AVL Supports Japanese Language & Culture School for Children in Graz

‘Konnichiwa’ is probably one of the first words you will learn when you start studying Japanese. Lessons held at the Japanese school, which recently opened in Graz and is supported by AVL, go far beyond a friendly 'hello'. “Maintaining your native language and culture fosters cultural understanding between cultures”, said AVL CEO Prof. Helmut List, who personally initiated the program. Lessons are held every Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the AVL Academy in Graz.

Following the creation of the Korean Saturday School in 2011, the Japanese course is now the second language and cultural institution of this kind supported by AVL. The goal is to give Japanese-German bilingual children living in Graz the opportunity to familiarize themselves as much as possible with the Japanese language and culture.

Learning to master the complex Japanese writing system in addition to studying the subjects in Austria’s compulsory school curriculum can be particularly challenging. That is why it is extremely beneficial for children to start getting used to Japanese characters as early as possible through educational games. In this school year, six girls and seven boys, aged four to twelve, are attending the school. The Japanese lessons are coordinated by Kaori Sohar, lecturer at Graz University.

Both the Japanese and the Korean classes are held at the AVL Academy. The AVL Academy is the hub and center for personal development, technical training and basic cultural and communication skills for AVL employees around the world.

Japan is amongst AVL's core markets. The areas Powertrain Engineering and Instrumentation and Test Systems have particularly shown above-average growth in the past ten years.