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Japanese Background Speakers Course Prescriptions

Higher School Certificate 2009–2013

Foreword

The HSC course prescriptions for Japanese Background Speakers contain information about the Higher School Certificate for 2009–2013.
The HSC course prescriptions should be read in conjunction with:

• the Japanese Background Speakers Stage 6 Syllabus and other support documents
• the Official Notices section of the Board of Studies website and as published in the Board’s electronic newsletter, the Board Bulletin.

There are prescribed texts required for study in the Japanese Background Speakers course. The Board of Studies reserves the right to make changes to the prescribed texts listed in this document. As the prescribed texts are reviewed, amendments will be published on the Board of Studies website and in the Official Notices section of the Board Bulletin.

Curriculum advice may be obtained on:
tel: (02) 9367 8152
fax: (02) 9367 8476

The study of prescribed texts will not commence prior to the HSC course.

Course prescriptions for Japanese Background Speakers

The Stage 6 Japanese Background Speakers course focuses on the study of language and ideas through prescribed themes and contemporary issues. These themes and contemporary issues are studied through a range of prescribed texts.

Prescribed themes and contemporary issues

The themes and contemporary issues are studied for both the Preliminary and HSC courses.

There are four prescribed themes:

• The individual and the community
• Youth culture
• National identity
• Global issues

Each theme has a number of contemporary issues with which students will engage in their study of Japanese. The contemporary issues are intended to provide a particular perspective or perspectives for each of the themes.

The theme, The individual and the community, enables students to examine the relationship between individuals and groups. This theme will explore changing attitudes towards family and gender groups.

The theme, Youth culture, examines the role of young people in society, and takes into account social and educational perspectives.

The theme, National identity, examines the ways in which Japanese culture has changed. It will also enable students to compare Japanese and other cultures.

The theme, Global issues, allows students to explore issues which are relevant to the global community, such as the human experience, the environment and technology.

Themes	Contemporary issues
The individual and the community	the family in contemporary society the impact of a changing society on the individual gender roles in today’s society
Youth culture	pressures on young people today the place of education in young people’s lives the role of leisure in the young person’s world
National identity	reconciling traditional and contemporary Japanese culture Japan and the international community
Global issues	the universality of human experience preserving the environment the impact of technology

Prescribed texts for HSC study

• Kawai, Hayao, 2004, ‘Kazoku to wa nannanoka’ in Chichioyano chikara hahaoyano chikara, Kodansha + a Shinsho, Tokyo.
• Kurihara, Sadako, 1946, ‘Umashimenkana’, in Kyokasho no shi o yomikaesu, Kawasaki, Hiroshi (ed), Chikumashobo, Tokyo.
• Oe, Kenzaburo, 2001, ‘Naze kodomo wa gakkou ni ikaneba naranai no ka’ in Jibun no ki no shitade, Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo.
• Oe, Kenzaburo, 2001, ‘Shingapouru no gomumari’ in Jibun no ki no shitade, Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo.
• Okuyama, Kazuhiro, 2003, 'Wakagumi no nakademo hassou' and 'Otokonaki no bigaku' in Otokodatera ni onnanaki, Bungeisha, Tokyo.
• Saito, Takeshi (ed), 2005, ‘Takasebune’, in Saito Takashi no ikkini yomeru meisakusen shogaku rokunensei, Kodansha, Tokyo.
• Shigematsu, Kiyoshi, 2002, ‘Chiisaki mono e’ in Chiisaki mono e, Shinchosha, Tokyo.

Prescriptions mapped to themes

Theme	Text type	Prescribed text
The individual and the community	Essay	In Kawai, H
The individual and the community	Short story	In Shigematsu, K
The individual and the community	Essay	In Okuyama, K
Youth culture	Short story	In Shigematsu, K
Youth culture	Essay	In Oe, K ‘Naze kodomo wa gakkou ni ikaneba narainai no ka’
National identity	Poem	In Kurihara, S
National identity	Essay	In Oe, K ‘Shingapouru no gomumari’
Global issues	Short story	In Saito, T
Global issues	Essay	In Oe, K ‘Shingapouru no gomumari’
Global issues	Poem	In Kurihara, S

Notes

• Study of texts prescribed for any Higher School Certificate course may not begin before the completion of the Preliminary course. This exclusion applies to study in the Japanese Background Speakers course and to Preliminary courses in other subjects. It also applies to the study of a prescribed text in another medium, such as the film of a novel. ‘Study’ of texts does not apply to attending performances of plays prescribed as HSC texts or to taking part in production of them during the Preliminary course.
• The Board of Studies website contains the most up-to-date reference for prescribed texts.

Availability

Prescriptions are available from:

Kinokuniya Bookstore
The Galeries Victoria
Level 2, 500 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9262 7996
Fax: (02) 9283 1055