This term we will be exploring a facet of Italian life and culture which has become famous throughout the world and indeed has shaped our culture here in Melbourne: la gastronomia italiana!
Students will explore the world of Italian food, expanding their vocabulary, focusing on expressing likes and dislikes (mi piace/non mi piace), investigating the use of singular and plural (un gelato, due gelati), and learning that all nouns in Italian are either gendered masculine or feminine (la pasta, il cibo).
Students will engage in structured interactions, learning how to order foods/drinks in Italian, focusing on the use of correct greetings for the different times of the day, and exploring intercultural considerations, such as the use of formal and informal forms of address.
Students in years 5 and 6 will also visit a local gelateria, Zero Gradi, to interact with members of the Italian speaking community as they order a gelato in the target language.
In week one a group of year 5 students participated in the Inner North Italian Network Esperienza Italiana, a two day exploration of Italian language and culture in both urban and rural settings, taking part in bocce and soccer clinics, a tarantella workshop, making biscotti, enjoying traditional dishes such as pasta, pizza, gelato, visiting Lavandula, of Swiss-Italian heritage and learning about those who came to Victoria during the Gold Rush to seek their fortune. Students interacted with teachers and students from the other participating schools: Merri Creek, Spensley St and Brunswick North Primary Schools, embracing the opportunity to enhance their Italian language skills and to learn more about Italian culture present here in Victoria.
Here are some of the students’ reflections on the Esperienza:
“ I liked the pizza.” (Anouk)
‘I liked the lavender farm the most.” (Miela)
“ I liked playing bocce and today making the lavender bags.” (Indigo)
“On Thursday I really liked the soccer clinic and the tarantella. And today I liked everything.” (Poppy K)
“My favourite thing from yesterday was bocce. And my favourite thing from today was the scavenger hunt because you had to work out things in Italian and we got to run around the lavender farm.” (Harriet)
“Yesterday my favourite thing was watching the Pinocchio musical.” (Siena)
“I really liked bocce yesterday, it was really good. And I loved the cooking part, when we cooked the crostoli.” (Arlo)
“I loved the calcio and creating the crostoli.” Isaac
“ I liked making the biscotti because we got to do all the steps.” (Grace)
“ I really liked the tarantella because I learnt the level up and I really liked learning the history of the lavender farm. I also really liked the Pinocchio play, that was amazing.” (Mila)
“ I really liked all of it, it was so much fun.” (Lola)