Japanese language and culture at Chelsea Heights Primary
Australia has close links with Japan through trade, tourism and culture. Learning about the spoken and written Japanese language here at Chelsea Heights Primary School can set up our students for an exciting future, one where they can maybe visit and learn much more about this fascinating country.
In addition to practising the language, students will also be given an overview of Japanese culture and its influence in Australia through art, design, technology, fashion, popular culture and cuisine.
In the process of learning more about a foreign country and its culture, students will be able to strengthen their understanding and appreciation of their own identity and social background, and in turn be equipped to grow up with an understanding of Australia’s place in the globalised world.
Learning a foreign language and broadening cultural understanding are well documented as helping young students acquire and develop new cognitive, affective, and sociocultural skills which are transferable to other areas of learning.
Japanese has been taught at Chelsea Heights as a second language for over six years and is now rolled out to all year levels from Foundation to Level 6, with classes focusing on the basics of conversational Japanese, on cultural understanding and on having fun in the process. Games, songs, dance, and use of modern technology and apps make up many of the activities each week.
As part of the Japanese program, different cultural opportunities will be organised to facilitate online contact with Japanese primary school students, Japanese musical and theatrical performances and other special events to stimulate and reinforce students’ learning.
Through our language learning, students have a chance to grow an understanding of Japanese culture as we relate it to the multicultural world we live in today, learning to respect and value inclusivity and diversity here at school and in the broader community.