From the Italian Teacher - Laura Villani
I am writing to introduce myself as the new Italian teacher for our community.
I have been a teacher with Catholic Education SA since 2009, primarily teaching Italian as a second language and also teaching in a Year 3 class and drama in a high school setting. However, in 2019/2020 I had the opportunity to teach English in Italy in the Piedmont region. I taught conversational English to students for whom English was their second language. This was a very challenging experience as the first outbreak of corona virus in Italy, was during this period. I was fortunate enough to return to Australia in March 2020, as our borders were being closed.
Since commencing here at St Pius X, at the beginning of this year, I have focused on getting to know our students and their needs in second language learning. It has been a very busy Term 1 and start to Term 2. Thank you to the families who have introduced themselves and made me feel welcomed. I feel very blessed to be here. And a big thank you to the staff, who have made me feel very welcomed and have warmly embraced me.
I believe that my role as the Italian language teacher here at St Pius X is to support students in learning a second language, its connection to the English language and to broaden students’ understanding of the world around them. I am also keen to help students for whom English is their second language by comparing the similarities and differences of Italian with the English language. I believe that this helps students deepen their understanding of English.
To date, students in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have focused on sounds and the beats of words and vocabulary for numbers, colours and animals. In Italian language class, students are encouraged to make connections with their own family culture and language. It has been exciting to watch them make these connections. For example, a student in Year 1 sang a beautiful song about a butterfly in Vietnamese. Whilst learning the numbers in Italian some students were keen to teach their classmates numbers in Japanese and Chinese. These are some of the wonderful connections we are making.
Students in Years 3-6 have focused on talking about what they like and don’t like and how to use common Italian phrases in their everyday lives, including using well known Italian gestures!
Learning Italian at school is about literacy. It is about making connections. It is about students reflecting on their own culture and how they see themselves in the world.
I look forward to getting to know many more families in our beautiful community. Please feel free to come and chat with me. I am at school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Ci sentiamo !
Signora Villani - lvillani@stpiusx.catholic.edu.au
