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Japanese @ CPS
Four hundred years ago, the Portuguese came to Japan and described Japanese as the devil’s language. In those days, each social class and each gender used its own version of spoken and written Japanese. However, today’s Japanese people speak and write a unified modern Japanese language, and students learn general Japanese, which is used among educated Japanese in the Tokyo area. Japanese is unique in its phonemics system, syntax, and conjugation. Although it is usually considered a difficult language, there are some logical features that make it surprisingly systematic and easy to study.
The Japanese program is based on the National Standards for Japanese Language Learning. The program includes 5C’s: Communication, Culture, Connection, Comparison and Communities. The modes of approaching the language are Presentational, Interpersonal and Interpretive. Japanese culture will be approached by three modes: Perspective, Practice and Products. Students practice listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Total immersion is the goal of the program and the use of English is gradually phased out by Japanese III.
AP Japanese will be taught exclusively in Japanese. Throughout the program, important aspects of Japanese history and culture are studied and discussed. The Japanese program has two student exchange programs with the sister city in Japan and two of the Japanese III students will have a chance to visit Japan for 10 days during spring break. The Japanese program has been receiving Japanese college students from a nearby college ESL program. Japanese college students make cultural presentations and become conversation partners for Level II and up. They discuss their daily schedule and hobbies, the educational system differences between Japan and U.S., etc. Word processors and other technology are integrated and practiced in class.
The Japanese program is based on the National Standards for Japanese Language Learning. The program includes 5C’s: Communication, Culture, Connection, Comparison and Communities. The modes of approaching the language are Presentational, Interpersonal and Interpretive. Japanese culture will be approached by three modes: Perspective, Practice and Products. Students practice listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Total immersion is the goal of the program and the use of English is gradually phased out by Japanese III.
AP Japanese will be taught exclusively in Japanese. Throughout the program, important aspects of Japanese history and culture are studied and discussed. The Japanese program has two student exchange programs with the sister city in Japan and two of the Japanese III students will have a chance to visit Japan for 10 days during spring break. The Japanese program has been receiving Japanese college students from a nearby college ESL program. Japanese college students make cultural presentations and become conversation partners for Level II and up. They discuss their daily schedule and hobbies, the educational system differences between Japan and U.S., etc. Word processors and other technology are integrated and practiced in class.
