On Friday of Week 7, students of Year 9 Japanese attended the Nihongo Tanken Centre in Kirrawee. The Nihongo Tanken Centre is a fully functioning Japanese-style house that provides a stimulating and authentic Japanese environment where students can use and further develop their Japanese language skills.

The name Nihongo Tanken means “exploring Japanese”, in the sense of an adventurous expedition into Japanese language and culture, and the seeking of a deeper understanding of the Japanese language in context. The Centre includes a Japanese-style building and garden with the 'look and feel' of Japan. Students and teachers are immersed in the Japanese language and culture through innovative learning programs based on different themes.

The Year 9 Japanese students were engaged in many activities throughout the day, including ‘Explore the Japanese House’, ‘Theme Photo

 Shoot’, ‘Mystery Star’, and ‘Japanese Toys’. Students competed in teams and gained points by completing each of the various activities. The middle of the day included a short break which allowed students to eat a delicious Japanese Bento Box and practice their chopstick skills. The day finished with the presentation of personalised certificates for each student. Both Mr. O’Brien and Ms. Tooby, who accompanied students on the day, were impressed by both the student engagement and their use of the Japanese language they have studied in class. The organisers from the centre also commented on how well-behaved and involved students were in all of the activities. 

Overall, this was a fantastic opportunity for students to celebrate the end of their first year of elective Japanese, and apply their knowledge of the Japanese language in an authentic context. Ms. Tooby looks forward to welcoming students back in 2024 for Year 10 Japanese. 

みなさん、がんばったね！Well done, everyone!

Kind regards,
Ms. Tooby