OLMCBI 209

The Languages Learning Area staff and students have been busy in recent weeks. We are currently preparing for a visit from our Japanese sister school, Seirei High School, in July. In addition, some of our French and Italian students recently participated in state-wide poetry competitions.

The College will host a visit from Seirei High School from Sunday 21 July to Sunday 28 July. We will be hosting twenty-four students and recently, at an information evening, details of the exchange were outlined to our host families. They are very excited to have a Japanese student stay with them and are looking forward to showing them a glimpse of family life in Australia. At school, the Seirei students will participate in English lessons, visit OLMC classes and have exchanges with our Japanese language students. We are still seeking some more families who are able to host. It is not necessary that your daughter studies Japanese. We ask you to please consider hosting if you can, as it is not only an enriching experience for our visitors but also our students, whether you study Japanese or not. If you are keen to host or would like to know more about the exchange, please do not hesitate to contact me (James Stavretis – Languages Learning Leader) at the College via email: jstavretis@olmc.vic.edu.au.

French students from Years 8, 9 and 10 recently participated in the Alliance Française Poetry Competition and Italian students from Years 9 and 10 in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition. In both of these competitions the students were required to recite a poem to a judge online. This was a great experience for the students, who were able to display their linguistic skills to a different audience. I am pleased to announce that Veronica H from 10MMZI and Lara E from 10ASWU have made it through to the finals for the Alliance Française Poetry Competition. Well done girls! Some of the participants have reflected on their experiences below.

James Stavretis
Languages Learning Leader

Recently in French, we had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Alliance Française's 'Berthe Mouchette' Poetry Competition. We selected a French poem, studied it, and memorised it for recitation in front of a French judge. It was a fantastic experience to work on, in and outside of class, giving us something to work towards. Not only did it improve our French comprehension and pronunciation, but it also provided an excellent chance to engage in active and immersive learning.
Being able to perform our poems with such complicated language as well as artistry was such a fulfilling experience, allowing us to appreciate how far we've come. This is just one of the many opportunities that language students at OLMC can choose to partake in, enhancing not only your fluency but also your confidence, helping you grow in all aspects of life. The competition gave us the chance to embrace challenge, celebrate our progress, and deepen our appreciation of French culture!

Veronica H (10MMZI) and Lara E (10ASWU)

Each year the OLMC Italian students participate in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition run by the University of Melbourne. We were required to recite our poems online with a judge. This year we were motivated to participate in the competition because it improves our Italian oral skills and gives us the experience of speaking with examiners. But most of all, we all love the Italian language and will take any opportunity to immerse ourselves in its culture!
The experience was extremely beneficial and fun! Our examiner was amazing, she was so kind and understanding of our nerves, offering us lots of support through the screen. Overall, this experience was amazing!

April D (10AJIN)