The Languages Learning Area staff and students have been busy with a variety of recent activities. I hope you enjoy reading more about our Japanese sister school visit from an OLMC host sister perspective, the Year 12 Italian class excursion to Mediterranean Wholesalers, and a Year 9, 10 and 11 Japanese Calligraphy incursion. These opportunities have enabled our language students to not only improve their linguistic and sociolinguistic skills, but also to immerse themselves in the culture of their chosen language.
James Stavretis
Languages Learning leader
Japanese Sister School Visit
A few weeks ago, OLMC was excited to host students from our Japanese sister school, Serei Women's Junior College. By spending their school days at OLMC and homestays with OLMC families, the students could immerse themselves in OLMC school life and the Australian lifestyle. It was an amazing opportunity for the Seirei and OLMC students to build international friendships.
The Seirei students visited our Japanese classes to engage in various activities. One of the week's many highlights was the special gathering with the Year 10 and 11 Japanese classes to have ‘coffee and chat’ time. We had a cafe-style experience where we enjoyed tea, coffee and milkshakes made by the 7TH LAB Team while conversing with the Japanese exchange students. We talked about our hobbies, school life, and other interesting topics. The Japanese students also took English and culture classes where they practised their English and learned about OLMC and Australian culture.
On the Wednesday of that week, the Seirei students and their OLMC host sisters enjoyed an outing to Healesville Sanctuary. We saw lots of wildlife native to Australia and everyone was thrilled to see the koalas, including some baby koalas clinging to their mothers.
Having a Japanese student doing a homestay was a rewarding experience for the OLMC host sisters. Through this program, we have built lasting relationships and friendships. At first, there was a language barrier, but as we became more familiar with the students, we grew strong connections. OLMC host families entertained their guests by taking them to footy games, the Melbourne CBD, and other local sights. It was very satisfying to give the students a good experience in Australia, and hopefully, we will meet them again one day.
Sophie B (11ADWR)
Year 12 Italian Visit to Mediterranean Wholesalers
Our Year 12 Italian class visited ‘Mediterranean Wholesalers’ to immerse ourselves in the Italian culture through different Italian-made products available on the shelves. This experience helped us to gain insight into different certifications, such as DOC, that food products in Italy are awarded and the different processes and ingredients involved in making these traditional products. We also got the opportunity to test our Italian-speaking skills with the staff and locals when ordering at 'il bar' (the cafe) and the deli. This was a great experience to develop a better understanding of the products we are all studying for our upcoming oral exam on a chosen Italian food product.
Sierra D (12ASWU)
Japanese Calligraphy Incursion
On the Monday 5 August, the Year 9, 10 and 11 Japanese students were given the opportunity to partake in an amazing calligraphy incursion run by the Shodo Super Kids, who came all the way from Osaka, Japan. The members of this calligraphy group, whose ages ranged from 13-21, demonstrated how to practise the art of Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) and mentored us step by step on writing our very own Kanji. We all got to choose our favourite word in Kanji symbol to practise writing and take home. The group gave an informative presentation on the different styles we can write in, as well as the cultural background behind Shodo, which was a great experience to increase our cultural understanding of Japan. We were also able to converse in Japanese with our visitors. It was so much fun! Hopefully, sometime in the future, we can do Shodo again!
Aarchi K and Lucy U (10LSMI)
