MYP: Connecting to French and Japanese
French
YEAR 7
Statement of Inquiry: Our knowledge of cultural diversity develops when we understand the meaning of cultural traditions in different contexts.
This term in French, the Year 7s are learning about the all important topic of French food so as to expand their understanding of French culture and increase their speaking fluency. As working online has made regular speaking practice more challenging, many students (including some Year 8s) made use of the opportunity to expand their culinary skills by creating some delicious French dishes (pictured). Our return to school will see us try to learn how to order effectively in a French restaurant. Bon appetit :)
(cooked by Zari)
(cooked by Zari)
(cooked by Will H)
(cooked by Will H)
(cooked by River)
(cooked by River)
YEAR 8
Statement of Inquiry: We communicate messages with different purposes about the place that we live and what we are connected to.
Meanwhile, the Year 8s this term have begun to prepare for one day getting lost in a French city, by learning to give and understand directions to key places in French. Their knowledge of grammar is slowly but surely increasing as they learn to grapple with the near future tense. A recent debate in class about historical choices on the naming of certain streets and monuments after famous people allowed them to reflect on what different places can tell us about their history and values. The students’ ability to express their views and respect the views of others in conversations such as these is particularly commendable in this class. Well done to all of them!
YEAR 9 - Phase 2/3
Statement of Inquiry: Your purpose supports you in building connections with other people.
Firstly, a big congratulations to the Year 9s for pushing ahead with such passion and curiosity for languages!
This term started off with a bang, and we tackled a new tense, the imparfait.
(meme from the lesson)
(meme from the lesson)
We are looking into transport and travel, with the announcement of borders reopening, and have been talking about our holiday plans and where we would like to visit in the (near?) future. On Fridays we have been strengthening our tradition of 'blooket and fun facts'. We play games with virtual berets on and the students request a nice topic of French history to learn about. So far we have discussed the witch trials in the Duchy of Lorraine and how the Louvre preserved its art during the occupation of Paris in World War II.
YEAR 10 - Phase 1/2
Statement of Inquiry: Your purpose supports you in building connections with other people.
This term, our phase 1/2 Year 10s are finishing their MYP languages journey with the topic 'vous payez comment?' We are exploring the world of travel, transport and shopping. We started this unit with the good news about international borders re-opening and reflected on what our plans might be if we are able to travel soon. This week, we undertook a writing challenge. We wrote some pretty silly stories using the passe compose (a tense we had just learnt) and submitted them anonymously. Simone then read them aloud in a dramatic retelling and we had to guess who wrote the stories.
YEAR 10 - Phase 3
Statement of Inquiry: Word choice enables you to articulate time, place and space.
Our phase 3 Year 10s are working through the theme, 'projects d'avenir' or 'future plans'. We are covering the topics of future studies, our plans for our life after school, travel and the world of work. Last term we learnt how to use the future tense, so this term we have been able to practise applying it in real world contexts. We have also been exploring what these topics look like in a Francophone context. Last week we completed a listening comprehension activity on how French diplomats prepare for foreign diplomatic postings.
We are immensely proud of our Year 10s, some of whom are in their final weeks of learning French. They have persevered in learning a language during a time when the rest of the world felt so far away. To those students who are finishing French this term, we wish them a heartfelt 'Bon Voyage' on their language learning journey and hope we have inspired them to continue to explore the world around them through language, compassion and curiosity.Rob Grundy, Simone Braid
teachers of MYP French
simone.braid@preshil.vic.edu.au
Japanese
Watashi no kazoku (my family)
Statement of Inquiry: Culture influences who we are, how we relate to each other and how we act, and language patterns help us to express this.
In our fourth unit for the year, both Year 7 and Year 8 Japanese are focused on learning about families – how to talk about their family and pets, what similarities or differences exist between Japanese and Australian families, what language patterns are helpful to talk about families, and finally, are identities defined by family only?
In addition to our unit on families, students are embedding their knowledge of the hiragana and katakana alphabets, using sensory processes to assist them. Students create their characters in three different ways - through sculpting or modelling, by drawing in a sensory tray and through writing or painting.
Julia Madden
teacher of MYP Japanese