Advice for teachers -
Japanese First Language

Unit 2

Unit 2 Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Outcome 1

Participate in a spoken or written exchange focusing on the resolution of an issue.

Examples of learning activities

These learning activities are based on:
Self and others: Education and aspirations: Future of work

• Listen to a careers educator talking on the topic of work.
• Research the topic of work in Japan. Search online for surveys and statistical information on the topic.
• Identify genres and types of work that are most popular in Japan. Create a vocabulary list and write descriptions of the top 10 jobs.
• Watch a documentary about work and employment in Japan. List the major trends in employment, the educational requirements for different jobs, jobs that are undergoing change and any other significant facts.
• Listen to a recording of people discussing their work. Note any information about how they chose their jobs and if they are likely to stay in their jobs for a long time.
• Conduct a survey in class to discover what jobs fellow students are interested in. Discuss the implications of these choices – financial, familial, economic, personal, etc.
• Debate in small groups the topic ‘The future of work in Japan is bright’. Use information gleaned from statistics researched and cite examples from individuals’ stories.
• Revise how to use genkoo yooshi correctly.
• Use set exercises to organise writing in paragraphs and use appropriate punctuation.
• Write a 1200-ji evaluative report on the debate topic for an economics magazine.
• Present the report as a three-minute speech supported by PowerPoint slides.
• Read an article on work in Japan and another about work in Australia. Compare the two different situations.
• Brainstorm ideas about the social, technological or global forces that may shape the future of work.
• Listen to news items about the future of work and summarise the information to present to the class in a three-minute speech.
• Investigate countries that have introduced a living wage. Explore the features and outcomes.
• 
  Participate in a spoken exchange with another person on the topic of work.
  

Detailed example

Spoken exchange on the topic of work

• Conduct research into the definition of work in Japan and note the educational requirements for different jobs.
• Create a database with two columns – Jobs / Education. Under the first heading, list a range of jobs and under the second heading, list their educational requirements. For example, server in a hamburger shop / no specific education needed, can be done part-time from age 15; doctor / 7 years at university.
• Brainstorm factors that can influence job choice and create a list of people or things that could influence an individual’s choice or job. Rank them from ‘most important’ to ‘least important’, giving reasons for each one.
• Read blogs written by people who are employed in their first job and summarise their thoughts about their work.
• Visit the website of the Japanese Government and find the section on work and employment to discover statistics, noting any particular trends.
• Choose your topic for the exchange so that you have at least five solid points. Consider opposing views so that you can prepare to counter them appropriately.
• Refine your topic so that the issue that must be resolved is highlighted, especially in relation to your point of view. (Consider: Is it your personal point of view, or one given by your teacher?). Define the issue and discuss how a ‘resolution’ will be discerned.
• Listen to online discussions between people who are attempting to resolve issues. Note the following: How do they do it? Which people do it best and why? What do they do that makes them effective in resolving issues?
• List linguistic elements that form the basis for discussing and resolving issues in Japanese. Which ones are most effective for your purposes?
• Identify the way young people speak to each other compared to how they address an older person. Note similarities and differences and how this will affect your spoken exchange in class.
• Present a three-minute speech to the class in which you outline your issue, your point of view, your main points on how you will resolve the issue. Seek feedback from the class on the effectiveness of your points.
• Working in pairs, discuss how the speech points are presented and countered, and the issues resolved.
• Write up an ‘ideal’ conversation in which you present your issue, discuss it with an interlocutor, offer suggestions and then resolve it.

Unit 2 Area of Study 2: Interpretive communication

Outcome 2

Produce a spoken or written response to two texts on the same subtopic, selected from a combination of spoken, viewed or written texts.

Examples of learning activities

These learning activities are based on:
Tradition and change in Japanese-speaking communities: Youth issues: Study and leisure

• Discuss as a class what constitutes ‘study’ and ‘leisure’ in each student’s life. Write up the results and combine them into a poster.
• Write a summary of the class responses, noting the balance of study and leisure displayed. Consider whether these are representative of all students in Australia.
• Read articles about study and leisure in Japan and compare the conclusions to the results on the class poster. Discuss similarities and differences between Japan and Australia (as shown on the poster).
• Research this topic online, exploring study and leisure in a variety of different countries. Tabulate your findings.
• Write an opinion piece on this topic to be published on the class online platform. Consider: is it an important topic for you? What is more important for you?
• Read an article outlining health and wellbeing issues faced by young people in Japan when they study too much. Discuss this as a class. Summarise findings in a 400-ji paragraph.
• Create a glossary of words and expressions to form a basis for understanding the topic.
• Read blogs from Japan about how young people balance study and leisure.
• View a series of images that depict young people engaged in leisure activities. Write a set of captions to accompany the images.
• Listen to a conversation between two young people in Japan discussing their study and their ideas for increasing their leisure activities (or the opposite).
• Create a group poster listing problems and possible solutions gleaned from reading and listening to texts on the topic.
• Role-play in pairs asking each other questions about how things are going this year and offering ideas about study and leisure.
• Write a 1200-ji informative article for the school magazine outlining the various issues faced by young people in Japan.
• Create a PowerPoint presentation comparing issues of study and leisure in Japan with those in your school.
• Read authoritative advice for maintaining an appropriate balance of study and leisure.
• Read a variety of youth magazines and analyse the perspectives presented. Discuss any particularities of grammar and language usage.
• Revise how to use genkoo yooshi correctly.
• Use set exercises to organise writing in paragraphs and use appropriate punctuation.
• Write three questions to ask a partner/guest/classmate about their study and leisure habits during Year 11 / 12. Following the exchange, write the answers in 400 to 600 ji.
• 
  Read, view and listen to texts about study and leisure, and develop a response.
  

Detailed example

Reading, viewing, listening and responding to texts on the topic of study / leisure

• Watch a video in which Japanese students discuss how they study and talk about their preferred leisure activities.
• List study techniques used by students in their final year of schooling in Japan. Next to each technique, note vocabulary that was used effectively.
• Listen to a conversation between students on how their studies are progressing. Take notes on what they say to each other, their different opinions, and the language they use.
• Read a blog in which students talk about how to tackle Year 12 (or equivalent in Japan) in the most effective way possible.
• Find and read websites that target students and offer advice on study methods and the role of leisure activities. List ideas and advice provided on the sites.
• Role-play, in pairs or small groups, the topic ‘Relieving Year 12 stress by pursuing leisure activities’.
• Discuss the situation of a student who does little study because they prefer to pursue leisure activities.
• Watch a video about leisure activities in Japan. List the most popular activities among young people and give reasons for their popularity.
• Read letters or articles that explain a range of study regimes and analyse the different perspectives of students on how they balance these with leisure activities to maintain their health and wellbeing.
• Revise how to use genkoo yooshi correctly.
• Use set exercises to organise writing in paragraphs and use appropriate punctuation.
• Write a response to these discussions about study and leisure. Include a discussion of the role of leisure in maintaining wellbeing. Demonstrate appropriate language, vocabulary and expressions that highlight your knowledge in this area, as well as grammar that showcases your linguistic ability.

Unit 2 Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Outcome 3

Produce a personal or informative spoken or written response to a fictional text.

Examples of learning activities

These learning activities are based on:
Tradition and change in Japanese-speaking communities: Literature and the Arts: Film

• Watch a film or extracts of a film in Japanese.
• Make notes about the film under the headings: setting, plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
• Read film synopses and critiques and identify the vocabulary used.
• Identify cultural aspects found in film critiques in Japan.
• Search for statistics on the Japanese film industry.
• Highlight, in a poster, various aspects of the Japanese film industry in order to choose a topic.
• Choose a topic and prepare a PowerPoint presentation on it to show the class.
• Read one or two articles on Japanese films and/or film industry.
• Watch a video of interviews with actors, directors and producers in Japan and write a summary.
• Write 200-ji to 400-ji paragraphs on: an actor, a director, the film industry in general.
• Identify cultural elements from your reading, viewing and listening. Are there any particular elements that could only come from Japan? How can you tell? What identifies them?
• Research notable actors OR directors in the Japanese film industry (or those who appear in films in other industries). Note their general filmography.
• Listen to directors speaking about their films. Identify their main concerns – artistic, economic or other.
• Revise how to use genkoo yooshi correctly.
• Use set exercises to organise writing in paragraphs and use appropriate punctuation.
• Write draft outlines for any one of the following topics:
  
  • Journal entry about a film you saw recently.
  • Imagine a film that you would like to direct and have a conversation with a leading actor you would like to star in it.
  • Write an informative article about an aspect of the Japanese film industry that interests you.
  • Write a letter to a Japanese film director about an idea that you have for a film.
• 
  Create a short informative video about a favourite film from Japan.
  

Detailed example

Create a short informative video about a favourite film from Japan

• View one or more films from Japan.
• Take notes on the elements of the film: setting, plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
• Brainstorm ways of presenting information about the film in your video (selecting from the elements): for example, an interview or monologue.
• Discuss these possibilities with your teacher.
  
• Plan the structure of the video. Write it up as a series of dot points.
• Research the particular elements to be included in the video.
• Write a script, using a range of vocabulary and expressions appropriate for the purpose and the audience.
• Develop a storyboard for the video.
• Film.
• Edit as necessary.
• Show video to the class.
• Other students give oral and written feedback.