IPC Tertiary Institute, in Palmerston North, has been running Japanese Intensive Weekends for a number of years, with the ultimate goal of giving high school students an exciting and interactive real Japanese experience, thereby increasing their motivation to continue on with their Japanese studies throughout school, and at tertiary level.
This year, due to the immense popularity of our August Japanese Intensive Weekend, we ran a second event on October 11th and 12th. To keep costs down, enabling more students to be able to attend the 2014 weekends, the Sasakawa Foundation kindly sponsored both events.
October’s event welcomed 30 Year 11, 12, and 13 students from high schools across the lower North Island, and Nelson, to participate in two days packed full with Japanese classes and cultural activities. Students were accommodated in IPC’s halls of residence, giving them a feel for student life at university, and dined in the on-campus dining hall, where they enjoyed Japanese salmon ochazuke, takoyaki (octopus balls), and other options.
Throughout the weekend the high school students were taught in small classes by IPC’s three native Japanese lecturers. They built on vocabulary and grammar learned in school, practiced Japanese conversation, and learned about cultural norms in Japanese daily life. During the classes the students also worked together with IPC Japanese students to prepare group powerpoint presentations on the hometowns of the Japanese students. The high school students put into practice their Japanese skills by interviewing the Japanese students, and compiling the answers into a Japanese presentation. These were presented by each group at the end of the weekend and the quality and level of Japanese used was very impressive.
Saturday afternoon saw high school students and IPC students take part in a Japanese school-style うんどうかい(sports day), where they tried unique events such as ラジオたいそう(warm-up stretches to music),つなひき(tug-of-war)ぼうひき,むかできょうそう, and かりものきょうそう, in which students put their Japanese speaking skills to use in a race to acquire as many items from Japanese students as possible. Students were also treated to a traditional Japanese ‘Soran’ dance, and a Kendo demonstration by two of IPC’s student clubs.
On Sunday students were kept busy mastering 対抗(Taiko drumming), making delicious おにぎり(onigiri sushi balls), perfecting their brush strokes in a 書道(calligraphy) class, and dressing in traditional 浴衣(yukata) and 甚平(jinbei) to take part in a 茶道(tea ceremony).
After a fun weekend packed full of new Japanese experiences, students left IPC having made many new friends, and improved their Japanese language skills and confidence!
Participants/Schools:
Waiopehu College (Levin) 6
Karamu High School (Hastings) 4
Hutt Valley High School (Wellington) 4
Tawa College (Wellington) 3
Kapiti College 2
Havelock North High School (Hawke’s Bay) 2
Awatapu College (Palmerston North) 2
Wellington High School 2
Nelson College for Girls 1
Solway College 1
Otaki College 1
U Turn Community Training (New Plymouth) 1
Palmerston North Boys’ High School 1
Total: 30 (17 Yr 11, 6 Yr 12, 7 Yr 13)