Languages
James Hargest College honours cultural diversity. This is reflected in our vibrant new Languages' Suite, where the cultures of the world are brought to life.
Through language learning, students are encouraged to open their minds to the world around them, which in turn opens doors to life opportunities. We are proud to offer five different languages at a variety of levels.
The students have a taste of French, Japanese, Maori and Spanish at Year 7 and 8. They can then choose to continue with up to 4 of them in the first part of Term One of Year 9, before choosing 2 options to continue with.
Te reo, he taonga
French
The French are proud of their language and their culture, and we aim to reflect the reason for this in our study of French. A strong cultural flavour runs through all levels of French study. This includes a focus on topics relevant to today's world, such as new technology, fashion and food, and youth issues.
James Hargest has had a reciprocal exchange with French High Schools since 2010.
Japanese
The study of Japanese comes alive at James Hargest College with annual Kumagaya sister city exchanges. Students can interact with native speakers, and have the opportunity to visit Japan as part of our exchange programmes and cultural trips. Japan is one of New Zealand's major trading partners and companies often seek bilingual employees.
Maori
The study of Te Reo Maori will give students an understanding of New Zealand's founding culture, while opening doors to careers in areas such as education, health, and government departments.
Spanish
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages around the world, and consequently its popularity in education is increasing.
Throughout the department, we aim to provide our students with regular opportunities to interact with native speakers. We offer trips and cultural exchanges to countries such as Spain, Japan and France.