Japanese Assistant
The Languages Department warmly welcomes our new Japanese assistant, Ms. Rina Munakata. Rina Sensei will collaborate with us for a month and is excited to provide our students with authentic opportunities to engage and practice their language skills. We are fortunate to have her on board and look forward to her valuable contributions. Kindly read her introduction to the school community.
こんにちは！
I’m Rina Munakata. Nice to meet you.
I’m from Yokohama, Japan. I’m in my second year of university in Tokyo.
My favorite sports are badminton, tennis and squash. When I have free time, I usually play them with my friends. I like talking with people who have different backgrounds, because I can overcome my preconceptions and deeply understand various points of view. Also, I like challenging myself to try new things. The reason why I come to Australia is that this country has a lot of people who have different personalities and I want to try something new.
Before coming to Australia, I was working at English cram school as a teacher in Japan, so I like speaking English and talking with children. That’s why I decided to come to HGS. I already love this school, because all students are very kind and make efforts to learn Japanese culture. Also, they speak very good Japanese. I want you enjoy learning Japanese and Japanese culture. If you have problems or questions, please ask me without hesitations.
よろしくね！
Short-term Japanese exchange
During summer break, Azaya (Year 11) participated in a 2-week homestay and study program at our Sister School, Takeda, in Japan. He received praise from our Sister School staff for his enthusiasm in engaging with Japanese culture and his ambition to improve his language skills. Before the program, he explored Japan with his family, drawing from his experience on the 2024 Japan Tour to guide them. Thank you, Azaya, for being an outstanding ambassador for Hills Grammar and Australia! This is Azaya’s account of his time on exchange.
My goal was to improve my Japanese and learn and experience Japanese culture. I was also interested in what stereotypes Japanese people had of Australians.
My host family’s name was Tanazaki. At Takeda, I studied with the Year 10 Global Studies class. I learned a lot of subjects like math, history, and Japanese. Japanese history was interesting, as they taught more about the Japanese side of World War 2. During some classes, I had time to study for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, which I aim to take this year. I also gave a presentation about Australian Culture. Their English teacher, Mr Ashley Souther, had prepared some Japanese cultural activities for me. I did calligraphy with the Year Nine students and translated a Kamikaze Pilot’s letter with the Year Eleven class.
During co-curricular activities, I went to the Interact club, which Mr. Souther also runs. This club raises awareness of natural disasters and international issues. There was an earthquake in the Ishikawa Prefecture a few days before, so my friends and I helped raise money at Takeda. We did this by forming a band and playing music at lunchtime. My friends were Ouga Aritani and Ue Nagisa. To raise money, we played Greenday songs. We raised AUD 350.
I was able to make more international friends, learn about Japanese culture, and improve my linguistic skills, making this a very valuable experience. I strongly encourage other Japanese students at Hills Grammar to first participate in the Japan Tour and then take the next challenge of a short- or long-term exchange. Minasan ganbattekudasai!
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