Languages Domain

Year 8 Chinese: Chinatown Excursion

Our Year 8 students visited Melbourne’s Chinatown, where they immersed themselves in Chinese culture and dining. Their tour at the Chinese Museum allowed them to explore ancient Chinese inventions and learn about the history of Chinese immigrants in Australia. This hands-on experience helped them connect with the local Chinese community in a meaningful way.

During the street tour, students applied their classroom knowledge of “lucky numbers and colours” to analyse the feng shui (Chinese geomancy) of commercial buildings—a task they found both fun and fascinating. Most then enjoyed lunch at restaurants Ms Fu recommended, where some tried to practise ordering in Chinese and some participated in a treasure hunt for Chinese characters. One student shared in their Chinese reflection:

"在七月二十二号，我们去了唐人街。我们学习了很多的中国人在澳大利亚的背景故事。然后大家吃午饭。我吃了猪肉饺和糖醋肉。我觉得很有意思，我想明年还可以去。"

Translated this means: “On July 22nd, we visited Chinatown and the Chinese Museum. We learned a lot about the Chinese community in Australia. We had lunch in Chinatown, where I enjoyed pork dumplings and sweet and sour pork. I found this experience engaging and fun, and I look forward to it happening again next year!”

Year 10 French: Trivia Night

Four Year 10 students (Josie, Zara, Owynn and Samuel) took part in the annual inter-school French Trivia Night. Held at Sacre-Coeur earlier in the term, students worked with four students from another school to answer questions (mostly in French) about the Paris Olympics, Gastronomy, French History and Geography, French Speaking Countries and even French Grammar. A great opportunity to meet learners of French from other schools and have fun at the same time. 

Year 9 Chinese: Global Weather Report

Year 9 students collaborated on a global weather report project using Padlet. They freely selected locations around the world, researched weather conditions, and described them in Chinese. Some even recorded their reports, adding an extra level of engagement! This project broadened their global awareness and highlighted the diversity of the world.

Year 9 French:  Cooking Shows

Year 9 French students finished up their unit on Cooking by producing their own Cooking Show for their speaking ALT. It was a delight to see the hard work and creativity that students put into this task, and it would appear we have some great candidates for future celebrity chefs. 

Languages Week at Bluff Road

The Bluff Road Campus celebrated all things Languages during Week 9. 

From French and Chinese food on offer at the canteen and a Scavenger Hunt, to the option to create some Chinese calligraphy, there were many options to choose from! 

A favourite every year is the chance to prepare and eat crepes and dumplings in the Food Room at lunchtime, and it proved to be a hit again this year.