LANGUAGES

Education Perfect Language Championships

Indonesian and French students have been participating in the Education Perfect Language Championships against local, national and international schools.  Results will be available in our next newsletter.  Stay tuned! 

Congratulations to all of those students who took part!

Year 10 French Quarantine Meme Competition

During our first two weeks of Remote Learning, the Year 10 French class had a Quarantine Meme Competition. Students had to find a French meme about life in quarantine (la vie en quarantaine!)

Special mention to Jackson Petty who created his own French meme and to Heidi Graupner, who immersed herself in the challenge and submitted more than half a dozen entries, including an entry that came equal second in the voting! Charlotte Green and Emily Saario also submitted entries that tied for second place.

The WINNER was Ben Westh (Year 10), with this meme from Friends, which reads:  “Stay at home. Stay at home. Stay at home. Have a picnic in the park.”

Reflections On Remote Learning - French Language Assistant Audrey

In February, French students visiting Lilydale High School noticed that, unlike their own learning experience, computers were part of everyday teaching in Australia.  Personal computers, Compass and other platforms such as Education Perfect were already being used. 

Starting Term 2 with Remote Learning, Australian teachers and students already had a remote way of communication to rely on. Nevertheless, it was a big challenge to take up because teaching remotely required a whole new range of skills and a lot of time planning and writing ahead of every single task, while answering more emails than ever!

Working as a language assistant in two high schools, I have realised how important teamwork has been during this remote learning experience. 

I feel blessed to have been part of this experience with Lilydale, as a sense of community is still perceptible in this unusual time with pictures from students and staff, collaborations on music and reading projects and welcome, clear emails from the principal and colleagues that facilitate communication.

On a personal level, working mainly with Year 10 and VCE students on their communication skills in French, I think I have been able to interact with them more than before.  Suddenly I am not restricted to having conversations only during the double period where I happen to be in the same room as they are.  I can interact with them in other ways and other times, including via the Stream on Google Classroom and via Google Meet.

Having said that, a return to school will be, hopefully a way to find again what could not be replaced: the friendly atmosphere in the staff room where you can enjoy a chat, a joke or a meal with colleagues in between two periods.

Below is Audrey and some of the students from the VCE French class on a Google Meet.

Kelly Farrell

Head of Languages