High School students study one of two foreign languages, Japanese and Spanish, as part of the international orientation of our curriculum. In addition to learning these languages, students study different aspects of Japanese and Spanish-speaking cultures. The ability to communicate in a foreign language will prove crucial in an ever more diverse society. Studying foreign languages also gives students a deeper understanding of their native tongue through an appreciation of the differences between languages. All courses are conducted almost exclusively in the target language. In addition, classes are taught at different levels to accommodate individual experience, if any, with the language.
9th Grade
This course is taught mostly in Japanese except for grammatical explanations. It accommodates both students who are new to the language and those with varying degrees of proficiency. Students develop four primary skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Ninth grade Japanese emphasizes communication through conversational skills. Students learn verb conjugations such as potential and volitional forms, and add transitivity pairs to their knowledge. Students may begin communicating in Japanese with students from a sister school in Japan. They will learn thirty more Kanji as well as extending their use of Hiragana and Katakana. Throughout Upper School, students deepen their understanding of Japanese culture through field trips, movies and crafts, by reading authors like Shiga Naoya and by participating in Japanese celebrations.
10th Grade
Taught mostly in Japanese, this course requires a level of knowledge and skill of the language. Students continue to practice speaking skills but add more writing tasks such as keeping a weekly journal. Students learn such grammatical topics as honorific verbs, extra-modest expressions and passive sentences. Students also read articles from Japanese newspapers and magazines and continue to explore new authors like Yoshimoto Banana. They will add thirty more Kanji. Students may host visitors from our Japanese sister school.
11th Grade
This course is taught almost exclusively in Japanese. Since students may visit Japan this year in an exchange program, students practice conversational skills that address Japanese customs and appropriate behavior in cultural contexts. Grammatical topics such as causative sentences and causative-passive sentences are covered. Students read more advanced materials including literary works by Dazai Osamu and Shinichi Hoshi. About thirty more Kanji will be added. This course is equivalent to a third-year college Japanese course in advanced composition and conversation.
12th Grade
This course focuses on the study of Japanese language, literature and culture. The course is taught entirely in Japanese. Students develop four primary language skills to a fully functional level, integrating them into their own projects about Japanese culture. Students read The Tale of Genji, translated into modern Japanese, and works from authors such as Natsume Souseki, Yosano Akiko, Shiga Naoya, Yoshimoto Banana and Murasaki Shikibu. Students may elect to sit the AP Japanese Exam this year.