Japanese

Our School Kerrimuir Primary School has a long established Japanese programme spanning more than 20 years. Learning the Japanese language gives our students access to the unique history, religions and cultural traditions of Japan and introduces them to modern Japanese culture, music, the lifestyle of the younger generation and Japan’s leadership in contemporary technology.

Our Philosophy At Kerrimuir, we believe that learning a language nurtures reflective and creative thinking and enables our students to communicate across cultural barriers to become inter-culturally aware citizens at a time of rapid and deep globalisation. Rather than just learn the language, our students begin to develop a true understanding of Japanese people and their way of thinking and living.

Our Programme Students commence their exciting journey in Prep with a focus on songs, dance, games and cultural activities. From year one to six, lessons include role-plays, origami, calligraphy and a focus on reading, writing and speaking in Japanese.

In addition, students:

• benefit from the assistance of a Japanese Intern
• have the opportunity to participate in competitions sponsored by the Japanese Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria (JLTAV)
• enjoy a whole-school Japanese Day
• have the opportunity to enter a programme to represent our school in a cultural exchange to Japan
• enjoy a beautifully decorated, bright and cheerful space with low tables and Japanese-style cushions to sit on

Why Learn Japanese?

• Learning the language of another culture is a particularly powerful tool in the modern world and offers the prospect of career opportunities.
• The pronunciation of Japanese is relatively easy. It is a phonetic language and all of the sounds in the language can be written with forty-six characters. Students are introduced to the three Japanese scripts of hiragana（ひらがな）katakana（カタカナ）and kanji（漢字)
• From experience, children who read other character languages, often demonstrate a talent for Japanese.