Adjectives in Japanese

Overview

This is lesson 13 of 25 in Itadakimasu: Japanese Food Culture. Students build on familiar food vocabulary and previously learned sentence patterns to describe taste, texture and personal responses to food using Japanese adjectives.

Learning intentions

• WALT explore descriptive words in Japanese.
• Students will identify common い-adjectives and な-adjectives used to describe food.
• Students will construct simple sentences about food using appropriate Japanese word order.
• Students will recognise that food descriptions and reviews can communicate personal preferences and cultural perspectives.

Success criteria

• I can identify whether a familiar adjective is an い-adjective or a な-adjective.
• I can use a food word and adjective in a grammatically accurate sentence.
• I can write five Japanese sentences describing food.
• I can give a respectful opinion about a food in a short review.

Curriculum links

• Modern Languages — communicating with others in familiar contexts using culturally appropriate language.
• Modern Languages — exchanging information and opinions in familiar contexts.
• Modern Languages — interpreting and responding to information, opinions and ideas in texts.
• Intercultural understanding — describing relationships between language, culture and identity.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Display a close-up image of an unfamiliar Japanese dish using the food-image hook slide and ask, “How could we describe this without tasting it?” Students retrieve previously learned food words and share one possible English description with a partner. Briefly revisit relevant Japanese food vocabulary orally.

2. 5–15 min · Explicit teaching. Use the adjective teaching slides to introduce descriptive words: おいしい (delicious), あまい (sweet), からい (spicy), すっぱい (sour), しょっぱい (salty), にがい (bitter), あたらしい (new/fresh), and ヘルシーな (healthy). Model the pattern 「これは ___ です。」and explain that many words ending in い are い-adjectives, while ヘルシーな behaves as a な-adjective before a noun. Students listen, repeat with accurate pronunciation and annotate their word bank.

3. 15–25 min · Guided noticing and meaning check. Display example sentences from the guided practice slides: 「これはあまいです。」, 「ラーメンはからいです。」and 「これはヘルシーな食べ物です。」. Students identify the food, adjective and meaning, then hold up or point to an appropriate meaning card/gesture for each adjective. Teacher checks pronunciation, word order and the distinction between describing the food generally and describing a noun directly.

4. 25–37 min · Supported sentence building. Distribute the Japanese food adjective worksheet. Students use the word bank and sentence frames to match food with possible descriptions, translate short model sentences and write three original sentences. Partners read their sentences aloud, checking: food named, adjective selected, です included, and Japanese script or carefully copied model used. Teacher circulates, conferencing with students who need support.

5. 37–49 min · Information-gap speaking task. Students work in pairs with a selection of familiar foods displayed on the pair speaking task slides. Partner A chooses a food and says 「これは ___ です。」 without showing the choice; Partner B listens and identifies the food or asks 「どんなあじですか。」 where appropriate. Students swap roles and record two accurate sentences from the exchange. Encourage gesture, facial expression and culturally appropriate turn-taking rather than immediate translation.

6. 49–56 min · Independent application and extension. Students complete two further sentences on the worksheet, bringing their total to five. Students ready for extension write a three- or four-sentence food review using a title, at least three adjectives and an opinion such as 「わたしは ___ がすきです。」 They may include a recommendation and explain whether the food would suit someone who likes sweet, spicy or healthy foods. Use the review-writing prompt slide to display the model and checklist.

7. 56–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Show the plenary slides. Students write one Japanese adjective, its English meaning and one accurate sentence on the bottom of the worksheet, then read it quietly to a partner. Invite two or three volunteers to share; address one common error and preview that the next lesson will develop food opinions and reviews.

Resources

• the Japanese food adjective lesson deck
• the Japanese food adjective worksheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector or interactive display
• Student Japanese-English dictionaries or approved digital dictionary
• Highlighters in two colours for identifying food words and adjectives
• Individual mini-whiteboards or scrap paper for pronunciation checks
• Dyslexia-friendly printed copies using a clear sans-serif font, generous spacing and tinted paper where available

Assessment

• Listen during repetition and pair exchanges for pronunciation, adjective selection, word order and use of です.
• Check the worksheet for five sentences, accurate copying or script, appropriate adjective meaning and increasing independence.
• Use the final sentence as an exit check: students must provide an adjective, meaning and complete Japanese sentence.

Differentiation

• Support learners with the worksheet word bank, colour-coded sentence frames, transliteration alongside Japanese script where needed, teacher modelling and permission to rehearse orally before writing.
• Provide dyslexia-friendly formatting: clear sans-serif font, larger text, generous line spacing, uncluttered pages and no unnecessary italics or underlining. Read instructions aloud and allow students to use text-to-speech or speech-to-text.
• Pair students strategically for the speaking task; accept pointing, gesture and oral responses before requiring written production. Break the five-sentence task into smaller checkpoints.
• Extend confident learners by requiring a short food review with varied adjectives, a recommendation and a comparison between two foods, while maintaining respectful language for personal and cultural food preferences.

Extension

• Write a three- or four-sentence Japanese food review using at least three adjectives and one personal opinion.
• Add a recommendation for a particular audience, such as someone who likes spicy or sweet food.
• Illustrate the reviewed food and label it with two Japanese adjectives.