10.29 Online Exchange
On Tuesday September 29th, we held our 4th and final online exchange with Leeming Senior High School, from Perth Australia. There were over 40 students representing two schools, so it was a sizeable group.
We started with a quick hello, after which students were assigned to breakout groups. Here, in groups of around 6 people, students took turns giving presentations using PowerPoint slides that they had prepared. The students from Leeming did individual presentations in Japanese, sharing things about themselves and their personal lives, as well as things that make Australia unique or things to see and do around Perth.
Next it was our turn to present. The Kokusai students had made groups, each of which chose a topic; Okonomiyaki, Traditional Japanese Sweets, and Anime, just to name a few. Students took turn explaining these uniquely Japanese things in both English and Japanese.
For the final part, students broke off into pairs so they could speak 1 on 1. Although this can be a very big challenge for anyone learning a new language, everyone did an admirable job. This kind of communication gives students a huge sense of accomplishment, even if they’re making mistakes along the way. After all, mistakes are how we learn, right?
After a very long 3 years of closed borders, the students from Leeming Senior High School will be joining us for a week in December. Our students and staff are very much looking forward to meeting and chatting with them.
