The Cactus Course Outlines provide a learning framework for the Cactus Foreign Language Evening Courses. They are designed to provide you with a good idea of what you might cover over a 10-week period, and include typical themes, grammar and vocabulary fields. They are flexible rather than prescriptive, in that our teachers may decide to adapt their learning plans to the specific level, aims and interests of their classes.

• Japanese Beginner
• Japanese Beginner Plus
• Japanese Elementary
• Japanese Lower Intermediate
• Japanese Intermediate
• Japanese Upper Intermediate

Themes/Lexical Fields can include the following

• Introduce yourself with greetings in Japanese
• Jobs
• Likes & dislikes
• Eating & drinking – ordering something in a restaurant
• Time and numbers – telling and asking the time, counting cardinal numbers
• Everyday objects
• Places – shops, important buildings
• Daily life – routines, free time
• The weather
• Home
• Culture

Grammar

• Basic Japanese grammar rules – (particles ka, wa, no, to and ko so a do words)
• Present
• Past
• Future
• Pronouns – subject, object, possessive
• Singular vs. Plural
• Word order – sentence, question, negative
• Question forming
• Giving instructions – using the imperative
• Modal verbs

Other vocabulary

• Key prepositions
• Key functions – invitations, offers, suggestions, requests
• Key verbs
• Key adjectives/adverbs – size, shape, age, speed
• Colours
• Numbers
• Alphabet – phonetic symbols system
• Character writing system
• Expressions - (please , thank you , sorry and goodbye)
• Simple Directions
• Key linking words (and, but, so, because, or)
• Measurement (classifier)
• Polite form
• Idiomatic expressions

And..

• Extensive practice of tones
• Extensive speaking/active practice
• Extensive listening
• Pronunciation – key sounds
• Write all basic Japanese words ( 200 word vocabulary)
• Read Japanese words (200 word vocabulary)

Themes/Lexical Fields can include the following

• Talking about self & others, inc. family – key personal information
• Jobs
• Travel
• Holidays
• Hotels & restaurants
• Exchanging
• Shopping
• Hobbies
• Town & Country
• Home

Grammar
Review & practise ‘beginner’ level grammar (eg. through mixed tense work – present/past/future)

• Present
• Past
• Future
• Modal verbs
• Possessives
• Comparison
• Ordinal numbers
• Prepositions to describe location of something or someone
• Use general action verbs to describe habits
• Use verbs with negative, past and past negative sentences
• Basic Japanese grammar rules - particles wo, to, ni, de, mo
• Adjectives ( past negative , negative past using both I and NA adjectives)

Other vocabulary
Review & practise ‘beginner’ level vocabulary (eg. through dialogue creation)

• Prepositions of place
• Prepositions of movement
• Directions
• Time phrases – adverbs of frequency
• Who/which/what/how/when/where/how much/how many /why
• Adjectives & adverbs of manner
• Common feelings & emotions
• Measurement (classifier)
• Reduplication

And..

• Extensive speaking/active practice
• Extensive listening
• Pronunciation – key sounds
• Writing basic Kanji (50 characters)
• Read some short Japanese texts (vocabulary of 400 words)

Themes/Lexical Fields can include the following

• Talking about self & others, inc. family – key personal information
• Japanese festivals
• Travel
• Holidays
• Eating & drinking
• Health/illness
• Meetings
• Leisure Time
• Money & shopping
• Studying language

Grammar
Review & practise ‘beginner plus’ level grammar (eg. through mixed tense work – present/past/future)

• Present
• Past
• Future
• Modal verbs
• Comparative/superlative
• Possessives - arimasen
• Attributive sentences
• Understand particle Ni (ni kakimasu, okurimasu…)
• Understand Japanese aspect and use ‘give’ and ‘receive’ verbs
• Offer something –mashouka

Other vocabulary
Review & practise ‘beginner plus’ level vocabulary (eg. through dialogue creation)

• Prepositions of movement
• Word-building (prefix and suffix patterns)
• Word families (noun-verb-adjective-adverb)
• Time phrases
• Who/which/what/how/when/where/how much/how many/why
• Common signs
• Word order

And..

• Extensive speaking/active practice
• Extensive listening
• Pronunciation – key sounds
• Write sentences in Japanese without using Roman Alphabet
• Write some basic Kanji (100 characters)
• Read a short Japanese text (600 word vocabulary)

Themes/Lexical Fields can include the following

• Transport
• Friends
• Complimenting someone
• Parties & socialising
• Leisure time
• Exams
• Computer
• Travelling
• Holidays
• Health

Grammar
Review & practise ‘beginner/elementary’ level grammar (eg. through mixed tense work – present/past/future)

• Present/Past
• Modal verbs
• Continuous: past, present & future – te imasu
• Comparative/superlative
• Relative clauses
• Make verb form – te
• Connect a few actions in one sentence (te-te)
• Make verb form – nai
• Requests –Asking someone to do something –te kudasai
• Permission – Asking permission to do something –te moiidesuka
• Particles – Ni (arrival) and Wo (departure)
• Polite forms – please do not … naidekudasai
• Express preferences –particle ga
• Express desires – verb tai and ga hoshiidesu

Other vocabulary
Review & practise ‘beginner/elementary’ level vocabulary (eg. through dialogue creation)

• Frequency of time expressions
• More extensive word-building
• More extensive word families (noun-verb-adjective-adverb)
• Phrasal verbs
• Invitation
• Common idioms
• Common linking words
• Wider range of functions – inc. social language, giving advice, ordering, booking, making enquiries

And..

• Extensive speaking/active practice
• Extensive listening
• Pronunciation
• Read short Japanese texts ( 800 word vocabulary)
• Write basic Kanji (150 characters)
• Translation

Themes/Lexical Fields can include the following

• A wide range of possibilities, inc. Entertainment, mass media, work, education, school life and routine, the environment, tourism & travel, news, social & political issues, books, generation changes, cities, people, relationships, the arts, technology, health & fitness, social life, night life, national traditions/customs & culture, consumerism, globalisation

Grammar
Review & practise ‘pre-intermediate’ level grammar (eg. through mixed tense/aspect work – present/past/future simple/continuous/perfect)

Consolidate & extend the following concepts & structures:

• Comparatives & Superlatives
• Duration expressions
• Compound sentences
• Passive
• Relative clauses (not only…but…)
• Descriptive adverbials (-ku+v, -ni+v.)
• Conjunctions
• Modal Perfect
• Wish
• Common collocations
• Language to express opinions, eg. dis/agreement, un/certainty
• Comparatives – (nohouga-yori, gaichiban)
• Adjective forms – (te –kute –de)
• Express ability – (kotogadekiru)
• Use verb form –ta
• Express personal experiences using “have done “ –ta kotogaaru
• Express actions –tari-tari
• Understand the aspect of using dictionary form and ta-form – (before doing something and doing something…dictionary form + mae, ta-form + ato)
• Suggestions/Recommendations –no hougaii
• Usage of plain form – (suri, shinai, shita, shinakatta)
• Modifying noun

Other vocabulary
Review & practise ‘pre-intermediate’ level vocabulary (eg. through dialogue creation)

• Consolidate & extend the following:
• Word-building (prefix and suffix patterns)
• Word families (noun-verb-adjective-adverb)
• Common idioms
• Common linking words
• Wide range of functions – inc. social language, advice, ordering, booking, making enquiries

And..

• Extensive speaking/active practice
• Extensive listening
• Pronunciation
• Read and write essays in Japanese
• Read and write some basic kanji ( 200 characters)

Themes/Lexical Fields can include the following

• A wide range of possibilities, inc. Entertainment, mass media, job advertisements, applications and interviews, education, environmental protection, global warming, tourism & travel, news, social & political issues, books, generation changes, cities, people, relationships, the arts, technology, health & fitness, social life, night life, national traditions/customs & culture, consumerism, pollution, website, Chinese, famous personalities.

Grammar
Review, consolidate & extend intermediate’ level grammar.

Introduce:

• Written style & register (formal/informal)
• Different clause types
• Multi-Verb patterns
• Metaphor
• Phrasal verbs
• Register
• Idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms
• Exclamatory expressions

Advanced grammar:

• Noun hodo
• Verb te-form – (+agemasu, kuremasu, moraimasu, +mimasu, +shimaimasu, +teokimasu, +teituaidani)
• Verb dictionary form – (+koto, +kotogasukidesu, +noga-desu, +houga-desu)
• Verb masu-form – (+hajimemasu,+owarimasu, +tsuzukemasu, +yasuidesu, +nikuidesu, +youtoomoimasu)
• Plain form – (+toki)

Other vocabulary
Review & practise ‘pre-intermediate’ level vocabulary (eg. through dialogue creation)

• Word-building (prefix and suffix patterns)
• Word families (noun-verb-adjective-adverb)
• Idioms
• Common linking words
• Wide range of functions
• Collocations
• Compound words
• Word order corresponding to sequence
• More conditional constructions
• Potential verb phrases
• Direct or indirect speech
• Morphemes
• Homophones

And..

• Extensive listening
• Pronunciation
• Translation from Japanese into English and vice versa
• Writing essays about (250 characters) in Japanese
• Discussion to express your opinions
• Read and write some basic Kanji (400 characters)
• Read Japanese texts (1500 word vocabulary)