Japanese

Expressive learning experiences

Through the following creative activities, we draw out children's latent expressive abilities on a daily basis and put them into practice.

Exploration of the sound of language and expressive power

Children explore the beauty of language and the depth of its expressive power through the stories, descriptions, and poems in their textbooks, as well as through literary works from around the world. For example, they analyze how authors convey their feelings through literary works and poems, and discover their own styles of expression through the practice of speaking and writing their own feelings and thoughts in words. They also develop their vocabulary daily by looking up words they hear or see for the first time in a dictionary.

Creative Writing Practice

Through the writing of short stories and the creation of illustrated books, children have the experience of putting their ideas and feelings into writing. We also create opportunities to research seasonal terms and notice changes in nature, and create haiku and free verse, aiming for the free expression of individual identities and emotions.

Performance with Expression

We provide many opportunities for students to express themselves with confidence by presenting the results of their work to the class as a whole. For example, both speakers and listeners will improve their ability to express themselves through performances that utilize words, such as reciting their own stories and poems, and giving one-minute speeches. We also have opportunities to express the emotions and situations of the characters in their own words through activities such as dramatizing a story. Through these activities, children will understand the background of the work and the author's intention, and will be able to express their own interpretation of it.

Integration of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Unit of Inquiry (UOI) and Courses of Study

In Japanese education, CGK International School integrates Units of Inquiry (UOIs) and the Japanese Language Courses of Study to implement a unique approach that draws out children's interest in learning and promotes consistent and deep understanding.

This teaching method differs from the passive knowledge cramming method or the method of only practicing content through the use of textbooks and worksheets. UOIs are conducted based on questions from teachers and the questions and interests of individual children. Children expand their knowledge and skills, often in relation to other subjects.

When developing a UOI, we choose a Japanese language unit that is closely related to one of the six transdisciplinary themes and relate it to the subject matter in the textbooks to promote inquiry-based learning according to the approach of the IB. This allows students to study a broader and deeper level of content.

We strive to cover all of the Japanese language knowledge and skills that children attending an international school will learn at an Article 1 School*. Furthermore, by integrating the UOI with the IB, we provide an environment where children can acquire a broad range of knowledge and develop the skills to deepen their learning independently, rather than being limited to the content of textbooks.

*An Article 1 school is a type of school defined in Article 1 of the School Education Law. So-called general Japanese schools, both public and private, are "Article 1 schools". On the other hand, most international schools (including CGK) are "Non-article 1 schools.”

• IB UOI and Japanese Class for Elementary Students Vol.1 at CGK International School
  This is an article that the second-grade students were looking at the central idea that, "Literature can shape individual beliefs, values, and culture." This was based on the UOI, Who We Are.

Key to differentiation (teaching Japanese at CGK)

In contrast, CGK International School does not believe that the quality of education can be ensured by teachers imparting knowledge and skills or by continuing to dictate letters. We believe that the quality of education can be ensured by respecting children's spontaneous pursuit of knowledge and skills.

For this reason, CGK is not bound by the "standard number of class hours," "prescribed textbooks," or "prescribed unit tests." Instead we comprehensively incorporate the content of the Courses of Study for each grade level, according to the level, pace of study, and interests of each student.

All grades at CGK have daily Japanese class. We implement classes from a transdisciplinary perspective that is not limited to the content of the Courses of Study for Japanese language classes through the following unique and innovative approaches.

No repetitive dictation practice of Kanji characters, learning to deepen at individual pace

We do not use notebooks or drills for repeated dictation practice. Rather, CGK students learn at their own pace and according to their own interests, using Japanese dictionaries and kanji dictionaries to deepen their knowledge and interest in kanji by writing down and summarizing the meanings, words, and phrases of kanji. They deepen their interest in and knowledge of kanji by writing down and summarizing the meanings, words, and phrases of kanji. In addition, students will also create example sentences while assuming practical situations in order to advance their kanji learning.

Creating lessons that are not limited to a single unit in a textbook

We cultivate reading comprehension, expression, vocabulary, communication skills, literary understanding, and grammatical knowledge by incorporating multiple textbook units if there are any that can be related, and by incorporating a variety of resources and materials. This is made more possible by creating UOIs. By promoting inquiry from a transdisciplinary perspective and its reflection and production in conjunction with Japanese language studies, we are able to achieve the above while respecting the content of the Courses of Study.

Support aimed at accurately expressing ideas and being able to editorialize

Students do not spend much time listening to teachers' explanations or transcribing what is written on the blackboard onto notebooks or worksheets. Rather than spending a lot of time on these tasks, teachers mainly support the children in developing the ability to explain and discuss their thoughts and opinions in a logical manner while presenting reasons and materials. This habit leads to improved self-expression which is necessary in the real world.
As an opportunity to put these skills into practice, students are encouraged to give one-minute speeches on any theme and to create original narrative, expository, free verse, haiku, reports, opinion pieces, etc., in order to gain proficiency in the art of expression.

Unit tests and quizzes are not the only measurement of academic progress

We do not create our Japanese curriculum with the aim of teaching only how to answer standardized exam questions. This is because we believe that even though individual children learn at different paces and levels, we cannot completely measure each child's level of understanding and proficiency using only these methods. Due in part to the relationship of combining multiple units of study, there are many opportunities to measure children's reading comprehension and understanding in the classroom. For example, in writing activities we check to see if the students are making use of what they have already learned while reflecting on the process and their work together. We also provide individualized learning opportunities for each student to relate their knowledge and expertise to each other, for example, by progressing through workbooks at their own pace and helping them to identify areas of weakness or lack of understanding. We then evaluate each student's learning process and results by reviewing them in their learning portfolio.

In this way, CGK International School supports children in their Japanese studies by linking them to the UOIs of the IB so that they will be able to apply and solve any problems they face on their own.

International Baccalaureate (IB) and JAL

CGK JAL classes focus on transdisciplinary learning and follow IB PYP curriculum. We connect other subjects studied in English with the JAL original curriculum. Students are able to gain more interest in the concepts and discover new things.

The transdisciplinary themes are also linked to Japanese culture and students’ countries of origin. The Key Concepts are used as guidelines. Therefore, the connection with other classes taught in English, including Units of Inquiry (UOIs), are an essential part of JAL class.