Teaching Note #007:
“How often should my child have Japanese lessons?”
I’ve been asked this question more and more often recently, especially by parents of Year 10 and Year 11 students.
There isn’t one answer that fits every student. It depends on where they are in their learning journey.
In my classes, I generally recommend one lesson per week for Year 11 students. If a student is still struggling with grammar before Year 12 or during Semester 1 of Year 12, I usually recommend increasing to two lessons per week.
The biggest reason is that Year 11 is when students suddenly begin learning much more complex grammar structures. Even if there isn’t an upcoming SAC or exam, students need regular opportunities to become familiar with those grammar structures. That’s why I recommend at least one tutoring session each week, separate from school, together with regular practice at home.
Building this foundation before Year 12 is important because once Year 12 begins, students suddenly become much busier with SACs and school assessments across multiple subjects. Finding time for two tutoring sessions each week becomes much more difficult. I believe it’s much better to strengthen grammar during Year 11 so that Year 12 can focus on exam preparation.
So, does that mean Year 10 students can simply have lessons once a fortnight?
Not really.
Although students are already learning Japanese at school, a tutoring session once a fortnight usually doesn’t make a significant difference. Language learning requires consistent practice. If the goal is to improve efficiently, I believe weekly lessons are the best option for both Year 10 and Year 11 students.
Another reason I recommend starting early is that many Melbourne students travel to Japan for exchange programs during September and October. Students who continue tutoring before their trip and experience a homestay in Japan often return with much greater confidence in speaking Japanese.
Both VCE and HSC assess reading, listening, writing and speaking. Building confidence in even one or two of these skills before Year 12 can make a real difference when exam preparation begins.
There is no shortcut to language learning. Starting early and staying consistent is still the best investment students can make.
Year11は週に何回？
Teaching Note #007
私のクラスでは、生徒さんには基本的に週1回のセッションをおすすめしています。Year12前の夏休みや、Year12のSemester 1ごろにまだ文法が弱い場合は、週2回を勧めます。
最近、Year11やYear10の生徒さんの問い合わせもいただき、「どのくらいの頻度がいいと思いますか？」と聞かれますが、Year11に関しては、Year10から突如いろんな文法を習い始めるので、Grammar structureに慣れるために、試験がなくても最低でも週1回、学校の勉強とは別に、Tutorとのクラスを入れて、日本語を家でも練習する時間を作っておきたいところです。
なぜならYear12が始まると、急にいろんな科目のSACや校内アセスメントが始まり、週2回の時間の確保が難しくなるからです。その前になるべく基礎をしっかり固めて、Year12ではできる限り試験対策に集中するのがベストだと思います。
「じゃあYear10は隔週でもいい？」といえば、そうでもないです。学校で習ってはいますが、語学は2週に1回Tutorセッションをしたところで、さほどなにも変わらないからです。効率的に成績を上げるなら、Year10もYear11も週1回が一番いいですね。
9月10月はメルボルンから交換留学で日本に行くYear10、Year11の生徒が多いようです。Tutorセッションを続けながら日本でホームステイをすれば、帰ってくる頃にはスピーキングにしっかり自信を持てると思います。
VCE、HSCともに、ライティング、リスニング、リーディング、スピーキング、全ての能力を問われる試験です。1つでも2つでも得意項目を作っておくことに越したことはないです。
早めに始めて、しかも継続することが大事ですね。