Languages Corner
French Cooking Class
Last term, our Year 7 and 8 French First Language students stepped out of their usual French literature lessons and into the kitchen for a special Food Technology class conducted in French. Following a French recipe, they baked delicious chocolate muffins. This hands-on experience allowed them to practise their language skills in a fun and practical setting while developing their confidence in using French beyond the classroom. It was a memorable and enjoyable experience for all involved!
Excursion to the National Gallery of Victoria
On 23 June, the Year 7 French First Language class and the Year 8 Immersion class visited the NGV to learn about the Renaissance and Medieval periods. During a guided tour, we viewed a range of paintings and statues and learned how artists used colours, clothing, and symbols to show a person's status in society. One artwork we learned about was the statue of Saint Barbara, and we also discovered that halos in paintings represented spiritual purity.
After the tour, our teachers gave us a worksheet in French, and we had to find specific artworks around the gallery to answer the questions. To make the activity more challenging, all the questions were written in French. We had a lot of fun exploring the galleries and trying to locate the different paintings.
Overall, we had an amazing time at the NGV and learned lots of new things!
Jaini, Shenaya and Kartik
8C
Shrine of Remembrance Excursion
On the first day of term, 9C went to the Shrine of Remembrance. We travelled by tram and, when we arrived, had lunch on the breathtaking front steps. Next, we had the opportunity to explore the inside of the Shrine. For many of us, it was our first visit, and we were fascinated by what we saw.
A tour guide showed us around, and it was incredibly interesting to see so much history in one place, especially as we had recently been studying World War I in Humanities. We learned about the experiences of Australians who served in different wars and saw many authentic artefacts that helped tell their stories.
Some of the most intriguing things we saw included dozens of old books containing the names of every Victorian soldier who served in the Great War, each name meticulously written by hand. Another highlight was the Stone of Remembrance, which bears the inscription “Greater love hath no man.” We learned that at 11am on 11 November, the anniversary of the end of World War I, a ray of sunlight shines across the stone and illuminates the word “love”.
We were told that many people visit the Shrine to grieve, reflect, and pay their respects to those who served our country. Overall, it was a moving and memorable experience that helped us better understand the sacrifices made by Australian soldiers and the impact they have had on our nation.
Kaela and Alfie
9C
Bastille Day Celebrations
To celebrate Bastille Day, France's national day, the Oh My Crêpes food truck visited our school, bringing a taste of France to our community. Students enjoyed delicious authentic crêpes and had the opportunity to practise their French by ordering their food in French.
Year 9 French students have been learning about the French Revolution since last term and created informative posters about key historical figures from this important period of French history. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of French culture and the historical significance of France's national day.
Model UN in French
On 20 July six students from the Year 11 French class – Neave O’Keeffe, Patrick Mills, Emma McCaffrey, Sofia Murrie, Stan Gaudey and Isaac Egre – took part in the French Model United Nations, an event where students from various schools represented different countries in a simulated UN General Assembly. Our students represented India and Ukraine and had to discuss a resolution on AI and human rights in French!
They demonstrated excellent communication, critical thinking, and teamwork skills while presenting their countries’ perspectives and negotiating with other delegates. The experience was both challenging and rewarding, giving students the opportunity to improve their French language skills and gain a deeper understanding of global issues and international diplomacy.
Celine Fompudie
Languages Learning Area Leader
Video conferencing with a Japanese High School
On 21 July, both Year 10 Japanese classes took part in a cultural exchange by video conference with Year 10 students from Sumoto High School in Hyogo, Japan. Sumoto High School is a co-ed public school with about 700 students in Years 10 to 12. During the session, GEC students asked and received answers in Japanese, while SHS students asked questions in English and GEC students replied in English. Below are some reflections from our students. We talked about school buildings, subjects and studies, favourite lollies and food, club activities, holidays, hobbies, and anime / Manga.
Peter Katsakis and Eiji Nishikubo
Japanese Teachers
On Tuesday the 21st of July, the video conference held in the Bulukuyt building featuring year 10 students from Sumoto High School was not only a blast, but also a challengingly unique experience. The days leading up to the conference were full of thoughtful practice. In small groups, we were assigned topics to ask questions about and spent a few lessons preparing and practicing our scripts. My group in particular took a school-based approach, asking questions regarding time spent studying and what students did during their lunch breaks. It was really interesting to see the clear differences in culture purely based on responses and even the way both our and their questions would be perceived. Overall, this experience was enlightening for both sides and I look forward to the continued relationship between GEC and Sumoto High School.
Frankie Mastrangioli
On the 21st of July we had a video conference with Sumoto High School and it was a great experience for both speaking and listening and provided good insight to the differences between Japanese and Australian schools. The conference was a reciprocal Q&A and although the leadup was quite nerve-wracking, our question asking was very clear and fluent. My partners, Kutman and George, also did a great job in our group’s speech. The second half went decently well, but unfortunately their connection was poor so they continued to cut out, making us repeatedly ask them to repeat themselves. Despite their bad connection, their English was very clear, and I hope they don’t think that it was bad because of us not hearing them clearly! I am looking forward to doing another video call with our new sister school in the future!
Jasper Grimwade
We recently held an engaging video conference with Sumoto High School in Hyogo, Japan, offering students a fantastic chance to build cultural connections in real time. Through interactive discussions, students exchanged insights about daily school life, traditions, and local culture while practicing their language skills in both English and Japanese. Despite the physical distance, the room was filled with warm energy, quick laughs, and enthusiastic Q&A sessions. The exchange was a wonderful reminder of our ongoing friendship with Sumoto High, leaving everyone eager for our next online catch-up.
Cole Rathgen
Berthe Mouchette French Poetry Competition
Students in years 7-9 had the opportunity to participate in the Berthe Mouchette Competition run annually by the Alliance Française. In the ‘first language’ section, students were required to write a poem on the theme of ‘des Ponts entre Nous’ (bridges between us). These could be figurative or literal bridges, depending on the students’ interpretations. Our students worked diligently and showed tremendous creativity to produce some wonderful examples of poetry inspired by how they are connected to a language, land, person or passion. Here are some of these pieces.
Frédéric Bussu
French Teacher
Un Pont d'Amitié
On commence par la première brique
“Bonjour, c'est quoi ton nom?”
On fabrique
Puis des arguments
Ça monte
Ça s’approche
Un seul mot, un seul pas
Ça peut partir en éclats
Parfois c’est à tout jamais
Même pas un adieu
Parfois c’est reconstitué.
Un sourire chaleureux
Une larme froide
En Train de glisser sur ta joue
Une amitié d'émotions.
Hawaïki G
Year 7
Vous perdrez-vous ?
Non loin d’une Seine remplie de remousMoi, me promenant , j’entends
Le murmure de Paris, le son léger du froufrouVous perdrez-vous, à travers les allées de boue?
La douce odeur du bonheur
Éloigné de tous les malheurs
Je flâne, oubliant mes problèmes
M’en allant, dans les sentiers d'ébène
Oubliant toutes mes peines
Vous perdez-vous, à travers les rives de la Seine?
La fin du chemin n’est pas loin
Dans quelques pas, au prochain virage
Mon petit paradis ne sera plus qu’un mirage
Et moi, alors, que vais-je devenir?
Me perdrai-je, dans mon propre avenir?
Alekss M
Year 8
Le Vietnam
Un spectacle idyllique et féerique de la nature.
La sable fin les palmiers verts et les vagues bleues,
L'océan de feuilles de feuilles ou se noie le ciel l’ombre humide ou dorment les racines sacrées.
Un climat tropical,
Le souffle de la moisson,
La pluie de jade et l’étreinte de l’humidité.
Les toits mousses de Huê,
Les pagodes suspendus aux nuages et les palais aux reflets d’ombre et de silence, les dragons de pierre endormis.
La saveur du pays natal,
Un bol de riz bien rempli et un bol de phơ qui réchauffe les mains et les cœur.
La danse des dragons d’or,
Le feu des lanternes de Hoi An,
Les rires de Têt et les fleurs de pêcheurs,
Le théâtre sur l’eau et ses marionnettes de bois et la grâce du Ao Dai qui flotte au vent.
Sydney Trang Pham
Year 7
Une ballade en France
Dès que je pose le pied dans ce pays merveilleux,
Je sens le vent frais qui souffle dans mes cheveux.
Comme si enfin, je pouvais respirer,
Là bas, je retrouve la paix et la sérénité.
Retrouver mes cousins est un vrai trésor,
On rit tous ensemble jusqu'au soir.
Les montagnes et les villages colorées,
Sont les villes pleines de vie ou j’aime me promener.
C’est plus qu’un pays ou j’aime voyager.
C'est l’endroit où j'aime toujours retourner.
Avec ma famille, par les paysages, ébahis,
La France sera toujours une partie de ma vie.
Sophie G
Year 8
Les Mots sur des Pages
Les ponts entre nous ouvrent des monde magiques,
Des forêts et des vieux châteaux forts.
C’est un appel du coeur vers des rivages lointain,
Où le bien et le mal dance.
Sous les vagues règne le vent des grands océan azur,
Des bêtes d’or et d’ombre hantent les cieux joyeux.
Un souffle de magie scelle le fer des épée,
Où la guerre réveille les terres endormies.
Des mots mystiques volent au vent de la nature,
Dans les murs de pierre d’un vieux château irréel.
Le bien et le mal latent dans la coeur de la nuit,
Pendant que l’âme pleure un monde qui s'enfuit.
Dans des livres ouverts,
Nos rêves sont des ponts,
Qui lient nos pas perdus à de profonds horizons.
Mia P
Year 7
Ces Liens entre Nous
Ponts de pierres, ponts de bois
Ce qui nous relie, mais parfois agit comme un poids
Relations, révélations
qui enchantent souvent les gens
Quelques planches clouées, quelques branches jetées.
Parfois abandonnées, parfois cultivées
Ces liens entre nous
Aussi changés, souvent gardés précieusement
Pour surpasser les obstacles il n’y a rien de mieux.
Ces ponts, ces liens qui nous unissent.
Souviens-toi tout le temps car c’est important
Titouan V
Year 7