Great Time in the National Meeting of JSL Interpretation!!
Let’s join the National Meeting of JSL Interpretation!
Written by Akira Muraishi ,Steering Committee
When you are in the National Meeting of JSL Interpretation, you strongly feel that you belong toZentsuken apart from your daily activities. Let me introduce what is National Meeting of JSL
Interpretation like?
The National Meeting of JSL Interpretation is held twice a year. One is called ‘Summer
Session’(lecture style) which is held every in August. Another is called ‘Winter Workshop’ (discussionstyle)which is held every in February. You can participate in these two National Meetings through eachaffiliate chapter.
Summer Session is scheduled for three days at the end of August every year. On the first day, wehave the opening ceremony, speech by a special guest, the exchanging party in the evening. On thesecond and the third day, we have lectures in the groups and ends up with the closing ceremony.
Winter Workshop is scheduled for two days at the middle of February every year. There is noceremony and exchanging party, but is workshop with more than 10 groups.
If you are a beginner of the National Meeting, you should join with your fellows in your affiliatechapter.
Now, I will tell you how to satisfied in the National Meeting.
It is not easy for you to participate in the National Meeting for the first time, by yourself.
So, just ask your fellows in your affiliate chapter and join it together. If your fellows are experienced
the National Meeting ,it would be of great help to develop your personal network. I hear some people
make the money to participate in the Summer Session saving little by little.
You should participate in the exchanging party in Summer SessionIn the first evening of Summer Session, you have a chance to join the exchanging party organized by
the working group of Summer Session. You can meet new people and enjoy the local entertainment
with traditional local meal. After the party, some people move to another place to drink and talk withnew friends.I know some find a real friend. Therefore, exchanging party is a big chance to make newfriends!
Select one of the hotels which the working group recommend!
You will spend a lot of time to find a good hotel to stay before applying. for the National.

I recommend you select a luxury one among the hotels on the list provided by the working group.
Because they provide a quite reasonable price comparing with that you book one individually. Enjoy
your stay!
The session for the beginners
You also need to choose your session when you fill in the application form. For beginners, I would
recommend to participate in ‘Lectures for the Beginners’ in Summer Session and ‘Extra workshop’ inWinter Workshop.

In the class of ‘Lectures for the Beginners’, you could expand your knowledge about history andactivities of Zentsuken and JDF and you would learn how to make use of the magazine‘Quarterly’ tobrush up your JSL. The deaf people living in the area would give a lecture about their activities as well.
This session has lots of categories to learn.
The Extra Workshop in the Winter Workshop gives you a keynote lecture about recent welfare systemand topics of Zentsuken. After the lecture, you can get new knowledge and information to bring to youraffiliate chapter through reports from nationwide participants.)
Participating in Summer Session takes you around Japan
Summer Session is held in nine areas in turn nationwide. So it is possible to find the site of SummerSession is where you have never been.) You could visit around all of Japan some day if you keep
participating in Summer Session every year.
The more you join the National Meeting, the more you make new friends、then you can say thisfavorite phrase ‘ See you next year!’Now, I say to you my favorite phrase ’See you next Summer Session!’.