Tag Archive for: Japanese language

Ireland Japan Association Honoured with Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation

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The Ireland Japan Association is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Commendation of the Foreign Minister of Japan, a prestigious recognition presented to organisations and individuals worldwide who have made outstanding contributions to strengthening ties with Japan.

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This honour acknowledges the IJA’s decades of work promoting economic, cultural, and educational connections between Ireland and Japan. In 2025, the IJA joins a distinguished group of 58 organisations and 173 individuals worldwide receiving the award.

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In its commendation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan noted:

“The IJA has helped not only to promote and develop economic and business relations between Japan and Ireland for many years, but also to promote Japanese language education and to foster human resource development in Japanese studies in Ireland. The IJA also runs regular workshops where participants can experience traditional Japanese culture. Through these and other activities, the IJA facilitates people-to-people exchanges while strengthening and promoting mutual understanding between Japan and Ireland.”

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Founded in 1990 from the merger of the Ireland Japan Society (est. 1969) and the Ireland Japan Economic Association (est. 1974), the IJA has been a cornerstone of Ireland-Japan relations for more than 35 years. Its mission has always been to act as a bridge between the two countries, creating opportunities for collaboration in business, culture, and education.

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Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Chairperson of the IJA, said:

“We are deeply honoured to receive this commendation from the Government of Japan. It is a powerful recognition of the work the IJA has carried out to support economic cooperation and trade links between Ireland and Japan, alongside our cultural and educational programmes. For more than three decades, our Association has been dedicated to fostering lasting connections, and this award is a testament to the strength of the friendship between our two nations.”

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About the Foreign Minister’s Commendations
The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are presented annually to individuals and groups with exceptional achievements in international fields, recognising their role in promoting friendship between Japan and other countries. The award also raises awareness within Japan of the recipients’ contributions to international exchange.
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Winners Announced! | JLTI Japanese Language Contest 2023

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We are very happy to announce the winners of the annual JLTI Japanese Language Contest 2023. This year, the theme for contest was “Diving into the world of Japanese”, and organisers invited entries in the form of speech or Japanese language soundtrack videos which tie in with this theme.

 

 

The entries were evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance. The judging panel took into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which was documented through their application forms.

The winners of 2023 contest:

Open Category
Japanese Language Award: Marco Perez-McKay
Language Achievement Award: Nadia Lagrutta & Xiadani Ortega Ramirez
Special Mention Award: Maria Mardiki

6th Year
Japanese Language Award: Andy Yu
Language Achievement Award: Ben Whelan
Special Mention Award: Meenakshy Bino
Language Recognition Award: Weronika Strek

5th Year
Japanese Language Award: Stefanie Reji
Language Achievement Award: Aeryn Noble
Special Mention Award: Aimee Fanning
Language Recognition Award: Cáit Whitmore

We congratulate all the winners and would like to thank everyone for the participation this year! Each winner have received comments from the judges and a voucher that will allow them to purchase Japanese-related textbooks, books, manga, accessories, origami, etc. as prizes.

Japanese Language Contest in Ireland is organised by the Japanese Language Teachers in Ireland (JLTI) with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland, Post-Primary Languages Ireland, and the Ireland Japan Association in order to encourage and promote Japanese education in Ireland.

For more information:

 

JLTI Japanese Language Contest 2023 | Apply Now!

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In order to encourage and promote Japanese language education in Ireland, the Japanese Language Teachers in Ireland (JLTI) are delighted to host their annual Japanese language Contest with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland, Post-Primary Languages Ireland, and the Ireland Japan Association.

 

 

This year, the theme is “Diving into the world of Japanese”, and organisers are inviting entries in the form of speech or Japanese language soundtrack videos which tie in with this theme. The Japanese Language Contest takes place online.

The entries will be evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance, and the prizes will reward a range of different styles, abilities and effort. The judging panel will take into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which will be documented through their application forms.

The entries will be evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance, and the prizes will reward a range of different styles, abilities and effort. The judging panel will take into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which will be documented through their application forms.
Applications are accepted for:
* Secondary School Category: TY/LC1 Category & LC2 Category
* Open Category
Application Deadline: Monday, 6th March 2023
Results will be announced in early April.
For application forms, competition guidelines and additional information, please visit:

A Hybrid Japanese Typewriter project among finalists of the 2023 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition

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A Hybrid Japanese Typewriter project developed by Stratford College 3rd year student Joseph Mudrak was among finalists of the 2023 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.

 

 

Joseph (14) has always loved to discover new and challenging things to learn. He learned to read when he was two years old, and by the time he was ten, he was teaching himself Chinese characters. He loves learning new languages and currently speaks Polish, English, and Irish, and is learning Japanese, French, and German. Joseph is also a pianist and has won a few competitions in Ireland. He is currently doing RIAM Grade 7 at the age of 14.

His passion has always been languages, different cultures of the world, music and programming. Joseph is also very interested in Japanese culture and language, and it is his dream to visit Japan one day.

After starting to learn Japanese at home by himself, he realised that Japanese is a very complex language, with thousands of different characters, which led Joseph to wondered how a hypothetical typewriter would work with such a writing system. After finding out about what currently exists and is available, he decided to make an electric version that fits all the characters used in Japanese onto a standard QWERTY keyboard. There are still industries where typewriters are in use, and this project is a robust and easy-to-use solution.

 

 

There were more than 1700 projects submitted for the competition of the 2023 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. The judges chose 550 for the final exhibition at RDS, Dublin, and Joseph’s project ‘エレキタイプ – A Hybrid Japanese Typewriter’ was among the finalists.

 

‘I very much enjoyed talking to you about your project on a Hybrid Japanese Typewriter. I had no idea how difficult  it is to type Japanese and I was surprised by the complexity of the problem. You presented your project with clarity and confidence. Well done!’ – Dr. Peter Taylor, Judge at the BTYSTE 2023

 

Micheál Martin, Tánaiste, Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, and Ivana Bacik, Leader of the Labour Party visited exhibition at RDS, Dublin and showed interest in Joseph’s project.

 

Joseph also had a wonderful opportunity to meet with Ms. Keiko Nakata, Embassy of Japan in Ireland, who was delighted to learn about his invention and received a gift book about Joseph’s project.

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is much more than a competition – it is the experience of a lifetime for the students and teachers who take part. Designed to raise schools’ engagement in the critical subjects of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), the Exhibition calls upon students aged 12-19 years from all over the island of Ireland to showcase innovative science and technology project.
Photos and videos: Agata Mudrak personal archive

Experience Japan festival returns to Phoenix Park on 10th April

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Long awaited and good news from our friends at Experience Japan – it has been confirmed that Experience Japan festival will be returning to the wonderful Farmleigh house and estate this spring.
The festival takes its name from ‘Hanami’: the traditional Japanese custom of viewing flowers, especially cherry blossoms, to mark the arrival of Spring. Each year Experience Japan brings families and friends together in the beautiful setting of Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park, to enjoy music and dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, seminars, and a variety of traditional arts and crafts, and to discover Japanese culture, including lots of delicious Japanese food. Many festival-goers dress for the occasion: in traditional styles, following Japanese fashion subcultures, or in cosplay.
Festival organisers will look forward to welcoming you at this year’s Hanami Festival on Sunday, 10th April.
Festival team also is looking for volunteers who could help at the festival. Volunteers are invited to complete the application form to register as a volunteer for the 2022 festival. Any questions can be emailed to volunteers.experiencejapan@gmail.com
For more information and letest updates, please check Experience Japan website:

JLTI Language Contest 2022 | Applications Open

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IMPORTANT: Application deadline has been extended until Monday, 14th March 2022!
The Japanese Language Contest 2022 is open for entries.
This year’s theme is ‘Time for Fun’, contest will take place online, and you can send entries in the form of speech or Japanese language soundtrack videos which demonstrate a fun outlook.
The entries will be evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance, and the prizes will reward a range of different styles, abilities and effort. The judging panel will take into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which will be documented through their application forms.
Applications are accepted in 2 categories:
  • Secondary School Category A & B (A: TY＆ 5th year, B: 6th year) – individuals
    • Video clip of a self-introduction speech
    • One individual speaker should be clearly shown making their speech on screen.
    • No use of special props or items, other speaker or background noise or music etc is permitted.
    • Duration is 1 – 5 minutes
  • Open Category – individuals or groups
    • It can be individual or group production
    • Open format; (i.e.) speech, conversation, skit, drama, song, poetry, show & tell, presentation or animation
    • There must be a soundtrack in Japanese voiced by the entrant(s)
    • If entrants are not shown speaking on screen, then a separate short video must be provided with the application form which clearly shows the entrant(s) giving their names and speaking the lines. This video will not be evaluated for judging purposes.
    • Duration is 2 – 7 minutes

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION

  • Participants must not be Japanese native speakers
  • Participants must be residents of Ireland.
  • Secondary School Category: This category is open to individual entrants of Secondary School age only.
  • Open Category: Participants cannot have lived in Japan for longer than 5 years in total. This category is open to entrants of all ages.
  • Neither participants themselves nor their immediate family members may be members of the JLTI.
  • Only one entry per category per person, regardless of whether individual or part of a group.
  • Participants should submit the application form including their YouTube video link and consent form(s) by the deadline.
  • A signed consent form must be provided for each member of any team entries for the Open Category.
  • For individual entries, the file names for the YouTube Videos and Consent Form should include the name of the entrant. The group name should be included in the file names for group entry videos and group member consent forms.
  • Applications will be accepted until March 7th.

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MONDAY, 7 MARCH 2022.

Results will be announced by the end of March.

The winners will be added to our website and winning entries will be showcased on social media.

For information, application forms and guidelines, please visit JLTI website: https://jlti.org/jp/speech/
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Contest is hosted by Japanese Language Teachers of Ireland (JLTI) and The Embassy of Japan in Ireland. Supported by the Japan Foundation. Sponsor: PPLI.

The JLTI Japanese Language Contest is open for entries!

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In order to encourage and promote Japanese language education in Ireland, JLTI and the Embassy of Japan in Ireland jointly have hosted an annual Japanese speech contest. This year, the Japanese Speech Contest is back as the Japanese Language Contest.

The theme is ‘optimism’ and JLTI is inviting entries in the form of speech or Japanese language soundtrack videos which demonstrate an optimistic outlook.

The Japanese Language Contest takes place online.

The entries will be evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance, and the prizes will reward a range of different styles, abilities and effort. The judging panel will take into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which will be documented through their application forms.

Enquiry: Twitter account @JLTIcontest OR jltispeechcontest2021@gmail.com

Guidelines for Video Production and Uploading Video to YouTube

  • Video production must be original work. In the open category, if you use music and/or pictures, they also must be original or copy-right free materials.
  • The entry should be your own work (or the work of the members of your group). Only limited help or input from a teacher or native speaker or other is permitted.
  • Participants should submit a YouTube video link. See the following instructions on how to upload your video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VtF2AgFSLAw
  • The setting of your video privacy should be “unlisted”
  • Please title the video with your name (or your group name for a group entry)

Secondary School Category

  • Video clip of a self-introduction speech
  • One individual speaker should be clearly shown making their speech on screen.
  • No use of special props or items, other speaker or background noise or music etc is permitted.
  • Duration is 1 – 5 minutes

Open Category

  • It can be individual or group production
  • Open format; (i.e.) speech, conversation, skit, drama, song, poetry, show & tell, presentation or animation
  • There must be a soundtrack in Japanese voiced by the entrant(s)
  • If entrants are not shown speaking on screen, then a separate short video must be provided with the application form which clearly shows the entrant(s) giving their names and speaking the lines. This video will not be evaluated for judging purposes.
  • Duration is 2 – 7 minutes

Criteria for Participation:

  • Participants must not be Japanese native speakers
  • Participants must be residents of Ireland.
  • Secondary School Category: This category is open to individual entrants of Secondary School age only.
  • Open Category: Participants cannot have lived in Japan for longer than 5 years in total. This category is open to entrants of all ages.
  • Neither participants themselves nor their immediate family members may be members of the JLTI.
  • Only one entry per category per person, regardless of whether individual or part of a group.
  • Participants should submit the application form including their YouTube video link and consent form(s) by the deadline.
  • A signed consent form must be provided for each member of any team entries for the Open Category.
  • For individual entries, the file names for the YouTube Videos and Consent Form should include the name of the entrant. The group name should be included in the file names for group entry videos and group member consent forms.
  • Applications will be accepted until February 28th.

Online Application and Consent Forms can be found here: https://jlti.org/speech/

Application Deadline: Sunday, 28th February 2021

Results will be announced by the end of March. The winners will be added to our website and winning entries will be showcased on social media.

Hosted by Japanese Language Teachers of Ireland (JLTI) and The Embassy of Japan. Supported by the Japan Foundation.

The 18th JLTI Japanese Speech Contest

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JLTI Speech Contest Committee has kindly invited you to attend the 18th JLTI Japanese Speech Contest on Saturday, 7th March at the UCD, Dublin.

Date: Saturday, 7th March 2020
Time: 1 – 5.30 p.m.
Venue: William Fry Theatre, Sutherland School of Law, UCD, Dublin

Please see event timetable and map HERE!

Categories:
*General (Participants have lived in Japan for no longer than 5 years in total.)
*Secondary School students – LC2 (Leaving Certificate Student)
*Secondary School students – TY/LC1 (Transition Year & 5th Year Students)

Theme:
*General Category: Their own choice
*TY/LC1 Category: Self Introduction
*LC2 Category:  “If I Went To Japan”, “My Best Day Ever”,  “My Best Friend”

The JLTI is marking its 19th year since its foundation, and its 18th Speech Contest is taking place this year. There has been a steady increase in the number of entries every year, and the contest is becoming more popular and is drawing more interest. The contest now has three categories, two post-primary student categories and one general category.

Since the Speech Contest is always attended by the friends and families of the secondary school participants, it has grown to provide a friendly forum for those interested in the Japanese language and in Japan in general. The marked increase in the level of the speeches over the years is a huge incentive and encouragement to the teachers working with the participants.

Japanese language teaching/learning in Ireland is slowly but surely gaining popularity. The number of students opting to take Japanese as a Leaving Certificate examination subject is increasing with approximately 300 students sitting the exam last year. In addition, University College Cork launched its Institute of Japanese Studies in September 2011, Dublin City University and University of Limerick have Japanese courses, and University College Dublin and Trinity College have Japanese modules, thus creating a solid base for Japanese Studies to develop among students in Ireland.

Find out more about the JLTI here!

Follow JLTI on Facebook!

FREE Japanese lunchtime conversation group meetings

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We are delighted to have partnered with Trinity Centre for Asian Studies and bring you FREE Japanese lunchtime conversation group meetings to give you a chance to improve your Japanese conversational skills in casual environment.

These weekly meetings will take place every Thursday from 1-2 p.m. at the TCAS Seminar Room 2011 (Arts Building Annex) in TCD. First meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 14th November.

This weekly group will allow Japanese learners of all levels to develop their conversation skills in a casual, lunchtime environment. Feel free to bring your lunch and find some new conversation partners at the same time!

No previous registration is needed and everybody is welcome.

We would like to thank Verity Swan, IJA Council, and everybody at Trinity Centre for Asian Studies for their support in organizing this group.

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) | 2 December 2018

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If you are studying Japanese language, would like to test you language level and receive an internationally recognised qualification for non-native speakers, please note that in Ireland, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) will take place on 2nd December, 2018.

JLPT in Dublin, 2018
Next Exam:  Sunday, 2nd December 2018
Venue:  John Henry Newman Building, Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4
Time:  You will be asked to arrive by 12:00
Fee:  €85

Registration closes on Friday 5th October 2018 at 23:59 (Midnight)

If you wish to book your JLPT examination, you can do it here!

In Ireland, the JLPT is administered by UCD Japan on behalf of the Japan Foundation.

You can find more information about the JLPT in the brochure here!

 

Tag Archive for: Japanese language

IJA Japanese Conversation Group

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Join our FREE Japanese conversation group meetings and improve your Japanese conversational skills in an informal, friendly atmosphere!

Meetings take place twice a month on Tuesdays from 8-9 p.m. via Zoom.

To join the group, please sign up by sending email to: info@ija.ie.

 

 

Session Format
The group meets online on Tuesdays twice a month

Online Sessions
60min (30min Beginner / 30min Intermediate)
* First 30min of the session – Beginner-friendly introduction & practice
* Last 30min of the session – Intermediate conversation & expansion
* End with 5 min “今日の一言” – one practical sentence to use daily.

In-Person Meetups
Every 2 months  – 2 hour long in-person meeting to connect with others, socialise and practice your language skills. Date and venue will be announced for each upcoming meeting.

Topics
We will share the specific topic for each session with registered group members in advance, along with the Zoom link. Sessions are facilitated by native Japanese speaker/s.

Who can join?
We warmly encourage you to join our group sessions – new members are always welcome, and we would love to meet you!

* IJA Members
* University students (18+) studying Japanese are welcome to join 3 complimentary sessions to try out the group before deciding on membership.
* Non-members wishing to attend are kindly welcome to become IJA members before joining the group.

Please Note!
* This conversation group is a fun activity for people who enjoy speaking Japanese, not a language course or class.
* This group is open to IJA members and students studying Japanese.
* Suitable for participants aged 18+ only.

For more information or to sign up, please contact us: info@ija.ie

 

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