Native Speaker Program

One of the strategies we use at MLSHS in the Languages Learning Area is the expertise of Native Speakers to assist our students with listening and speaking skills as well as linguistic explanations. We are lucky to have a great team and our students enjoy the interaction with our experts. In Italian we have an Italian native from from Verona (Mrs Basini's hometown). It has been a wonderful benefit to have her in our classroom. She has willingly assisted in a wide variety of roles and shares many aspects of language learning with our students. As an artist she can also share the secrets of Italy's vast visual treasure of masterpieces in our classes. Grazie per l'aiuto e l'entusiasmo che ci da ogni settimana.

J. Millimaci

International Year Of Languages

At Mount Lawley we would like to mark this very special year for Language Learning by organising some exciting initiatives. We are a Special Languages School, but we are also privileged to have a fantastic SVAPA Program which includes music and media. Let's lock this year in history by inviting our students to produce artworks that illustrate the value of different languages, composing original pieces of music to which our Languages students can add lyrics in a variety of languages and script original drama performances to be performed in English and other languages and filmed for posterity. Parents please encourage your children to utilise their many creative talents for this momentous celebration. Below you can read how the concept was born and conceptualised.

J. Millimaci

"Languages are indeed essential to the identity of groups and individuals and to their peaceful coexistence. They constitute a strategic factor of progress towards sustainable development and a harmonious relationship between the global and the local context.... UNESCO therefore invites governments, United Nations organizations, civil society organizations, educational institutions, professional associations and all other stakeholders to increase their own activities to foster respect for, and the promotion and protection of all languages, particularly endangered languages, in all individual and collective contexts."Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO

Projects on languages and multilingualism take many forms – building capacity, research and analysis, raising awareness, supporting projects, developing networks, disseminating information - and have diverse outreach (local, regional or global). These activities are often interdisciplinary, but they can also address particular aspects of language issues, including:
Educational initiatives promoting inclusion and quality learning by supporting bi-and multi-lingual education, especially the use of the mother-tongue, at all levels and in formal and non-formal settings; including special attention to teacher training, literacy provision and health education.

Projects in the field of science aimed at enhancing communication and collaboration between scientific researchers and institutions across linguistic divides; translating and disseminating scientific materials to communities in order to overcome language barriers; recognizing the central role of vernacular languages in indigenous ways of knowing.
Social and human sciences projects focusing on languages and human and cultural rights, migrations and urbanization and other social issues (e.g. exclusion and poverty).
Culture-centered projects on cultural diversity, dialogue and exchange, protecting cultural heritage, safeguarding endangered languages (i.e. through translations and publications for instance).

Communication and information initiatives that concentrate on building knowledge societies in which everyone can participate and benefit; promoting universal access to information and wider access to ICTs by ensuring the use of a greater number of languages; promoting cultural and linguistic diversity in the media and international information networks.

http://www.un.org/events/iyl/index.shtml

Au Revoir Bertrand !

One of the things I love most about being at Mount Lawley is the opportunity we get to meet interesting people from all over the world. Bertrand was so popular with students and teachers alike that it was sad to see him go. Today was his last day at our school. Luckily he allowed us to interview him on video so we will get the opportunity to see and hear him on a regular basis while practising our French. Merci bien a` Sandra and Anna-Vicky for the wonderful job they did interviewing him (and in turn being interviewed by him). Once they hve edited the footage it will be available on our blog. Bertrand's stay gave me an opportunity to practice my francais, and reminded me that language learning is like any other skill; if you don't use it, you lose it ! Here are some of Bertrand's impressions of his stay with us.

Monsieur Millimaci

Bonjour, je m'appelle Bertrand. Je suis francais et je vais vous raconter si mon sejour en australie m'a plu ou pas. Pour commencer, l'australie m'a plu sur le sur le pint de la propreter je trouve que la ville de perth est assez propre contrairment a ma ville. Et les gens se respectent plus entre eux ils se parlent poliment et se respectent entre eux. L'Australie est un beau pays et je suis satisfait de mon voyage en Australie plus precisement a Perth mais dommage qu' il n'y est pas eu plus de soleil !!!

Hello, I am Bertrand. I am French, and I am going to tell you about my stay in Australia and whether I liked it or not. To start with, I liked Australia, because I find that Perth is quite big compared to my home town. The people respect each other more and are very polite and respectful. Australia is beautiful and I am very happy with my trip, especially Perth, but it's a pity that there wasn't more sunshine !!!