Hawthorndene Primary School
Japanese Language Program Overview – Term 2, 2018
Foundation (Reception)
Unit Topic: Colours, Numbers and Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day)
Learning Outcomes – Communicating
• use expressions and appropriate gestures in daily interactions, including greetings, farewells and thanking
• respond to daily classroom instructions
• describe objects using adjectives to indicate colour
• recognise and begin to write single kanji for numbers up to 10
• respond to questions about colour and number using single words and by selecting images or objects
• recognise and begin to write some hiragana symbols and hiragana words
Learning Outcomes – Understanding
• understand that hiragana represents the basic units of Japanese sound
• understand that katakana is used for borrowed words, including some colours
• know that kanji represents meaning as well as sounds
• use titles/suffixes, such as せんせい・ ちゃん・くん to address different people
Other Learning Outcomes – Cultural
• understand the cultural significance of Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day)
Years 1/2, & 2/3
Please note: Due to the number of Public Holidays in Term 1, students will complete our Term 1 Unit Topic before commencing the following new topic.
Unit Topic: Mottainai (What a waste!)
Learning Outcomes – Communicating
• name and recognise in hiragana the core unit vocabulary
• respond to questions ~ が どこ ですか。(Where is the ____?) and これ は なん ですか。 (What is this?) using single words and set phrases
• mimic Japanese pronounciation through shared reading and singing
Learning Outcomes – Understanding
• recognise the hiragana symbols used in topic words
• identify that Japanese words, including mottainai, are often used in English speaking contexts and that Japanese words, including risaikuru (recycling), have been borrowed from other languages including English
• identify the similarities and difference between sustainability in Japan and Australia
Other Learning Outcomes – Cultural
• understand the cultural and social significance and impact of Mottainai in Japan and elsewhere
• understand the cultural significance of Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day)
Years 3, 3/4 & 4/5
Unit Topic: Matsuri (Festivals)
Learning Outcomes – Communicating
• respond to simple questions using short spoken statements eg. いつ ですか。(When is it?) どこ ですか。 (Where is it?) and use counter classifiers in response to questions such as なん⽉(がつ) ですか。(What month is it?)
• apply word order (subject-object-verb) in simple sentences
• understand and describe events using time-related vocabulary and appropriate verb forms, as included in the Tanabata play script
Learning Outcomes – Understanding
• use the hiragana chart to support reading and writing, recognising its systematic nature
• know the role of particles and how to create questions using the sentence ending particle か
• identify language variations that occur according to the age and relationship of participants and according to the situation
• demonstrate understanding of the importance of non-verbal communication such as the use of gestures to replace words and to communicate meaning
Other Learning Outcomes – Cultural
• understand the cultural significance of festivals in Japan
• understand the story and origin of the festival Tanabata (Star Festival)
• appreciate the close relationship between seasons and festivals in Japan
Years 5/6 & 6/7
Please note: Due to the number of Public Holidays in Term 1, students will complete our Term 1 Unit Topic before commencing the following new topic.
Unit Topic: Nihon ni ikimashou (Let’s go to Japan!)
Learning Outcomes – Communicating
• ask and respond to questions relating to travelling to, and visiting in, Japan
• seek clarification, ask for assistance and follow instructions to find out essential information associated with a stay in Japan
• apologise and express thanks using the appropriate expressions and gestures associated with visiting Japan
• locate specific information in a range of spoken, written and multi-modal texts, including timetables, signs and announcements
• structure sentences using appropriate particles, including は,へ, に and で and apply the rules of punctuation
Learning Outcomes – Understanding
• identify behaviours and values associated with Japanese society and incorporate these into own language use
Other Learning Outcomes – Cultural
• identify the major islands and cities of Japan
• identify places of personal interest in Japan
