About us

Facilitate

To facilitate contacts and co-operation between teachers and community groups relating to Japanese studies
日本研究に関わっている教師と市民団体の間に協力と関係を促進すること

Encourage

To encourage the exchange of information through newsletters, forums, seminars and conferences
ニュースレター、フォーラム、セミナーや会議を通して、情報の交換を促進すること

Support

To support the teaching and research of the Japanese language
日本語の研究と教育を支援すること

Promote

To promote the study of the Japanese language & culture in WA
西オーストラリア州での日本語と日本の文化の勉強を進めること

Rosanne Jacobs

President

I am honoured to be President of JLTAWA having been a member for 17 years… I have experience teaching Primary and Secondary, city and country, Public and Private! Feel free to contact me any time if you think I may be able to help!

よろしくおねがいいたします

Melissa Luyke

Vice-President

I have been connected with Japanese language education since I first started working for Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre back in 1995.  As a qualified general primary and Japanese language teacher, I have been lucky enough to work in several primary schools for short periods as well as coordinate and present a variety of school visit activities and professional development seminars in my role as Deputy Director at the Centre.  I am thrilled to be the Vice President of JLTAWA and look forward to further supporting Japanese education related programs and networking with WA’s amazing teachers.

Margo Whittle

Treasurer

I enjoy teaching Japanese to children from PrePrimary to Year 6 at multiple worksites. I love sharing my in Japan experiences and like to network with teachers through JLTAWA. I have held a number of roles on the committee over the years. I look forward to meeting you at events throughout the year.

Fiona Blair

Secretary

Six years ago, after 15 years teaching mainstream students and those with special needs, I enthusiastically took up the challenge to become a Japanese teacher. I now teach part-time across 2 sites. Having spent a year with my family as a JET in northern Hokkaido, I have recently returned to teaching with a renewed vigour and enthusiasm for all things Japanese! I’m delighted to be back on the JLTAWA Committee as Secretary and look forward to working with the Committee to promote the teaching of Japanese language and culture across WA.

Sarah Burrows

Website Editor

I am a qualified secondary Japanese teacher with experience delivering the Japanese curriculum to students from Year 7 to 12. I am very passionate about teaching Japanese and always strive to provide challenging and engaging learning experiences for my students.

The resources that I have developed have been praised by fellow teachers and have been shared with languages’ teachers throughout Western Australia via the Catholic Education Office languages’ teacher network and through JLTAWA. My experience using ICTs in the languages’ space has led to repeated invitations to present at professional development workshops.

Terrena Hall

Primary Representative

こんにちは！Since commencing teaching primary school Japanese since 1998, both in the Pilbara and in the city, I am passionate about our Learning Area. I enjoy providing experiences for students (and teachers) to engage in this fascinating culture and develop language skills they are able to use in real-life situations. Any requests for help with programming, managing students or special events are welcome. Suggestions for JLTAWA support or events are also invited.

Kyohei Futaki

CAC (Curriculum Advisory Committee) Representative

My teaching journey started as a volunteer/assistant at two weekend Japanese schools in Brisbane. I moved to WA and have taught Japanese since 2010. As a young teacher of Japanese, I am honoured to be a committee member and look forward to supporting the Japanese-language related events and activities for the students.

Margaret Kennedy

Committee

After too many years as a classroom teacher, I jumped at the chance to retrain as a teacher of Japanese and now enjoy teaching Primary students 1-6. Numerous trips to Japan, many on school visits and study course has kept my passion for Japan and its language and I enjoy sharing and fostering this passion with my students.

Anne Becker

Committee

I have taught Japanese language for 27 years in primary and secondary, city, country, public, independent and Catholic schools.  At present I work at the Schools of Isolated and Distance Education, teaching Japanese to over 80 students in 36 different locations all around Australia and overseas. Further Japanese studies include a comparative research on Japanese Families and Child-rearing Practice and a linguistic and cultural analysis of Japanese empathy and politeness in translation. I love to inspire young people in their Japanese studies, as I was inspired by so many in my journey.

Jaeik Jong

Committee

Jaeik is teacher of Japanese, Korean and Italian teacher at Mount Lawley SHS. He started his first teaching career at Belmont City College and Willetton SHS in 2004. He has been working as a JLTAWA committee member since 2014.

Terri Ingleton

Committee

Trained as a High School Teacher; taught for 2 years then went to Japan on a scholarship. Returned to Australia in 1996 and did a conversion course to teach primary school. I have worked in various schools on a temporary basis. I am now doing a long service relief at Jolimont as well as other relief work.

Rachel Ong

Committee

Japanese and music are the two biggest passions in my life! I am currently teaching Japanese from K-8, and love combining Japanese and music in my classroom. I hope that through my teaching, I can inspire more Japanese language learners!

I have been teaching Japanese in since 1989. Prior to that teaching SHS Art and English at a variety of country and city schools, both government and private. I lived in Japan for a number of years, teaching ESL and Cooking at several major language schools, colleges and in my own home-based school. Upon return from Japan, I taught Japanese to businessmen from around Perth, assisted in teaching sushi to Perth Chefs and ended up as a Director of my own Perth Japanese Language  Academy, doing much of the illustrating for language kits we produced. I added ESL Qualifications thereafter and resumed teaching exclusively in the government sector from 1995 onwards. I am passionate about Japan and encourage all of my students to immerse themselves in “Japan” not just the language. My aim is for every student, no matter their academic ability, to get to Japan one day.