はじめはして、

My name is Maia Chhour and I’m a Year 12 student at Westlake girls who has been taking Japanese as a subject for all four years that I’ve been at high school.

I want to share with you my experience with taking a language class as someone who struggles academically and perseveres through school with learning challenges including dyslexia and irlens syndrome that affect my ability to retain information and the speed of which I learn compared to my peers.

Despite the fact that I had always wanted to learn a new language, I could never learn my mother tongue and I had never thought that my learning changes would allow me to devote myself to learning a language. Dyslexia and language, in my opinion, did not go well together. So you can imagine my complete terror and insecurity when I learned that studying two language classes for our first year at Westlake would be compulsory as a year 9 student. I have never had a positive relationship with school or my self-confidence because of my learning differences. I was worried that when I entered my Year 9 Japanese and Chinese class, everyone would quickly become well ahead of me in the language, that my teachers would be frustrated with my lack of progress, and that I would be crushed under the pressure of being the only person in class who did not understand, never learning anything. However, I want you to know that all of these concerns were unfounded. I believe that all of you should go into a language class with confidence in yourselves and the same confidence that I have gained while learning a new language, despite any differences or worries you have.

Language classes in my experience have been very learning-based and not focused on the individual student’s grades but rather, on their personal growth and genuine interest in the subject. I found that there was never pressure to be an excellent passing student or even a passing student at all. Every day in Japanese class was a reminder that simply putting in the effort and having passion and excitement for the Japanese language was enough.

Furthermore, from my language classes, I learned that more than anything else, my positive attitude towards my academics was a top priority and that students in my class were not there for competition, but for support. It didn’t matter that other students could memorise more vocabulary than me or could learn sentence structures faster than me because I learned to understand that their strengths were not what I lacked, but what I could gain with their help.

I have become the closest with my Japanese class among all other classes because of this. Being able to walk into a classroom knowing that we are all in the same boat and just as anxious, despite everyone’s varying abilities, is very unifying. Taking Japanese has also allowed me to learn skills other than speaking Japanese, such as public speaking, learning to ask for help when I need it, and the ability of recognising and appreciating my own unexpected capabilities – all vital lessons for my confidence and me growing up through high school. My language class has become a safe space for me to learn at my own pace, socialise, and have fun in between my more stressful classes. 

I don’t regret deciding to continue learning a language after year 9 despite my learning challenges, and I would not change my experience or trade my knowledge and skills gained from being in a language class for the world. Don’t take a language because you think you may be good at it or let your worries stop you from taking a language. Join a language class because you enjoy it and because you want to. Just Go for it. Thank you for reading.