Asia Literacy is one of the cross-curriculum priorities in the Victorian Curriculum, which reflects Australia’s extensive engagement with Asia in social, cultural, political, and economic spheres. By introducing students to an Asian language, we are helping equip them with highly useful skills for the world in which they now live. At Parktone Primary School, all students from Foundation to Year 6 learn Japanese which is a logical language and the basic script is phonetic.
The Japanese Program is designed to develop students’ communication skills in both spoken and written Japanese and to foster inter-cultural understanding. Students will learn key vocabulary, essential sentence structures and develop script recognition skills through a wide range of topics. Gestures are adopted where possible to help students understand and remember how to construct sentences and develop oral proficiency. In addition to worksheets, a variety of songs, games, as well as apps on the iPad and computer will be utilised throughout the year to maximise learning outcomes. Apart from developing language skills in Japanese, some activities are employed to enhance cultural understanding such as learning about culturally appropriate gestures and significant Japanese festivals through video clips, quizzes and craft activities.