Year 7 Assessment Booklet 20-19

59

L ANGUAGE A CQUISITION (J APANESE ) C OURSE O UTLINE

The aims of the teaching and learning of MYP Language Acquisition are to:

 Begin to develop proficiency in an additional language while supporting maintenance of their mother tongue and cultural heritage  Develop a respect for, and understanding of, diverse linguistic and cultural heritage  Develop the student’s communication skills necessary for further language learning, and for study, work and leisure in a range of authentic contexts and for a variety of audiences and purposes  Enable the student to begin to develop multiliteracy skills through the use of a range learning tools, such as multimedia, in the various modes of communication  Enable the student to recognise and use language as a vehicle of thought and self-expression  Enable the student to understand the nature of language and the process of language learning  Offer insight into the cultural characteristics of the communities where the language is spoken  Encourage an awareness and understanding of the perspectives of people from own and other cultures, leading to involvement and action in own and other communities  Foster curiosity, inquiry and a lifelong interest in, and enjoyment of, language learning. S EMESTER O NE Students continue the study of the Japanese language through a range of simple topics, such as: family relationships and their habits, likes and dislikes, counters for people and weekend activities. Cultural events and celebrations provide the focus for language learning in Term Two. Students practise speaking and comprehending language in meaningful situations with increasing emphasis on reading for understanding and guided writing. Kanji characters are gradually introduced – about four per unit. The Hiragana script is a very important element of the language and students learn and revise the 46 basic characters in this alphabet, along with other combination sounds. Roomaji (Romanised alphabet) is also used as a support for learning vocabulary. S EMESTER T WO The language elements focus on basic daily routines (present tense), telling time, food and drink, days of the week. Students will be encouraged to question how they can connect and communicate through language and will consider the bigger concepts of language acquisition like form, structure and patterns. Many cultural expressions are also included with the emphasis on authentic communication and presenting speeches on familiar topics. Students are given many opportunities in recognising and reading script passages and writing individual characters, words, expressions and texts as writing skills are nurtured and developed . C OURSE D ESCRIPTION

Mr Isao Kamei Mr Keita Ishii Japanese Teacher

S OMERSET C OLLEGE IB - C URRICULUM I NFORMATION B OOKLET Y EAR 7 M IDDLE Y EARS P ROGRAMME