To achieve this, the School, the teachers, the students and the parents have worked in partnership. Tony Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition, once said that school and university students do not see the benefit of working at something for which their parents, teachers and leaders of the community have no respect. If they see that something is valued – whether it is a sport, vocational or an academic subject, such as a language – they are far more likely to work hard to master the particular skill.
At Ruyton, the School has long recognised the importance and benefit of learning a language other than English and understanding its culture, to enable its students to become global citizens.
In 2010, the Chinese Accelerated Programme was introduced in Year 7 in order to cater for the needs of students with different Chinese language skills. In its inaugural year, students have approached the language and culture through the use of Year 8 texts, Chinese stories, idioms and poems. They have enjoyed using Chinese to act out role-plays such as MasterChef, taking part in a Fashion Parade, making a phone call to organise an activity and shopping at a market. The use of rich and diverse learning materials has enabled the students to expand and consolidate their existing knowledge of Chinese, its people and culture.
Important steps have been taken to consolidate the teaching and learning of Chinese at Ruyton this year. Extension groups and extra support are offered at all Year Levels. In addition to learning the language, emphasis has been placed on opportunities to experience Chinese culture through a range of activities, such as participating in funky Chinese martial arts, eating a Chinese lunch at a local restaurant, visiting the Chinese Museum in Melbourne, practising Chinese calligraphy and watching a group of Chinese musicians performing on traditional Chinese instruments. Our Year 10 students were invited to participate in the workshop, Open A Door into Asia, organised by the Asia Literacy Foundation at the University of Melbourne. There is much to be gained from understanding a nation’s culture.
With the funds provided by the Australian Government Targeted Programmes for LOTE an extension programme was offered to interested students in Years 4 to 7 in Semester 1 this year. Mr Honggui He, a professional painter and calligrapher from Shanghai, demonstrated Chinese painting and Chinese calligraphy to the girls.
In Semester 2, we welcomed Mr Torrey Orton, an Asia Literacy Ambassador from the Asia Literacy Foundation, to Ruyton. He talked to the students in Years 4 to 12 about the benefits of learning languages, about cultural clashes and his experience of working with the Chinese. His knowledge of China, the new economic ‘super-power’, gave the girls an insight into what can be gained besides learning the language.
'Gu zhang nan ming', meaning 'one can’t clap with only one hand' or 'It is difficult to achieve anything without support', says a Chinese idiom. It is the support and co-operation of the students, teachers, parents and other educational establishments – working in partnership - which contribute to the success of learning a language at Ruyton.