Core Skills Analysis
Languages — Japanese
During Term 3, Enid attended weekly one-to-one Japanese lessons with Yoko and strengthened her conversational language through practising greetings and the expression “sumimasen” (“excuse me” or “sorry”). She showed that she could listen and respond in the moment when she answered Yoko’s sneeze with “Daijōbu?” (“Are you okay?”), using Japanese to communicate care. Enid also began working with a workbook to practise more formal language learning, and continued at home by learning the Japanese lyrics to a song she liked and writing hiragana on a worksheet. Her progress was recognised by Yoko, and the staff helped her feel special when she attended class on her birthday.
English — language learning and communication
Enid compared ways of expressing meaning across Japanese and English as she practised greetings and learned that “sumimasen” can convey meanings such as “excuse me” or “sorry,” depending on context. Her response “Daijōbu?” showed that she understood a conversational cue and selected a relevant phrase to check on someone. Learning song lyrics also gave her a way to notice how language sounds and is organised, while her workbook and hiragana worksheet supported careful attention to written language. These activities connected listening, speaking, reading and writing through purposeful practice.
Tips
Tips Build on Enid’s conversational confidence with a short Japanese role-play routine: practise greetings, asking if someone is okay, and replying with a suitable phrase. Make a small illustrated phrasebook together, adding each expression with its meaning and a situation where it could be used. Extend the song activity by listening to a short section, matching familiar sounds to the lyrics, and discussing which words or sounds are easiest to remember. Keep hiragana practice playful by making a character hunt in the worksheet or writing a few learned characters on labels for household objects, while inviting Enid to choose what she wants to practise next.
Learning Standards
- Australian Curriculum v9.0 — Languages (Japanese): Enid’s weekly lessons, conversational practice, and responses to her teacher supported communication in Japanese. The activity aligns broadly with learning to interact and exchange meaning in the target language.
- Australian Curriculum v9.0 — Languages (Japanese): Practising greetings and “sumimasen” in context supported understanding how expressions are used for social purposes and in different situations.
- Australian Curriculum v9.0 — Languages (Japanese): Learning song lyrics and practising hiragana through a workbook and worksheet supported engagement with Japanese sounds and written forms.
- Year 6 English AC9E6LA01 (related connection): Comparing Japanese expressions with their English meanings offered an opportunity to notice how language choices vary according to context and purpose.
Try This Next
- Make a mini phrasebook: illustrate “こんにちは,” “すみません,” and “だいじょうぶ?” with a situation for each.
- Create a hiragana matching sheet: pair characters Enid has practised with their sounds.
- Write a short role-play quiz: choose a fitting Japanese response to a greeting or a sneeze.
- Make a song-and-script activity: listen to a short lyric section and mark familiar Japanese sounds or words.