Ab initio is Latin for "from the beginning", and that is exactly what this course is. IB Japanese ab initio is a language acquisition course (Group 2) for students who have never studied Japanese, or have only had a very small amount of exposure to it. Over two years, it takes you from the basics to being able to communicate in everyday situations, in speaking, listening, reading and writing.
It's a popular choice for students who love Japanese culture, plan to study or work in Japan, or simply want a challenge. According to the Japan Foundation's Survey on Japanese-Language Education Abroad 2024, more than 4 million people now learn Japanese at institutions outside Japan, across 143 countries and regions.
This guide explains how Japanese ab initio works, how it's assessed and how to do well. The facts come from the IB's official course information and subject briefs, written in our own words.
Key Takeaways
- Japanese ab initio is for beginners. If you already have some Japanese, you'll usually take Japanese B instead.
- It is offered at SL only, with 150 recommended teaching hours.
- The course covers five themes and 20 prescribed topics, all of which must be studied.
- You learn three scripts: hiragana, katakana and a set of kanji.
- Assessment: Paper 1 writing (25%), Paper 2 listening (25%) and reading (25%), and an individual oral (25%).
- An updated course starts in August 2027 (first exams May 2029), with no changes to the assessment.
Is Japanese ab initio Right for You?
The IB designed ab initio for students with no prior experience of the target language, or very limited experience. It isn't a "shortcut" for students who already speak some Japanese. Your school is responsible for placing you on the right course, and it will look at any Japanese you have studied before, including in the MYP.
| Course | Who it is for | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese ab initio | No previous Japanese, or very little | SL only |
| Japanese B | Some previous experience of Japanese | SL and HL |
| Japanese A | Native or near-native speakers (a Group 1 literature course) | SL and HL |
If you have studied Japanese for a few years and can already hold a basic conversation, read our guide to IB Japanese B instead.
Because ab initio is SL only, it counts as one of your standard level subjects. You'll need to take three (or four) other subjects at HL.
What You Learn
Japanese ab initio develops your receptive skills (understanding what you hear and read), productive skills (speaking and writing) and interactive skills (taking part in conversations). From the very first lessons, you learn Japanese through real-life contexts, not just grammar lists.
You also learn to think about audience, context, purpose, meaning and variation: how Japanese changes depending on who you are talking to and why. For example, you'll learn when to use polite です・ます form and when the plain form is fine, and how a message to a friend differs from an email to a teacher.
Each language offered at ab initio also has a language-specific syllabus. It sets out the vocabulary and grammar students are expected to know. For Japanese, schools also work from a list of kanji that ab initio students are expected to read and write, so your teacher will cover the core structures and characters you need for the exams.
Learning Three Scripts
Japanese is written with three scripts, and you'll learn all of them:
| Script | What it is used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hiragana (ひらがな) | Grammar endings, particles and native Japanese words | たべます, は, を |
| Katakana (カタカナ) | Words from other languages, names and emphasis | コーヒー, テニス |
| Kanji (漢字) | Characters that carry meaning, used for most nouns, verb stems and adjectives | 山, 学校, 食べる |
Most students learn hiragana and katakana in the first few months, then build up kanji steadily over the two years.
The Five Themes and 20 Prescribed Topics
Unlike Japanese B, where topics are only suggestions, ab initio prescribes four topics for each of the five themes. All 20 must be covered over the two years. The IB explains this is because beginners need a structured learning environment.
| Theme | What it explores | Prescribed topics |
|---|---|---|
| Identities | Who we are and how we express it | Personal attributes Personal relationships Eating and drinking Physical well-being |
| Experiences | The events and journeys that shape our lives | Daily routine Leisure Holidays Festivals and celebrations |
| Human ingenuity | How creativity and innovation affect our world | Transport Entertainment Media Technology |
| Social organization | How groups of people organise themselves | Neighbourhood Education The workplace Social issues |
| Sharing the planet | Challenges and opportunities in the modern world | Climate Physical geography The environment Global issues |
The IB also gives example questions to guide each theme, such as "How do I present myself to others?" or "What can I do to help the environment?". The questions are simple, but they push you to use Japanese to share real opinions, not just facts.
A Japanese angle on the topics: festivals and celebrations can mean New Year (お正月) or summer festivals (夏祭り); eating and drinking can mean bento boxes or school lunches (給食); and neighbourhood can mean the convenience store (コンビニ) and the local police box (交番).
Assessment Overview
| Component | What it involves | Time | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: writing (30 marks) | Two short writing tasks (about 140–300 characters each in Japanese), each chosen from three options. You choose a suitable text type from those given | 1h | 25% |
| Paper 2: listening (25 marks) | Comprehension exercises on three audio passages | 45m | 25% |
| Paper 2: reading (40 marks) | Comprehension exercises on three written texts | 1h | 25% |
| Individual oral (30 marks) | A presentation on a visual stimulus, a follow-up discussion and a general conversation | Up to 10 min, plus 15 min preparation | 25% |
Paper 1 and Paper 2 are marked by IB examiners. The individual oral is marked by your teacher and moderated by the IB.
Paper 1: Writing
In Paper 1 you complete two short writing tasks. For each one, you choose one of three questions. The IB sets the length in words (70–150) for word-based languages. For Japanese, it is counted in characters: teacher resources for Japanese ab initio give about 140–300 characters per task, which matches the 2 characters-per-word ratio the IB uses for Japanese Extended Essays. Always check the range printed on your exam paper. Each task gives you a situation, an audience and a purpose, and lists text types you can choose from.
Examples of text types you might practise: - Personal texts: an email, a text message, a postcard, a diary entry or a blog post - Professional texts: a formal email or letter, or a set of instructions - Mass media texts: a poster, an advertisement, a leaflet or a short article
Your writing is judged on three things: your language (vocabulary and grammar), your message (whether you answer every part of the task, with clear and relevant ideas), and your conceptual understanding (whether your text type, register and format suit the audience and purpose).
Tips for Paper 1: - Answer every point in the task. Missing a required detail costs marks, even if your Japanese is accurate. - Show the text type clearly. An email needs a greeting, a subject line and a sign-off. A blog needs a title and date. A poster needs a heading and short sections. - Choose the right style. Use です・ます form for teachers, hosts and anyone you don't know well, and keep one style throughout. Use set phrases: a letter or email to a host family might start with ○○様 and end with よろしくお願いします. - Stay within the character range. Be precise. Aim for a mix of simple and slightly longer sentences linked with から, でも, それから and そして, and use the kanji you know accurately.
Paper 2: Listening and Reading
Paper 2 tests how well you understand Japanese. It has two sections:
- Listening (45 minutes): questions on three audio passages
- Reading (1 hour): questions on three written texts
The texts are drawn from the five themes. Questions test your understanding of the Japanese, not your general knowledge of the topics. Expect question types such as multiple choice, matching, true or false, and short answers in Japanese. No dictionaries are allowed.
Tips for Paper 2: - Learn vocabulary by topic. The 20 prescribed topics are your vocabulary map. - Read questions carefully before the audio starts, and predict the words you might hear. - Listen to slow, clear Japanese regularly. NHK News Web Easy (NHK NEWS WEB EASY) presents real news in simple Japanese with furigana. - In reading, look for key words, numbers, dates and negatives (～ません, ～ませんでした, ～ない). They often decide the answer.
The Individual Oral
The individual oral is the internal assessment. It takes place in your final year and is conducted entirely in Japanese.
You're shown two visual stimuli, such as photos, each linked to a different theme. You choose one and prepare for 15 minutes under supervision, without a dictionary or class notes. Then:
| Part | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Choose one of two images and plan what to say | 15 min |
| 1: Presentation | Describe the image and connect it to its theme and to Japanese culture | 1–2 min |
| 2: Follow-up discussion | Your teacher asks questions about the theme of your image | 3–4 min |
| 3: General discussion | A conversation on at least one other theme from the course | 3–4 min |
Your teacher marks the oral against four criteria: language (A), the message of your presentation (B1), the message in your conversation (B2) and interactive skills (C), for a total of 30 marks.
Tips for the oral: - Use a simple structure for describing images: この写真には…があります／います, 前に／後ろに…, …と思います, この写真を見て…を思い出しました. - Link the image to Japanese culture. Mention a real comparison: 日本の学生は…, 日本では…. - Give opinions and reasons (わたしは…と思います。…からです。) and ask a question back when it's natural to. That shows interaction. - Practise talking about all 20 topics. Part 3 can move to any other theme, so you need something to say about each one.
What Changes in 2029?
The IB will launch an updated ab initio course in February 2027, for first teaching in August 2027 and first assessment in May 2029. The IB has confirmed that the structure stays the same (five themes, four prescribed topics each) and that there are no changes to the assessment model. Paper 1, Paper 2 and the oral all stay as described above. Only the wording of the top descriptors in two oral criteria (B2 and C) is slightly clarified.
The updates are mainly in teaching: a clearer subject guide, more focus on critical thinking, a new framing around cultures, communication and perspectives, and new teacher support materials.
Tips for Success in IB Japanese ab initio
1. Little and often. Fifteen minutes of Japanese every day works better than a long session once a week. 2. Build topic vocabulary lists. Make one list for each of the 20 topics, with phrases you can actually use. 3. Master the key verb forms. By the exam you should be confident with the ます form (present, past and negative), the て form, the plain form, and ～たい (want to) and ～たことがある (have done). 4. Learn particles carefully. は, が, を, に, で and と come up in almost every sentence, and using them accurately is one of the first big hurdles. 5. Speak from day one. Practise describing photos and answering questions aloud, even if it feels slow at first. 6. Use past papers. Find out why past papers are the ultimate tool for exam preparation, and time yourself. 7. Immerse yourself. Watch Japanese series and anime with Japanese subtitles, listen to Japanese music and follow Japanese accounts on topics you enjoy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing up particles, especially は and が, or に and で
- Mixing です・ます and plain form in the same text
- Writing kanji with the wrong strokes or okurigana (it is better to use hiragana than a wrong kanji)
- Translating word for word from English or your own language, which often gives the wrong word order
- Ignoring the text type, or forgetting a greeting and sign-off in a letter or email
- Writing far below or above the character range
- Memorising a fixed speech for the oral instead of responding to the image
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take Japanese ab initio if I studied some Japanese before?
It depends on how much. Ab initio is for students with no previous Japanese or very limited exposure. If you have studied Japanese for several years, your school will usually place you in Japanese B. Your school makes the final decision.
Is Japanese ab initio easy?
It is designed for beginners, but it isn't easy. You go from zero to communicating in four skills, and learning three scripts, in two years, so steady, regular practice is essential.
Can I take Japanese ab initio at HL?
No. Language ab initio is only available at SL.
Can I write my Extended Essay in Japanese ab initio?
The IB's Extended Essay guide gives subject guidance for Language B, not ab initio. Check the list of subjects available for your exam session with your EE coordinator before choosing. Our Extended Essay guide explains the options.
Does Japanese ab initio count for university?
Yes. It is a full IB Diploma subject graded 1 to 7. Japanese is especially useful for study, exchange programmes and work in Japan, and in fields such as technology, design and tourism.
What changes in Japanese ab initio from 2029?
The updated course is first taught in August 2027 and first assessed in May 2029. The themes, topics and all the assessments stay the same.
Get Support With IB Japanese ab initio
Starting a new language is exciting, and the right support early on makes a big difference. Our experienced IB Japanese tutors can help you build vocabulary, grammar and confidence for every part of the assessment, online wherever you are. To see how your subjects fit together, read our guide to everything you need to know about the IB.
