Japanese

Learning a modern foreign language can be challenging to young people and is often one of the first things cut from a student’s timetable in mainstream schools when they are struggling. At Newlands Academy we believe that all of our students are capable of engaging with this subject successfully given the right adaptations. Firstly, by choosing Japanese as our MFL we are offering our students a unique and unusual experience; this has a dramatic effect on how they view themselves as learners and boosts their self-esteem. Studying Japanese is also a leveller as it is very unlikely that any student will have significant prior knowledge so each group starts on the same level. The lessons are personalised and flexible with many different levels of expectations as well as the opportunity to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them. As a department we believe passionately in positive reinforcement, especially as a number of our students have had limited or negative experiences in the MFL classroom at previous settings.