Taking Japanese as a second language subject is not an easy task as it requires you to learn three different types of script: hiragana, katakana and kanji characters. For students who only speak English at home, this may seem like a daunting task but there are ways you can prepare for this! The writing assessments of Japanese SL, includes students familiarizing themselves with Japanese grammar and relaying their knowledge about Japanese culture into informative, persuasive and evaluative pieces of writing. Other vital components of Japanese include listening comprehension and speaking where students must be able to converse and express their own opinions in Japanese without the use of notes. It is good to familiarize yourself with the sound of the language and the way that the kanji characters look as these will be used in your essays throughout VCE. Students can do this by watching films with Japanese subtitles or listening to Japanese films with English subtitles. This will help you to pick up keywords even when the style of speaking is faster or less clear.

Additionally, take notes about Japanese traditions and culture such as Oshougatsu and New Year Celebrations throughout the course. This will help you to respond to questions on culture during the VCE exams. Moreover, submit essays to your teacher regularly so that you gain a better understanding of the layout of each text type (such as email, article, and speech) and the key requirements of a persuasive/informative/evaluative text, which are included in the criteria for writing assessments.

‍