Japanese: 7–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Understanding / Systems of language
Content description
Recognise and understand the relationship between the character-based scripts of hiragana, katakana and kanji
Elaborations
understanding that the Japanese language uses three different scripts depending on word origins and on the context of language use
reading and writing all hiragana and katakana, including voiced, contracted and blended sounds, using the kana chart
using the kana chart as a systematic framework to support learning
recognising that Japanese can be written vertically or horizontally and has various typefaces in printed form
understanding the use of basic Japanese punctuation marks such as a まる (。) 、 てん (、) and katakana long vowel mark (ー), for example, in a student’s name such as サリー
applying the principles of stroke order to write all kana and high-frequency kanji such as 行きます、 月、 大きい
knowing that kanji were brought from China and that hiragana was formed by simplifying the form of kanji, while katakana was formed using a part of kanji
understanding that each individual kanji represents meaning as well as sound, such as 日 (‘sun’, ‘day’), and that some kanji come from pictographs, for example, 山
learning to write high-frequency kanji, such as numbers, days of the week, family members, and basic adjectives and verbs, applying the basic principles for stroke order, for example, 父、母、小さい、 見ます、日本語
understanding the use of furigana as a tool to support reading
