Language learning is sequential, which means that building a wide vocabulary and range of language patterns takes place in a logical, progressive order. Continuity of learning is also important to build fluency and to consolidate basic patterns. To this end it is expected that students take a language that has been studied in Year 8. Below is a short clip on the importance of knowing a second language and impact it has had on the lives and careers of a variety of graduates.
Outline of Course
In Year 9 Chinese, students will continue to develop their Communication skills in Chinese while learning Chinese characters, as well as different patterns and structures of the Chinese language. They will also broaden their intercultural awareness through exploration of a variety of Chinese cultures. By the end of the year students can express themselves in increasingly complex spoken and written passages in Chinese.
In the first semester, students will engage with the Chinese language and Chinese culture through the context “Welcoming an exchange student”. They will explore Chinese houses in comparison with those in New Zealand. Students will have the opportunity to communicate personal information, describe their living arrangements, and to express their preferences. They will learn to recognise and write more and more Chinese characters relating to the topics they have learned.
In the second semester, students will delve into the context of “A School Day”, comparing and contrasting their own school routines with those in China. They will discover the differences in school life between China and New Zealand, gaining a deeper awareness of how culture influences various aspects of life, including education values, learning styles and homework practices. They will learn how to describe their school day, subjects, and extra-curricular activities, and express and justify preferences. Furthermore, they will be exposed to a variety of spoken and written texts to further develop their listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.
Unit 1 – 我和我住的地方 (Me and My place of Residence)
Unit 2 –中国和新西兰饮食 (Chinese and New Zealand Cuisine)
Unit 3 – 学校生活 (School life)
Unit 4 – 课外生活 (Extracurricular activities)
Course costs: $50
Outline of Course
The Year 9 course aims at developing further the ability to read, speak, listen and write in French and to explore additional aspects of French life and culture. Students are involved in a range of activities, dealing with practical topics (e.g. your town or village, eating and drinking, leisure activities, what you do at the weekend, holidays) preparing them for possible travel in French speaking countries.
The first part of the course will broaden and deepen students’ knowledge covered in Year 8. Students will then build on the knowledge that they already have in order to improve the fluency, complexity and accuracy of their French.
A wide range of authentic materials and communicative activities are used during the lessons (e.g. projects, games, songs, movies, French websites, etc.) in order to cater to students’ needs and increase their motivation.
A coursebook will be given at the start of the year as well as DioConnect access to materials including coursework references, tasks, feedback and grades.
Unit 1 – Mes passetemps: Students learn about and consolidate their knowledge of two main sub-themes: technology and leisure. They explore how they spend their time and activities that they do. They talk about technology as well as leisure and sport activities in practical situations while communicating orally and while writing specific tasks. The Studio 1 coursebook is used as a main resource.
Unit 2 –Ma Zone: Students learn to communicate about their country, city, and neighbourhood. They learn how to describe what there is or isn’t to do in their town, give directions, talk about where they go and say what activities they can do in town. This unit is particularly useful for the students who plan to travel in a French speaking country.
Unit 3 – 3… 2…1 Partez !: In this unit, the students learn to communicate about their holidays (places and activities), they also learn to talk about their everyday routines, buying drinks and snacks while on holidays, and using the future tense to discuss their holiday plans. We finish this unit unpacking the conditional tense to express what the students would like to do (future plans).
Course costs: $50
In Year 9 students continue to develop their language skills and expand their vocabulary, building on prior knowledge. They will enjoy the experience of following German recipes when creating a traditional meal in the kitchen of our language department. The course consists of 4 units as listed below. There is one assessment each per semester for listening, reading, speaking and writing.
Freizeit
This unit focuses on the appropriate use of verbs when talking about hobbies and leisure time.
Unit 2 – Mein Zuhause
Students learn to communicate about their environment, starting with the surrounding of the house they live in, describing the structure of their home and finally talking about their room.
Unit 3 – Stadt und Land
This unit focuses on prepositions and the correct use of cases when learning to talk about getting around town, the use of means of transport and the weather.
Unit 4 – Ferien
Students learn to talk about their holidays, where they spent them and what activities they did. They will begin to communicate in the past tense and to express their opinion.
Course costs $20
Outline of Course
Students start the year by learning the second of the Japanese writing systems so that by the end of Term 1 they are writing entirely in script.
Unit 1 – At the airport/on the plane
Unit 2 –Travelling in Japan
Unit 3 – Weather
Unit 4 – School life
The theme of the year is “My Trip to Japan” and the year is set up so that students are planning their own trip. To this end, students plan which season to go, who to go with, what to see, where to stay and what transport to use. By the middle of the year they are able to write their itinerary in Japanese and use it as the basis to discuss their travel plans with Japanese friends.
The second half of the year sees the students “arrive” in Japan and meet their homestay family. They learn how to behave at school, why Japanese students wear slippers in school, what club activities they can join and why Japanese students clean their own school. They are able to discuss with Japanese friends what subjects to take, plan their timetable, and write a diary entry from one of their days at school in Japan.
Vocabulary and language patterns are introduced regularly throughout the year, each one building on the one learnt before so that by the end of the year students can express themselves in increasingly complex spoken and written Japanese and they can understand increasingly complex spoken and written passages.
Course costs: $83
Outline of Course
In Year 9, students work their way through the Year 9 Latin Workbook, following Quintus and his family, who live in Ancient Rome. The course aims to give a good grounding in Latin grammar, while enriching students with the wide variety of English derivations from Latin encountered in medicine, law, science, philosophy and everyday language. Our language learning is further enhanced by the culture and mythology of the Romans.
The Year 9 Latin course is structured in such a way that all students are quickly learning new content – meaning that students who have taken the subject in Year 8 aren’t going over the same things, and students who are new aren’t disadvantaged, making it the perfect language choice for students new to the school.
The course encompasses four units:
Unit 1 – Singular Nouns: We explore how singular nouns work in Latin, revising and building on what we covered in Year 8, learning how nouns change their endings depending on their function within a sentence. We’ll read Latin stories using our new knowledge, which are set within the context of cultural topics explored, such as Roman Houses, Food in Roman Times, the Forum and Shopping in Ancient Rome, as well as Pets and Other Animals in Ancient Rome.
Unit 2 – Verbs: We go further in depth on the topic of verbs, exploring multiple verb tenses, including the present, imperfect and perfect tenses, as well as imperatives. This is set within the context of cultural topics explored, such as Roman Education, the Greek Alphabet, Gladiators, as well as Crime and Punishment in Ancient Rome
Unit 3 – Plural Nouns: We explore how plural nouns work in Latin, revising and building on what we covered in Unit 1, learning how plural nouns work within a sentence. We’ll read Latin stories using our new knowledge, which are set within the context of cultural topics explored, such as Slavery, Roman gods and goddesses, the Theatre and Roman Plays, as well as Roman Holidays and Games.
Unit 4 – Roman Culture and Mythology: We will cover mythological topics such as Daedalus and Icarus, Diana and Actaeon, Pegasus and Bellerophon, as well as Perseus and Andromeda, reading simple Latin versions of these myths as well as exploring them in more depth in English. We also look at Roman life and culture as well as making 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: $28
Outline of Course
In Year 9 you will explore your immediate world. You will learn about the culture(s) of different Spanish speaking countries. You will use the language across a range of listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks.
There are four units:
Unit 1 – La familia Moderna – Modern Family. In this unit, you revise earlier language relating to family and friends and explore more deeply the concept of family, expanding your repertoire of vocabulary and grammar knowledge to describe and give information about different people.
Unit 2 – Eres lo que haces – You are what you do. In this unit, you will learn to communicate using present tense conjugations about hobbies and free time. You will learn to exchange opinions and develop their ideas.
Unit 3 – La Rutina – Routine. In this unit, you will learn to communicate about daily routine, times, and frequency. You will learn to express and justify your opinions.
Unit 4 – La escuela – In this unit, you Will learn how to talk about school subjects, reviewing likes and dislikes. You will learn about different timetables and features of Spanish schools, comparing and contrasting with your own school. You will learn to talk about what you do in class and what kind of student you and your classmates are.
Course costs: $20
Outline of Course
The aims of the course are to continue to develop students' understanding of basic speaking, reading, writing and listening skills in Te Reo Māori. Students will learn to communicate about personal information, whānau and tikanga.
Students can understand te reo Māori that contains well rehearsed sentence patterns and familiar vocabulary and can interact in predictable exchanges. They can read and write straightforward versions of what they have learned to say. They are aware of and understand some of the typical cultural conventions that operate in interpersonal communication. Students are developing an awareness of the processes involved in learning te reo Māori.
Unit 1 - Pepeha
This unit explores the traditional Māori introduction known as pepeha, which is how Māori share their lineage and connections to their whenua, iwi and ancestors. Through the study of pepeha, students will deepen their understanding of whakapapa and its central role in Māori identity. The unit will guide students in the construction of their own pepeha, enabling them to articulate their heritage and a sense of belonging within te ao Māori and beyond.
Unit 2 - Tōku Ao
In this unit students will study the vocabulary and sentence structures related to describing people in their world. Through a variety of activities, including dialogue and projects, students will be able to describe people in various contexts including their family.
Unit 3 - Marae
Students will understand how marae are a significant part of Māori identity. The marae serves as a venue for a wide range of cultural, social, educational and political activities, making it an important part of Māori communities. Students will explore the architectural elements of marae, including the wharenui and the wharekai as well as other significant structures. Students will understand the function and significance of each part of the marae.
Unit 4 - Ngā Mahi a Rēhia
In this unit students will learn about the world of traditional Māori performing arts, known as Ngā Mahi a Rēhia. Through practical workshops and reflective inquiry, students will focus on various forms of Māori performing arts such as waiata, whakaari (acting), kēmu (games) and poi. This unit will enhance students' understanding of how performing arts serve as a powerful way to communicate and preserve cultural identity and narratives.
Course costs: $40