Selamat Jalan / Buon Viaggio

A look back over a very busy Term 3!

As Year 10 and 11 Indonesian and Italian students prepare to head out on their Language immersions next week, let’s take a look back at Languages over term three.

One of the best ways to understand a country’s culture is through its food, and students always enjoy the opportunity to explore culinary treats. Year 9 Italian students went on a multicultural food tour of Melbourne’s CBD, with friendly tour guides leading students to the best places to taste the most delicious food, varying from Chinese street food to authentic Italian gelato, hand-made Indian samosas, French macarons and more. During the three-hour mouth-watering tour, the guides also took the opportunity to share stories about the history of Melbourne, highlighting the development and evolution that highlights how foreign influences have made Australian culture so rich, diverse and unique.

Year 10 Unit 1 VCE Indonesian and Italian students also enjoyed separate food-themed excursions to Melbourne. The Italian class toured Melbourne’s CBD exploring spice shops, cafes and delicatessens that showcase “food as art” in the Italian tradition. Entering Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar felt like going back in time, and the students were impressed by Grossi Florentino, which has been providing traditional Italian fine-dining since 1871. The Indonesian class experienced a taste of Indonesia, visiting an Asian supermarket in the QV Building and enjoying an Indonesian lunch at Nelayan Restaurant. Back at school they used their purchases to prepare, cook and share a delicious variety of Indonesian food.

Year 8 Indonesian students also got in on the act, celebrating Indonesian Independence Day (and their unit on food) with special Indonesian Nasi Campur lunchboxes. Staff and students from other year levels joined in for a very yummy lunch. Year 8 Indonesian classes also had the opportunity to learn about and play the gamelan, having a go at several different musical instruments and after a short amount of practice managing to successfully play a reasonable tune! Teamwork and listening skills certainly helped to make this experience memorable.

A huge highlight of the term for VCE Indonesian students was definitely the very special opportunity to celebrate Indonesian Independence day. Having been personally invited by His Excellency YTH, Bapak Kristiarto Legowo to attend the official celebrations at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, students witnessed a flag ceremony and the Independence Day Proclamation, before enjoying a traditional Indonesian banquet. Indonesian language skills were put into practice, as students deepened their intercultural understanding of Indonesia. Following the formalities, students reflected on this experience with a visit to the Australian War Memorial, before heading to the National Art Gallery to explore the Indonesian section there.

Students from Year 7 through to Year 12 geared up for some healthy competition with this year’s Language Perfect Vic Championships, which tied in with the Geelong Regional Languages Competition and our first ever Saint Ignatius House Competition. Congratulations went to Cuthbert for taking out first place in our local competition and winning 500 house points. As a school, we took out second place in both the Geelong competition and in the state. But of course, the real winner here was Languages!

As Italian and Indonesian students and staff set off on this year’s Language tours, we wish them all the best in expanding their language skills and truly immersing themselves in the culture of their destination. May they make the most of the opportunity to experience first-hand the language and culture of the country they have spent so much time learning about in class and return inspired and ready to utilise their experiences in their future studies.

Selamat Jalan! Buon Viaggio!