Japan opens teens’ eyes
TWO weeks in Japan was an experience of a lifetime for 17 Wonthaggi Secondary College students.
The students were recently given the opportunity to embrace the culture by touring the country and learning more about the traditional lifestyle by living with a home stay family.
Wonthaggi Secondary College has had an ongoing relationship with Japanese sister school Hakui High School since 2004, which has provided students with the chance to further broaden their language studies.
After a long flight, the students arrived in Oosaka, where they stayed for a night before travelling to Hakui.
Students described the home stay week as the highlight of the trip.
“We learnt a lot about their tradition and culture. It was a really educational experience,” Year 11 student Sheona Bugbird said.
“We made lots of friends and got to spend three days at their school and attend all the different classes.”
The students spent the remainder of the week travelling. They explored ancient temples in Kyoto, Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima, the Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima and Universal Studios.
Another exciting experience was travelling on the bullet train, an iconic Japanese experience.
Upon returning home, the students agreed the experience encouraged them to continue their Japanese language studies.
“A trip like this makes you see the importance of learning a language,” Year 11 student Caitlyn Taylor said.
“It opens the world up to you and allows you to experience a whole different way of living.”
Sheona said the trip helped her improve her fluency in speaking Japanese, which will help her during Year 12 studies.
“I am able to listen to a conversation for longer and my speaking skills have gotten stronger, so I learnt a lot in Japan,” she said.
Amazing scenery: from left, Wonthaggi Secondary College students Lyla Wilson and Sheona Bugbird were enthralled by the beautiful shrines and temples they visited while in Japan.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Aug 30 2016. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
