Languages

French

Languages lead on to a wide variety of tertiary courses and jobs in commerce, tourism, education, media industry and any positions requiring advanced communication skills. A second language is becoming more beneficial when applying for jobs. There are opportunities to travel to French speaking countries in order to improve students’ language and cultural skills.

Japanese

There are many job opportunities in both Japan and New Zealand, using Japanese, in the tourism and business sector. Learning Japanese also facilitates the learning of other languages. The discipline and skills used to learn Japanese have been proven to benefit further study with increased memorization, listening and concentration.

Māori

Knowledge of Te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga (Māori Language – Traditions and Protocol) will enable students to:

• Gain knowledge of New Zealand’s founding culture and to play a part in the retention of this unique language and culture.
• Understand and respect cultural differences in Aotearoa.
• Enable students to feel comfortable with Tikanga Māori as they participate in a variety of Māori situations, eg Marae visit, Powhiri, Kapa Haka.
• Improve career prospects in education, health, social services, indigenous private sector, tourism, law, politics, ministerial work.

Spanish

Spanish is widely spoken around the world and an ability to speak this language proficiently is invaluable in tourism, education, the media industry and government departments. Students’ English skills and cultural awareness are improved, both of which are an asset to any future vocation. View a video of the 2023 trip to Spain here.

Different societies (French, Spanish, Japanese and Te Reo Maori) are all explored through language and culture.

French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world so let us give you the skills to explore this subject.
During this two year course, you will develop your French language skills through a range of practical topics, and learn about the rich French culture.

Some of the topics we cover include:
Greetings
Family
Eating and Drinking
Shopping
Also lots of hands-on cultural activities such as cooking, painting, games and sports are enjoyed throughout the course.

Extension Activities:
Reciprocal exchange to a French-speaking country
Alliance Française Oral Competition (Dunedin)
French Film Festival (Dunedin)
Education Perfect Language Championships

In Years 9 and 10, the students study topics such as:

• Greetings
• Sports and leisure activities
• Family
• School life
• Eating and drinking
• Describing people

While studying these topics the students study all three of the alphabets in the Japanese writing system. This includes the hiragana and katakana scripts and thirtythree kanji.

Extension Activities:

• Southland Japanese Speech Competition
• Japanese Trivia Championships
• Education Perfect Language Championships
• Level 1 ALC Exam
• KFA Hanami Festival
• Hosting students from Kumagaya
• Trip to Kumagaya, Japan

“Ko te putake o te Maoritanga ko te Reo.”
“The foundation of Maori culture is the Language”

In Year 9 and 10, students concentrate on developing the language skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking. Some topics studied at these two levels are:

• Formalities
• Family
• Time
• School life
• Likes and dislikes
• Food
• Directions
• Invitations

Tikanga Māori (Māori Life and Customs) is an integral part of the Te Reo Māori language course. Students are encouraged to participate in Kapa Haka (culture group) under the guidance of our very capable tutors.

Māori is a valuable asset to have for many jobs, in the government sector (e.g. Education, Ambassador, Health and Justice), the Arts, Business and Tourism industries.

Cost:
Year 9 Māori – Māori to Go Book 1 $18 write in workbook
Year 10 Māori – Māori to Go Book 2 $18 write in workbook

Extension Activities:

• Kapa Haka
• Manu Kōrero
• Polyfest
• Tunu kai
• Marae visit
• Cultural trip

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. Spanish is spoken not only in Spain but also in more than twenty countries in Latin America and in southern areas of the United States. In Years 9 and 10 the students study topics such as:

• Greetings
• Family
• Eating and drinking
• School life
• Describing people
• Invitations
• Describing places
• Weather
• Giving directions
• Celebrations

The course is based on the four main language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. As well as learning the vocabulary and sentence structures, the students will also study the cultural aspects of each topic.

Extension Activities:

• Education Perfect National Video Competition
• Trip to Spain
• Spanish Camp
• Education Perfect Language Championship
• STANZA Speech Competitions

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The aims are to understand, speak, read and write simple French in preparation for NCEA Level 2 the following year. We cover a variety of topics which continues on from Year 9 and 10. Topics include travel, health, explaining problems, school life, Paris and food. There is a prescribed list of vocabulary and grammar to be covered. There is also the opportunity to participate in speech competitions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Using the knowledge gained in Year 9 and 10, this course will cover more vocabulary, sentence structures and kanji in preperation for NCEA Level 2 the following year. The three main topics studied are My People, My Day and My Holidays. You will continue to improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. You will have learnt about 55 kanji by the end of Year 11.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The Year 11 Te Reo Māori course aims to develop speaking, writing, reading and listening skills that align with the Year 11 language grammar progressions. Topics covered in this course include pepeha, mihi, history of Te Reo, Matariki, whānau and kura. There is also an opportunity for students to participate in our regional Manu Kōrero Speech competitions. Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui tātou ki te ako i te reo Māori.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The aims are to understand, speak, read and write simple Spanish. A variety of topics are covered leading on from Year 10. Possible areas of learning are health and wellbeing, talking about the past and reading and following recipes. Students will learn how to use colloquial Spanish and read a range of Spanish texts. There is a prescribed list of vocabulary and grammar to be covered. There is also the opportunity to participate in speech competitions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a combined course with Level 3 focusing on all four skills in preparation for the NCEA assessments; reading, writing, listening and speaking. There is a set list of vocabulary and grammar. The topics studied include Future plans, French speaking places and Film Study. There is also the opportunity to participate in speech competitions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will cover more vocabulary, advanced sentence structures and kanji using the four language skills; reading, writing, listening and speaking. The topics studied are Family Life, Eating and Drinking, The Japanese School System and Leisure Activities.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We aim for students being able to demonstrate their:

• competence in the use of oral Māori (speaking and listening) in a formal situation
• competence in writing Māori
• ability to comprehend written Māori
• ability to research and present information on Te Reo Māori
• good understanding of tikanga Māori
• an awareness of Te Ao Māori and Tikanga Māori

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students will continue with their study of Spanish from Year 11 and will learn a much wider range of vocabulary and more complex grammatical structures. We study topics such as Teenagers’ Issues, Future Plans and Travel. There is also the opportunity to participate in speech competitions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Almost all basic structures of French are taught by the end of Level 2, so in Level 3 we have the opportunity to read stories, articles and books meant for French adults rather than material specially prepared for those learning French as a foreign language.

The course is divided into 4 main skill areas in preparation for the NCEA assessments; reading, writing, listening and speaking. There is a set list of vocabulary and grammar. For Level 3 we study topics such as Future plans, French speaking places and Film Study. There is also the opportunity to participate in speech competitions.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will cover more vocabulary, advanced sentence structures and kanji using the four language skills; listening, reading, writing and speaking. The topics studied include Land & People, Travel & Tourism, Fairy Tales and Environmental Issues.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We aim for students being able to demonstrate their ability to

• speak Māori confidently and appropriately
• comprehend written Māori
• research, analyse, speak and write their thoughts on Te Ao Māori and Tikanga Māori – Wairua Māori permeates all levels of Tikanga (Living World and Culture of Māori, Past, Present and Future)
• write Māori accurately and appropriately

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students will continue with their study of Spanish from Level 2, learning a wider variety of vocabulary and grammar. The course is divided into four main skill areas in preparation for the NCEA assessments; reading, writing, listening and speaking. At Level 3 we study topics such as The Environment, Different Destinations in the Hispanic World, Film and Trends. There is also the opportunity to participate in speech competitions.