a way with words
Anne Siciliano
Teacher - Italian
During Term 3, our Year 7 Italian students participated in the statewide Swinburne University Junior Italian Poetry Competition. This competition involved students studying a set of Italian poems before selecting one they would like to prepare for recitation to a visiting judge.
In class the students learned about tone and expression. Students knew that this type of competition would require a great deal of preparation so they practised their Italian poems over and over to increase their confidence in delivery. Some students worked with their families at home, some students practised in the car, in the shower or as they rode their bikes to school! Some students rehearsed their poems at a distance from others to train their voices to carry further, they practised using hand gestures to emphasise the key popints in the poems and employed facial expressions to add to their delivery. Above all, they all used their best Italian language skills on the day.
There was a quite a bit of elettricità (electricity) and entusiasmo (enthusiasm) around the Year 7 student cohort on the morning of competition. Students were called individually to present in front of the judges and as each of them came out from the judge’s office it was clear that they had an overwhelming feeling of elation and pride. Who would’ve thought that reading a poem in a foreign language could bring such happiness?
The poetry competition isn’t just about speaking in Italian language. The process also teaches students about patience, persistence, supporting and encouraging each other as well as how to manage those nervous feelings that the prospect of performance in front of strangers can bring.
Auguri (congratulations) to them all!
Special congratulations are to be extended to the following students:
Statewide Overall
Second Place Winner
Matilda Caffrey earned second place in this statewide competition. Congratulations on a most commendable performance, Matilda.
Honourable Mentions
These students earned Honourable Mentions for their participation in the Swinburne University Junior Italian Poetry Competition.
Congratulations to:
- Christina Antoniadis
- Sienna Calvani
- Alarice Kamil
- Layal Tabit
- Linn Thit
- Lisette Wilkinson
Merit Certificates
These students earned Merit certificates for their participation in the Swinburne University Junior Italian Poetry Competition.
Congratulations to:
- Sanjana Akula
- Chiara Aldridge
- Georgia Attard
- Nora Davis
- Lucy Greene
- Evie Johnson
- Nicholas Krepis
- Rachel Lowe
- Thomas Mitchell
- Angelique Neskakis
- Aino Papula
- Owen Parris
- Charlie Rolfe
- Tiana Sasik
- Achina Vearing
Lucy Green
Year 7
I think the Italian poetry competition was a great learning experience. It helped build my vocabulary and taught me how to pronounce words that we had not heard before. It also really helped me with managing my time/deadlines as the poem needed to be memorized by a certain point, so then we could practice pronouncing the words and making sure it sounded right. Most people were worried and nervous about performing it to someone we didn’t know, but I find it a lot easier to perform when I don’t know the person marking.
Maya Wright
Year 7
I found the Italian Poetry Competition inspiring for those who want to learn more about languages. It gives people a better understanding of language and how expressive it can be.When I did the competition, I felt extremely nervous and I thought that I was going to forget the words, but once you start the poem it becomes easier. After my recital I felt fine . It wasw a great opportunity to really test my language skills!
Eve Johnson
Year 7
My hands were shaking as I stood in front of the lady with the clipboard and pen and sweat was dripping down my neck as I opened my mouth to speak! I was thinking, "How am I going to do this? How am I supposed to remember a whole poem in another language?"
I said the first word and then sped through the poem. The judge looked down and started writing and when she looked up again she was smiling a friendly smile. She then congratulated me in pronouncing each word correctly and memorising the poem. I thanked her, said goodbye and headed out of the small room. I walked outside feeling amazing, a big smile spread across my face. This is the feeling everyone should feel after walking out of that office, because the best feeling is making things come together, after thinking for so long that it could all fall apart!
The Italian Poetry Competition had a great impact on my learning in my Italian class. It helped me with numerous things including Italian vocabulary, pronunciation and of course exercised my memory! I enjoyed this task as it was a good way to see how well I could memorise a challenging passage. I recommend this exercise to the 2019 Year 7 students and I suggest, hat they try their hardest in this competition as it is a great way to learn new things and to feel like the happiest person in the world.