The turnout was similar to last year’s picnic – about 25 – and keen and useful links were made  between a range of languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Russian, Indonesian and Welsh.

 Most of the children who attended were too young for the ‘how many languages can you find’ game. However, those who had a go (and their mum!!) got something out of it.  For anyone wishing to follow up on the above language connections, please contact Mandy.Scott@anu.edu.au

When: Sunday, 11 October 2009, 2pm

Where: Co As It, 189 Faraday St, Carlton

Prof Joe Lo Bianco, from the University of Melbourne will give the keynote address.

This forum is being organised by a group of parents who are members of the Italian Bilingual School Project (a not-for-profit unincorporated association).

italianbilingualschoolmelb@gmail.com

While not everyone was able to come on the day, there was plenty of feedback and interest in supporting this kind of event in the future.

The presence of a Japanese exchange student provided an opportunity for the children with Japanese LOTEs to try out their skills, and prompted a similar exchange for those with Italian LOTE.  A highlight of the day was some basic formalized language activity, and it was a joy to observe the enthusiasm with which all the children joined in.

Alessandro, one of the video stars below, gave us this spontaneous vote of approval: ‘The language picnic is cool!’

Some linguistic potential who could be persuaded to pose for a photo

Video clips:

Language bites in

1. Japanese 1 &  Japanese 2
2. Italian
3. Greek
4. Russian

If anyone would like to offer ideas, suggestions or become involved in organizing language-focused social events in their locality, please contact Angela or Brigitte.

We have created a comprehensive language teaching system that is exciting and enjoyable for both children and parents. Our curriculum includes activities in all lessons such as singing, music, story-telling, games and art to capture the imagination of every child.

We have a co-ordinated system of story books, flash cards, activity books, CDs and online access. You can actually make it as much fun at home for the kids as it is during the lessons! Your whole family will be exploring another language in no time.

We have 3 centres across Brisbane which teach French, Spanish and Italian to children aged between 18 months – 12 years.

www.alphatykes.com.au

In the LOTE@HOME pack, there’s a set of 50+ laminated cards for rooms in the home. Families attach the cards to the thing they refer to – the stove, the door, the dishwasher, the cupboard, the bath, the tap and so on. There are cards for the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen.

Family members use the words on the cards, mixed in with their usual language, to make sentences. So for example, a parent could say to a child “… please close ‘la porta’ when you come in …” Gradually, everyone will absorb the Italian word for ‘door’. And so it goes with all the other cards.

Click here to go to the website

In another set of cards in the pack, it’s all about learning the names of body parts. With this set, you can play a game, like ‘Snap’ or ‘Go Fish’ but use the foreign words to do it. The pronunciation is explained too.

By using the cards, and reinforcing words around the house, kids will learn a new language in exactly the same way they learned English – by immersion and absorption.

LOTE@HOME packs are not intended to replace formal LOTE lessons, however they are intended to build an “in country environment” in the home that will support the formal learning of a second language.

Click here to go to the website