT, animation, education, hospitality and tourism.
Assessment Opportunities:
- The internal assessment is a project that you work on during the year. You will communicate information in Japanese on a topic of your choice. Topics might include sharing an interest, promoting an event or business, or communicating about an experience. The work you submit could be entirely written, entirely spoken, or a combination of speaking and writing. For example, you might create a web page where you write a brief passage about your topic, and include a video that you have created, with voiceover in Japanese.
- The end of year external assessments focus on reading and listening comprehension. The written texts and listening passages are in Japanese, with the questions and answers in English.
Credits:
The Level 1 Japanese Language course offers 15 credits.
Programme Description :
In Level 2 Japanese we build on the skills and abilities developed in Level 1, in spoken and written Japanese communication.
- The Term 1 topic of Family Life involves a fair bit of revision and consolidation of previous learning, while at the same time extending our skills.
- We then move on to learning about eating and drinking in Japan, as well as shopping for food.
- Finally, we learn what high school life is like for students in Japan.
Learning Outcomes/Contexts:
- Use spoken and written Japanese to convey and understand information, ideas, and opinions in different contexts and through increasingly complex and varied text types.
- Explore the views of others, developing and sharing personal perspectives.
- Be able to communicate appropriately in different situations.
- Engage in longer interactions and produce extended text.
- Analyse how the Japanese language is structured in different texts and for different purposes.
- Explore how meaning is conveyed across languages.
- Analyse how cultural meanings are expressed in Japanese.
Skills and Capabilities:
Students in Level 2 Japanese continue to develop their independent learning skills through a self-paced programme that blends online learning with face-to-face discussion and interaction opportunities.
Cross Curriculum Links:
Japanese Language learning links to and complements learning in English; Te Reo Māori; Social Sciences; Visual Arts; Tourism and Hospitality.
Possibly leads to :
- Study and work opportunities overseas.
- Job opportunities with international companies in New Zealand.
- Employers in Japan are keen to employ bilingual (English and Japanese-speaking) people in a wide range of fields, including marketing and advertising, IT, animation, education, hospitality and tourism.
- Japanese is a University Entrance approved subject.
Assessment Opportunities:
- Written and spoken communication are assessed through portfolio-style internal assessments, where students keep adding small pieces of work to their portfolios throughout the year and choose their best two pieces to polish up for assessment at the end of the year.
- The end of year external assessments focus on reading and listening comprehension. The written texts and listening passages are in Japanese, with the questions and answers in English.
Credits:
The Level 2 Japanese Language course offers 15 credits.
Programme Description :
- In Level 3 Japanese we build on the skills and abilities developed in Level 2, in spoken and written Japanese communication.
- In Term 1 our topic of Leisure Activities allows us time for revision and consolidation of previous learning, while at the same time extending our communication skills and language knowledge.
- We then move on to learning about the land and people of Japan in a geography-based topic of study.
- Our third topic is Japan at Work, in which we compare and contrast Japan’s workplace culture(s) with that of other countries.
Learning Outcomes/Contexts:
- Use spoken and written Japanese to convey and understand information, ideas, and opinions in different contexts and through increasingly complex and varied text types.
- Explore the views of others, and support and/or challenge others’ points of view, with justification.
- Be able to communicate in culturally appropriate Japanese in formal and casual situations.
- Engage in longer interactions and produce more complex extended text.
- Analyse how the Japanese language is structured in different texts and for different purposes.
- Explore how meaning is conveyed across languages.
- Analyse how cultural meanings are expressed in Japanese for different audiences and purposes.
Skills and Capabilities:
Students in Level 3 Japanese continue to develop their independent learning skills through a self-paced programme that blends online learning with face-to-face discussion and interaction opportunities.
Cross Curriculum Links:
Japanese Language learning links to and complements learning in English; Te Reo Māori; Social Sciences; Visual Arts; Tourism and Hospitality.
Possibly leads to :
- Study and work opportunities overseas.
- Job opportunities with international companies in New Zealand.
- Employers in Japan are keen to employ bilingual (English and Japanese-speaking) people in a wide range of fields, including marketing and advertising, IT, animation, education, hospitality and tourism.
- Japanese is a University Entrance approved subject. Students who achieve in Japanese at NCEA Level 3 are generally able to skip the introductory Japanese language courses at universities.
Assessment Opportunities:
- Written and spoken communication are assessed through portfolio-style internal assessments, where students keep adding small pieces of work to their portfolios throughout the year and choose their best two pieces to polish up for assessment at the end of the year.
- The end of year external assessments focus on reading and listening comprehension. The written texts and listening passages are in Japanese, with the questions and answers in English.
Credits:
The Level 3 Japanese Language course offers 15 credits.
Japanese is a University Entrance approved subject.
