FOR THE 11th year, the Japanese Language Society of Malaysia (JLSM) held its annual Japanese Language Festival with support from the Japanese Embassy and Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, supported by the Education Ministry.
The event was held in SRJK (C) Lai Meng in Bandar Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, with schools from all over Malaysia taking part.
This year, it was extended into a two-day event to accommodate the number of participants due to the overwhelming response.
Participants of the festival were given the chance to join workshops such as calligraphy, Okinawan culture and kendo as well as participate in competitions such as koinobori (carp streamer making), sugroku (board games) and soran bushi dance (a Japanese work song).
The Japanese Language Festival is held every year to give students a chance to practise their Japanese language skills outside of a classroom setting and to be able to fully immerse themselves in the language by learning the culture as well.
SMK (P) Sultan Ibrahim students with their koinobori or carp streamer inspired by characters from Studio Ghibli (a Japanese animation studio).
The 11th Annual Japanese Language Festival was a special occasion as it also celebrated the 60th anniversary of Malaysia-Japan diplomatic ties.
Japanese ambassador Dr Makio Miyagawa said the foreign language was a useful tool and a magic key to open many doors to a new world.
“I am certain that this festival will stimulate the motivation of learning Japanese and raise the interest in Japanese culture,” he said in his welcome message.
A Japanese language forum was also held for the first time during the festival titled “Shaping Japanese Language Education in Malaysia”.
The forum provided a platform for practitioners, policy makers, learners and employers to interact and exchange ideas and experiences to enable the development of Japanese language learning in the country.
Source : The Star http://buff.ly/2pzRpZ0
Photo : thestar.com.my