Language News

Japanese Cultural Tour

A number of our Dromana College language students experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity by visiting Japan on a cultural tour.

WE ALL WISH WE COULD GO BACK TO JAPAN!

On the 26th of June, nine Dromana  College students accompanied by two teachers travelled to Japan for two weeks of educational and cultural learning.

For six nights, we were able to experience the Japanese lifestyle while staying with our host families. From trying to figure out how the high-tech toilets were operated, to attempting to communicate with our host buddies,there was never a dull moment.

A standard Japanese school day ran from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with after-school clubs running til 6:00pm. This left us all tired at the end of each day we attended school.

After leaving our host families we visited many destinations of cultural significance, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, numerous castles and temples, and traditional restaurants. The cuisine ranged from the delicious to a more acquired taste. In contrast to these traditional wonders, Japan’s culture is intertwined with cutting-edge technology. Racing in a Bullet Train at 320km/h was like travelling to the future, with its sleek design seamlessly gliding across the rails. Even the most basic of amenities such as a toilet, incorporated no less than 32 buttons – which is 30 more than we’re used to.

All in all, the trip to Japan offered the students of Dromana  College an unforgettable cultural experience that is highly recommended.

By Liam Hanson Year 10

Indonesian Cultural Tour

The Indonesian trip was a once in a lifetime experience. We did heaps of sight-seeing not only of the typical tourist areas, but mostly of the more traditional aspects of Indonesia.

We spent five days in Yogyakarta where we shopped at traditional markets, visited villages and did language classes.

Then we travelled to Bali where we stayed the rest of the time, in which we shopped at local markets and got a chance to practice bartering.

The highlight of the trip for me was visiting the volcano in Yogyakarta where we drove up the volcano in jeeps. This experience was lots of fun. Another highlight of the trip was getting to experience the range of traditional foods and getting to make them with the people that lived in the villages. 

This trip was not only fun because of all the experiences, but because of all the new friends and groups of people I met and shared it with. I also got to practice my Indonesian language skills.

By Trilby Oakes

Japanese Visitors

In early August we had a small group of Japanese students visiting from Namegata, Japan. The students were hosted by Dromana College families. They attended classes with their hosts and visited many of the attractions the Mornington Peninsula has to offer. It was a fantastic opportunity for our Japanese students to practice their language skills and to make international connections and friendships.  A HUGE THANK YOU to all the host families for opening up your homes.

Year 7 Japanese Hiragana Competition

Our Year 7 Japanese students spent first semester learning the Japanese alphabet: Hiragana. All students competed in an online proficiency game to help them revise.  Bella, Nathan and Ben were the three fastest students to complete the online quiz, and they battled against each other in a lunchtime Grand Final to find the ultimate winner. Nathan claimed victory in an astounding time of 55 seconds and then Bella and Ben weren’t far behind. Each student was awarded some Japanese goodies, from the iconic store, DAISO. If you would like to challenge yourself and play the game, here is the link: 

https://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/sheaa/projects/genki/hiragana-timer.html

Year 8 Indonesian Family Trees

Our Year 8 students have been learning how to introduce their families. They have created some amazing family trees to showcase their knowledge. Some of the best can be viewed in the language centre. Thank you to Miss Love and Miss Jones for their creativity and ingenuity when putting the display together.

Junior Japanese Classes

Whilst studying the topic of animals, the junior Japanese classes have been creating comic strips, playing animal dominoes, making LOST posters and playing card games.