LOTE News
In this year's AGTV State German Poetry Final, Bayswater South Primary School was once again well represented by 5 of our year 5/6 students.
Congratulations to Steffi who won the Year 5 division and brought the shield back to school for a year.
Our visits with Level 4 students to the Tabulam and Templer Homes for the Aged (TTHA) have been going extremely well. Our students and the residents engage happily with each other and it is a privilege to observe the lovely interaction. The residents are thrilled to have the opportunity to speak German with the children and there are smiles all round when we arrive. When it is time to return to school at the end of our visit it can be quite hard to break up the happy circle of games and chatting. The benefits of these visits are many and once again I acknowledge the support we receive from Mrs. Schwarz in coordinating the program.
On Monday 14th September, the LOTE department held our annual Year 4 Science Activity Day. Students participated in a variety of science activities and later enjoy a hot dog lunch.
That’s all for this week, mach’s gut!
LOTE Team
Promoting Languages Other Than English
As you might be aware, last year, 2008, was the United Nations’ International Year of Languages. As the world becomes more and more inter-connected and inter-dependent (take the recent financial turmoil, for example), people around the globe are realising that it is essential for our children to become inter-cultural citizens, that is, people who are able to understand, and work within, a range of cultural frameworks. Since 9 April 2008, there has been much discussion in the media and amongst language teachers of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s use of Mandarin when addressing a Chinese delegation during a speech. He has since been promoting the benefits of learning Asian Languages, and his government has set aside some $68M to support the enhanced teaching and learning of Asian languages.
At Bayswater South, we have been promoting and demonstrating the benefits of learning languages for over 28 years. There are a great many benefits to our students of learning ANY language, and we know that learning a second or subsequent language enhances children’s understanding of language and the world in general. This has been consistently demonstrated by a large body of research from many countries over many years. You can research the advantages yourself on the Internet, a good starting point being the web site of the RUMACCC Centre here .
Facts about German
• 125 million speak German in Europe as their 1st language.
• German-speaking migrants have been arriving in Australia since 1838.
• 110,400 German-born residents in Australia.
• 30,000+ live in Victoria.
• 140,000+ German tourists to Australia each year.
• People in the Asia-Pacific region are very keen to attract investment from the world’s third largest economy – and are learning German.
Facts about English
• Most people in the world don’t speak English.
• Not all ideas and information are translated into English.
• 27% of Australians speak another language at home.
• Most people in the world speak more than one language.
• English speakers can learn other languages.
Let’s help to take the “foreign” out of language learning and promote the great benefits to our children, and hence our country, of languages education.
