In early 2021, the Italian Language Centre was delighted to be selected as the fortunate recipient of a Community Languages Multicultural Grant under the Multicultural sector of the Department of Home Affairs.
In keeping with its mission ‘to sustain our national unity in cultural diversity’, the office of Multicultural Affairs provides the opportunity for community language schools to apply for grants under its Community Languages Multiple Grants Program. The program provides funding to eligible community language schools to help young Australian students learn another language and connect to the language and culture of their forefathers.
The Multicultural Affairs office believes that teaching language and culture through community schools contributes to strengthening social cohesion and building strong communities.
The grant’s aim is to support the teaching and learning of languages other than English thus connecting students to the language and culture of their community and improving cross-cultural awareness and respect for cultural diversity.
ILC was thrilled with the grant which will fund a Project to develop a curriculum for teaching Italian to multi-age and multi-grade classes outside of school hours.
The curriculum is being developed by a team of experienced mother-tongue ILC teachers, experts in the teaching of Italian to speakers of other languages. The Project will be completed by end-June, just in time for the start of Semester 2 After School Italian classes.
ILC is grateful to the Department of Home Affairs’ Multicultural office for granting the opportunity to create a new curriculum that will guide teachers to deliver engaging lessons and enhance the community school’s teaching and learning of Italian language and culture.
