About the Program

Japanese was first offered at BLA in 1992. We have since grown to six courses, Japanese 1, 2, 3, 4, Pre-AP and AP Japanese. Our teachers strive for a multidisciplinary approach that gives students the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the 21st century. Our classes encourage students to be creative, collaborative, technologically proficient, and skilled communicators in our increasingly globalizing society.

Japanese 1

This course introduces the basics of Japanese language and culture, with a focus on developing cultural awareness and practical use of the language. Students will develop basic communication skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. They will also learn to read and write Hiragana and Katakana characters, as well as approximately 50 Kanji (Chinese) characters. Both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture and society will be introduced through a variety of materials and activities. Finally, organization, collaboration, flexible thinking, and responsibility for the learning of others and oneself will be stressed. To succeed, this course requires good study habits and positive class participation.

Japanese 2

This course is a continuation of the basics introduced in Japanese 1. Students will expand their communication skills by learning a wide-range of vocabulary, expressions, and advanced grammar. They will further their abilities to provide and obtain more detailed information, and to express feelings and opinions. Japanese culture and social issues will continuously be studied to deepen their understanding of the language and the people. Students are expected to participate in various reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities, and complete a research project. Approximately 100 (cumulative) Kanji characters will be introduced, and Japanese computing skills will also be strengthened. This course requires good study habits and active class participation.

Japanese 3

This course continues to develop student’s proficiency and application skills focusing on communication. Students will expand their language skills learning wide-ranged expressions and more sophisticated structures to respond to more complicated situations and further develop functional language skills using their existing knowledge. Students will also continue to learn approximately 250 (accumulative) Kanji. Various types of project work that require the use of different language skills will be assigned. Students will also deepen their understanding of Japan, including culture, history and modern society and will broaden their knowledge through theme-based lessons throughout the course. This course requires good study habits and active class participation.

Japanese 3 Honors/Pre-AP

This course is designed to prepare students with the opportunity to study and learn in the advanced course setting. This course continues to develop student’s proficiency and application skills focusing on communication. Students will expand their language skills learning wide-ranged expressions and more sophisticated structures to respond to more complicated situations and further develop functional language skills using their existing knowledge. Students will also continue to learn approximately 250 (accumulative) Kanji. Various types of project work that require the use of different language skills will be assigned. Students will also deepen their understanding of Japan, including culture, history and modern society and will broaden their knowledge through theme-based lessons throughout the course. This course is taught exclusively in Japanese and requires strong self-guided study habits and active class participation.

Japanese 4

In this course, students will continue to learn and develop their four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing in real-life situations while deepening their understanding of the language and culture. Students will engage in discussions, interviews and presentations both in oral and written formats, and write articles and/or critiques on a variety of topics. They will broaden their knowledge through theme-based lessons and various projects throughout the course. Additional Kanji characters will be introduced, and Japanese computing skills will also be strengthened. This course requires good study habits and active class participation.

AP Japanese

This course is designed to prepare students to successfully take the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam. In this course, students will continue to learn and develop their four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing in real-life situations while deepening their understanding of the language and culture. Students will engage in discussions, interviews and presentations both in oral and written formats, and write articles and/or critiques on a variety of topics. Students will further develop their productive, receptive and cultural skills necessary to communicate with native speakers of Japanese and learn the language through content-based curriculum. A variety of authentic materials, audio visual aids and computer technology including Japanese keyboarding will increasingly be used to further develop language skills. This course is taught exclusively in Japanese.

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Please see "Scope and Sequence " to find the content that corresponds Adventure in Japanese Textbooks 3rd Edition

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How to succeed, how to enjoy studying, and what to do if you need some help.

☆ Come to class. Participate daily. It will bring more gains than just memorizing vocabulary from your book!

• Be on time.

• Participate often--don't be scared of making a mistake!

• Ask questions about anything you don't understand before you leave school.

• Be a team player.

• Be a good listener.

☆ Come prepared. You can learn more effectively if you are better prepared.

• Bring all your materials--textbook, notebook, workbook, planner, pencils, eraser, scissors, glue...

• Stay organized. File or glue down all loose paper.

• Use your planner to copy down the homework assignment each day.

☆ Do your homework. Stick with it! It will all pile up in the end and become either a big mountain of success or a big hole with many regrets.

• Don't leave class without understanding your assignment. You can always come back to us to discuss your work.

• Complete all homework. If you get stuck, give it your best shot and follow up the next day in class.

• Forgot to do your homework? Just make it up! You can only earn 1/2 credit from late work, but it will still help you to move on instead of getting behind. Your sensei will always be happy to review your work, whether it's your homework or self-guided study. Please remember that you are entitled to make up your work without penalty when you are back from an excused absence.

• Do all projects. Projects are your chance to show off your knowledge, skills and abilities. You will enjoy seeing your accomplishments made in class once your work is done!

☆ Study for quizzes and tests. Pay attention to in-class announcements for the schedule.

• Quizzes cover small sections of material in each chapter. Tests cover the entire chapter.

• Start studying early. Make sure you're caught-up on the homework assignments, and review them, too.

• Please come see your sensei for extra help if you need additional review of the materials.

How can I improve? 　

• Find your spark. A spark can be anything Japanese that you're crazy about--a manga comic, a J-pop song, an anime series, your new girlfriend. Find something that interests you so much that you can't help but want to know what they're saying! Studying Japanese will suddenly become much more fun.

• Share your learning. Studying Nihongo is twice as fun when you have someone to share it with. It can be a classmate, a parent, the kids you babysit, that little old lady next door... anyone! Sharing what you did and learned in class will help you remember it better, we promise.

• Make it a part of your life. Try counting in Japanese when you're doing crunches or running laps. Start greeting your (confused) pet in Japanese--ohayo, tadaima, oyasumi-nasai. Write furniture vocab on sticky notes and stick them all over your room. Remember, "Chiri mo Tusmoreba Yama to Naru"!

What if I need help?

• Teamwork. Students are expected and encouraged to help each other out when a classmate returns from an absence or has a question. Of course, students must ultimately do their own work--copying homework or other unethical behavior is not allowed.

• Peer tutoring. You may be able to sign up for peer tutoring during your study period. See your Sensei for details.

• See your Sensei. Your teachers are always happy to help you review, improve, or enrich your learning. Come find us during school or send us an email. If necessary, we can also arrange for a specific time to meet before/after school.