Languages
Italian and Japanese
Copperfield College offers two comprehensive language programs for students to choose from: Italian or Japanese. Studying one of these two foreign languages is a core part of our curriculum for years 7 to 9, and at years 10, 11 and 12 we run a highly engaging elective program for students who are keen to further their understanding of their chosen language.
There are many benefits to learning a foreign language. It can help to improve your child’s brain development, particularly in terms of their memory, attention span, problem solving skills, decision-making skills and ability to multitask. Learning a foreign language will also enhance your child’s intercultural awareness, respect for diversity and their understanding of what it means to be part of a global community.
Learning a foreign language can open many doors for your child in the future in fields such as the tourism and hospitality industries, international relations, commerce, STEM, education and social services. Studying a language through to VCE can also boost your child’s ATAR rank, as both Italian and Japanese are scaled up generously in recognition of the challenges of learning a foreign language. The Languages team is proud of our students’ high standard of outcomes in foreign language study, particularly in VCE Japanese, which is consistently amongst the highest scoring subjects offered at Copperfield.
Extracurricular Activities
Copperfield College offers a wide variety of incursions for students studying a foreign language. Incursions usually take place during LOTE Week, a week-long celebration of language learning at our school, and include unique experiences such as Italian and Japanese comedy shows, Italian and Japanese cooking, Italian theatre, Japanese drumming and kendo (Japanese fencing).
Throughout the year we run a number of exciting and popular excursions for our Italian and Japanese students to create opportunities for students to explore the language and culture they are learning about outside of the classroom. These include trips to the Italian Immigration Museum, Lygon Street precinct, the Calabria Club, the Italian Film Festival, the Japanese Film Festival and the Year 10 Japanese Amazing Race excursion in the city.
Our students also regularly participate in the statewide JTLAV (Japanese Language Teacher Association of Victoria) speech competition, which provides students studying Japanese with a chance to step outside of their comfort zone and give a public speech in their target language.
Sister school relationship with Fuji Junior High School in Shizuoka, Japan.
Copperfield College is proud of our longstanding partnership with our Japanese sister school, Fuji Junior High School, in Shizuoka, Japan. We are also pleased to provide the opportunity for students to go on our biannual Japan Trip, which includes a homestay experience with students from our sister school, as well as opportunities to host students from our sister school when they visit us as a part of their biannual Australia Trip. However, due to the Covid Pandemic overseas travel to our Japanese Sister School has been put on hold until further notice.
Find out more about our Japanese sister school and our Japan Trip here (https://copperfieldcollege.vic.edu.au/co-curricular-programs/sister-school-fuji-jhs/).
