The Japan Foundation Sydney is offering five types of sessions for enhancing skills in ICT. Please take this opportunity to challenge yourself to use applications you have been hesitant to try. We encourage you to try any sessions that look appealing or stir your curiosity after reading the session description. The sessions are structured so that the applications can be learned in just one session. Each session will be held online.  
 
Session 1 – utilise online tools to create an interactive class.  
June 11 2020
3:30pm-4:30pm AEST
 
Session 2 – create an automatically scoring quiz using Google Forms.
June 10 or June 18 2020
3:30pm-4:30pm AEST
 
Session 3 – make videos with ease.
June 17 or June 25 2020
3:30pm-5:00pm AEST
 
Session 4 – creating Japanese resources with PowerPoint.   
June 24 or July 2 2020
3:30pm-4:50pm AEST
 
Session 5 – ThingLink for beginners. Make interactive images using ThingLink   
July 1 or July 9 2020
3:30pm-4:30pm AEST
 
There is no cost to attend these sessions but registrations are essential. There is a maximum of 25 participants for each workshop. 
 
Registrations open – Monday a week before each workshop date at 4pm AEST.
Registration deadline – 2 days before each workshop date or once capacity has been reached.
 
Further details and workshop registrations are available at the Japan Foundation website.

JTAN online speaking days
We would like to remind teachers that a second Continuers day has opened on June 20 for those who missed out on the first day.

Continuers day #2 (online)
20 June 2020 (9:00am-1:30pm) – applications open.
 
We are pleased to announce that this event will go ahead due to the high demand of student registrations. As above, if you are able to provide additional support on the day as an examiner, please email JTAN. 

JTAN examination papers
The following 2020 JTAN examination papers are available for purchase from now until the end of June via the JTAN website. Please read the terms and conditions carefully, as we enforce strict embargo dates in order to maintain the validity of the papers across the state.
 
Year 11 Beginners Preliminary Yearly 
Year 12 Beginners Trial HSC 
Year 11 Continuers  Preliminary Yearly 
Year 12 Continuers Trial HSC 
Year 12 Extension Trial HSC 

National Symposium on Japanese Language Education (NSJLE) 2021
The Monash Japanese Language Education Centre together with The Japan Foundation, Sydney is committed to supporting Japanese language educators across Australia. We are also committed to the well-being of our colleagues and with that at the forefront of our thinking we have decided to postpone the National Symposium on Japanese Language Education 2020.The NSJLE will now be held in November 2021 in Melbourne at The State Library of Victoria.

The call for papers facility remains open so please consider submitting a paper. We greatly appreciate those who have submitted a paper for consideration and we will contact you shortly. Those who have registered for the NSJLE 2020 will also be contacted in the coming weeks.

We are pleased to announce that our featured keynote speakers for the NSJLE 2020, have been secured for 2021. Their biographies, further details and important dates can be found on the NSJLE website.

These sessions are now fully booked. Thank you very much for your interest. Any requests received will be placed on the waiting list.
 
For those teachers who confirmed the session time with us, please kindly note the following:
- each student needs their own device to participate in the session
- the class teacher needs to participate in this session with the hard copy of the attached booklets on the day.

Please send a list of student names to us in advance – if you have any preference for how the breakout rooms are divided, please let us know.

We may need to combine with another school with you.

​Please be punctual – we will start each session on time.
 
Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to seeing you on Zoom.
 
Kind regards
Tanken Centre

The Tanken Centre is introducing 40 minute online group sessions to assist Year 12 students with their speaking practice this term. Sessions will take place during school hours using Zoom. Students will be divided into 3 breakout rooms and the Tanken Centre staff and class teacher will spend 10 minutes with a set of questions in each room. Staff will rotate through the rooms to ensure students have the opportunity to practise with three different speakers.

After the speaking rotations are complete, the groups will come back together in the main room and students will be given feedback. These sessions are free.
​ 
If you are interested in booking a session for your students, please contact the Tanken Centre via email with your preferred date and time.

Continuers day
Saturday 30 May 2020 (9:00am-1:30pm) – applications are now closed.
We have reached full capacity for this event. We understand that there are several schools and students who have missed out - these students have been placed on a waiting list for a potential online speaking day on a separate date. This event will allow both students who missed out on the Continuers day and students who would like more practice to apply.
 
Beginners day
Saturday 13 June 2020 (9:00am-1:30pm) – applications will remain open until Wednesday 3 June 2020.
Students are now able to register and submit payment themselves online via the JTAN website. For students to purchase event tickets independently, their teacher must first register for the event themselves and then email to receive a password for students to use when registering online.

VOD (video on demand) for TJF online workshops
The Japan Foundation held two online workshops in April. These workshops are currently available via video on demand (VOD) until 30 June 2020.
 
The workshops are:
Session 1: “Enjoy Japanese lessons using ZOOM” 
Session 2: “Using resources effectively for online teaching”.
   
To access the VOD, please register on The Japan Foundation website. 

Teaching materials grant – special support for COVID-19
This grant supports schools to purchase online teaching materials for Japanese language programs that specialise in online teaching due to COVID-19. Successful applicants will be eligible for the reimbursement of 100% of the purchase price of approved items up to AU$700. This is a special grant where applications will be accepted throughout the application period. Each request will be considered upon submission. All applicants are requested to complete purchasing and have all related documents submitted for reimbursement by 30 September 2020.

Application period: 15 May 2020 – 31 August 2020
Final date to submit the reimbursement documents: 30 September 2020

Further details are available on The Japan Foundation website.

Teaching materials grant – special support for natural disasters
This grant supports schools that have been affected by natural disasters such as bush fires and floods in 2019 and 2020 by providing financial support for the loss of Japanese language teaching materials. Successful applicants will be eligible for the reimbursement of 100% of the purchase price of approved items up to AU$1000.

2020 timeline
Applications open: 15 May 2020
Application deadline: 22 June 2020
Outcome notification: 6 July 2020
Purchasing period: 6 July – 14 September 2020
Reimbursement deadline: 5 October 2020

Further details are available on The Japan Foundation website.

New JTAN website
The new JTAN website is up and running. If you try to log in to the new website using your old JTAN login, your account becomes blocked as a security measure. Passwords must be reset using your email – click 'LOGIN' and then reset your password via the "Lost your password?" link. If you require further assistance, please view the video instructions.

Online speaking days
Continuers Day: Saturday 30 May, 2020 (9:00AM-1:30PM)
Beginners Day: Saturday 13 June, 2020 (9:00AM-1:30PM)

Year 12 online speaking day applications are now open via the JTAN website. Teachers may register with their students as usual, however students are now able to register and submit payments online as well.
For students to purchase event tickets independently, their teacher must first register for the event and then email to receive a password for students to use when registering online.
The Year 12 speaking days have always been popular so please register your students as soon as possible to avoid missing out. 

JTAN examination papers
The following 2020 JTAN examination papers are available for purchase from now until the end of June via the JTAN website.
 
Year 11 Beginners Preliminary Yearly - $115.00
Year 12 Beginners Trial HSC - $115.00
Year 11 Continuers  Preliminary Yearly - $115.00
Year 12 Continuers Trial HSC - $115.00
Year 12 Extension Trial HSC - $70.00
 
JTAN examination papers – new embargo dates
Due to several schools delaying assessment periods as a result of COVID-19, there are new embargo dates for JTAN examination papers:
• Trial HSC Examination papers are embargoed until 4 September 2020 (previously 21 August 2020)
• Preliminary Yearly Examination papers are embargoed until 18 September 2020 (previously 11 September 2020)

'Kimi no Na Wa' Extension resource booklet
This 100+ page booklet guiding teachers and students through the prescribed film is now available to all JTAN members via the JTAN website. Thank you to Benjamin Gibbs (Epping Boys High School) and Eva Truong (Cheltenham Girls High School) for creating and sharing this valuable resource with the Japanese teaching community. 

Contacting JTAN
If you would like to contact JTAN with a question or suggestion, please use the new website's Contact Form.
Alternatively, you can send an email – messages will then be forwarded to the relevant committee member.

Mieko and Taka from the Tanken Centre have created videos of HSC speaking sample questions for Year 12 Japanese Beginners and Continuers courses. They have also created lists of sample questions. Please share these resources with your students to assist them with practising their speaking skills.

Continuers – personal world, education
Continuers – daily life, health
Continuers – leisure
Continuers – future plans, miscellaneous
Beginners – family, neighbourhood, education
Beginners – friends, holidays
 
Continuers sample questions
Beginners sample questions