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Tanken Centre – HSC April holiday workshop

15/3/2023

Dear Japanese teachers,

The Nihongo Tanken Centre will facilitate a Year 12 HSC online Continuers workshop during the April school holiday period. This workshop is available to NSW DoE school students.

Date/time
Group session:

11 April – 9:30-11:00 am

Individual speaking sessions:

11 April – 12:30-3:00 pm
12 April – 9:00-3:00 pm

Each student will be allocated 15 minutes speaking practice with the Tanken Centre staff.
If you are interested, please refer to the attached document and send us the application from.
We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,
Mieko and Taka
Nihongo Tanken Centre
Email: nihongo.tanken@det.nsw.edu.au

tanken_centre_hsc_april_holiday_online_workshop_for_y12_continuers.pdf
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Tanken Centre – online speaking practice for Year 12

28/2/2023

Dear Japanese teachers,

The Tanken Centre has been offering group speaking sessions for Year 12 students during Term 1. Due to popular demand, we have added more dates, as follows:

2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 22 March

Please kindly note that the Year 12 online speaking sessions will not to be offered in Term 2 and 3.

Each session runs for 40 minutes through 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 3 different speakers. After the speaking rotations, the groups will come back together in the main room, and students will be given feedback. These sessions are free of charge. At this stage, sessions are only available to NSW public schools. If you are interested in booking a session for your students, please email the Tanken Centre with the following details:
- the course (Beginners or Continuers)
- preferred dates and times (please provide at least 2 options)
- name list of attending students.
Bookings will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. As there is a high chance that you will not be able to get your first preference, please send several preferred dates with times. Please note that your session is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.

Kind regards,

Mieko and Taka
Nihongo Tanken Centre
Email: nihongo.tanken@det.nsw.edu.au
T: 02 9542 5745

Tanken Centre virtual excursion

28/2/2023

The Tanken Centre still has some availability for the virtual excursion.

The virtual excursion enables Year 10 students from public schools located outside the Sydney metropolitan area to engage with the centre, exploring Japanese language and culture.

The virtual excursion consists of 2 parts:

- Part 1 – students virtually explore the Nihongo Tanken Centre through an immersive 360° experience, with activities to complete (approximately 50 minutes)
- Part 2 – the Japanese class connects with our teachers for a live, interactive lesson (approximately 30-35 minutes).
You can plan your virtual excursion as a stand-alone activity, as part of a unit on Japanese housing and/or culture or as part of a full day of Japanese activities at school.

Students complete part 1 in a normal Japanese lesson. You will need to book a date and time for part 2. There is no cost to schools to participate.

If you'd like to book (and your school is located outside the Sydney metropolitan area), our Semester 1 booking form is now open.

Kind regards,
Mieko and Taka
Nihongo Tanken Centre
Email: nihongo.tanken@det.nsw.edu.au
T: 02 9542 5745

Japanese assistance line on Teams

28/2/2023

Dear Japanese teachers,

Have you ever wanted to ask Japanese-related questions but were unable to find a native speaker? Have you ever wondered whether your Japanese expressions are accurate? Or perhaps you wish to learn more about these expressions?

You can now book a time to speak to the Tanken Centre Officers via Teams. This support is for non-native Japanese teachers with questions/requests such as:

- confirming correct particles
- checking the intonation accuracy and pronunciation
- Japanese conversation practice.

Any questions related to the Japanese language and culture are welcome. If we are unable to answer, we will forward your question to the Languages statewide staffroom, and you will remain anonymous. All you need to do is email us with your preferred time on the available dates below, and we will get back to you with a confirmed time for a chat on Teams.

Available dates:

3, 7, 16 March.

Each time slot will be 10 minutes in duration, and you can book any time between 9 am and 4 pm.

If you prefer asking questions in writing, please send us an email at nihongo.tanken@det.nsw.edu.au. You can also ask your questions in the statewide staffroom's 'Community noticeboard' channel directly, and we'll reply there.

If these dates are not suitable for you, please let us know. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Mieko and Taka
Nihongo Tanken Centre
Email: nihongo.tanken@det.nsw.edu.au

Invitation for 2023 MJS grant application for Japanese language teachers in Australia

23/1/2023

Dear Japanese language teachers,
The MJS Centre (Japanese Studies Centre for Teaching Development) would like to invite applicants for a MJS Grant for Japanese language teachers in Australia.
Grant applications need to be submitted by 1 March 2023, online via the following link: (https://limesurvey.mq.edu.au/index.php/538574?lang=en).
It would be appreciated if you could apply and/or forward this email invitation to anyone who may be suitably qualified and interested in applying for this grant.
The MJS Centre’s grant scheme is provided by the Nippon Foundation Fund for Japanese Language Education Program (NF-JLEP). All grant recipients will also receive a lifetime membership of the NF-JLEP Fellows. The grant scheme is designated to support teachers’ professional development to enhance their aptitude as leading Japanese language teachers in Australia. It may be used for example, for language/cultural immersion and/or fieldwork in Japan, enrolment in a formal language course, research, conference presentation and/or teaching relief for such activities. It may also be used collectively for the development/establishment of a workshop, website or resources for teachers’ professional development.
Each grant will be $4,000, available for each of up to 10 successful applicants. The MJS Centre Committee will make the final decision regarding the allocation of each grant, and no further correspondence or communication shall be entered into once a decision has been made.
You may preview the application form in PDF before filling it out.
Eligibility & conditions
• Applicants must be Japanese language teachers currently working in a primary or secondary school (full-time or part-time) in Australia.
• The applicant must clearly articulate the aim, significance, benefit(s), justifiable budget and details of proposed activity.
• Provision of supporting documents (e.g., confirmed acceptance of a conference presentation, agreement for a journal/book, book chapter publication, acceptance from a host Japanese organisation, receipt/enrolment record for a Japanese language course, supervisor’s agreement, a reference letter) will be beneficial.
• Each applicant must only be one person, even in the case of a collective development of a workshop for teachers’ professional development etc.
• The grant must be fully spent by the end of 2023.
• Grant recipients will be required to submit a completion report via the MJS website, by 1 February 2024.
Please email arts.mjscentre@mq.edu.au you require any further information.

Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship 2023

9/1/2023

The Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship 2023 for the teacher training category is now open. Applications close on Friday 17 February 2023.
Details and application forms are available on the Embassy of Japan in Canberra website. Please address any enquiries to the Embassy via email or phone (02) 62727252.

Japan Foundation January 2023 intensive seminar

2/11/2022

The Japan Foundation Sydney, is holding a summer seminar which enables teachers to develop language skills, gain confidence using Japanese, and to develop language teaching strategies and skills which they can apply in their own classrooms. Specific focuses include Australian Curriculum, brushing up Japanese language skills and culture workshops. Participants will be immersed in a Japanese language environment suited to their level and will have ample opportunity for networking.

Date: Monday 16-Thursday 19 January 2023

Venue: The Japan Foundation, Sydney

Eligibility:
Teachers must:
- be an Australian teacher of primary levels K-6 (teachers of Years 7-8 may apply) or a New Zealand teacher of primary levels Years 1-8 (teachers of Years 9-10 may apply)
- be currently teaching Japanese a minimum of 3 hours per week
- not be a native or near-native Japanese
- be able to read Hiragana and Katakana without any difficulty
- be at least JLPT N5 level of Japanese language proficiency
- be able to attend each day in full.

Pre-service teachers must:

- be currently studying in the final year of their teaching course in university towards being a primary school level Japanese teacher in Australia, or have graduated from a teaching course on a primary school level in Australia within the past two years and be actively seeking teaching work
- not be a native or near-native Japanese speaker
- be able to read Hiragana and Katakana without any difficulty
- be at least JLPT N5 level of Japanese language proficiency
- be able to attend each day in full.

Fees: There will be NO participation fee.
All travel costs, flights, accommodation and transport, will be the responsibility of the participants.

Partial scholarships: The Languages and Culture team is offering partial scholarships of $300 for travel and/or accommodation expenses for teachers who live outside the Sydney metropolitan area.
Applicants must be a Stage 4 temporary or permanent teacher in a NSW DoE central or secondary school. For more information and to apply, please see attached document.
　　　
Application closing date: Monday 28 November 2022

Enquiries: For more information can be found visit the Japan Foundation website.

The Japan Foundation, Sydney
Email: coordinators@jpf.org.au
Phone: (02) 8239 0055

partial-scholarships-japanese-teachers_january_2023.docx
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AoYama Japanese Camp

30/10/2022

AoYama Japanese Camp (AYJC) is planning a holiday camp which will be held 23-25 January 2023 at Baden Powell Activity Centre, Pennant Hills.
Registrations close 23 December.
Please visit the AYJC website for further information.

2023_summer_camp.pdf
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A day in Japan – new 'survival' excursion for Year 10 students

7/9/2022

Dear Japanese teachers,

We are excited to launch the Nihongo Tanken Centre's new 'survival' excursion – A day in Japan.
This excursion enables small groups of Year 10 students (12-15 students) to engage in real life scenarios, such as what it would be like when visiting Japan, and to explore the Japanese language and culture.

The day leads students through a simulated home stay, including:

- meeting your host family at the airport
- - settling in at your host family’s home
- learning about your host family
- shopping
- finding your way around
- travelling by train
- being interviewed by the local TV station.

Throughout the day, students work in teams to complete tasks in which they showcase their ability to use Japanese in authentic situations.

This program is now open for bookings. For more information, and to help you select the best option for your class, see attached image.
To book an excursion for your class, visit the Tanken Centre website.

Kind regards,
Mieko and Taka
Nihongo Tanken Centre
Email: nihongo.tanken@det.nsw.edu.au
T: 02 9542 5745

2022 JTAN exams now available to purchase

8/4/2022

Members of JTAN, please note that the exam files will be made available from July, but orders must be made prior to the end of June to allow time for administrative checks to be completed. Note that the purchase and use of JTAN Exams is subject to specific terms and conditions in addition to our normal terms and conditions.

Year 11 Beginners $115
Year 11 Continuers $115
HSC Trial Beginners $115
HSC Trial Continuers $115
HSC Trial Extension $70

Please note in 2022 the Exam Declaration will be completed digitally. Please READ CAREFULLY prior to purchasing the exams, as you will be bound by the terms and conditions.