Work — Edexcel GCSE Japanese Revision

    Theme 4, Topic 3 - Work covers vocabulary and structures related to jobs, careers, and professions in the context of both the student's home country and Ja

    Topic Synopsis

    Theme 4, Topic 3 - Work covers vocabulary and structures related to jobs, careers, and professions in the context of both the student's home country and Japanese-speaking communities.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Work

    EDEXCEL
    GCSE

    Theme 4, Topic 3 - Work covers vocabulary and structures related to jobs, careers, and professions in the context of both the student's home country and Japanese-speaking communities.

    0
    Objectives
    6
    Exam Tips
    7
    Pitfalls
    0
    Key Terms
    7
    Mark Points

    Topic Overview

    The topic 'Work' in Japanese (Edexcel GCSE) covers vocabulary and phrases related to jobs, workplaces, and employment. You will learn to describe different professions, talk about part-time work, and discuss future career aspirations. This topic is essential for both the speaking and writing exams, as it allows you to express personal opinions and plans.

    Understanding 'Work' is not just about memorising job titles; it involves using verbs like '働く' (hataraku - to work) and '勤める' (tsutomeru - to be employed), as well as keigo (polite language) when discussing professions. You will also learn to use counters for people and time expressions related to work schedules.

    This topic connects to broader themes such as 'Future Plans' and 'Daily Life'. In the exam, you may be asked to describe a typical workday, compare different jobs, or explain why you want to pursue a certain career. Mastering this vocabulary will help you achieve higher marks in the 'Content' and 'Range of Language' criteria.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Job titles: 医者 (isha - doctor), 教師 (kyōshi - teacher), 会社員 (kaishain - company employee), エンジニア (enjinia - engineer), 看護師 (kangoshi - nurse).
    • →Verbs for working: 働く (hataraku - to work), 勤める (tsutomeru - to be employed at), アルバイトをする (arubaito o suru - to do part-time work).
    • →Workplace vocabulary: 病院 (byōin - hospital), 学校 (gakkō - school), 会社 (kaisha - company), 工場 (kōjō - factory), レストラン (resutoran - restaurant).
    • →Time expressions: 毎日 (mainichi - every day), 週に (shū ni - per week), 9時から5時まで (9-ji kara 5-ji made - from 9 to 5), フルタイム (furutaimu - full-time), パートタイム (pātotaimu - part-time).
    • →Polite language: When talking about someone else's job, use お仕事 (o-shigoto) instead of 仕事 (shigoto). For example, お仕事は何ですか？(O-shigoto wa nan desu ka? - What is your job?)

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Ability to convey information and narrate events coherently and confidently.
    • Use of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures accurately, including some more complex forms.
    • Reference to past, present, and future events.
    • Ability to express, justify, and exchange opinions.
    • Appropriate use of formal and familiar registers depending on the task requirements.
    • Effective adaptation of language to narrate, inform, interest, or convince.
    • Creative use of language to express individual thoughts and ideas.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Ability to convey information and narrate events coherently and confidently.
    • Use of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures accurately, including some more complex forms.
    • Reference to past, present, and future events.
    • Ability to express, justify, and exchange opinions.
    • Appropriate use of formal and familiar registers depending on the task requirements.
    • Effective adaptation of language to narrate, inform, interest, or convince.
    • Creative use of language to express individual thoughts and ideas.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Use rephrasing or repair strategies if you do not know the exact vocabulary.
    • 💡Ensure you use the correct register (formal vs. familiar) as specified in the task instructions.
    • 💡Do not read out whole, prepared sentences during the speaking assessment.
    • 💡For writing tasks, ensure you cover all bullet points to access higher mark bands.
    • 💡Practice using a variety of grammatical structures and complex language to access higher marks.
    • 💡Ensure your writing is coherent and links sentences appropriately.
    • 💡Use a range of tenses: In the speaking exam, be prepared to talk about your current job (present tense), past work experience (past tense), and future career plans (future tense using たい or つもり). For example, 医者になりたいです (isha ni naritai desu - I want to become a doctor).
    • 💡Incorporate opinions and reasons: To score highly, give reasons for your choices. For example, 教師は大変ですが、やりがいがあります (kyōshi wa taihen desu ga, yarigai ga arimasu - Being a teacher is tough but rewarding).
    • 💡Practise keigo (polite language): When discussing someone else's job, especially in formal contexts, use respectful forms. For example, お父さんは何をされていますか？(Otōsan wa nani o sarete imasu ka? - What does your father do?)

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Inappropriate tense formation (e.g., using past tense for future events).
    • Frequent errors that hinder clarity or distract the listener/reader.
    • Errors that prevent meaning from being conveyed, such as incorrect word order or missing subjects.
    • Mother-tongue interference.
    • Misformed kana or kanji that force the reader to re-read.
    • Failure to cover all bullet points in writing tasks.
    • Using romaji (not credited).
    • Confusing 働く (hataraku) and 勤める (tsutomeru): 働く means 'to work' in general, while 勤める is used specifically for being employed at a company or organisation. For example, 病院で働く (byōin de hataraku - work at a hospital) vs. 会社に勤める (kaisha ni tsutomeru - be employed at a company).
    • Using the wrong counter for people: When counting employees or workers, use 人 (nin) as the counter. For example, 社員が10人います (shain ga jū-nin imasu - There are 10 employees). Do not use つ (tsu) or other counters.
    • Forgetting to use を (o) with アルバイトをする: The verb する (suru) requires the particle を when used with アルバイト. For example, アルバイトをしています (arubaito o shiteimasu - I am doing a part-time job).

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic verbs and particles: Understanding how to use ます form and particles like で, に, and を is essential for forming sentences about work.
    • •Time expressions: Familiarity with telling time and days of the week helps when describing work schedules.
    • •Family vocabulary: Knowing family terms (e.g., 父, 母, 兄) is useful when talking about family members' jobs.

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Describe
    Narrate
    Inform
    Express opinions
    Justify
    Convince

    Ready to test yourself?

    Practice questions tailored to this topic

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