Introduce Others

Overview

Across two days, students practise short Japanese exchanges for introducing others. They focus on listening, speaking with correct rhythm, and writing a simple “Who is this?” identification, building confidence to interact politely.

Learning intentions

• WALT introduce others using simple Japanese phrases and matching gestures.
• WALT ask “どなたですか” and respond with a person’s name using “こちらは〜さんです”.
• WALT read and write a short identification sentence with correct order.
• WALT reflect on how well we communicated and what to improve.

Success criteria

• I can ask “どなたですか” and look at the speaker appropriately.
• I can respond “こちらは(名前)さんです” with clear pronunciation.
• I can match a Japanese phrase to a picture/person.
• I can write one correct introduction sentence from a model.

Curriculum links

• Learning languages (Japanese) — Introduce others (Novice 2): using targeted language to identify and introduce people.
• Key competencies — Communicating ideas and information; Thinking (notice patterns and self-correct); Participating and contributing (pair/small group practice).

Lesson structure (120 minutes total, split over 2 days)

Day 1 (60 minutes)

Starter (15 minutes) — Warm-up + model dialogue

1. 0–5 min · Greeting routine. Teacher greets class in Japanese (teacher model) while students repeat chorally, focusing on rhythm and volume.
2. 5–10 min · Listening for “who”. Teacher shows picture cards of 3–4 people; students point and say a guessed name in English (no pressure) as teacher models the Japanese question “どなたですか”.
3. 10–15 min · Choral practice. Students practise “どなたですか” with a partner, using a simple “question face” and friendly hand gesture.

Main activity (40 minutes) — Controlled speaking + matching task

4. 15–25 min · Teach response structure. Teacher introduces “こちらはたなかさんです” and replaces Tanaka with 2 other common school names on cards (students repeat “こちらは〜さんです”).
5. 25–35 min · Partner matching. Students receive a worksheet with 6 speech bubbles (question/response) and 6 picture/name boxes; they match each bubble to the correct picture, then practise saying each pair aloud.
6. 35–55 min · “Who is this?” role-play stations. In groups of 3, one student holds a name card, one asks “どなたですか”, and one answers “こちらは〜さんです”; rotate roles with teacher checking pronunciation and sentence order.
7. 55–60 min · Pack-down quick recap. Teacher elicits one example from each group (“こちらは〜さんです”) and celebrates effort.

Plenary (5 minutes) — Exit check

• Students do a one-question “check-in”: teacher calls one student name; class responds together with “こちらは〜さんです”. Teacher notes who needs support with sentence order and “〜さん”.

Day 2 (60 minutes)

Starter (10 minutes) — Retrieval practice

1. 0–4 min · Silent read + point. Teacher displays two sentence strips: “どなたですか” and “こちらは〜さんです”. Students point to the correct strip when teacher says the phrase.
2. 4–10 min · Rapid pair drill. Students swap partners; each pair completes 3 fast exchanges: ask → respond → short bow.

Main activity (45 minutes) — Writing + performance

3. 10–20 min · Sentence building. Teacher provides a bank of names (e.g., たなか, すずき, やまだ, まつもと) on cards. Students build the response sentence in order using tactile strips: こちらは + name + さんです, then read it aloud together.
4. 20–35 min · Independent writing. Students complete a “Who is this?” sheet: choose one name, draw the person (or select a picture), then write:

• Question: どなたですか
• Answer: こちらは(名前)さんです Teacher circulates for correctness of order and the use of さん.

5. 35–50 min · Performance task (pairs). Using their drawing/name sheet, pairs perform a 20–30 second dialogue for another pair. Audience students listen for accuracy and give one “Glow” and one “Grow” (e.g., “Your bow was polite” / “Try saying さん a bit clearer”).
6. 50–55 min · Teacher conferencing. Teacher meets 4–6 students in quick groups to confirm mastery and record formative notes.

Plenary (5 minutes) — Reflection + next step

• Students complete a brief self-assessment by circling: “I can ask” and “I can respond” (Yes/Not yet). Teacher summarises common strengths and one class improvement goal (e.g., clearer ending “です”).

Resources

• Picture cards for 4–6 people/characters
• Name cards (Japanese names) and role cards
• Sentence strips: どなたですか; こちらは〜さんです
• Matching worksheet (Day 1)
• Role-play prompts (small slips)
• Day 2 writing sheet with sentence frames and drawing area
• Markers/colour pencils; student notebooks
• Teacher observation checklist (speaking: ask + respond + clarity)

Assessment

• Formative (during Day 1 role-play): teacher checklist for correct question/response and appropriate interaction gestures.
• Formative (during Day 2): check worksheet for sentence order and inclusion of さん.
• Summative for the two-day sequence (informal): Day 2 performance—teacher listens for accurate “どなたですか” + “こちらは(名前)さんです”.
• Exit check: class unison response on Day 1 and self-assessment on Day 2.

Differentiation

• Support for learners needing scaffolds:
• Provide sentence frames with the name slot already indicated (e.g., こちらは____さんです).
• Use colour coding: こちらは (blue), さん (green), です (red).
• Allow choral practice before independent writing; pre-teach names during station rotations.
• Extension for learners ready for challenge:
• Add an extra rehearsal line: practise responding with a different name card each round without looking.
• Students who finish early can write two responses for the same question (with two different names).
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Accept approximated pronunciation at first; assess communicative success (students using the correct phrase pattern).
• Offer an audio recording on teacher device for repeated listening (teacher models, no student device required).
• Chunking and pacing:
• Break the target phrases into beats (pause after どなた, after こちらは, before さん).