Get to know us
LANGUAGE DISCOVERY is an educational organisation based in Melbourne, Australia providing online and offline projects to schools and to students in Australia and other countries. Language Discovery collaborates with governments, educators, and families and its projects aim to make foreign language learning immediately and personally relevant to all students involved.
Our mission is for children to learn and understand each other's culture and create friendships, and to motivate students to continue to learn languages other than English.
Our products are used at Australian schools that teach Japanese as a second language.
Japan Project Collaboration Partners
- Tokyo Shoseki Corporation
- ECC Corporation
- Japan Association for Promoting English for Children (JAPEC)
Management Team
Our Team
We’re more than a bunch of experts. We’re a family of like-minded people, using our passion and our skills to make a difference.
Frank Noda
Director & CEO
Frank attended primary schools in Australia and Japan and has a passion for learning about different cultures and languages based on his childhood experience in Australia. Frank is based in Melbourne and is of Japanese background.Frank was an overseas marketing representative at Sony in Japan and worked as a broadcast interpreter at BBC World’s Japanese Unit in London before returning to Australia.
Paul Butler
Director (Australia)
Paul has extensive experience and expertise in finance and management throughout the Asia Pacific Region, and was formerly Finance Director at the Japanese and Korean subsidiaries of London Stock
Exchange listed SSL International and lived in Japan for 13 years. Over the past 20 years, Paul has also held leadership roles in consumer healthcare, FMCG, IT, consulting and software and
international education institutions.
Takayuki Yahiro
Director (Japan)
Born in Fukuoka Japan. Had worked at International Division of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, one of the major Japanese companies in Japan which included stationed in the US for about 10 years managing R & D, drugs, wine, food supplements, mineral water and beverages. Lead the marketing Dept. to introduce products to Japan of these acquired companies of U.S., which grew into major products.
Jeafrey Estores
IT Manager
Jeafrey has managed large technical implementations, performed a development management/coordination role and directly implemented a number of core component and solutions. He has a wide network of contacts in Australia and the Philippines.
Phil Ingram
Advisor
Phil served on Foreign Investment Review Board in Canberra, and senior roles such as Victorian Trade and Investment Commissioner in Japan and Korea, North Asia Manager for the Queensland Department of State Development, and the Australian Trade Commission’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Fukuoka, Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong
Language Discovery
<Australian Office>
Language Discovery Australia Pty Ltd ACN 141 124 727
Level 17, 31 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC, 3000 Australia
Ph: +61-(0)3-8797-2424
<Japan Office>
2F Sagami Bldg, 6-13-7 Chome, Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0061 Japan
Timeline
2019
Mar - On 22nd March 2019, 15 Kindai students from Japan visited Derinya Primary School in Frankston, Victoria as part of Palaygo Tour.
Mar - Innovative Palaygo programs presented at JLTAWA Conference in Perth JLTAWA (Japanese Teachers' Association of Western Australia) Annual Conference in Perth on 16th
March 2019.
2018
Nov - Palaygo selected and presented at National Symposium of Japanese Language Education in Sydney, Australia.
Mar - Palaygo Tour: 16 Palaygo engaging students at Kindai Higashihiroshima visits Carnegie Primary School in Victoria.
2017
Nov - Palaygo Talk event: was held between students of Carnegie Primary School in Victoria, Australia and Osaka, Japan.
2016
Jun - Kindai University Hiroshima High School in Higashihiroshima introduces Palaygo into English curriculum for all Year 7 students.
Feb - CEO meets Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
2015
Nov - Palaygo Talk pilot version developed
Sep - Palaygo Tour (from Perth to Japan) - success
Aug - Palaygo wins National Senior Award: Kids Design Award in Japan
Aug - Palaygo Tour (from Yokohama to Victorian schools) - success
Mar - Palaygo Japan signs distribution agreement with largest textbook publisher Tokyo Shoseki
Feb - Palaygo Japan signs distribution agreement with JAPEC (Japan Association for Promoting English for Children) in Osaka, Japan
2014
Aug - Australian Ambassador to Japan Bruce Millers tweets support on Language Discovery
Aug - Palaygo Tour (from Osaka, Japan to Perth) conducted
Apr - Asia Education Study Tour sees Language Discovery's Japan operation
Jan - Head Office moves to Melbourne CBD