Skip to Main Content

Japanese GCSE

This course is suitable for those who have already completed the SEG award in the first year or for those who have already studied Japanese up to the equivalent level (please see Japanese SEG for the topic details.)

As a further guide, before starting this course, you should be able to read and write in Japanese scripts (Hiragana and Katakana) and know roughly 100 out of the 200 kanji required for GCSE.

You should also be familiar with the simple past tense in verbs and adjectives, negative forms and various particles.

Qualifications & Assessments

Exam Board Edexcel
Level Level 2
Qualification GCSE
Assessment Method Examination
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

This QCA recognised qualification will develop learners’ 4 skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

The GCSE course is organised into 5 themes:

  • 1. Identity and Culture (yourself, your town, festivals in Japan and in your country, family etc)
  • 2. Local area, holiday and travel
  • 3. School
  • 4. Future aspirations, work and study
  • 5. International and global dimension (international events and environmental issues)

As well as your lessons with your teacher, you will have a timetabled workshop each week in smaller groups to focus on speaking and listening.

At the end of the course you will take four exams, which will test your listening, reading, writing, translation and speaking skills.

Knowledge of a language as distinctive and different as Japanese will make you stand out over people who can only speak one. It will make students more employable. The service industries, business, manufacturing, banking, finance, law, journalism need people who can speak more than one language.

Students who take the subject can take part in a college trip to Japan. They will visit shrines, temples, high tech centres in Tokyo, the centre for world peace in Hiroshima, and our partner high school in Kyoto, the historic former capital of Japan.

You can find all the syllabus and sample papers for New GCSE from here:
http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/japanese-2017.html

News & Blog

Latest From Aquinas

I am thrilled for Aquinas students who have produced another outstanding set of results. Over 58% of A level results have been at the highest grades of A*, A or B, with a 99% pass rate. In addition, 70% of Vocational grades were at Distinction* or Distinction grades with a 100% pass rate. These amazing […]

Aquinas students celebrate their A level results

On Wednesday 19th June the media department took a group of students to visit the excellent facilities at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)’s Media Factory. The students were given a tour of the facilities including a state of the art fully functioning TV studio.

Photograph of inside the Media Factory's TV studio control room.

You can never rely on the British weather, from pouring down rain, to beautiful blue sky, our L6 successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh Gold practice expedition. What an amazing, all be it, wet, experience they had. Their resilience shown to keep going, support each other and work as a team to finish what was […]

Photoshop of students walking up a hill

After sadly losing our dear friend and colleague Grainne last year the Art & Design department are raising money for Sarcoma UK. Those of you that knew Grainne will know, she was energetic, loved life and the great outdoors and was always up for a challenge. So today (7th June) we are hiking 3560ft to […]

Photograph of the art department travelling to Snowdonia