Japanese Studies
Japanese as an Additional Language (JAL) & Japanese Language Acquisition (JLA)
As well as a strong IB Japanese program for fluent speakers at Aoba, we have extensive provisions for those who are non-native speakers.
The aims of our JAL/JLA programs are to:
- Develop communication skills that empower learners for greater opportunities to participate in the local community.
- Develop communication and other skills necessary for further language learning.
- Nurture, within our young people, a deep understanding and awareness of Japanese perspectives as well as those of their own and other cultures, leading to positive action and mutually respectful involvement.
All of our young people who are new to or not yet fluent in Japanese develop their communication skills in the language through a series of learning experiences differentiated according to their individual levels. In MYP, individual learners move through a series of six phases within our IB Japanese Language Acquisition (JLA) program over the five years of the program. In this way they are able to engage with the community and take advantage of our DP courses in literature or language and literature.
Learning in JAL and JLA classes is, where appropriate, linked to the classes of other units and subjects within the PYP and MYP, thus additionally supporting holistic learner development.
Furthermore, our JAL and JLA programs are designed with an emphasis on developing both linguistic and cultural awareness, and integrate the customs of Japan in line with teaching the language in its written and spoken forms.