Italiano

Overview

In Italian at GWSC, students will develop their communicative skills in one of the most spoken languages in the world. They will become more culturally aware through their studies of the rich Italian culture and heritage. Italian classes at GWSC are engaging and collaborative and instill in students a respect for other cultures and languages. Students develop their 21st century skills through participation in a range of learning activities and they interact with current, meaningful and engaging content making them more aware of the world around them. A student who studies Italian will develop a more open minded perspective about the world we live in. They will develop a range of cognitive skills that can be transferred into other areas of study and they will be enriched with an enthusiasm and interest into culture and traditions that exist outside of Australia. The Italian language classroom is one that allows students to step outside of their comfort zone and experience learning in a different environment. They are encouraged to share stories and experiences and study an array of topics and view these from differing perspectives. The style of learning promotes collaboration, communication and critical thinking; 21st century skills that they can take with them into the future.

Why study Italian?

When one thinks of studying Italian, they automatically think of the rich culture. Delicious food, fast cars, high end fashion, and technological innovation. Studying Italian goes beyond this. It opens your mind to the world around you and brings with it an abundance of career-related opportunities. People who are bilingual are highly sought after by prospective employers. It enhances your competitiveness in today’s marketplace. It opens doors to professions in the culinary, tourism and hospitality fields, in which Italy is internationally-renowned. Italy is a world leader in interior design, fashion, furniture production, graphic design, as well as in machine tool manufacturing, with sophisticated technologies in electro-mechanical machinery, robotics, shipbuilding, and space engineering.

Studying the Italian language gives you an international perspective and makes you a citizen of the world. It enhances your cognitive abilities, especially your critical-thinking skills. Italian is considered a Romance language or a Latin based language and as a result is useful when travelling, not only to Italy, but throughout Europe and in countries with big Italian migrant populations. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful languages in the world and it will take you on a learning journey like no other subject.

A student perspective

Language subjects at a VCE level are special and unlike any other study on the spectrum of choices. Language is an art, but it’s not taught in the art room. Language teaches attention to detail and an appreciation for the particular, yet it is not a science. Its study permits an exploration of culture, history and human experience but it is not classified as humanities or a social science.

I am an Italian student in year 12 and Italian is by far my favourite subject this year. It is difficult to explain what it is about the study that I find so liberating and rewarding but it is a discovery I am grateful to have made during my high school career. I believe that the ability to communicate in another language is a beautiful thing. To study a language is to procure an understanding of culture and tradition. One becomes empathetic, appreciative and tolerant of the values and habits adopted by other societies. By studying how others naturally convey needs, emotions and passions, one extends their own capacity to comprehend, to infer and to articulate experiences, emotions and ideas in ways that are unique and refined.

Studying a language is more than learning vocabulary – just like music and art, a language is a means of expression and a form of therapy. Through the utterance of new sounds, the formation of unique phrases and the creation of stories coloured with the distinctive tint of another syntax, I feel Italian both liberates and enlarges my mind.

Although the tendrils of the English language are creeping across the globe, there will always be a certain amount of disjoint in expression if we cannot communicate in native languages. To be able to speak in someone else’s first language offers an unbroken, coherent bond that can bridge any gap. To know the mother tongue of another individual makes you immediately more likable and attractive because to know the tongue of another culture allows you to connect in a way that is diverse, particular and remarkable.

Language studies are not to be scoffed at. They are extraordinary opportunities that I feel are not acknowledged enough in our society. Everyone should experience the journey that is learning a second language.

Katey Thomas, Year 12 Italian, 2018.

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