Year 7 Cultural and Languages Day

Bryan Huang, Year 7 Japanese

The Year 7 Cultural and Languages Day was a fascinating and enjoyable experience for my peers and me.

We began the day with a traditional Japanese dance (おどり). Everyone was engaged and followed the instructions given by the Japanese teachers. To my surprise, I even recognised some of the instructions because they have a Cantonese version! We all had a lot of fun trying out the dance.

After lunch, we had a Japanese drum session (たいこ). We played with both the small and big Taikos, and at the end, even had an ensemble together! I felt satisfied with the harmony the drums created and enjoyed this unique experience.

After the drumming, we had a calligraphy (しょどう) session. I felt lucky to have an artist from Japan teaching us. While it was a unique experience for most of my classmates, it wasn't entirely new to me as I had done calligraphy weekly during my time in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, I still learned many new things during that session. For example, I hadn't known that the vertical stroke had a rest on top.

Overall, I learned that understanding other cultures is more important than simply speaking a language fluently. The Cultural and Languages Day was a unique and memorable experience for all the Year 7 students.

Kieran Yen, Year 7 French

During the Cultural and Languages Day on Thursday 9 May, Year 7 students explored various cultural aspects related to our chosen language. We engaged in fun activities such as crepe-making and calligraphy.

Additionally, we attended a special Languages assembly led by Years 11 and 12 Languages students. They highlighted the benefits of learning another language, emphasising that half of the world's population is bilingual! They also conducted an interview in Japanese and French, showcasing how proficient you can become after six years of learning the language.

We had fun watching music videos from Manie Musicale, a French music competition. The artists hailed from various French-speaking countries such as Canada, France, Africa and Vietnam, among others.

We also celebrated the Paris Olympic Games 'les jeux olympiques', and learnt a lot about different sports, the medals, the Olympic rings and the flame.

Lastly, saving the best for last, we had a crepe-making lesson with Madame Dickens. Light, sweet and fluffy, the crepes were a perfect way to end the day!

Thank you to our Languages teachers for putting on an exciting day.