The learning of a language other than English is an important part of literacy development in Catholic schools.
At St James the Apostle Primary School, we utilise the Teachers as Co-Learners (TCL) approach to teaching Italian. This is a contemporary approach that is underpinned by research conducted in Victorian Catholic schools.
As part of the TCL approach, Italian is taught daily by a home group teacher with the support of a native Italian language assistant to ensure all learners have frequent exposure to the target language. Our Italian program focusses on oral language using functional classroom vocabulary. It is taught using gestures and games. All learners are encouraged to use Italian creatively throughout the day.
Assessment and Reporting
Learners use Speak Up, a voice to text program, to record themselves in Italian. This program allows learners to set goals for their language learning.
Teachers assess Speak Up data samples to judge progress.
Teachers also assess learners using video and work samples. These are then communicated to families through Seesaw.