Nihongo Salon
We are a volunteer group that helps people whose first language isn’t Japanese to learn to speak the language. There are people of many different nationalities living in Toyota City, but they have little opportunity to mingle with the locals, and there are few places for them to study Japanese, especially mothers with young children, who sometimes feel a bit insecure about socializing, and often times become “shut-ins”. With the motto of the Japanese Language Salon, which states: “We welcome anyone at any time!” we have continued opening our program since 1991. At present, there are 30 Japanese language volunteers in our group, 10 babysitter volunteers, and around 80 registered students. Recently, some of those people, who were once students with us, have now become volunteers working with the program. By breaking down the lines of separation between student and teacher, and through “learning together, creating together as close friends” as our basic attitude, we aim to create a truly livable local community.
| Date of Activities | Every Wednesday between October 21 and March 17 *We are currently at capacity and are unable to accept new students at present. Please visit TIA's website around the end of the current term to learn about the application period for the upcoming class. 【10:00 a.m. -noon】Japanese language study and babysitting 【12:20 p.m. -1:00 p.m.】 Volunteer meeting |
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| Japanese Language Study | New students are accepted at any time during the 6-month semester (regrettably, we are unable to accept students in the middle of the semester if the classes are at capacity). The classes are divided according to the students' language levels and we recommend that students join the class that is suitable to their level. |
| Babysitting | Babysitting volunteers and Japanese language volunteers take turns on a shift system, looking after children while their parents study. Children over 1-year old, who are not enrolled in any sort of pre-school, are eligible for this service (please be aware that the number of spaces for toddlers is limited depending on the situation). Children who cannot be separated from their mothers are allowed to be in the classroom along with their mothers. |
| Volunteer Meeting | At the meetings volunteers discuss how their activities were during the class, and their problems are shared and discussed so that the program runs smoothly. |
| Others | The group cooperates and participates with many events in order to improve international understanding at schools or in the local area. Homepage: http://tia-nihongosalon.jimdo.com/ We welcome anyone who wishes to join our activities. |
Homepage: http://tia-nihongosalon.jimdo.com/