Debra Atkin: An immersion in the Japanese language

In June 2009 intermediate teacher Debra Atkin spent a month at the Ministry of Education Japanese language immersion programme in Fukuoka, Japan. The programme involved living within the culture of which Debra teaches and attending a Japanese language school. Although she planned to, she was unable to visit Japanese schools due to concerns about Swine Flu.

Debra grew up in Howick, Auckland. At high school she took up Japanese. “When I asked my parents if I could choose Japanese as a subject at school they were both very keen,” Debra says. “My dad was very encouraging about me learning an Asian language.”

While Debraʼs Japanese was still at beginner level her family hosted an exchange student from Japan. “It was a great way for me to experience a 'snapshot' of Japanese life. She was an inspiration to me to continue to study Japanese."

Debra runs an Asia awareness programme for her students at Karori Normal School in Wellington. In addition to her usual class she teaches a 20-week Japanese language option course for students. With both classes she gives classroom instructions in Japanese. “I also have a Asia display wall which is Japan focused and draws lots of attention from students,” says Debra.

Debra uses many methods to keep up her Japanese when in New Zealand. “Facebook is a great way to continue using my Japanese - I made some wonderful friends while I was in Japan and we keep in touch through Facebook,” she says “My facebook page is also in Japanese which means that each time I log in I am reading Japanese.”

In the future Debra is interested in working as an English teacher in Japan and possibly being involved in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme which is aimed at promoting grass-roots international exchange between Japan and other nations. She is discussing the possibility of setting up an exchange between her school and Japan. She would like to become more active in New Zealandʼs involvement with Asia and especially Japan. 

Debra joined the Young Leaders Network upon returning from the Japanese Language Teachers Programme in 2007 and attended the Young Leaders Forum that year.

Read more:

Read Debra's postcard from Japan