Ready Steady NihonGO! was carefully structured to tie in with the National Curriculum Objectives for KS2 Modern Foreign Languages at the time of design. These aims are all clearly stated in the initial summary and also at the start of each lesson plan. Curriculum links to other subject areas are also listed, thus making Ready Steady NihonGO! a complete and cross-curricular unit of work suitable for use in any upper primary classroom.
Ready Steady NihonGO! meets many criteria stated within the current national curriculum for Key Stage Two Languages Programme of Study. Points of particular relevance include the following:
- listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
- explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
- engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others
- read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
- understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied
Children who complete the ten week course will have laid the foundation stones in language awareness which will support any future study of Japanese. In addition to building language skills, Ready Steady NihonGO! also gives students an opportunity to increase their cultural awareness by introducing them to cultural traditions, celebrations and stories which are different to their own and allowing them to make comparisons.