She was quick to point out the error of his ways during a ceremony in which the students were required to present business cards they had made to a representative from the community with links to Japan.

Mr Masaru Kobayashi from Mitsui Coal and Mr Glen Thomson from Pokolbin Brothers Wines, were on hand to accept the cards and also spoke to the children about their respective industries.

“Learning about the many links between the mining, beef, wine and tourism industries in the Hunter Valley and Japan has made me realise the value of learning a second language,”  student, Jackson Clarke said.

“If I was to work at a local mine with Japanese owners, when we had a visitor from Japan, I would be able to communicate with them.”

I have really enjoyed learning the language, he said.

College language teacher, Catherine Duffey told The Singleton Argus that introducing Japanese to Year 7 as their mandatory language has been met with great success.

“This term we have been focusing on Japanese in the local community.  This has been a project based learning task encouraging students to find Japanese links to their life, family and community. Over the term students have sourced a local company with ties to Japan, written a letter to a contact within this company inviting them to St Catherine’s to discuss the mining, beef, wine making and tourism links with Japan on our doorstep,” she said.

“The project promoted the real benefits of learning a language, rather than being something that is only taught in schools, during their research some students have made meaningful connections breaking down the artificial walls between school and the real world.”