Japanese language classes a hit at Islamic school<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It is around 12:30 in the afternoon. All other students went home
\nimmediately after the bell rang almost one-and-a-half hours
\nearlier.<\/p>\n
Faisal Gozali, 17, however, is still talking with six of his
\nclassmates. Nothing is extraordinary about the discussion, except
\nthat they are all speaking in Japanese.<\/p>\n
\"I enjoy speaking in Japanese because it helps me master the
\nlanguage. I hope it will someday help me find a job as I have
\nheard that a lot of job vacancies today require Japanese as one
\nof the qualifications,\" he told The Jakarta Post one Saturday.<\/p>\n
Virtually all Japanese companies operating in Indonesia
\nrequire their employees to master, or at least understand,
\nJapanese.<\/p>\n
Faisal, along with 57 other third-year students of MAN 4
\nIslamic state high school in Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta, has
\nbeen studying Japanese since the third semester.<\/p>\n
MAN 4 has been offering Japanese as a major course since 1998,
\nmaking it the first Islamic high school in the capital to teach
\nthe language.<\/p>\n
At least 49 second-year students are studying the language in
\nthe school.<\/p>\n
MAN principal Muchyidi said helping students master the
\nJapanese language was one of the aims of MAN 4, one of the 38
\nmodel Islamic schools in the country.<\/p>\n
\"As a model school, we have several achievements. For example,
\nstudents studying Japanese achieved an average mark of 7.8 in
\nlast year's national exam. They also have repeatedly won various
\nJapanese speech competitions in Jakarta,\" said Muchyidi.<\/p>\n
To prove its seriousness in maintaining the program, the
\nschool sent a teacher to Japan two years ago to study how to
\nmanage the curriculum of the language program. She is now back
\nteaching Japanese at the school.<\/p>\n
Japanese teachers at the school have also been trained by a
\nJapanese language expert from the Japan Foundation, Marimoto
\nYukako, to improve their teaching methods.<\/p>\n
Unlike MAN 4, state senior high school SMUN 81 in
\nJatiwaringin, East Jakarta offers Japanese courses to first
\nand second year students only.<\/p>\n
\"Japanese has been offered here since 1985 as the majority of
\nstudents prefer to study Japanese rather than French, German or
\nArabic,\" said Rudy Dermawan, the school's Japanese language
\nteacher, who has been teaching the subject since 1999.<\/p>\n
According to Rudy, around 480 students are studying Japanese
\nfor two hours every week.<\/p>\n
\"There are only two Japanese teachers here. I teach 11 classes
\nand my colleague, Ms. Rina Pertiwi, teaches six classes,\" Rudi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Although the time allotted to study Japanese at the school is
\nvery limited, SMUN 81 students have demonstrated incredible
\nachievements in Japanese language competitions.<\/p>\n
One of the school's students, Kinanti Fitra Asri, was first
\nrunner-up of the National Japanese Speech Competition held by the
\nJapan Foundation last April. She was given a Japanese Speech
\nAward and a chance to travel to Japan for two weeks.<\/p>\n
\"I love studying foreign languages. I chose Japanese because I
\nlike Japanese animated cartoons and comics, and I want to be a
\ntranslator of Japanese books,\" said the first-year student.<\/p>\n
Rudy said that he believes that teaching Japanese language
\nwould help his students not only master a foreign language but
\nalso give them the chance to enroll in student exchange programs
\nand avail of scholarships offered by various Japanese
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
\"Kinanti is a dream come true,\" the 44-year old teacher said.
\n(006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/japanese-language-classes-a-hit-at-islamic-school-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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