LANGUAGES LEARNING AREA
UNLOCK A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES THROUGH LANGUAGES AT ST JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
Imagine giving your child a key – a key that unlocks doors to new worlds, diverse cultures, and endless opportunities. This key is the gift of learning a language other than English. Just like a magical passport, mastering a beautiful language opens up a treasure trove of experiences and connections.
Even in our small city of Mildura, learning Italian offers unique advantages. It connects students to a rich cultural heritage and enhances their appreciation for art, music, and cuisine. It also provides cognitive benefits, improving memory and problem-solving skills.
We have unlocked exciting new doors in Year 8 and VCE Italian studies this year.
YEAR 8
Our Year 8 students were involved in an Immersion Day on 21 June during Languages Week. This day presented students with a plethora of hands-on activities that provided them with a snapshot of Italian culture and language. The day began with painting Carnevale masks and creating flying machines out of toothpicks and marshmallows in the style of Leonardo Da Vinci’s model flying machines.
Students then created a project in the style of a Project Based Learning Task where they were required to plan and present their very own model Venice located on the Murray River in Mildura. Students were required to think creatively, use their languages skills and compare and contrast cities in Italy and Australia, particularly the design and plan of the city of Venice.
At the end of the day students were required to present their ideas in one of two gallery walks where they were able to give and receive feedback from their peers, teachers, and school leadership.
YEARS 11 AND 12
Students in VCE Italian were lucky enough to spend a few days in Melbourne at the beginning of Term 2 to support their VCE Italian studies. They studied Italian Migration at CO.AS.IT Italian Assistance Association in Melbourne where they were introduced to interesting artefacts and points of interest from the viewpoint of the many Italians who arrived in Australia to make a new home. They also undertook a lesson in Italian on Italian Migration with one of the specialised staff members.
A highlight of the trip for the students was visiting the LUME exhibition on the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Not only did it provide insights into Italian culture, but it offered an opportunity to see Leonardo as a great artist, scientist, inventor, mathematician and scholar. Our students were particularly interested in seeing the replica of the Mona Lisa and the way that Leonardo wrote backwards using the Codex Atlanticus. They rated this gallery a 9 out of 10 due to how engaging and enjoyable it was for all participants.
Students also participated in a language class at Melbourne University and were shown around the campus by Professor Matthew Absalom, a friend of our college who is a longtime supporter of languages across the regions. Students undertook oral language development with the Italian Cultural Institute in Melbourne, and they have since had follow up practice oral exams in the recent holidays with online interviews held by CO.AS.IT. This was a fantastic opportunity that presented itself to us due to conversations had on this trip and Melbourne University's willingness to support rural students studying languages across Victoria. Students also were afforded with fantastic weather to walk around and see sustainability in practice in Melbourne which can then be compared with sustainability practices in Milan for their in-depth study during Term 3.
Students enjoyed the ability to converse in Italian on trains and in restaurants and came back ready to apply all their learnings into their classwork.
OTHER EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES
In other exciting news, 17 students from Years 9 to 11 are readying themselves to take off on the trip of a lifetime as they head to Italy over the September school holidays. We are very fortunate to have this trip up and running again post-covid restrictions, and the students are looking forward to visiting Rome, Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii, Florence, Pisa, Maranello, Venice, Verona, and Milan. Watch this space and 'Buon Viaggio' to the lucky language learners attending.
Mrs Casey Cadmore
Languages Learning Area Facilitator