LANGUAGES

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL

 On the morning of Tuesday 5 April, the French students from Years 10, 11 and 12 set out for the 2022 French Film Festival! Every year, Alliance Française holds a highly regarded film festival with a vast range of different movies to see. After taking the train to the Palace Cinemas in South Yarra, we bought our snacks before heading into the cinema to see the incredible movie ‘Envole-moi’ (or ‘Fly me away’ in English).

It was a moving story about a privileged, irresponsible man, Thomas, who is forced to look after a terminally ill 12-year-old called Marcus. He is uncaring at first, but through this experience he learns how to be selfless, while Marcus learns how to enjoy and appreciate life and not give up on it.

It highlights some really important life lessons and I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a great movie, not to mention the awesome experience of being able to listen to authentic French. Monsieur Chamontin, Madame Reid et Madame Jimenez, je vous remercie pour nous emmener au cinéma, nous nous sommes amusés! 

Amelie Taylor

Year 12 Student

STUDENT LANGUAGES LEADER

The student languages leader of the fortnight: Maleesha Dharmadasa 

Hi! My name is Maleesha and I am one of the Languages Leaders at the East Campus for 2022. I’ve been studying French at McKinnon for nearly 2 years and have immensely enjoyed every part of it. 

Learning languages to me is an extremely important aspect of my life and one of my great enjoyments. At home, I also speak Sinhalese as both my parents are from Sri Lanka. Being able to learn and speak a language assists us to understand more about other cultures and the cultural diversity we have in the environment around us. Learning a new language has endless amounts of benefits and also is a new and exciting experience as we are able to learn something new every day. 

For all these reasons, I certainly encourage every student at McKinnon to learn a language and enjoy the amazing wonders of being able to do so!!

NEW FRENCH BUSINESSES

Some new, important French organisations are going to be doing business in Melbourne. 

Have a look at these articles: 

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

The Spanish Film Festival is currently underway: 

LANGUAGE TEACHER OF THE FORTNIGHT

The language teacher of the fortnight: Annette Reid 

What is your first language?

My first language is German. I grew up in Germany where I lived until I graduated from university.

Where did you learn a language or languages other than your first language?

During my high school years, I learned English

 as well as Latin and Spanish.

Why did you learn that or those particular languages?

I attended a school that specialised in modern languages. I loved Latin - a classical language - in particular because it is a very logical language. The texts we studied were stories about culture and civilization of antiquity which I found fascinating. It also helped me with my English as most words are derived from Latin and it also provided the key to the Romance languages Spanish, French and Italian which I continued to learn at university and in the respective countries. 

What advice would you give to students wanting to improve their ability in the language(s) they are studying?

Reading in French is an excellent way to learn new vocabulary and get familiar with French sentence structure, while at the same time learning about a topic. It is most beneficial to read about topics that interest you such as sports or hobbies. Being familiar with the topic will help you understand what you are reading and you will enjoy learning more about your favourite subject.

Why do you think it is important to study a language?

Language helps to connect to other cultures. Being able to communicate in another language fosters an appreciation for traditions, religions, arts and history of the people associated with that language. People who learned another language usually display greater tolerance, empathy and acceptance of others.

Why did you choose to become a language teacher?

I find it very satisfying if I can contribute to igniting a passion in a student’s life which may subsequently transform their world. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Whilst there are multiple benefits to learning a language, language learning is also a necessity to effectively function in the modern global marketplace. 

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE NEWSLETTER

A reminder for French students to sign up for the Alliance Francaise newsletter and stay up to date with all things French in Melbourne! 

BASTILLE DAY FRENCH FESTIVAL

Coming up in July - the Bastille Day French festival. They are looking for volunteers - go to their website to find out more! https://www.bastilledaymelbourne.com/ 

GOETHE-INSTITUT

Make sure German students check out the Goethe-Institut and sign up for their newsletter!

INSTITUTO CERVANTES

Spanish students should check out the Instituto Cervantes (which is based in Sydney) https://sidney.cervantes.es/en/default.shtm 

Jenny Lynd

Languages Learning Area Manager