Year 9 Languages

Language electives run for a full year and take the place of two elective blocks (one per semester) in the timetable.

German

In Year 9 German, students initiate and maintain simple interactions in written and spoken German to communicate ideas, thoughts and feelings. When interacting they negotiate and plan action using both rehearsed and spontaneous language. They ask and respond to familiar questions. Rules of pronunciation, intonation and stress are applied. Students locate, analyse and record information and opinions from a range of texts. They use more complex sentence structures, name some grammatical terms and their functions, and translate and interpret informative and imaginative texts. They identify how features of German in familiar spoken and written texts vary according to audience, context and purpose. Students reflect on their own cultural identity in light of their experience of learning German.

Communicating

Students will learn to:

• Initiate and sustain interactions, using both rehearsed and spontaneous language.
• Access and analyse information and present it appropriately.  
• Respond to a range of contemporary and traditional imaginative texts (including excerpts) by summarising, reorganising, expressing reactions and opinions, or modifying aspects. 
• Translate and interpret texts, making adjustments when transferring meaning between languages and cultures. 
• Participate in intercultural interactions and reflect on communication, identity and culture. 

Understanding

Students will learn to:

• Extend their knowledge of both grammatical structures and text types and will also develop their understanding of how the German language varies for different situations. 
• Identify and analyse linguistic features of German that vary according to audience, context and purpose in familiar modelled spoken and written texts. 
• Explore the relationship between language, culture and communication and how this impacts attitudes and beliefs. 

Japanese

The Japanese curriculum aims to develop the knowledge and skills to ensure that students can communicate in Japanese. With support, students use both rehearsed and spontaneous language to take part in interactions related to their experiences. They become familiar with a range of grammatical structures. Students locate, analyse and use information from more complex texts. They continue to develop confidence with the use of the hiragana script and some kanji and they are introduced to the katakana script. Students will learn that languages change over time through contact with other languages and cultures.  

Communicating

Students will learn to:

• Use both rehearsed and spontaneous language to take part in interactions related to their experiences. 
• Access and analyse information and present it appropriately.  
• Create and present informative and imaginative texts, taking into account audience and purpose.  
• Translate and interpret texts, with an awareness of embedded cultural meanings.  
• Participate in intercultural interactions and reflect on communication, identity and culture. 

Understanding

Students will learn to:

• Identify the functions of different scripts within texts. They extend their understanding of both grammatical structures and text types, describing and comparing language features and rules of sentence construction. 
• Recognise variations in language use that reflect different social and cultural contexts, purposes and relationships. They will learn that languages change over time through contact with other languages and cultures. 
• Explore the relationship between language, culture and communication and how this impacts attitudes and beliefs. They recognise and explain how the Japanese language carries embedded cultural information, such as the prioritising of collective well-being, respect and harmony.