Languages
2019 Swinburne University Junior Italian Poetry Competition Results
In 3rd Term, 30 students studying Italian in Year 8 participated in the Swinburne Junior Italian Poetry Competition. We received the results of the competition last week and we would like to congratulate our two prize-winners, Vanessa Danson and Lulu McCartney who have been acknowledged state-wide for their efforts in learning and reciting their poems by winning 2nd and 3rd prizes respectively, in their categories.
There were also nine students who received Certificati di Lode (Distinction Certificates), 12 students who received Certificati di Merito (Merit Certificates) and the remaining seven students received Certificati di Participazione (Participation Certificates). We congratulate and thank all our students for their efforts and participation.
Here are some thoughts that our winning students have shared about their experience:
Last term the Year 8 students studying Italian participated in the Swinburne Junior Italian Poetry Competition. We had to recite a poem in Italian. I had a lot of fun practicing with my friends and laughing as we thought it would be impossible to remember the whole poem and pronounce the words correctly!
On the day of the competition, I was really nervous reciting my poem to Signora Tarquinio, the adjudicator. I was so surprised when I found out that I had come second in the State in the Italian group category. I’m glad all the practicing helped. It was a really good experience, and I can’t wait to compete next year.
Vanessa Danson
Year 8
When I was told that the year eight Italian students were getting the opportunity to participate in the Swinburne Junior Italian Poetry Competition, I was very excited as it was something that I had never done before, but slightly nervous because I was unsure of what it required. Our teachers explained to us that we would be placed into a category (either Italian or Non-Italian) depending on our family backgrounds, and be asked to recite a poem in front of a judge.
The poem that I was given was called ‘Il Cappello di Zia Lina di Riccardo’ and it was about Aunt Lina’s lost hat. Memorising the poem seemed challenging at first, but as I kept practicing it came to me more quickly and flowed easily. Reciting the poem is one thing, but adding emotion and emphasis to the sentences is what makes the poem interesting and effective.
On the day of the competition, I was feeling a bit nervous but I tried not to show it when I was reciting the poem to the judge. We had had lots of class time to work on and memorise the poems for the competition so I felt very prepared. A few weeks later when the results came in, I was extremely excited and proud when I found out that I had placed third in the Non-Italian section out of all the schools in Victoria. This whole experience has given me more confidence in my Italian studies and helped me gain a variety of skills. I would highly recommend any year eight Italian students in the future to participate in the competition as it was an amazing opportunity!
Lulu McCartney
Year 8
Marlene Weberruss
Italian Teacher