Japanese

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3 COURSES: JAPANESE A, B & H

Japanese A is designed for students with a native or near native exposure and capability in the academic language whereas Japanese B is for students approaching the language primarily as a foreign language who have little or no formal exposure to the language in a native or near-native setting. In Grade 6 to 10, there is another course category called Japanese H.

My family came to Japan without any prior knowledge of Japanese, and my kids who were in secondary school started learning the language from scratch while still polishing their English. I knew that their Japanese teacher was always there to inspire and support them in their studies and to instill interest in the culture. Regardless of differences in their linguistic abilities, each of them achieved their study goal and wants to continue learning Japanese.

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JAPANESE A

Students study and enhance their usage of the Japanese language through writing a variety of texts, taking regular kanji tests and giving oral presentations. The secondary Japanese A program incorporates and customizes elements of the Japanese Kokugo program from Elementary School Grade 5 Kokugo to Middle School Kokugo Grade 3 textbook. Japanese 9 A and above are courses for students who have chosen to study Japanese as their high school language course.

The students in Japanese 10 A will be able to select either IB Japanese A Language and Literature Standard Level or Higher Level for the following years. At the IB DP levels, the students have a chance to explore the rich world of Japanese culture, language and literature.

JAPANESE B - Developing communication skills

Students will be exposed to the language and the culture of the school's host country, and learn to communicate both orally and in written form. Classes meet twice a week in Grades 6 and 7, to build the foundation of further language study. The course gradually accelerates to prepare them for the IB Japanese B HL or SL course in Grades 11 and 12. Students have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement exam at the end of Grade 10.

JAPANESE H - Strengthening literacy skills

Students in this course have a head start in the study of Japanese B. These students, who are usually heritage speakers, will be trained in grammar and kanji skills to take the Advanced Placement exam at the end of Grade 10 and be prepared for IB Japanese B HL course. In order to strengthen their literacy skills, focus is placed on writing skills including developing vocabulary, expressions and kanji usage.

The Linguist of the Year award is given at the end of the year to a student in Middle School and a student in High School who are learning Japanese in Japanese B or H, have shown a love for the subject, and have made outstanding progress towards mastery of the language.