What Studdents Learn in Each Course
No experience needed
JAPANESE 1
Japanese 1 is a course designed to introduce and develop the basics of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Japanese and to prepare students for global citizenship. Students learn to understand and talk about a variety of topics, including self, family, likes and dislikes, school, food, hobbies, and activities. Emphasis in the first semester is on learning to recognize the symbols in the hiragana syllabary system and on language acquisition and listening comprehension rather than production. By World Language Course Descriptions the second semester, students begin to write paragraphs and short stories, make oral presentations, participate in dialogues, and recognize and write simple kanji. Hands-on cultural experiences are integrated throughout the year and technology is a key component of the course.
prerequisite Japanese 1
JAPANESE 2
Japanese 2 is the continuation of the beginning level course in Japanese. The focus of the course is on the further development of written and oral communication skills and intermediate grammatical patterns. Students are expected to acquire proficiency in reading and writing katakana and approximately 50 kanji. Communication activities that reflect real life situations are an integral part of the course, and collaboration is encouraged. Students use a variety of technology to support development of their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The study of Japanese cultural practices, products, and perspectives are integrated throughout the curriculum.
Prerequisite Japanese 2
JAPANESE 3/3 HONORS
Both courses are conducted concurrently and taught primarily in Japanese. The focus is on the mastery of the intermediate level skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing and further development of cultural literacy. Students reinforce and expand their language skills by writing in a variety of genres and interacting with materials from a variety of sources, including print media and the Internet, and are expected to be able to recognize and use kanji in authentic contexts. The aim of the 3H course is to prepare students for the AP Japanese Language and Culture course, which follows Japanese 3H. The amount of required kanji for mastery in 3H is greater than for the Japanese 3 course.
Prerequisite Japanese 3H
AP JAPANESE
AP Japanese Language supports students as they develop the productive, receptive, and cultural skills necessary to communicate with native speakers of Japanese. The content of the course is woven around the framework of the three models of communication outlined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century; interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. A major component of the course is to prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in Japanese language. Students will expand and reinforce their language skills by writing in a variety of genres and interacting with a variety of media, including magazine articles, selections from literature, the Internet, and films. They will explore cultural topics within the context of their language study and will be expected to function primarily in the target language.
Japanese 5
In Japanese 5, students participate in individualized experiences based on interests recognized and developed during their work in AP Japanese Language. Students will be expected to do supplementary reading and personalized assignments conducive to such study. Students who have successfully completed AP Japanese will be eligible for enrollment in the class.
SNEAK PEAK OF THE COURSES
Students Work Samples
In this unit, students learned about history of Tokyo, the train system, places to visit and designed their own tours. They created a timeline Padlet using screencasting and selfie video to share their project with classmates.
We tried to record our karaoke performance over Zoom during school closure. We sang "Futon song: ふとんの中から出たくない.” It could have been much better if we did it in classroom. But it became our precious memory.
AP JAPANESE: INTERVIEW VIA FLIPGRID
AP Japanese students asked questions about Japanese high school to our sister school in Tokyo. We received answers and answered the questions from Japanese students.
JAPANESE 5: INDEPENDENT PROJECT
In Japanese 5, students work on their own project using Japanese language skills under the supervision of teacher. Students have published podcast, created a puzzle adventure game by writing a mystery, and studied Japanese science articles.
WE KNOW HOW TO CELEBRATE!
End of Year Party