March 13, 2014

Cultural immersion for Japanese student visitors

The University of Wollongong has being playing host to 33 students from Tokyo City University for an early childhood education tour and cultural immersion experience. 

The two-week visit from 2-15 March for the undergraduate students from Tokyo City University who are pursuing early childhood studies has included a range of activities during their stay in Wollongong.

They have attended classes alongside UOW students, visited local early childhood education and care centres (which are local partners of the UOW Early Years Program) and stayed with host families in the area. One of the classes they attended was a lecture on ‘Guiding Children’s Behaviour’ and an origami/calligraphy class.

The Japanese students have been able to study the similarities and differences between early childhood education and care in Japan and Australia.

At the same time, they have also been able to attend English language lessons through UOW College.

In a true cultural immersion experience, the visitors and their UOW student counterparts mingled on 12 March at an afternoon tea in typical Australian form including refreshments of vegemite and lamingtons.

Earlier in the visit, one of the highlights of the program was an Aboriginal cultural experience in the Wollongong Botanic Garden where the Japanese students learnt about bush tucker, heard some Aboriginal storytelling and tried throwing a boomerang.

The two-week visit ended with a ‘graduation ceremony’ on 14 March where students, university staff and host families farewelled the students.