Italian
Italian @ Chilwell PS
Students at Chilwell learn Italian through a number of different programs. Prep to year 2 learn through the two programs ‘AIM’ and ‘ARCOBALENO’. The focus of the first being ‘gestures’ that allow children to visualise and kinesthetically embed vocabulary. There is an equal strong emphasis on the development of all four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). The second focussing on various themes that introduce students to cultural aspects of Italian life and basic notions of the Italian language. Pretend and make believe, travel and the sea, folk-tales, animals, colours, me, family, pets, food, meal-times, likes and dislikes are some examples of themes covered.
Students in year 3 and 4 learn through the ‘Aim’ and the ‘Magica Italia 1’ programs. Through the ‘Magica Italia’ program, students are introduced to chapters covering different topics, such as expressing likes and dislikes, school vocabulary and verbs and expressions linked to school life, asking and telling the time, verbs linked to daily routines, language linked to the weather, days of the week, school subjects and to recognise some places and monuments in Rome.
Students in year 5 learn Italian through the ‘The AIM’ and the ‘Magica Italia 2’ programs. Learning to talk about holiday destinations, counting to 100, describing daily routines and times of day, recognising body parts, learning vocabulary linked to clothing and using adjectives are some examples of topics covered.
In year 6 students continue to learn vocabulary by using the ‘gesture approach’ but are also introduced to the ‘Formula Italiano’ program. The second focussing on themes and extending their knowledge on greetings, learning to ask someone where they come from, ask and give information about age, ask and give information about nationality, recognise different sports and say which ones they like and dislike, give information about someone else, recognise special sounds in Italian, use different words for ‘the’ and learn to pronounce longer words.
In all year levels there is a strong emphasis on language and themes that equip students with cultural aspects of Italian life and traditions.
