LOTE

Welcome to LOTE Japanese にほんご (Nihongo) Programme

The Year of the Boar

Preps: During Semester 1, the topics covered are: Me, Greetings, Numbers, Colours, Farm animals, Likes/dislikes. Students learn daily expressions used in classrooms such as classroom instructions and how to introduce themselves. Action-related activities, songs, games and role plays are used. Reading and writing of hiragana (simple scripts) is also taught over the first semester.

Grade 1 & 2: In Semester One, the students will be introduced to the topic 'Food'. Through the eating song ‘Itadakimasu’ they learn the expressions used at meal times and Japanese table manners. Students develop their speaking skills to express their likes and dislikes using the food item words. They also develop their hiragana skills and engage in cultural activities that recognize Japanese celebrations.  

Grades 3 & 4: Students are introduced to the topic ‘Daily Life and Telling the Time’. They learn the ‘Mainichi’ (Everyday) and the ‘Time Rock’n Roll’ songs to remember topical vocabulary. The students then learn how to express their daily activities using verbs (e.g. I get up at 7 o’clock, I go to bed at 9 o’clock) and how to tell the time. They develop their speaking/listening skills through the game activities and the role play, “Sumimasen, ima nanji desuka?” (Excuse me, what time is it now?).  The students also participate in hiragana script/simple kanji reading and writing activities throughout the semester.

Grades 5 & 6: In Semester One, the students are introduced to the topic ‘Asking Questions’. They learn the ‘5W’ song to remember key words to use when asking common questions. In small groups, students produce a role play in an interviewing setting, using learnt question formats. Students continue to develop their speaking skills through the ‘Who am I?’ board game and ‘Introducing My Friend’ iPad role play activity. They will learn different questioning and answering patterns in the ‘Who am I?’ board game to guess each other’s mystery person. In the role play, students develop their conversational skills in a culturally appropriate manner and learn various adjectives to introduce their friends.

Students across the year levels will also participate in:

• Japanese cultural incursions: P-G2 will participate in a Japanese music duo, A.Ya’s performance and G3-G6 will engage in Kenny Chan, manga artist’s workshop during Term 2.
• activities that recognize Japanese cultural/seasonal events
• hiragana recognition and writing activities to develop their writing skills through the topical vocabulary
• iPad activities for their language development and for their hiragana and simple kanji learning
• video conferencing/Facetime sessions to communicate with Japanese children at our sister school, Takou Primary School in Osaka and other Japanese schools

We hope the students will have an enjoyable learning experience together. Thank you for your support!

Chiho Muldeary, Japanese Coordinator/Teacher (G3C&D, G4-G6) & Stephanie McDonald (P-G2, 3A&3B)