Languages 

Pen Pal Exchange

What do you do when in COVID times you can’t go to Japan, and can’t host visits from Japan?

You don’t give up, that’s what you do!

Fairhills students have been communicating with students from Hakuryo Junior and Senior High School in Hyogo, Japan. (http://www.hakuryo.ed.jp/)

This is the school our wonderful Language Assistant Ayako worked at when she was living in Japan.

For students from Hokuryo this is part of their English Speaking Society club activities. For Fairhills students it’s a way of connecting with Japan and practising their Japanese skills in a practical way.

So what have the students being saying?

Quotes from Hakuryo

"Thank you for writing my name in Chinese characters. I’m very happy that you have written them so well. When you write my name, please write on my first name. I feel like we are very good friends. “

“These days, in Japan, COVID-19 affects our daily lives. Elementary, junior high, and high school students can go to school, however, college students have not been able to go to university for more than a year. It is difficult to exchange letters under these circumstances. So, I am delighted to do with you.”

“I want to introduce about Japan. This time, I write about cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are the Japanese national flower, and they are beautiful pink. They bloom between late March and the middle of April. Japanese people have loved them more than any other flowers for a long time. Some people say, “ They are most beautiful because they don’t last for a time and are fleeting."

Quotes from Fairhills

“Corona is a big problem all over the world. Even though it is the problem, I’m also happy that we still can do penpal. I am so glad that we were born in the world with good internet systems.”

“I had lots of fun reading your reply! I love shiba inu and one day I would love to meet yours! By the sounds of it you sound like a good student and also you do good in your school so even though you don’t know what you want to do later in life, I’m sure you’ll do great in whatever path you take.”

“It’s nice to hear you’ve been to Australia and you seemed to have enjoyed it. About the hamburgers, there is a really yummy place near my house and I hope one day you can come and try it!”

Drawing exchange

The students not only exchanged words, but drawings. 

Here is a drawing from a Hokuryo student:

Lane from Fairhills drew this for their penpal:

ありがとう(thank you) to Ayako for facilitating this awesome exchange.

If you would be interested in a Japanese penpal please come and see Ms. Winstone the Languages KLA Leader in her staffroom in A Block.