Languages Faculty News
Lucie Dickens, Academic Dean of Languages
Year 7 Japanese celebration
Zac Cooper, Year 7 Japanese
The Year 7 AB Japanese class recently celebrated getting their black belt rank by eating onigiri, a Japanese dish made of rice wrapped in seaweed. This was an excellent dish and it was a really fun and enjoyable way to experience Japanese culture!
Year 9 French excursion to Noisette
Alexis and Avery Liew, Year 9 French
On Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 April, our two Year 9 French classes went to Noisette, a French cafe on Centre Road, Bentleigh. We all took the train together and got off at Bentleigh station. As we entered the cafe, the environment felt very welcoming and authentic.
At the cafe, we were able to sample some French traditional sandwiches and pastries. Among the selections were pain au chocolat, croissants and pain aux raisins. They also had lots of other pastries, cakes and sandwiches on display. It was an educational and informative excursion on French food and culture!
Year 10 Japanese karaoke and cooking
Shirley Jin and Stephanie Ye, Year 10 Japanese
To celebrate the end of Term 1, Year 10 Japanese language students had a fun-filled karaoke and sushi-making session. As we're still adjusting to the increased workload of Year 10, this activity was a good break for us. We sang '世界に一つだけの花', a song with an upbeat melody and a positive message.
Later on, Ms Sano surprised us with ingredients she had brought from home and taught us how to make traditional Japanese sushi! There were boxes of fresh carrots, tuna, special sushi rice and sushi-making equipment.
After assembling the ingredients inside seaweed sheets, we started using sushi rolling mats to roll up our sushi wraps. Even though the rolling action was a bit challenging, we all managed to make delicious sushi. Overall, it was an interesting and delicious way to end the term!
Global Connections - Japanese School Visit
As part of our Global Connections Program, we are pleased to resume our hosting partnership with Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior High School in collaboration with the Australian Institute of International Understanding (AIIU).
Hiroshima Jogakuin is one of our three partner schools in Japan, and our relationship dates back to 2002, with lots of regular visits between our schools over the years. This year, we are expecting up to 20 Japanese students aged 15 to 17 to visit us from 30 July to 12 August (Weeks 3 and 4 of Term 3). These students will attend Kilvington during the day.
We are seeking expressions of interest from families willing to host a student during the exchange period. The experience of hosting a Japanese student would be an enriching and exciting experience for our Kilvington families and one I hope you will consider.
Expressions of interest can be sent by email to AIIU National Program Manager, Melissa Di Pasquale (melissa@aiiu.com.au). For further information, please call AIIU Group Coordinator, Joy Dickinson, on 9576 7500.
Farewell from our two guests from Todoroki High School, Tokyo
Aki Koshiishi, Japanese exchange student
First of all, I would like to say thank you to my teachers, my friends and my host family. Thanks to them, I enjoyed Australia so much. Even though I couldn’t speak much English, my teachers and friends were so kind to me and helped me a lot.
My host family took me to many places, including Flinders Street, the State Library of Victoria, the beach, Chadstone Shopping Centre and Phillip Island. One of my most memorable experiences in Australia was on Phillip Island.
My host mother took me there because she knew I wanted to see penguins. After I ate fish and chips, we went to see the small penguins who were living there. They appeared from the sea at night to get back to their nests. They were so small and cute! We saw many penguins so I was very satisfied!
I had many special experiences in Australia. To be honest, I want to spend more time in Australia and I'm definitely going to come back someday! Thank you for a wonderful time!
Kentaro Arakawa, Japanese exchange student
When I first arrived in Australia, with my baggage lost and my mind filled with anxiety, I wondered how I would survive here.
At the beginning of Term 1, I tried to understand the lessons spoken perfectly in English - an impossible challenge for me. But after a while, I gave up trying to understand the whole thing and just tried to understand what I could. From then on, I became more relaxed in class.
I experienced many enjoyable things and made many friends in Australia. Even though I can’t decide which events were the most memorable, all events were very precious to me. My friends were super kind and caring, speaking in simple English slowly so that I could understand.
I felt more alive and had a greater sense of freedom at Kilvington compared to my school back in Japan. Also, I feel my English has improved by staying in Australia and interacting with lots of people. I am very grateful, especially for all the things my parents, friends, host family and teachers have done for me.
I am sad to stay in Australia for only two months. If I could, I would stay here for another three months. I have decided to keep learning English because of this experience and I would like to one day visit Australia again. As I mentioned earlier, I appreciate everyone’s kindness throughout my time here!