FAQ

So, why Japanese?

Japanese started off as a fun, lunchtime club and, despite our hopes, we didn't expect to be able to continue studying it to GCSE level - but here we are two years later, and it's still so enjoyable that most of us are even studying Japanese at A level!  And some teachers of other subjects learnet GCSE Japanese and took their exams with us.

Is it very different from other languages?

Well, before we could write anything in Japanese we had to learn the two phonetic scripts used in Japan, but after that it was much easier. The characters are quite challenging occasionally, and some of the grammar structures are totally different from anything found in English, but it's an exciting experience, and an amazing opportunity not to be missed.

How useful will it be here?

Actually, the economic growth in the east and globalization means that links with the oriental world are becoming more and more important - there are often Japanese signs and labels around that we can all read now!

And what are the lessons like?

They're always a lot of fun, and include education about the culture as well as just the language; we learn about Mount Fuji, Japanese New Year - and last year we mastered the art of successful chopstick use and (almost) Japanese calligraphy!

I hear there's been a trip to Japan too?

YES! It was really exciting! Our Japanese lessons really came to life as we experienced Japan firsthand.

So what would you say to potential Japanese learners?

Seize the opportunity! Very few schools offer the chance to experience such an interesting culture and a challenging language!