All of our teachers and staff love languages and the learning process. Learning another language is a journey. We go through highs and lows, times of great laughter and equal amounts of awkwardness. We are all language learners, connected with the language learning community in Melbourne.
In our classes we focus on both language and culture. We follow the textbook and learn new grammar and vocabulary every week. We develop your skills in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. However, we place more focus on Speaking and Listening during class. Then there is usually reading homework every night except for Friday. We write once a week. These written pieces are used in the student’s folio. It is also a way of making sure that students are learning the grammar and vocabulary accurately.
Teachers are friendly and keep the class tempo high. We use a combination of teaching materials from powerpoint presentations, the textbook, activities with handouts, videos, excursions, oral presentations and and tests. We often play games in class that help students to use the language we are practicing. There is always a good split between: teacher talking, pair/group activities, games.
Students learn a lot about Australian and other international cultures in our classes. We regularly ask students to describe life in their home country on topic in the textbook. We compare cultures across topics such as: food and drink, sports, friendship, family, dating and romance, festivals, attitudes and values, the environment and society in general.
Each week on Wednesdays the class goes out to visit a place of cultural and educational interest in Melbourne. All of these class excursions are free and are a good way to learn more about Australian culture, and Western culture more broadly. These study trips help students know more about Australian people’s way of thinking, our history, and the way our society works.