Getting Started!

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Overview

Curriculum Area: Learning Languages – Japanese
Curriculum Level: Level 1 of the Learning Languages area, as aligned to Years 7–8 of the New Zealand Curriculum
Duration: 45 minutes
Year Level: Years 7–8
Class Size: 25 students
Theme: Introduction to Japanese – greetings, numbers 1–10, basic self-introduction

This immersive, kinaesthetic lesson introduces ākonga to the basics of the Japanese language through collaborative, interactive learning. Prioritising authentic communication and group engagement, this lesson honours the Aotearoa New Zealand Curriculum focus on fostering globally-minded, critically engaged students able to participate and contribute.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognise and respond to basic Japanese greetings and farewells
• Count in Japanese from 1 to 10
• Introduce themselves in Japanese using simple sentence structures
• Collaborate with peers to match Japanese and English vocabulary
• Practise pronunciation and fluency in group speaking tasks

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Correctly pronounce common greetings, numbers, and introductory phrases
• Work cooperatively to complete a vocabulary matching activity
• Confidently use Japanese to introduce themselves within their small group
• Reflect on what they found interesting and what they hope to explore next

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NZ Curriculum Links

Delivered via the Learning Languages area which encourages students to:

• Acquire communication skills
• Gain an understanding of the culture of the language being studied
• Develop the key competencies: Relating to others, Using language, symbols and texts, Participating and contributing

Key strand: Communicating, with emphasis on receiving and producing information in the target language.

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Learning Materials

• Pre-cut Japanese-English vocabulary/matching cards: greetings, farewells, numbers 1–10, and self-introduction phrases
• Laminated pronunciation cheat-sheet for each group (hiragana with romanji + English translation)
• Whiteboard & markers
• A soft karuta-style buzzer or cup per group to gamify matching
• Japanese-themed class slideshow (for visuals only – optional)

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Vocabulary Focus

Greetings & Farewells:

• こんにちは (Konnichiwa) – Hello
• おはよう (Ohayou) – Good morning
• さようなら (Sayounara) – Goodbye
• じゃあね (Jaa ne) – See you

Numbers:

• いち (ichi), に (ni), さん (san), よん (yon), ご (go), ろく (roku), なな (nana), はち (hachi), きゅう (kyuu), じゅう (juu)

Self-Introductory Phrases:

• はじめまして (Hajimemashite) – Nice to meet you
• わたしの なまえは 〇〇 です (Watashi no namae wa ___ desu) – My name is ___
• どうぞ よろしく (Douzo yoroshiku) – Pleased to meet you

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Lesson Sequence (45 minutes total)

1. Karanga / Mihi Whakatau (2 mins)

Begin with a brief karakia or classroom mihi – connect to whakapapa and acknowledge te reo before introducing the Japanese language.

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2. Warm-up/Formative Hook – What's That Sound? (5 mins)

• Project a few Japanese words — “konnichiwa”, “ichi”, “watashi” — on the whiteboard.
• Invite students to guess what language it is (some might get it right).
• Ask: “Why do you think learning a new language might be useful in Aotearoa?”

✅ Introduces intercultural understanding and sets context in NZ’s diverse society.

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3. Quick-Fire Vocabulary Bruising (7 mins)

• Teacher models pronunciation of greetings and numbers 1–10
• Class repeats together, then in pairs
• Use “Whole Brain Teaching” gesture-calling: For each greeting and number, assign a movement or clap (e.g., clap once for “ichi”, two times for “ni”).
• Pronounce the full introductory sequence with simple sentence structures (teacher-led, class echoing)

🧠 This caters to both auditory and kinaesthetic learners

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4. Main Activity – Collaborative Matching Game (15 mins)

Setup:

• Divide class in 5 mixed-ability groups
• Each group receives a set of 24 cards (12 Japanese / 12 English – greetings, numbers, and phrases)
• Matching cards will form correct pairs (e.g., "Ohayou" – "Good morning")

Instructions:

• Place all cards face up
• One student reads a Japanese word aloud and places their hand on a possible English match
• Other members verify the match using the pronunciation sheet
• Use the buzzer/cup to lock in answers when confident

🏆 Award imaginary Tōkyō Points to keep energy high and healthy competition flowing

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5. Practise & Perform – Mini Dialogue Circles (11 mins)

In Triads:

• Students craft and practise a short self-introduction using the target phrases:

  “Ohayou. Hajimemashite. Watashi no namae wa (insert name) desu. Douzo yoroshiku. Sayounara!”

• Take turns performing to each other while gently correcting one another’s pronunciation using cue sheets

🎤 Empower students to own their pronunciation journey — minimal teacher correction unless requested

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6. Reflect & Wrap-up (5 mins)

Whole-class reflection prompt on board:

• “What was one phrase that stuck with you today?”
• “What do you want to be able to say next in Japanese?”

Invite verbal or quick written thoughts on scrap paper – great to collect and use for differentiated follow-ups!

🎏 Optional: End with students bowing and saying “Arigatou” together

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Differentiation & Inclusion Strategies

• Provide support sheets with romanji, hiragana and English for ESOL or neurodiverse students
• Visual reminders and symbols for each phrase
• Use clear pairing strategies to ensure equitable group dynamics
• Hands-on tactile materials and physical movements embedded for varied learning styles

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Assessment Opportunities (Formative)

• Observation: group participation and pronunciation
• Matching card activity: ability to correctly pair meanings
• Group dialogue presentations: fluency and comfort in using the language aloud

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Extension Ideas (Optional)

• Invite students to design illustrated flashcards of greetings and numbers for a class wall
• Introduce Japanese body counting technique using finger gestures for higher retention
• Daily greetings challenge: nominate different student to greet the class each day using new language

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

• Which students showed unexpected aptitude or leadership in the language learning process?
• Did the kinaesthetic approach improve recall and engagement compared to previous vocabulary lessons?

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Final Note

This session blends cultural understanding, vocabulary, and collaborative energy to lay a powerful foundation in Japanese language learning. It supports the Key Competencies and encourages empowered learners to participate and contribute both locally and globally.

He taonga te ako, mā tātou katoa e kawe – Learning is a treasure that we all carry together.