Year 7 Language ACquisition

Year 7 Languages

Your language learning in Year 7 focuses on all four skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing.  You will develop and practise these skills using ‘real’, authentic texts and situations that are related to various themes. Depending on the languages you choose, these themes might include introductions, family and/or school life, festivals, food, fashion and, for languages that are spoken in more than one country, a look into the world of French- or Spanish-speaking countries.

You will use apps and websites to consolidate your learning at home and to provide you further exposure to the languages beyond the classroom.  We take full advantage of the languages kitchen to create cultural dishes, and invited guests further enhance your language learning experience by providing you with the chance, for example in Japanese, to dress in kimono and experience the tea ceremony.

You choose two languages in Year 7 from the table below and both are studied for two periods per seven day cycle for the full year.  At the end of Year 7, you select the one language that you will continue with in Year 8 and beyond.

Chinese

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step (Chinese proverb). One of the steps in learning Chinese is to find out about China, the Chinese people and Chinese language.

The Year 7 Chinese course is a journey where we explore, discover, and appreciate various aspects of China and Chinese culture through the context of ‘Communication, Culture, and Connection’. The topics will provide the backdrop to the acquisition of language patterns and vocabulary. Students will choose appropriate words to create meaning, growing their linguistic repertoire and developing their communication skills in Chinese. They will also be physically creative, making authentic Chinese dumplings and participating in a Chinese food experience. The course encompasses four units.

Unit 1 – “Greetings and Introduction”. We explore how the Chinese language works, what determines formal or informal context and how we choose appropriate words and phrases in any given context. Chinese Pinyin, tones and Chinese characters are introduced.

Unit 2 – “Festivals”. We explore the most well recognized festivals in China, such as Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and The Moon Festival. Students discover the legends associated with the festivals and understand why certain words, symbols and colour, indicate good or bad luck. They learn to use different expressions for different festivals.

Unit 3 –  “Family”. We explore the modern and traditional family and relationships in China. Students make comparison of family between China and NZ. They learn how to describe a family and understand the values and importance of the family.

Unit 4 – “My little Chinese picture book”. Students use vocabulary, language patterns and formulaic expressions that they have learned to create their small Chinese picture book. They incorporate appropriate cultural references into their picture book and communicate their ideas appropriately and correctly.  

Course cost $28

french

The Year 7 French course is an introduction to French language and culture. Throughout the year, students will be offered opportunities to communicate about themselves and others.  They will be encouraged to foster curiosity, to grow interest and enjoyment in language learning. Students will have opportunities to communicate information, ideas, and opinions. They will be developing writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills through the four units.

Unit 1 – Introducing myself: In this unit students will be offered opportunities to communicate about how to introduce oneself, personal feelings, and personal details using general information like age, address, languages. They will be developing an appreciation of the French language and culture through a range of activities.

Unit 2 – Describing clothes: In this unit students will consider how clothing reflects personal and cultural ideas about style. Students will name the clothing that they wear in detail including colurs and patterns, and they will have opportunities to share their personal preferences.

Unit 3 – Describing myself and others: This unit explores the concept of physical features as well as defining personalities of themselves and other people. Students will be exposed to a rich range of vocabulary in relation to traits, physical features, and nationalities.

Unit 4 –Fashion: In this unit, students view clothing styles from the perspective of famous French fashion designers. They then practice shopping for clothing for the start of school, according to their taste. Students discuss how they purchase clothing and their access to spending money. The unit concludes with a presentation in which they give advice about clothing and budgets. Students explore the impact of brands on world fashion before presenting fashion shows in class.

Course cost $33

german

In the Year 7 German course the students will learn to make connections with their own language as German and English have a lot in common, linguistically speaking. They will find out that the German language is organised in particular ways. They will build their vocabulary and language knowledge through games, role plays, computer programs, video clips and music. The students will explore how to communicate personal and cultural messages and will become familiar with cultural conventions. They will also be given the opportunity to try German food as part of exploring the cultural aspects that are part of learning a language. Each of the four modes of learning languages; listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills will be assessed once across the year. Learning is supported by a workbook.

Unit 1 - All about myself

Unit 2 - Me and my family

Unit 3 – My identity

Course Cost $20

japanese

The Year 7 Japanese course develops the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in the context of four main themes:

Unit 1 - Introductions

Unit 2 - Festivals

Unit 3 – At the sushi restaurant

Unit 4 - Family

The language and culture of Japan are inextricably linked and from the start of the course students will discover both the literal, cultural and contextual meanings of key expressions.

There are enough festivals in Japan to warrant a public holiday every day of the year! We look at a number of the main ones that are celebrated across the country and students skillfully build their language capacity to the point where they can describe what they see and do at each of these festivals in Japanese.

By the end of the ‘sushi restaurant’ topic, students will be sushi masters, identifying the different types of sushi, use key expressions pertaining to eating/restaurant etiquette, and of course, they will have the opportunity to make their own sushi, culminating in an ‘onigiri’ design competition.

During the year, we invite specialists into school to demonstrate the tea ceremony (including having students make and taste their own!) and to demonstrate how to wear a yukata (summer kimono), finishing with students having their own Japanese yukata fashion parade.

Course cost $46

latin

In Year 7 Latin, students explore ancient Rome and are given a good foundation in the basics of Latin grammar, culture, mythology and derivations. They will learn about the gods and goddesses as well as how the Romans lived. The course encompasses three units:

Unit 1 – Family and Identity: We look at some introductory spoken Latin and explore the topic of family, looking at how the ancient Roman lived. Latin numbers and Roman numerals will also be introduced. We also learn about the main Roman gods and goddesses, their Greek names and what they were in charge of.

Unit 2 – Adjectives and Verbs: We explore the concept of adjectives in Latin through learning about topics such as animals and colours, as well as learning about the pets the ancient Romans had. We also look at topics such as schools in Rome, in addition to myths such as the story of Narcissus and Orpheus & Eurydice.

Unit 3 – Roman Culture: We will cover mythological topics such as Pandora’s Box, Hercules and the Twelve Labours and Ceres and Proserpina. We also look at Roman life and culture, delving into topics like Slavery in Rome and Roman Art and Architecture. We’ll also make links between Latin and English words across many areas, as 50% of all English words come from Latin.

Throughout the year, students will learn through many types of activity, including: online games, whiteboard and buzzer quizzes, performing plays, creating stories and comics in Latin, cooking authentic Roman food and cultural presentations. In addition, DioConnect, an online learning tool, will be used both for class activities and homework, and for giving feedback to students (and parents) electronically.

As students progress through the school, they will also have the opportunity to go on a trip to Rome and Pompeii to experience in person the places, culture and history that they have learnt about in class.

Course costs: $30

Spanish

In the MYP year 7 Spanish course, the students will learn about how they learn a language. The focus is on using the language they are learning in fun and authentic ways. They will be assessed once each on listening, reading, speaking and writing across the year.

The course is divided into four units as follows:

Unit 1 – Hola me llamo Ana. In this unit the students learn how to exchange greetings and personal information. They learn to identify cultural conventions round degrees of formality. They learn to use prior knowledge of known languages to help them make meaning. They perform simple, fun tasks like creating a Hispanic identity to exchange information and create and present a RAP in Spanish

Unit 2 – Fiesta. In this unit the students explore fiestas of different Spanish-speaking countries. They become familiar with the vocabulary and structures to talk about fiestas, such as dates and weather as well as the things typically seen during fiestas.

Unit 3 – El Mundo Hispano. In this unit the students explore and present in Spanish a Spanish-speaking country. They will use prior learning and new learning to build their presentation over the term to inform their class mates about the country

Unit 4 – Mi librito epañol.  In this unit the students use the language they have learned over the year to design and create a book suitable for young readers who do not know Spanish. They then read their book to a suitable audience.

Course cost $20

Te Reo

Tōku reo tōku ohooho, tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea. 

My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul

In the MYP Year 7 Te Reo Māori course, students will start to develop their understanding of the foundational elements of the language. They can also make helpful and useful links to their cultural learning from the Mātauranga Māori core subject.

The course is divided into four parts:

Unit 1 - Tūāpapa reo - Foundational Language 

This unit is an introduction to Te Reo Māori. Students will be exposed to new karakia, waiata, and mihi and learn basic conversational skills such as appropriate greetings and pronunciation. They also learn to identify culturally appropriate interactions and how to initiate communication with their peers.

Unit 2 - Ko tōku whānau - My Family 

In this unit, students will learn to communicate personal information about their whānau such as the names of siblings, parents, and grandparents; relationships between people; how many family members they have; and what pets they have.

Unit 3 - Marae 

In this unit students will be introduced to a key element of Māori culture: the marae. They will gain key vocabulary connected to parts of a marae and the pōwhiri process, learn to use basic Te Reo Māori in a marae context, and grow their understanding of the cultural significance of marae.

Unit 4 - Taonga Puoro - Māori Instruments 

In this unit, students will explore taonga puoro (traditional Māori musical instruments) through the integration of karakia and pūrākau (stories). They will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural significance and traditional uses of these instruments, enhancing their connection to Māori heritage and language.

Course costs: $20