A Level Japanese Edexcel

This subject is broken down into 30 topics in 3 modules:

  1. Module: Reading and Understanding 10 topics
  2. Module: Written Expression 10 topics
  3. Module: Listening and Comprehending 10 topics
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  • 3
    modules
  • 30
    topics
  • 10,634
    words of revision content
  • 1+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Japanese

Module: Reading and Understanding

Comprehending key ideas and in-depth details from varied written material.

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Comprehending key ideas and in-depth details from varied written material.

Understanding Key Ideas

  • Familiarise yourself with common keywords and phrases used in Japanese, such as "因果関係" (cause and effect), "対比" (contrast), and "逆説" (paradox).
  • Develop the ability to distinguish the main theme from the details or supporting information present in written texts.
  • Try to identify the author's viewpoint or standpoint to understand the central argument or hypothesis in the text.
  • Use context to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases, instead of relying solely on your vocabulary.

Comprehending In-depth Details

  • Practice reading and understanding different types of texts, such as newspaper articles, essays, letters, or literature extracts.
  • Develop skills to recognise and interpret advanced grammatical constructs, like conditional, hypothetical, and subjunctive forms.
  • Enhance your competency in recognising different writing styles like formal, informal, scientific, or poetic and how they affect the understood meaning.
  • Try to understand cultural references or idioms, as they can significantly impact the intended nuances in the text.

Strategic Reading

  • Learn to implement skim reading for getting an overall idea of the content, and scan reading for locating specific information quickly.
  • It's helpful to note down important points while reading for better recall later on.
  • Comprehending in-depth details may involve backtracking and re-reading certain sections for better understanding.
  • Use a Japanese dictionary expertly and efficiently. It’s also useful to know how to use electronic resources for confirming the meanings and readings of kanji.

Exam Practice

  • Make full use of past paper questions for familiarising yourself with the format and question types you will encounter.
  • Time yourself while practicing past papers to develop an understanding of how quickly you need to read and comprehend material.
  • Regularly review your work and get feedback from a mentor or peers for evaluating how well you understood the main ideas and in-depth details of passages.
  • Always revise mistakes and misunderstood content to fine-tune your comprehension skills.

Course material for Japanese, module Module: Reading and Understanding, topic Comprehending key ideas and in-depth details from varied written material.

Japanese

Module: Written Expression

Writing formal letters, emails and descriptive essays.

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Writing formal letters, emails and descriptive essays.

Crafting Formal Letters and Emails

  • Understand the structure of a formal letter or email. The basic structure should include: the sender's address, date, recipient's address, salutation, body, closing, and signature.

  • Begin with the appropriate formal salutation. Depending on the person you are addressing, you may use different phrases - "敬具" for someone you don't know well, "拝啓" for more formal occasions.

  • Use proper honorific language to show respect. Formal letters should consistently use 'です' and 'ます' style language.

  • Close your letter or email appropriately. Common phrases include "宜しくお願いします" or "敬具."

  • In correspondence, clarify essential details or any requests with politeness and tact.

  • Be mindful of the set phrases and manners that are characteristic of written Japanese correspondence. For instance, "お忙しいところ恐縮ですが", used at the start of a letter, acknowledges and apprecises the reader's time.

Formulating Descriptive Essays

  • Start with an engaging opening paragraph to grab the reader's interest.

  • Use varied sentence structures to introduce information rather than relying solely on the basic Subject-Object-Verb structure.

  • Use adjectives and adverbs effectively to create a vivid image. Boosting your essay's descriptive power requires the skillful use of these words.

  • Build upon basic sentence structure to make sentences more diverse and complex.

  • Integrate transitional phrases to link your thoughts and strengthen the overall flow of your essay.

  • Create pictures or evoke emotions by effectively using metaphorical expressions, similes, and idiomatic phrases.

  • Conclude your essay with a summarizing paragraph or a reflective statement to leave a lasting impression.

Pro Tips

  • Proofread your writing carefully before submission. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting can all affect the quality of your communication.

  • Frequent writing practice can significantly enhance your ability to communicate in written Japanese.

  • Examining and emulating the styles of published Japanese letters, emails, and essays can help you understand what is expected in Japanese written expression.

  • Keeping a study list of useful phrases and vocabularies for letters, emails, and essays can serve as a useful resource in improving your realism and write more naturally in a Japanese setting.

Course material for Japanese, module Module: Written Expression, topic Writing formal letters, emails and descriptive essays.

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