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Language Courses for Children

Course Introduction

Since its inception in 1986, ICC has been offering excellent Japanese language courses for children of different ages, using an effective teaching method and attractive learning materials. The courses are designed to fit the exact level and specific needs of each child. The curriculum and teaching materials cover listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in order to help the children get ready for their Japanese studies at school, and prepare them for any Japanese language proficiency exam they wish to take.

Our one-to-one lesson system offers you total flexibility and guarantees the children make maximum progress in the time they have. Semi-Private lessons and Group lessons are also available for children who wish to study with family members or friends. You can start a course at any time, and schedule the lessons how and when you like. Lessons can be held anytime, from 8:00am to 11:00pm, 7 days a week, all year long. Instruction can take place at our schools or at your home. Upon request, a free trial lesson can be arranged at your convenience.

Languages Taught at ICC

In addition to English, Japanese, and the other most popular languages studied in Japan, such as French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Korean, more than 50 other languages and dialects are taught at ICC: If the desired language is not included in the above list, please let us know. We are confident we can help.

Learning Objectives for Basic to Intermediate Level Courses

Higher level courses will be adapted to the exact level and specific needs of every child.
The main goal of the Japanese Courses for Children is to help the children use, improve and expand all their Japanese language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar), and reach a higher level of proficiency in their chosen exams. In addition to improving their conversational skills, equal focus is given to listening and reading comprehension as well as grammar and exam techniques.

These courses will help the children to…
• Introduce themselves properly in Japanese.
• Communicate effectively and confidently.
• Improve their ability to express themselves correctly.
• Improve their grammar and develop accurate pronunciation.
• Improve their reading and writing ability and expand their vocabulary.
• Get used to thinking in Japanese.
• Understand and use a wide range of language structures and functions. 
• Understand the main points of standard speech.

• Communicate hopes and desires properly. 
• Produce correct sentences to describe their school and family
• Deal with situations likely to arise while living, studying or travelling in Japan.
• Write simple notes and messages related to matters of immediate need.
• Read and understand short stories, notes, messages and texts related to everyday events.
• Prepare for placement tests and other exams
• Improve performance at school
• Develop cultural awareness.

Sample Course Outline and Content

The course outline and content below are designed to provide you with a general idea of what your child might cover in a typical basic to intermediate level course. Upon enrollment, the course curriculum will be adapted to each child’s exact level, specific needs and interests.

Course Outline
Speaking, listening and reading will be emphasized. Improving proficiency in speaking and reading
will also re-enforce listening skills. Knowledge of vocabulary will be gradually increased. Structured
activities will be utilized to integrate speaking, listening, reading, and any new vocabulary. Writing will

also be taught but with less weight than the other skills, depending on the children’s needs.

Speaking
Listening to a wide variety of materials in Japanese and discussing the content and context to check for meaning.

Listening
The children will listen to dialogues, short stories and other interesting materials, selected for use of vocabulary, idioms, accents and representation of Japanese life and culture, and will engage in discussions relating to both content and context. This will also improve the children’s understanding of different voices and accents.

Reading
Interesting textbooks and other reading materials will be used. Our instructors will lead focused reviews of vocabulary, grammatical structures and discourse features.

Writing
Writing exercises will be done in class as well, but will mainly be a part of homework assignments. The children will write sentences, diaries, and short stories using new vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced during the lessons.

Assignments
Depending on the children’s home study time, they will be assigned about one hour of homework after every class to review the previous lessons and preview material that will be covered in the next class.

Assessment
In addition to regular short tests, the instructors will give the children a final test at the end of the course, assess their progress, and make recommendations for continued study.

Books and Materials

In addition to the main textbooks, other authentic materials will be used for reading and listening practice. For example, the children will read and listen to short dialogues and short stories and discuss their content and context. All classrooms are equipped with computers which allow both instructor and child to access authentic materials via the Internet. 

Course Content
Depending on your exact level and specific needs, the course content might include the following:

1.Communicative content
• How to introduce oneself properly in Japanese.
• How to greet people
• How to count
• How to describe things through colors
• How to express likes and dislikes
• How to describe parts of the body
• How to describe oneself and one’s family
• Words and expressions related to toys
• The days of the week and the months of the year
• How to ask and tell the time
• How to describe what someone is wearing
• How to describe daily routines and common activities
• How to talk about health and emergencies
• How to talk about leisure time, arts and sports
• How to describe people’s physical appearance
• How to talk about the weather
• How to ask and give directions
• Common phrases and vocabulary related to eating and drinking
• Other subjects related to the children’s specific needs

2. Pronunciation and intonation
• Key sounds and phonemes
• Word and sentence stress
• Intonation
• Linked sounds
• Dealing with other common pronunciation and intonation problems

3. Grammar content
• Present, past, future and other tenses
• Modal verb structures
• Imperatives
• The affirmative, negative and interrogative forms
• Word order and word classes
• Adjectives, adverbs and prepositions
• Linking words
• Word families
• Common idioms and common collocations
• Compounds and narratives
• Other important grammar points

4. Cultural content
• Greetings and introductions
• Traditions and customs
• Social and family life
• Common directional signs
• Multiculturalism and intercultural communication
• Religion and beliefs
• Education
• Regional differences
• Gestures

• Other important cultural subjects

Types of Lessons

One-to-one Lessons
Our One-to-one Lesson system offers total flexibility and guarantees that the children make maximum progress in the time they have. Following a thorough needs analysis and level testing, instruction plans and teaching materials are tailor-made to suit each child’s exact level and specific needs.

Semi-Private Lessons　（Small classes of  two  to five students）
Semi-Private Lessons are available for children who wish to study with family members or friends. Each child undergoes a rigorous needs analysis and a level testing process to ensure the language instruction plan will be effective. The emphasis will usually be on developing communicative skills. However, the course curriculum can be adapted to the specific needs of each child.

Group Lessons (Classes of more than five students)
As with Semi-Private Lessons, Group Lessons are available for children who wish to study with family members or friends. Each child undergoes a rigorous needs analysis and a level testing process to ensure the language instruction plan will be effective. The emphasis will usually be on developing communicative skills. However, the course curriculum can be adapted to the specific needs of each child.

On-site Lessons
Upon request, ICC can dispatch excellent Japanese instructors to your home. Our tailor-made language programs are flexible and adjustable. We will listen to and analyse the children’s needs, create a suitable program, and modify it where and when necessary. When preparing the course curriculum, the children’s schedule, proficiency level, and specific needs will all be taken into account.

 

Instructors

Our courses are conducted by professional Japanese instructors. As we are convinced that the success of our schools ultimately depends on the quality and efforts of our personnel, we hire only instructors that are well-experienced, friendly and dedicated to their work. Depending on the children’s objectives, typical classroom activities might include role-plays, discussions, and other enjoyable language practice.

Our instructors are trained and instructed to:

• • Use Japanese whenever possible when teaching.
• • Ask their students to create realistic and meaningful language.
• • Put new language and ideas into practice as soon as possible.
• • Use techniques to motivate their students into using Japanese as much as possible.
• • Incorporate lots of listening practice.
• • Systematically teach the grammatical structures, vocabulary, and functional language, necessary to achieve the students’ learning aims.
• • Work on pronunciation techniques, intonation, and stress patterns to ensure their students can be understood by others.
• • Make sure that all learning is relevant to the stated objectives.
• • Keep motivation, challenge and interest levels high at all times.
• • Systematically review and repeat new language to make sure it remains active.

 

Approach and Methodology

Our lessons will generally follow an integrated skills approach. Classes will focus on functional and notional areas, and then work on the language skills required to achieve competence in those areas. These will consist of a mix of structural, lexical and cultural items, including work on question forms, polite phrases, and appropriate intonation. The instructors will always follow an active learning approach, engaging their students in Japanese.

Testimonials

Many of our students have decided to study at ICC by being introduced to us by one of their friends, colleagues or family members. Many of them continue to study at our schools for years or come back to learn a different language.

Please listen to the voices of some of our current students and graduates:

“ICC was recommended to me by my father who was also learning at ICC”
Because I had plans to study in Norway, I wanted to become a little familiar with the local language and culture before moving there, so I started to learn Norwegian at ICC when I was in my mid-teens. My father who was also learning Hebrew and Korean at ICC recommended me to learn there too. I think that the advantages of choosing ICC are the wide range of languages offered there and the quality of the teachers they have. I have already graduated from university and have become a member of society, but I am still learning Norwegian at ICC, and I am very pleased with my lessons that my teachers have tailored for me to meet my interests and personality. In my lessons, I mainly read Norwegian newspaper articles and discuss the content in Norwegian with my teachers. I find that every lesson is very efficient and meaningful because in addition to learning the Norwegian language, I can also stay in touch with current events in Norway. Now, I am thinking of learning another minor language ​​such as Hebrew in addition to Norwegian.

C.Y. office employee

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Course Procedure