Japan

At the Park

Home App toolkit Japanese App 6

App 6 overview

At the Park

The Polyglots at the Park features games and activities commonly played in Australia. These learning experiences encourage children to be active and playful participants in a range of engaging activities based on action words. Japanese culture is represented through a game captured on video for children to watch. There are additional items representing Japanese culture in the playspace and within the learning experiences.

Language learning features

  • Repetition: Japanese language is repeated in meaningful contexts, providing many opportunities to hear the language.
  • Visual cues: visual cues and gestures are aligned with spoken language to reinforce and emphasise meaning. The app uses the interactive functionality of the tablet.
  • Production: children have opportunities to produce the language. The learning experiences encourage children to mimic and play with Japanese sounds, words and short phrases. 

Cultural references

Language learning experts emphasise the importance of linking language to culture. To inspire children’s curiosity about Japanese culture, the learning experiences feature cultural items and characters from Japan. 



Unique learning experiences

Each community is unique. Teachers may find a variety of ways to apply the learning experiences in The Polyglots at the Park apps to a particular child, group of children, preschool, school or community.

Links to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and Australian Curriculum

Australian Curriculum

General capabilities - Intercultural Understanding

Reflecting on culture and cultural diversity - Explore the influence of cultures on interactions 

Students are supported to reflect on how their cultural identities relate to others and how others’ cultural identities relate to them.

Engaging with cultural and linguistic diversity - Communicate responsively

Students are supported to learn to tailor their communication in a range of contexts, demonstrating sensitivity and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity. They use their understanding of this diversity to keep communication open, flexible and focused on constructive processes and outcomes.

Navigating intercultural contexts - Adapt in intercultural exchanges

Students are supported to apply their learning in a range of interactions, using their understanding of culture and cultural diversity, and skills in perspective-taking and empathy.

Being

‘Childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world.’ (EYLF)

The Polyglots at the Park playspace mimics an Australian parkland environment with a playground as the main feature.

Becoming

‘Children’s identities, knowledge, understandings, capacities, skills and relationships change during childhood.’ (EYLF)

These elements are enhanced through children’s exposure to Japanese language and culture.

Resources

Resources to extend ELLA into your playspaces:

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Have a question or need some help?

Contact the ELLA helpdesk

[email protected] 1800 468 303 (9 am – 4 pm AEST, Mon–Fri)