Japanese

The Japanese curriculum at Coromandel Valley Primary School

Learning Japanese helps students appreciate and understand Japanese culture, including how to speak and write words and phrases, based on their investigations.

Program Content

All students learn Japanese as their second language subject at Coromandel Valley Primary school.

Reception students have 1 x 50-minute lesson and Years 1 to 6 students have 2 x 50-minute lessons per week.

Units of work, where students actively participate in their learning with provided big ideas, are the focus of the Japanese program. Students reinforce learning through listening, reading, speaking and writing words and sentences in Japanese. Japanese culture, language, and grammar systems are further investigated and integrated to the curriculum.

Junior Primary (JP: Reception to Year 2) 

Students explore Japanese culture to understand the differences and similarities between their own and other cultures. The curriculum for Reception to Year 1 includes learning about seasonal events, crafts, songs, and vocabulary, which form the foundation of language and grammar construction. From Year 2, the program encourages students to think more independently about the focused ideas and topics in their learning. Hiragana letters (the Japanese alphabet) are introduced and gradually used starting at this level. Relevant language is taught through investigation units such as “Balanced Choices” and “Identity and Family.”

Middle Primary (MP: Year 3 and 4) 

Students begin learning formal language aspects. A variety of tasks and projects, such as creating a Minecraft Japanese garden, play presentations and Hiragana reading and writing practice, enable students to utilise their learnt language in oral and written forms. Students also have opportunities to explore broader cultural aspects through investigation units such as “Japanese Gardens”, “People Communicate in Different Ways Using Different Symbols”, “Japanese Zodiac,” among others, during these year levels. 

Upper Primary (UP: Year 5 and 6) 

Students in Years 5 and 6 have a stronger focus on structured learning, to ensure a smooth transition into high school Japanese programs. Their learning is reinforced through listening, reading, speaking, and writing words and sentences in Japanese. All Hiragana letters, some Katakana letters (used for foreign words), and some Kanji (Chinese characters) are introduced and reviewed. Investigation units include “Japanese Manga and Anime,” “Let’s Go Shopping in Japan,” and “Japanese Traditional Stories,” among others.

Cultural Events

As part of the Japanese program, various cultural events may be organised to stimulate students’ learning. These events include sushi or bento box lunch day, Japanese university student teacher visits, Japanese primary school student visits, online communication lessons with schools in Japan, and Japanese performances and events.