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Osaka International School |
Middle/High School Course Descriptions |
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Japanese
Language Courses Grade 5-6 This course is for beginners
who have had no previous or very little experience
learning the Japanese language. This course is an
introduction to speaking, listening comprehension,
reading and writing of modern standard Japanese with the
goal to acquire basic communications skills. Effort is
also made to expose students to Japanese culture. Daily
instruction includes various activities, e.g.: speaking
practice in pairs, drills, games, tasks and projects,
reading and writing basic Japanese (hiragana, katakana).
Students will learn about 50-100 kanji by the end
of this course. This course is intended for
intermediate level students. In this course students will
develop accuracy, orally and in written form, as well as
expand their vocabulary and strengthen the grammatical
base through various language activities. Students will
learn about 100- 200 kanji and how to use a kanji
dictionary to develop their vocabulary power. Also
students will practice and develop oral presentations
such as a simple speech, report about books they have
read and discuss the main ideas of stories. In writing
activities, students will write multiple paragraphs to
longer stories. This course is intended for
pre-advanced level students. The curriculum is designed
for students to become explicitly aware of the
appropriate steps for understanding or producing a text
and so that students will be able to use these steps and
strategies effectively. The course also focuses on
various kinds of expressions that enhance richness of
language and vocabulary, allowing students to achieve
near-native level fluency while increasing kanji power.
The class will also write book reports to practice
writing, idea ladders and outlining skills. The aim is to
learn about 200 kanji for this course. This course is targeted at
students who have completed Level 3 in grade 5 and who
speak near-native Japanese. Emphasis is placed on
developing vocabulary used in written and spoken
Japanese. Expression of ideas and feelings in a
variety of situations is practiced while the use of
literature is introduced throughout the course. This
leads to an enhanced understanding of Japanese culture
and thought. Students will know 1006 kanji upon
completion of this course. Japanese
Language Courses Grade 7-8 This course is designed for
beginning students who have had no previous or just a
little experience learning the Japanese language. The
course is an introduction to speaking, listening
comprehension, reading and writing of modern standard
Japanese with the goal to understand and respond to
classroom instructions and to acquire basic oral and
written communication skills. Students will learn
hirigana, katakana and about50-100 kanji by the end of
the course. Effort is also made to expose the students to
Japanese culture. This course is designed for
advanced beginner grade 7 students. The course
emphasizes grammar and a wider selection of vocabulary to
deal with real situations and provides students with a
foundation for further study of the Japanese language.
Students will write multiple paragraphs, short essays,
letters, messages, invitations, a diary and more. Students
will learn about 200 kanji by the end of this course. The course is intended for
intermediate level grade 8 students. In this course
students will develop reading comprehension skills to
understand the context of reading materials and to
empower their vocabulary and expression. Students
will practice and develop oral presentations such as
simple speech, book reports and practice to grasp main
ideas of a story, its main characters, and the plot.
In writing activities, students will write multiple
paragraphs to longer stories. The aim is to master about
400 kanji by the end of the year. This course is for pre-advanced
level students who are near-native speakers of Japanese.
It is designed to facilitate the development of reading,
writing and thinking skills as well as focus on speaking
and listening skills to handle various kinds of
situations. Students will spend a good deal of time
increasing vocabulary and kanji while deepening their
understanding of Japanese culture and ways of thinking.
Grammatical structures will be studied so students can
develop their ability to communicate in Japanese with
accuracy and fluency. Students will discuss the theme of
the stories, main characters and problems. The aim is to
master about 800 kanji by the end of this course. This course is intended for
advanced level students. A kokugo textbook, approved by
the Ministry of Education, is used as the main textbook.
The curriculum is designed for students who are near
native in Japanese so that they are able to fully utilize
standard Japanese textbooks. The course emphasizes
analyzing and responding to intellectually stimulating
materials. The aim is to master more than 1000 kanji in
this course. Students will begin to read newspapers and
will be able to give appropriate comments about articles
the first trimester. . Japanese
Language Courses Grade 9-10 This course is targeted at new
or beginning students of Japanese. The basic
communication skills are taught, then emphasized through
drills and conversation at an introductory level.
Speaking, listening comprehension, simple readings and
writing are the main goals for this course resulting in
the students gaining confidence in using the Japanese
language. Cultural aspects are also incorporated.
Although conversation skills are stressed, students will
also learn the Japanese phonetic writing symbols,
hirigana and katakana, and 100 kanji upon completion of
the course. This course is designed for
grade 9 students who are non-native Japanese speakers.
The course emphasizes more complicated grammar and a
wider range of vocabulary to deal with real situations
and provides students with a foundation for further study
of the Japanese language. Writing skills will be
developed as well as reading comprehension skills. Grasping
the main ideas and summarizing from various materials
will be enhanced. The aim is for mastering about
150-300 kanji by the end of the course. This course is intended for
grade 10 students who are non-native Japanese speakers.
The course will help students further develop their
natural speaking skills and their use of descriptive
vocabulary. They will listen to a variety of spoken
Japanese styles and respond appropriately to the language
demands of various social and academic contexts. Students
will develop new vocabulary through selected reading
materials, understanding main ideas, and summarizing what
is presented in a variety of texts. The reading
comprehension skills of skimming, scanning and intensive
reading will be enhanced. Students will be able to write
various types of essays that follow appropriate
organization. The aim is to master about 300-500
kanji by the end of the course. This course is intended for
pre-advanced level of grade 9 students. The curriculum is
designed for students to develop the skills of assessing
and monitoring their own performance and progress in
reading and writing. Students will read challenging
materials and begin to look closely at various styles of
writing as well as the author’s messages to readers.
The course also focuses on improving the students’
syntax and semantics in order for them to develop their
skills to a near-native level of fluency and to increase
their kanji power. The students will read
newspapers and write summaries and comments about
articles. The aim is to master more than 800-900
kanji for this course. This course is designed for an
advanced level of grade 10 student. The goals of this
advanced class are to: become a responsible, independent
learner; read various and voluminous texts in Japanese
and comprehend their themes and linguistic
characteristics; develop the ability to write a clear
commentary; grasp the main idea of the text; and foster
the attitude of listening carefully and speaking
logically. The aim is to master more than 1000 kanji by
the end of this course. Spanish Language
Course - Grade 9 - 10 Year 1 & 2 Spanish is
offered as a two-year beginning course, which exposes the
students to the grammatical, listening, speaking, reading
and writing skills of Spanish. The instruction will
follow “proficiency-based” curriculum
guidelines - the entry point being the functional use of
language. We will also explore Hispanic cultures
extensively. Classes meet during all three trimesters. NOTE: Students must submit a
full plan for their intended IB Diploma courses to the IB
coordinator upon signing up for this course. Careful
thought to available options should take place with
advice from the coordinator. Chinese Language
Course - Grades 9 - 10 Year
1 & 2 Chinese Year 1 & 2 Chinese is
offered as a two-year beginning course, which exposes the
students to the grammatical, listening, speaking, reading
and writing skills of Mandarin Chinese. The instruction
will follow “proficiency-based” curriculum
guidelines - the entry point being the functional use of
language. We will learn the simplified characters and
Pinyin, and explore Chinese culture extensively. Classes
meet during all three trimesters. NOTE: Students must submit a
full plan for their intended IB Diploma courses to the IB
coordinator upon signing up for this course. Careful
thought to available options should take place with
advice from the coordinator. |