Languages 

Learning Japanese

Emily and Zoe from Year 12 have written about their personal experiences in learning Japanese at the College.

Our Year 7 students have also had a good start learning Japanese. This Semester we have two Japanese classes.

Miho Yamanaka

Japanese Coordinator

みなさんこんにちは

The experiences we’ve gained from studying Japanese are numerous. Each year we visit the city to immerse ourselves in the snippets of culture that can be found in Melbourne. Generally this involves going to see a Japanese art exhibition, having lunch at a Japanese restaurant, and then visiting Daiso, a popular Japanese shop with really cute stationery and snacks. It is consistently a day of fun and allows us to experience more Japanese culture first hand than we do in the classroom.

In 2018, I was lucky enough to be involved in the Japan Language Immersion. For ten days we travelled around Japan, eating traditional foods, exploring temples and castles, and attempting to speak to locals in what Japanese we knew. The food was amazing (even if it took me a while to figure out how to open the onigiri) and the experience was like no other; especially since it was with the amazing people who also take Japanese. I made friends, made memories, and potentially most importantly, I gained a new perspective on what makes Japan Japan!

For Japanese this year, we have a new study design and our minds are ready for learning more about this amazing language, culture, and country. Personally, I think I will find the spoken part of Japanese (and the Kanji) the most difficult, but I also know that the reward at the end and the adventures we’ll have with it makes all of the work worth it.

          ありがとうございました！                                                    エミリー

Emily Both

Year 12

Hello everyone!

I chose to study the language because I wanted to travel to Japan and wanted to be able to communicate with the people there. Whilst studying Japanese, however, I learnt far more than just how to speak the language. I have learnt a lot about Japanese culture and art during our excursions to the NGV in the city. I learnt about the importance of stroke order when writing Kanji when we were taught traditional Japanese calligraphy. One activity I particularly enjoy is researching information when preparing for writing and speaking tasks. I find it interesting to learn about the different customs in Japan.

Though Japanese can be tricky to get the hang of at first, with enough practice, it becomes almost easy to understand. The best way to practise any language is to immerse yourself in that language and culture. I was recently able to do this this when my family travelled to Japan over the holidays. It was an amazing experience as I got to explore the cities and temples there. The people there were incredibly friendly and were more than happy to help if you got lost or needed directions. 

The Year 12 Japanese students have a new study design this year and, although I am nervous, I look forward to all we have to learn this year.

これでおわります。ありがとうございます。

Zoe McFayden

Year 12