PPLI Annual Report 2020 - Flipbook - Page 42
Curriculum Languages: Japanese (2.A.6, 2.B.3, 2.C.1)
Action Progress
In 2020 PPLI provided Senior Cycle (TY, 5th and 6th year) Japanese classes in 36 schools in Dublin, Cork,
Limerick, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Tipperary and Clare with a total of 2,337 students.
Japanese has expanded into Junior Cycle in two schools (Co Dublin and Co Meath).
In addition, Japanese was introduced as a new Leaving Certificate subject in two schools (Dublin and Cork).
Two new schools also came on board with TY Japanese (Co Meath and Dublin). Japanese Leaving Certificate
Saturday School classes in Dublin and Cork cater for nearly 116 students. From September 2020 the Saturday
classes were delivered online due to COVID-19.
18 Japanese teachers were employed by PPLI. Japanese Language Adviser Akiko Harada retired in June, and
PPLI awaits the arrival of a replacement. The teachers can access CPD on MS Teams, which also acted as a
sharing tool, allowing teachers to access materials.
Training for online teaching was offered for Saturday School teachers in addition to one-to-one clinics. For the
Leaving Certificate 2020 PPLI Japanese teachers provided estimated grades to the students in their schools
across the country and also to PPLI Saturday school students.
Teacher clinics were organised in small groups or on a one-to-one basis.
TY Japan Quiz and the Speech Contest
PPLI collaborated for the third year with DCU to deliver the
annual TY Japan Quiz. 150 students participated. A Cork
school took first place under the supervision of a PPLI
Japanese teacher. This annual event has become a very good
opportunity for students to strengthen their interest in
Japanese. It also provides an opportunity for students to
meet other learners from different parts of the country. It acts
as a good promotional opportunity for teachers to promote
study and career opportunities in Japanese.
The 18th Japanese Speech Contest is another annual date on the PPLI Japanese students’ calendar, with
many (if not most) entrants being students supported by PPLI teachers.
Impact
Student feedback
•
Expansion of Japanese as a subject at Junior Cycle
and Leaving Certificate levels has given a greater
number of students an opportunity to study it,
“The best thing was I found the language
interesting and the lessons were fun and engaging.”
increasing subject choice.
•
New TY modules offer students additional
“The teacher was kind. I liked the methods of teaching.
exposure to Japanese.
•
COVID-19 had a great impact on accelerating the
And there was a good atmosphere in the class.”
“It was interactive, new and interesting.”
acquisition of online teaching competency among
teachers. Online teaching on the other hand has had some
negative impact on students, who tell us that they
prefer face-to-face classes.
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