About Us

The JLC Program began officially at Maloney on February 3, 1994.  It was funded by the federal Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP), with matching funds provided by the City of Waterbury.  

Currently, all students (590 students) receive Japanese language instruction. JLC is scheduled for 25 minutes, 3 times per week for Kindergarten through fifth grade. Pre-K has Japanese once per week for 30 minutes starting in October.

We want our students to:

1. love studying a world language.

2. love learning Japanese.

3. develop a range of skills necessary for becoming proficient in any world language, such as using learning strategies and dealing with “foreign” situations.

4.  develop good communication skills for any situation, such as interpreting words in context, and using communication strategies.

5. feel comfortable speaking in Japanese, to native speakers, non-native speakers, and their friends.

6. have a sense of the concept of culture in general and the Japanese culture in particular. They should know the products, practices, and some of the perspectives of the people of Japan.

7. develop their knowledge of their own culture and language through learning about another language .

8. want to learn more about Japan and its language, culture, and people.

We have to remember:

1. that our students are young children.

2. that our students only learn Japanese three times a week for 25 minutes.

3. that any activity we create must be interesting and comprehensible for our students.

Therefore, we:

1. speak Japanese about 95% of the class time.

2. establish a friendly, low-stress, yet disciplined classroom so that everyone has a safe environment in which to learn.

3. encourage students to use Japanese whenever possible.

4. give our students “hints” if they have trouble remembering a word.

5. create units that are age-appropriate and fun, with a strong beginning, middle, and end (like a story!). 

6. create lessons that incorporate language, culture, comparisons, and subject area content .

7. introduce students to a variety of cultural games, items, crafts, songs, holidays, and customs.

8. give students opportunities to use what they learn outside the classroom, through homework challenges, take-home projects, and a comprehensive website. 

The JLC Curriculum is based on the National World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.  There are five main goals (the five “Cs”): Communication, Culture, Connections (to other subjects), Comparisons (to their own language and culture) and Communities (using the language in and out of school).  Keeping in mind all of these large goals, we determined the type of tasks that students should be able to do in the language, and combined that with some of the concepts they are learning in their regular classrooms. We try to “recycle” vocabulary and concepts often, adding new material each year.   The best way to deliver these concepts is through thematic, story-like or project-based units that incorporate a variety of vocabulary, grammar, and subject area content.   By the end of fifth grade, we expect students to be able to carry out a variety of tasks in the language, such as introducing themselves, asking for directions, shopping, ordering food, and talking about their interests.    

Learning language at a young age can help with cognitive development, including problem solving, attention control, and task switching. It can also help children become more flexible and open-minded thinkers. Students develop the cultural knowledge and excitement about language learning that is at the heart of global awareness and future language class success.  Research strongly indicates that younger learners have the best chance of attaining  native-like pronunciation.  They also gain strong communication skills that can be transferred to any situation, such as “looking for clues” in context, listening skills, and existing in “foreign” situations with ease and calmness.  Therefore, whether or not your child is able to continue Japanese after Maloney,  their time learning a language will not be wasted.  

The Japanese language is spoken by more than 125 million people worldwide.  It is a language that has been labeled as “Critical” to economic and national interests by the U.S. Secretary of Education.   Speakers of Japanese are needed for careers in business, travel, finance, interpreting, teaching, and the military.  Those who study Japanese (especially in elementary school) have a unique experience that helps them stand out during college applications.  The study of Japanese helps children to be aware of and appreciate a very different language and culture.  Japanese has only a few words that sound like English and none that look like English!  Therefore, students develop strong listening, decoding, and observation skills in a Japanese classroom. 

When Maloney Interdisrtrict Magnet School was originally created, a group of teachers and administrators knew that a world language component would compliment the multicultural curriculum.  At the time, grant funding was needed to start a new program. Funding was only available for “Critical” Languages (those of national security and economic importance rarely being taught) as determined by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Those were Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Korean and Russian languages.  Of those, Japanese seemed the best in terms of  being able to find a teacher and materials.  A model Japanese program already existed in the East Hartford-Glastonbury Magnet School.  The committee chose Japanese,  hired a teacher (Jessica-sensei) and designed the program.  The JLC Program began officially at Maloney on February 3, 1994.  It was funded by the federal Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP), with matching funds provided by the City of Waterbury.