The ability to communicate in an additional language is a rewarding experience. It allows students to engage in effective and appropriate communication with people from different cultures and communities, and the world around them. It also broadens their opportunities to travel, study, and work in Japanese-speaking communities within and outside of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Each student brings their own unique linguistic and cultural repertoires to their learning. Students learn to acknowledge the mana of Japanese-speaking cultures, protocols, and language. They will make connections with the rich history and ways of doing things in Japanese-speaking cultures and communities. In doing so, students are able to reflect on their own personal identities and explore their own culture(s) from a new perspective.

Ultimately, communication in an additional language is an important step towards global citizenship.

Languages create and represent meaning by employing unique systems of linguistic building blocks that give rise to endless possibilities for expression and exchange. These building blocks are inclusive of oral features, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.

Students who learn Japanese get to explore its unique linguistic workings by comparing and connecting it with their own language or languages. They learn how speakers adjust their language when negotiating meaning in different contexts and for different purposes, and how different types of text are organised. This helps them to communicate with greater clarity, creativity, and confidence.

Japanese belongs to a different language family than English or te reo Māori and has developed in different historical and social contexts. The resulting linguistic differences give students the opportunity to reflect back on languages they are already familiar with, and develop an awareness that languages can make meaning in a variety of ways not encountered in European or Pacific languages, for example, how script and the registers of language are used to express respect or recognise social status. There are similarities as well, such as vocabulary around family relationships in Japanese and te reo Māori, and how Japanese and te reo Māori vowel sounds are similar.

These similarities provide another opportunity to include not just English but also te reo Māori as a language reference point in additional language learning. By exploring both the similarities and differences students build an increasing understanding of how linguistic elements work together as they develop their linguistic proficiency in Japanese.

Language and culture continuously evolve together, influencing one another in the process. Language encodes culture and provides the means through which culture is shared and passed from one generation to the next — contributing to personal, community, national, and global identities.

Learning an additional language provides the richest possible access to another culture. It allows students to communicate with people from Japanese cultures and thus explore authentic spoken and written expressions of that language. In this way, students gain an understanding of that culture which provides a strong foundation for intercultural respect and acceptance as well as an appreciation for diversity.

Students gain an insight into how their own 'cultural lens' shapes their perceptions and ways of doing things. This helps to deconstruct cultural stereotypes and allows them to appreciate the rich knowledge each individual brings to the learning environment.

"Another language opens up a whole new window on the world. It might be small and difficult to see through at first, but it gives you a different perspective, and it might make you realise that your first window could do with a bit of polishing and even enlarging."

(Hone Tuwhare, Die deutsche Sprache und ich, NZCTE, Goethe-Institut, circa 1997)

Language and thought are intricately intertwined. Our language(s) can direct our thoughts and influence our perspectives without us always being aware of it.

By learning an additional language, students can compare and connect their own linguistic and cultural repertoires with people from different backgrounds. In doing so, they gain an appreciation for the ways that people from other linguistic and cultural backgrounds see and approach the world. Students are given the opportunity to navigate different perspectives and gain a deeper insight into how languages influence the way we think and engage with not only each other but also the world around us.

The ability to critically examine diverse cultural and personal points of view, which is facilitated by developing proficiency in another language, is an invaluable skill in our increasingly diverse and globally connected world.

Language learning is a powerful way to exercise the brain. Engaging with another language gives us new metacognitive tools to think about languages as systems, improving overall creativity and problem-solving capabilities.

The process of acquiring an additional language requires regular commitment, practice, and repetition. It fosters perseverance and supports students to take ownership of their own learning. By doing so, they demonstrate and foster rangatiratanga, which encompasses student agency, leadership, and self-determination.

Students are made aware of the processes of language acquisition and gain some insight into the most helpful strategies for communication. These can include pattern recognition, trial and error, techniques to memorise vocabulary, and effective use of tools like dictionaries, verb conjugators, and digital translators. Students are encouraged to find modes of learning that work best for them and to begin thinking like a linguist.

As students build resilience and continually negotiate situations with emerging communicative competence, they feel safe to take the risk of being misunderstood. This encourages them to reframe 'mistakes' as rich opportunities for learning and development. It gives them the confidence to seek out opportunities to use Japanese outside the classroom, which is where language learning truly flourishes.

Through language learning, students become better equipped to communicate competently and meaningfully not only in Japanese, but the language(s) they already know. The attributes gained, such as resilience, self-determination, a commitment to improvement, and increased problem-solving capabilities, will continually support students in every aspect of their life. It is in this way, that the language learning process empowers the learner throughout their life.