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

Rosanne Jacobs has been President of the Japanese Language Teacher’s Association of WA since 2013 and a member for nearly 25 years.  She has taught across both Primary and Secondary and is currently the Head of Languages at Mater Dei College.

Margo Whittle

Treasurer

I enjoy teaching Japanese to children from Pre-Primary 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.

Melissa Luyke

Vice President

Melissa Luyke has been passionate about all things Japanese since completing her Arts degree in German and Japanese at UWA and participating in the JET program. Soon after returning from Japan in 1994 Melissa commenced employment with Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre in Perth where she remained for over thirty years until the Centre sadly closed in 2023. Melissa is currently Director of the Japan Education and Culture Centre of WA (JECCWA), which is a Centre operated by the Australia Japan Society of WA and has also recently returned to teaching Japanese in a part time capacity at primary school.

Kyoko Walsh

MLTAWA Representative

Ever since Kyoko was a child, she wanted to see a different part of the world. So, Kyoko left Japan the day after her high school graduation, carrying one suitcase. After seeing many different parts of the world, Kyoko ended up in Perth. Currently, Kyoko is the Head of Languages at Rossmoyne SHS. Kyoko lives with her Australian husband, two daughters and two dogs. She loves watching Ice Skate especially her hero Yuzuru Hanyu, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist.

DENISE CHIONH

Secretary

Denise is a high school teacher of Japanese who started her career in 2021. After graduating from her degree in Neuroscience and Japanese, she pursued her interest in Japanese and Education at Edith Cowan University. Denise is passionate in teaching, experimentation and in the research and cognitive processes involved in acquiring a second language. She is currently the lead Japanese teacher at Bob Hawke College, building its programme that started in 2022.

ELENA ROWSON

Committee

Elena began her Japanese learning journey at Churchlands SHS and experienced visiting Japan as an exchange student whilst in Year 11. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at UWA majoring in Japanese Elena was fortunate to receive a scholarship to Ryukoku University in Kyoto for 1 year to study Japanese. Upon returning to Perth, she continued to work at Japan Australia Word Services as a coordinator in both the Tour guiding division and Media division. Completing a Diploma in Education Elena taught in high schools, starting at St Norbert College and then mainly at Rossmoyne SHS. After having a break from teaching with having children, Elena has enjoyed teaching Japanese for more than 15 years at John XXIII College in the primary school. Her journey has been across many different types of work places, but all have one main thing in common – the Japanese language.

Kyohei Futaki

CAC (Curriculum Advisory Committee) Representative

Kyohhei has been a high school teacher of Japanese for the past 14 years. Graduating from the University of Queensland (BA/BEd), while volunteering at two Japanese community language schools in Brisbane for 5 years, he moved to the West and started his teaching career here. He has been also an active committee member of JLTAWA (Curriculum Advisory Committee Representative) since 2014.

Giselle Fabling

Digital Media Co-ordinator – Committee

Giselle’s initial engagement with Japan was as a 17-year-old Rotary Exchange Student, living in a home stay environment and going to high school in Japan with no Japanese language! She has lived in Japan on 2 separate occasions for 4 years was the beginning of her love of Japan, it’s people, culture and language.She hopes, as a teacher, to share and pass this on to her students.  Giselle have been teaching Japanese for 20 years in a variety of country and metropolitan, public, and private schools in Western Australia. Having taught predominately in the secondary setting for more than 16 years, she currently teaching in a primary school and at SIDE and engaging in the new WA Languages curriculum. 

Sue Edwards

Committee

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.

FIONA BLAIR

Committee

Thirteen years ago, after 15 years teaching mainstream students and those with special needs, Fiona enthusiastically took up the challenge to become a Japanese teacher. She now teaches part-time across 2 sites. Having spent a year with her family as a JET in northern Hokkaido, she has recently returned to teaching with a renewed vigour and enthusiasm for all things Japanese. She is delighted to be back on the JLTAWA Committee and is looking forward to working with the Committee to promote the teaching of Japanese language and culture across WA.

JULIE CAVENEY

Committee