Tools and Apps:
Education Perfect (tasks set by your teacher or lessons created by EP – via your school account)
Blooket (fun games to revise vocabulary and grammar - https://www.blooket.com/)
Duo Lingo (short fun lessons - https://www.duolingo.com/)
Best Advice for Success:
- Do regular revision
- Complete the EP tasks set by your teacher
- Don’t be scared to make mistakes – be a risk taker
- Ask questions in class
- Attend tutorial sessions for extra help or extension
- Try not to rely on Google Translate (only use it when necessary)
- Try to use the language outside of lessons
- Watch a movie or listen to songs in the language
Did you know that languages …
- Languages keep you in contact with the rest of the world?
- Help to develop skills you may need in the future?
- Help you learn more about your own language and culture?
- Allow you to use technology to communicate across countries?
- Teach you about music, art, language, history, geography?
- Help you develop good listening skills?
- Develop intercultural understanding?
Benefits of Learning a language:
Research indicates that people who speak more than one language develop a better memory, talent for problem-solving, ability to concentrate, and tendency to be creative than people who speak only one language.
Knowing a foreign language will help to improve your cultural awareness, increase your adaptability, and make you a more confident and effective communicator.
By learning a new language, you gain access to a wider network of professionals, clients, and potential collaborators. Being able to communicate with people in their native language builds trust and strengthens relationships, ultimately opening doors to new career opportunities.
Other benefits:
- You can talk with more people
- It’s a major advantage in the workforce
- Traveling is easier and more fulfilling
- You gain cultural knowledge and perspective
- You have access to more information and entertainment
- It improves your communication skills
- It makes other languages easier too
- You can help more people
- It improves your cognitive functions
- It boosts your creativity
- Your self-confidence will soar
- Improve my English language skills
- Improve my problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Quotes from students and teachers:
"I truly believe that learning a language is an indirect way of viewing the world – different cultures, customs, and traditions. By working at a theme park over the summer holidays, I had the opportunity to interact with tourists from French-speaking countries, and by practicing this new language, I also got to make new friends. As a bilingual student who speaks English and Spanish, and is currently studying French, I can wholeheartedly say that by studying a new language, you are given the opportunity to engage and interact with new people in an entirely new way – an experience you cannot find elsewhere."
Katy Depablos Velasquez (Year 11 student)
“Learning French has allowed me to connect with another whole side of the family on the other side of the world, both in person and via Facebook. I was surprised to learn there were many language teachers and lecturers amongst the family on that side! I studied Japanese at school and university. When I was late teens and into my 20s, I had Japanese housemates who have remained friends for many years and I was able to spend time with them in Japan in recent years also. I studied Italian for a couple of years at university recently and this introduced me to some fantastic Italian authors that I probably wouldn't have encountered otherwise. “
Ms Candice Sparks (French and Japanese teacher)
“Being bilingual has allowed me to live and work overseas. I have learned so much about other cultures through my travels. I would encourage everyone to learn a second or third languages as you never know where it may lead.”
Ms Simone Sebban (French teacher)
“Learning French has played such a key role in my educational development at St Hilda’s. It not only continually challenges me to develop a completely different skillset and way of thinking, but it has also taught me value of embracing different perspectives and cultures. Choosing French as a senior subject is one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I know it will prove useful in my future studies and career.”
Aileen Hu (Year 12 student)