JETAA London's Treasurer Inspires London Students to Learn Japanese

Hannah Thomas, JETAA’s London Treasurer, reflects on her recent experience of sharing her Japanese journey with language students in London. 

In January, I had the opportunity to attend the Languages For All conference at Royal Holloway University, hosted by the Reach Foundation. The event was designed to inspire Year 11 students in West London who are currently studying languages, to continue their language studies through A-Levels and beyond. The day featured a mix of university campus tours, language taster sessions, speed networking, and presentations from keynote speakers, all highlighting how learning another language has opened doors and provided incredible career opportunities.

I took part in the speed networking sessions, where volunteers spoke with students in small groups about how languages can broaden people’s career prospects. It was wonderful to meet so many young people eager to explore the possibilities languages can offer. I focused my session on learning Japanese, sharing my personal journey of choosing to study the language at university and the challenges of choosing a degree that was so different to my school subjects. I also shared one of the best aspects of any language degree: the year abroad! I described the excitement of stepping foot in Japan for the first time, studying at a Japanese university, and living in a society where my language skills grew exponentially. The students all laughed when I described having to be dragged back to the UK to finish my degree, because I had fallen so in love with my time there.

I also encouraged them all to consider working abroad if the opportunity arises, and I shared highlights from my four-year adventure teaching English in Kochi Prefecture as part of the JET Programme. I shared photos from my time living in rural Japan, showing the students the stunning mountain town I called home. I showed examples of some of the school lunches, which they all agreed looked delicious, and the local activities I had the chance to participate in, like Kochi’s Yosakoi festival and a local taiko drumming group. I explained to the students that these experiences not only helped me immerse myself in Japanese culture, but also helped me feel more connected to the language. It was amazing to see how much my language skills grew as I engaged with the community, and I encouraged the students to seek out similar opportunities that bring language learning to life.

At the end of the conference, I spoke with Michael Slavinsky, the event’s organiser, and was excited to hear that he’s keen to collaborate with JETAA-UK on creating Japanese-themed extracurricular activities. I look forward to getting involved with this initiative and, as always, if anyone is interested in contributing or has ideas for collaboration, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by emailing  londontreasurer@jetaa.org.uk.