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Languages
At Northpine Christian College, students have the opportunity to study Japanese. Students are able to engage with this dynamic language, spoken by millions of people around the world in culturally diverse and exciting places.

where you will broaden your horizons

The Japanese curriculum at Northpine Christian College commences in Year 5, and is compulsory between Years 5-7 and optional in Years 8-10.  Structured and progressive areas of learning for each year are used to create a cohesive and coherent program. Currently, our Senior Japanese program is conducted through the Brisbane School of Distance Education.

Learning of languages is shown to increase metalinguistic
awareness and enhance cognitive development.

The study of languages provides opportunities for students to become more accepting of diversity, more respectful of others and more aware of their place in the international community. As global citizens, our students are thus offered opportunities to travel and work internationally, as speaking a different language enhances their career choices and deepens travel experiences.

Furthermore, while learning Japanese, students improve further key competencies in their own native language; contemporary research and practice have established a clear link between the learning of languages and improved literacy skills.


Curriculum

The Japanese program is designed to promote enthusiasm and interest in the culture of Japan. Students will be actively engaged in a variety of everyday situations and tasks that challenge them to make sense of language patterns.

In Years 5 – 6, students will learn about the language system, sounds and basic grammar of the Japanese language. Students will learn to recognise the sounds and rhythm of spoken Japanese and recognise and copy some hiragana (phonetically spelling Japanese words) and kanji (non-phonetic syllabary – set of characters representing whole words). As students develop these language patterns and build their vocabulary they will exchange greetings and interact with the teacher and their peers to exchange information about themselves, family life, transport, animals and global cultures.

During their Japanese course, students are assessed in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Years 7 – 9

Between Years 7 – 9, students will extend language patterns and vocabulary that relates to themselves and the school environment. This setting allows students to develop a base for future study.

As their knowledge deepens, students will extend their understanding to include a variety of topics including time, family, friends, food and drink. Each unit is designed to build student vocabulary and understanding of language structure in order to prepare them for senior Japanese. During their Japanese course, students are assessed in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Year 10

The Year 10 Japanese program aims to consolidate student learning and prepares students for the senior pathway of Japanese. An emphasis is placed on ensuring that students are proficient in the use of Hiragana and Katakana while also broadening student use of Kanji. Students will learn how the systemic nature of Japanese language and grammatical forms can be combined to express complex ideas.

These skills are essential to students’ continued development in the study of the Japanese language.