The interrelationship between language, culture and learning is the foundation of our Australian Curriculum for Languages. Students learn to communicate by drawing comparisons between their own language and context and the second language. Through this process students learn how languages ‘work’ and how it reflects and shapes their experiences. This was certainly evident in recent activities and competitions: The Chinese Mask Singing Competition, The French Impressionism activity, the Chinese Reading Competition and the Berthe Mouchette competition.

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Chinese Masked Singer

Masked Singer Mandarin is an activity aimed to encourage students to practise Chinese speaking skills through songs and music. It draws upon archetypes from the Peking Opera, as seen in the popular TV show ‘The Masked Singer’. The Year 7 class demonstrated great enthusiasm and prepared some wonderful performances. The Year 10 Second Language Advanced class and Year 11 student Victoria Patsakos served as judges and host. It is great to see students from different year levels collaborate together. Ms Cindy Tian

“I think the activity was well thought out. It was a very clever idea and it was fun and a different way to learn Chinese. I think it was very beneficial to learning Chinese and I enjoyed it very much. I think the LIVE show was great. It was a great idea to let the contestants make a video and show that LIVE. Overall it was great and I recommend it for next year.” Comments from the Year 7 class

“As one of the judges, seeing the junior classes so eager to display their knowledge has made me reflect upon the main goal of any language – to communicate. The Mandarin Masked Singer not only aided the students by giving them more resources for meaningful conversation, but also served to establish meaningful connections between students learning Chinese at different year levels. I feel honoured to have been able to play a part in this event, and look forward to seeing the younger students, who are in the same position that I was in a few years ago, continue to develop their ability and love for the language.” Adjudicator Paula Chen (Year 10)

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Year 10 French: Impressionism

After researching the way in which Impressionism emerged, each student was asked to select and describe an Impressionist work in French. Drawing on the VCE oral examination format, students had to describe, analyse and respond personally to the content and ideas inherent in each painting. In seeking to develop “an exemplary culture of individual thought” Dr Peter Ellerton (University of Queensland) says our challenge as educators is in the questions that we ask in order to deepen their thinking. As part of their preparation students had to devise a Big Question to share with their peers. Their conclusions were surprising. It was fascinating to see that the recent Lockdown provided the opportunity for greater appreciation of nature and its impact upon their wellbeing. They connected their recent experience to their appreciation and understanding of the art works. Ms Anna Pianezze

Students’ Big Questions

What makes Impressionist paintings so pleasing to look at?

What was the inspiration behind Monet’s beloved garden paintings?

How do Monet’s paintings encapsulate his life story?

Why did Monet choose to create his own style of painting and ignore the conventions of former artists and movements? Why is this significant?

Chinese Reading Competition

This competition took place online in September 2020. It is a general reading competition open to non-background students in Years 7, 8 and 9 who are learning Chinese in an Australian school. It has had a history now of almost 40 years. One candidate per school is selected at each year level.

Students were asked to read an unseen passage written both in Pinyin and in characters. The passage was sent online to students 30 minutes before the competition. Students were assessed according to the pronunciation, tonal accuracy, fluency and phrasing, and delivery.

The students selected to participate this year were Alison Prendergast (Year 7), Scarlet Westaway (Year 8) and Sue Nguyen (Year 9) who was delighted to gain an Honourable Mention in a field of 60 competitors. Ms Winnie Xie

“I had an amazing opportunity to participate in the Victorian Chinese Reading Competition. This gave me a chance to reflect on my knowledge of Chinese as a language. The competition also included a quiz portion about Chinese culture as a whole, also allowing me to review my knowledge on Chinese society and culture. It was a challenge for me to be able to read new texts that I am not familiar with. Although, it was challenging, through this I had a chance to also improve the accuracy of my Chinese pronunciation. In preparation for the competition, I was guided by my teacher while practising allowing me to polish my pronunciation skills. I was both excited and nervous for the competition. However, I gave it my best and I was satisfied with my performance gaining an Honourable Mention in the competition. It was ultimately a rewarding experience where I got to improve my study in Chinese. Chinese Reading Competition, Gia Vy (Sue) Nguyen’s (Year 9) Reflection

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Berthe Mouchette Alliance Française Competition

Warmest congratulations to our School Co-Captain Alexandra Shergold (Year 12) who received a ‘mention spéciale du jury’ in the speaking section of the Alliance Française Berthe Mouchette Competition. With over 400 participants at this level this is a rare and special achievement and a welcome reward as she embarks upon her preparation for the final French examination.