Years 7 to 8
Languages
ASLANJAP7_10Y78
Years 7 to 8 Japanese Achievement Standard
10 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 8, students use Japanese language to interact and collaborate with others, and to share information and plan activities in familiar contexts. They respond to others’ contributions, and recognise familiar gestures, questions and instructions in exchanges. They locate and respond to information in texts and use non-verbal, visual and contextual cues to help make meaning. They respond in Japanese or English, and demonstrate understanding of context, purpose and audience in texts. They use familiar language, and modelled sentence and grammatical structures to create texts, and demonstrate understanding of how some language reflects cultural practices. They use some familiar katakana and kanji, and hiragana, with support.
Students approximate Japanese sound patterns, intonation and rhythms, and recognise the relationship between spoken and written forms. They demonstrate understanding that Japanese has conventions and rules for scripts, non-verbal, spoken and written communication. They comment on aspects of Japanese and English language structures and features, using metalanguage. They demonstrate awareness that the Japanese language is connected with culture and identity, and how this is reflected in their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Years 7 to 10 sequence
The 10 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 8, students use Japanese language to interact and collaborate with others, and to share information and plan activities in familiar contexts.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC01 Communicating meaning in Japanese
interact with others using modelled language to exchange information in familiar contexts about self and personal world
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration using and responding to greetings depending on the time of day, for example, おはようございます、こんにちは, with appropriate titles and terms of address such as ～先生 or Simonさん, and gestures such as bowing to show respect
- Elaboration introducing themselves じこしょうかい, using culturally appropriate formulaic expressions and gestures はじめまして、どうぞよろしく, with bowing and appropriate eye contact
- Elaboration exchanging information about daily or leisure activities or events via face-to-face or online modes of communication such as blogs or digital conversations, and comparing experiences with those of Japanese-speaking peers, using cohesive devices such as conjunctions when sequencing or elaborating, for example, 日よう日にえいがに行きます。それから、かいものをします。 or すしがすきです。でも、さしみがすきじゃないです。
- Elaboration interacting with others to express likes and dislikes, for example, スポーツがすきです。たいいくがすきじゃないです。しゅくだいは ちょっと…、～さんはなにがすきですか。, and sharing and requesting information about health and feelings, for example, きょうはうれしい！～さんは？ おなかがぺこぺこです。つかれました 。さむいです。
- Elaboration communicating in culturally appropriate ways, for example, using basic interjections such as そうですね, giving and receiving items with gestures and formulaic language, for example, どうぞ。どうもありがとう
- Elaboration sharing information about aspects of their personal worlds, for example, imparting information about friends, family, pets, teachers, school and interests using descriptive expressions such as noun は adjective です。わたしのお母さんはおもしろいです。
- Elaboration engaging in simple written exchanges with others, for example, sharing greeting cards and messages based on modelled expressions おたんじょう日おめでとうございます！メリークリスマス。お母さん、ありがとう。～へ～より
They respond to others’ contributions, and recognise familiar gestures, questions and instructions in exchanges.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC02 Communicating meaning in Japanese
develop language to interact in exchanges, routines, tasks and responsibilities related to classroom and interests
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration following instructions to complete an activity or to get organised, for example, たってください。三人のグループになってください。
- Elaboration using formulaic expressions to ask for clarification about the meaning of words, or to express misunderstanding, for example, ～はえいご／日本ごでなんですか。十四ページですか。ちょっとわかりません。or request permission, for example, トイレに 行ってもいいですか。, to apologise for lateness or interrupting, for example, すみません、ちょっといいですか。おくれてすみません。and to borrow classroom objects, for example, じしょをかして ください。けしゴムがありますか。
- Elaboration using appropriate language and behaviour when giving and receiving classroom objects, for example, ～どうぞ。ありがとうございます。
- Elaboration using set phrases, formulaic expressions and appropriate gestures for regular classroom routines such as opening and closing lessons and responding to roll call, for example, きりつ、れい、ちゃくせき、はい、います／いいえ、いません
- Elaboration praising, complimenting and encouraging others, for example, じょうずですね、いいですね、よくできました、すごいです！、もうちょっとです、がんばりましょう。
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC03 Communicating meaning in Japanese
engage in modelled non-verbal, spoken and written exchanges with peers to organise activities relating to daily life and school environment
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration working collaboratively to create displays, presentations or performances to showcase their Japanese learning for family, friends and school community
- Elaboration following instructions, for example, following a basic recipe to make やきそば、おこのみやき、まきずし or making origami with others
- Elaboration making arrangements using language related to place, time and activity, for example, 火よう日にテニスをしますか, and accepting or declining invitations, 火よう日はちょっと … ／いいですね。
- Elaboration participating in scenarios that involve planning, for example, ordering and purchasing goods, such as food and drink, using modelled language, for example, やきとりをください、おちゃおねがいします、いくらですか、どうもありがとうございました。
- Elaboration participating in class activities (word, board, electronic games, etc.) using set phrases in Japanese, for example, わたしの ばん、みぎ、ひだり、かった！、まけた、ざんねん、だめだった、だいじょうぶ？、がんばって！、つぎは だれ？、一、二、三！
- Elaboration organising activities for other students or a buddy class that may assist with learning Japanese, for example, teaching a song with actions or playing a game
They locate and respond to information in texts and use non-verbal, visual and contextual cues to help make meaning.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC04 Communicating meaning in Japanese
locate and process information and ideas in familiar spoken, written and multimodal texts, responding in ways appropriate to cultural context, purpose and audience
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration identifying key information and facts such as names of people and places, times and activities in familiar contexts, including conversations, advertisements, profiles and simple narratives (using texts such as manga, anime, folk tales, etc.)
- Elaboration obtaining and organising specific information from a range of everyday Japanese texts (emails, menus, reports, maps, timetables, etc.) and responding in Japanese, for example, accessing a simple weather forecast, and using this information when writing a message to a friend to go somewhere 土よう日ははれです。うみに行きましょう。
- Elaboration using digital tools to gather, classify and summarise results of class surveys or interviews on topics (students’ likes, interests, family, neighbourhood, activities, habits, etc.) and presenting findings in chosen formats, for example, ひるごはんになにをたべますか。日よう日になにをしますか。しゅうまつにどこに行きますか。
- Elaboration listening to, reading or viewing First Nations Australian authors’ stories and responding to them in spoken or written Japanese
- Elaboration responding to structured stimulus questions about characters, places, events or effects in imaginative texts (stories, films, anime, etc.) using modelled language and formulaic expressions to express reactions, for example, やさしい人、おもしろいはなしですね、ちょっとこわいですよ、たのしかったです、びっくりしました！
- Elaboration reading and viewing texts (anime, manga, video clips, lyrics of J-pop, etc.) and responding to questions about characters, lyrics or events, for example, だれですか、なまえはなんですか、なんのイベントですか、どこですか or recreating elements using a storyboard, timeline or original performance
- Elaboration identifying common themes, key messages, values, or issues in Japanese texts, such as the moral of a story or folk tale, and noticing concepts that may be similar or different across cultures, for example, おんがえし, working hard, consideration of others and humility
They respond in Japanese or English, and demonstrate understanding of context, purpose and audience in texts.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC05 Communicating meaning in Japanese
develop and begin to apply strategies to interpret, translate and convey meaning in Japanese in familiar contexts
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration interpreting words and expressions that do not translate easily into English and brainstorming why this may be the case, for example, いただきます、ごちそうさま、よろしくおねがいします
- Elaboration learning to use dictionaries and electronic translation tools to identify issues such as multiple meanings of words and the need to consider context
- Elaboration developing word lists, grammar rule charts or personal mnemonic devices to recall, translate and interpret information
- Elaboration recognising it is not only words that can be translated, but also non-verbal communication, culture, behaviour and contexts
- Elaboration understanding cultural differences relating to social and communicative behaviours such as use of personal space and body language; being aware that meaning is not always conveyed through text, but can be conveyed through various means
- Elaboration interpreting aspects of spoken Japanese texts for others using a range of resources, for example, providing an English commentary on a Japanese item at a class, school or community event, assembly or parent evening, explaining culturally significant expressions and gestures
They use familiar language, and modelled sentence and grammatical structures to create texts, and demonstrate understanding of how some language reflects cultural practices.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC06 Communicating meaning in Japanese
create spoken, written and multimodal, informative and imaginative texts for familiar contexts and purposes using appropriate vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures and some textual conventions, and hiragana and katakana with support of the chart and some familiar kanji
Elaborations (10)
- Elaboration creating imaginative texts (written, multimodal, role-play, digital clip, photo montage, etc.) across a variety of modes to engage others, for example, a comic strip based on an imaginative routine, a story modelled on a folktale or fable, a commercial about new product
- Elaboration creating and illustrating informative and/or imaginative bilingual texts, for example, creating labels to post around the school, story books, posters, captions, and subtitles
- Elaboration working collaboratively to create a skit or role-play for a specific purpose and audience, for example, a glimpse into a week in the life of a teenager living in Australia for potential exchange student groups, or recycling in Japan compared with Australia for the school community’s Environment Week events
- Elaboration creating a print or digital poster in Japanese to promote travel to a significant cultural location on a First Nations Country/Place, including what to see and do
- Elaboration understanding textual conventions of familiar types of texts such as めいし, emails, conversations, speeches, advertisements, stories and songs, and how they are typically constructed, for example, considering the use of particular layouts, visual images and grammatical features in advertisements, manga or brochures
- Elaboration using a range of familiar textual structures and features to suit the audience, context and purpose, for example, writing a simple email or letter to a host family using polite form, set expressions, paragraphs, and salutations
- Elaboration using a range of modelled grammatical structures when creating texts such as です、ます、ました、ませんでした、ましょう and appropriate punctuation, for example, full stops (。) and commas (、)
- Elaboration creating informative texts using print or digital tools, for example, reporting on events and activities through a personal blog, digital post, formal speech, diagrams, charts or illustrated schedules きのうサッカーのしあいでした。わたしのがっこうのチームはかちました。
- Elaboration understanding how to create textual cohesion using elements such as paragraphing or conjunctions to sequence and link ideas and maintain the flow of expression, for example, そして、それから、でも
- Elaboration creating texts using hiragana and katakana, with charts and resources as support, with some kanji for numbers, days of the week and high-frequency nouns, adjectives and verbs, such as 人、先生、日本、大きい、小さい、友だち、見ます、行きます
They use some familiar katakana and kanji, and hiragana, with support.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EC06 Communicating meaning in Japanese
create spoken, written and multimodal, informative and imaginative texts for familiar contexts and purposes using appropriate vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures and some textual conventions, and hiragana and katakana with support of the chart and some familiar kanji
Elaborations (10)
- Elaboration creating imaginative texts (written, multimodal, role-play, digital clip, photo montage, etc.) across a variety of modes to engage others, for example, a comic strip based on an imaginative routine, a story modelled on a folktale or fable, a commercial about new product
- Elaboration creating and illustrating informative and/or imaginative bilingual texts, for example, creating labels to post around the school, story books, posters, captions, and subtitles
- Elaboration working collaboratively to create a skit or role-play for a specific purpose and audience, for example, a glimpse into a week in the life of a teenager living in Australia for potential exchange student groups, or recycling in Japan compared with Australia for the school community’s Environment Week events
- Elaboration creating a print or digital poster in Japanese to promote travel to a significant cultural location on a First Nations Country/Place, including what to see and do
- Elaboration understanding textual conventions of familiar types of texts such as めいし, emails, conversations, speeches, advertisements, stories and songs, and how they are typically constructed, for example, considering the use of particular layouts, visual images and grammatical features in advertisements, manga or brochures
- Elaboration using a range of familiar textual structures and features to suit the audience, context and purpose, for example, writing a simple email or letter to a host family using polite form, set expressions, paragraphs, and salutations
- Elaboration using a range of modelled grammatical structures when creating texts such as です、ます、ました、ませんでした、ましょう and appropriate punctuation, for example, full stops (。) and commas (、)
- Elaboration creating informative texts using print or digital tools, for example, reporting on events and activities through a personal blog, digital post, formal speech, diagrams, charts or illustrated schedules きのうサッカーのしあいでした。わたしのがっこうのチームはかちました。
- Elaboration understanding how to create textual cohesion using elements such as paragraphing or conjunctions to sequence and link ideas and maintain the flow of expression, for example, そして、それから、でも
- Elaboration creating texts using hiragana and katakana, with charts and resources as support, with some kanji for numbers, days of the week and high-frequency nouns, adjectives and verbs, such as 人、先生、日本、大きい、小さい、友だち、見ます、行きます
Students approximate Japanese sound patterns, intonation and rhythms, and recognise the relationship between spoken and written forms.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EU01 Understanding language and culture
recognise and use features of the Japanese sound system, including pitch, rhythm, stress, pronunciation and intonation, and demonstrate understanding of how these are represented in familiar contexts
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration pronouncing hiragana and katakana sounds, including voiced and unvoiced forms and all combined sounds (contractions and blends)
- Elaboration recognising that in the copula です, and the verb suffix ます, the 'u' is devoiced in normal speech
- Elaboration understanding the system of Japanese sound combinations: Japanese has 5 vowels; a vowel can be attached to all consonants except ん, and the basic unit of sound of Japanese is mora
- Elaboration understanding that the sounds of hiragana and katakana are identical even though the associated scripts are different
- Elaboration using available combinations of katakana to experiment with the Japanese pronunciation of loan words, for example, レストラン 、マクドナルド
- Elaboration becoming familiar with the rhythm of Japanese, recognising the concept of the ‘foot’ フット as the minimum unit of rhythm, and that one foot in Japanese consists of 2 moras, for example, ごちそうさま is pronounced as a 3-foot word
- Elaboration recognising the relationship between stress, pacing and meaning, and using appropriate intonation patterns for familiar language to exclaim, make statements or ask questions, for example, demonstrating fluency in reading a text aloud
- Elaboration applying knowledge of the sounds of Japanese by using a keyboard with romaji input to type modelled sentences and short paragraphs selecting hiragana, katakana or kanji appropriate to context
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EU02 Understanding language and culture
develop knowledge of, and use structures and features of the Japanese grammatical and writing systems to understand and create spoken, written and multimodal texts
Elaborations (12)
- Elaboration understanding the origins of Japanese script (kanji from China; hiragana was formed by simplifying the form of kanji, while katakana was formed using a part of kanji) and that modern Japanese uses all 3 scripts depending on word origins and context
- Elaboration understanding and using a range of particles to perform different functions, including sentence-ending particles such as か and ね
- Elaboration understanding that each individual kanji represents meaning as well as sound, for example, 日 (‘sun’, ‘day’), and that some kanji characters come from pictographs, for example, 山
- Elaboration understanding how to use い and な adjectives in the present and past tense, positive and negative, in basic sentences, for example, たのしい、たのしかった、 たのしくない、 ゆうめいな、 ゆうめいじゃない
- Elaboration understanding the use of furigana as a tool to support reading, and romaji to type in Japanese
- Elaboration understanding and using basic Japanese punctuation marks such as a まる (。)、てん (、), katakana long vowel mark (ー), and basic writing conventions involved when using げんこうようし
- Elaboration applying the principles of basic stroke order to write all kana and high-frequency kanji such as numbers, days of the week, family members, and basic adjectives and verbs
- Elaboration reading and writing all hiragana and katakana including voiced, contracted and blended sounds; understanding the systematic nature of the kana chart and Japanese grammar to support learning
- Elaboration using basic types of sentence structures in Japanese, understanding that word order of noun phrases is flexible as long as particle use is correct, and sentences end with a verb/copula: subject は noun です。, subject は adjective です。, subject は object/place を／に verb ます
- Elaboration using a range of familiar verbs in the present and past tense, including both positive and negative, for example, 行きます、見ません、たべました、ききませんでした
- Elaboration creating cohesion, flow and adding detail by using conjunctions そして、それから、でも, adverbs まい日、ときどき、とても and linking nouns and adjectives おいしくて、母と
- Elaboration counting from 1–100 and using some basic Japanese counters such as 人、才、月、日
They demonstrate understanding that Japanese has conventions and rules for scripts, non-verbal, spoken and written communication.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EU02 Understanding language and culture
develop knowledge of, and use structures and features of the Japanese grammatical and writing systems to understand and create spoken, written and multimodal texts
Elaborations (12)
- Elaboration understanding the origins of Japanese script (kanji from China; hiragana was formed by simplifying the form of kanji, while katakana was formed using a part of kanji) and that modern Japanese uses all 3 scripts depending on word origins and context
- Elaboration understanding and using a range of particles to perform different functions, including sentence-ending particles such as か and ね
- Elaboration understanding that each individual kanji represents meaning as well as sound, for example, 日 (‘sun’, ‘day’), and that some kanji characters come from pictographs, for example, 山
- Elaboration understanding how to use い and な adjectives in the present and past tense, positive and negative, in basic sentences, for example, たのしい、たのしかった、 たのしくない、 ゆうめいな、 ゆうめいじゃない
- Elaboration understanding the use of furigana as a tool to support reading, and romaji to type in Japanese
- Elaboration understanding and using basic Japanese punctuation marks such as a まる (。)、てん (、), katakana long vowel mark (ー), and basic writing conventions involved when using げんこうようし
- Elaboration applying the principles of basic stroke order to write all kana and high-frequency kanji such as numbers, days of the week, family members, and basic adjectives and verbs
- Elaboration reading and writing all hiragana and katakana including voiced, contracted and blended sounds; understanding the systematic nature of the kana chart and Japanese grammar to support learning
- Elaboration using basic types of sentence structures in Japanese, understanding that word order of noun phrases is flexible as long as particle use is correct, and sentences end with a verb/copula: subject は noun です。, subject は adjective です。, subject は object/place を／に verb ます
- Elaboration using a range of familiar verbs in the present and past tense, including both positive and negative, for example, 行きます、見ません、たべました、ききませんでした
- Elaboration creating cohesion, flow and adding detail by using conjunctions そして、それから、でも, adverbs まい日、ときどき、とても and linking nouns and adjectives おいしくて、母と
- Elaboration counting from 1–100 and using some basic Japanese counters such as 人、才、月、日
They comment on aspects of Japanese and English language structures and features, using metalanguage.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EU03 Understanding language and culture
compare Japanese language structures and features with English, using familiar metalanguage
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration identifying similarities and differences in Japanese and English writing systems, grammatical rules or the use of elements such as pronouns, particles and absence of articles
- Elaboration developing metalanguage for communicating about language and structures, using terms such as noun, pronoun, verb, adjective and conjunction, and cross-referencing with knowledge of English language syntax and parts of speech
- Elaboration identifying words of Japanese origin used in English, for example, judo, karaoke, karate, obento, tempura, and recognising how they may be expressed in Japanese compared with English
- Elaboration recognising the use of words borrowed in Japanese from other languages such as English, French, Dutch and Portuguese, for example, サッカー、ゴルフ、パン、ランドセル and noting how these are pronounced by Japanese speakers
They demonstrate awareness that the Japanese language is connected with culture and identity, and how this is reflected in their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Content descriptorAC9LJ8EU04 Understanding language and culture
recognise how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), beliefs, attitudes and values
Elaborations (9)
- Elaboration learning about values and beliefs that are important in Japanese society and that contribute to identity, such as maintaining harmony and a sense of collective wellbeing, avoiding conflict and expressing well wishes, and how these are reflected through language and behaviours
- Elaboration exploring their own identity, and recognising elements of identity that may be important across all cultures, for example, recognising identity through family, community, location, language, religion, age, gender and how language use and communication can have an impact
- Elaboration identifying and explaining phrases that require cultural knowledge in order to be understood in translation, for example, understanding はじめまして。よろしくおねがいします。 and that the question, おげんきですか。is a genuine health enquiry rather than a greeting
- Elaboration recognising how First Nations Australians’ connections to social and physical environments can be compared with Japanese-speaking peoples’ connections to nature and respect for the natural environment
- Elaboration considering how the Japanese language (certain phrases) reflects traditional practices and values, for example, thinking about language that is associated with family life and work, いただきます、ただいま、おかえり、おつかれさまです
- Elaboration understanding that the Japanese language has many ways of expressing values such as consideration and respect, for example, どうぞ、どうも、すみません、 おくれて すみません、 しつれいします、 and using indirect forms of refusal and softening responses, for example, ちょっと … あんまり …
- Elaboration understanding language variation based on age, relationship, and the level of familiarity between participants, for example, お母さん versus 母、～さん versus ちゃん／くん, use of honorifics ご and お, avoiding あなた when showing politeness
- Elaboration preparing a personal profile to exchange with Japanese-speaking students, showing cultural background, what is important to them, beliefs and interests using images, captions and symbols, and reflect on possible differences and similarities between them and Japanese students
- Elaboration researching elements of Japanese culture, identity, beliefs and identifying values, noticing similarities, and commenting on what is new or surprising
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Years 7 to 8 Japanese · Years 7 to 10 sequence. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicating meaning in Japanese | Interacting in Japanese | 3 | 18 |
| Communicating meaning in Japanese | Mediating meaning in and between languages | 2 | 13 |
| Communicating meaning in Japanese | Creating text in Japanese | 1 | 10 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding systems of language | 3 | 24 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture | 1 | 9 |
| Total | 10 | 74 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Years 7 to 8 Japanese?
By the end of Year 8, students use Japanese language to interact and collaborate with others, and to share information and plan activities in familiar contexts. They respond to others’ contributions, and recognise familiar gestures, questions and instructions in exchanges. Read the full standard
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
10 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Communicating meaning in Japanese: 6, Understanding language and culture: 4).
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.