1. MLTA Annual Conference 7 March 2014
Programming for transition: Italian
Penelope Johnstone
Oatley Public School

2. Overview
• Context (State / National)
• Australian National Curriculum
Languages: Italian
• Oatley Public School
• Continuity between primary and
secondary language learning
• Engaging students through peer
teaching and learning
• Conclusion

3. Context (State / National)
• Overall decline in student
numbers undertaking language
study beyond mandatory 100
hours in secondary
• Language courses cut from
universities when numbers are
adequate and sustainable
• Quality qualified teachers supply
• Challenges arising - funding cuts

4. Planning for K-6
What is the most challenging
aspect of planning for K-6?
Making the curriculum relevant
for all stages!

5. Music – starting with a song!
Adapting one song to fit K-6
Title:
Theme:
Unit:
Oggi, Oggi = Today, Today
The Weather (Il Tempo)
Seasons (Le Stagioni)
Resource: ABC Melody – Sing and Learn Italian!

6. Oggi Oggi / Today Today
Oggi, oggi, fa molto freddo
(Fa molto freddo, fa molto freddo)
Oggi, oggi, fa molto freddo
Fa molto freddo a Roma
Oggi, oggi, fa molto caldo
(Fa molto caldo, fa molto caldo)
Oggi, oggi, fa molto caldo
Fa molto caldo a Pisa
Oggi, oggi, tira vento
(Tira vento, tira vento)
Oggi, oggi, tira vento
Tira vento a Venezia
Oggi, oggi, piove, piove
(piove, piove, piove, piove)
Oggi, oggi, piove, piove
Piove, piove a Siena
Guarda guarda guarda il cielo!
Che tempo fa, che tempo fa?
Guarda guarda guarda il cielo
Nevica sulla città!
Andiamo, andiamo fuori!
Andiamo, è Natale!
Resource: ABC Melody – Sing and Learn Italian!

7. Early Stage 1/Stage 1
Topic: Identifying seasons and related weather conditions
COMMUNICATIVE
FUNCTIONS
Asking and talking about
the weather
Identifying the seasons
Asking and talking about
appropriate clothing for
different types of weather
conditions
CULTURAL COMPONENT
Seasons in Italy/Australia
Northern hemisphere /
Southern hemisphere
LANGUAGE STRUCTURES
VOCABULARY
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Che tempo fa?
Fa freddo / Fa caldo
Piove / Tira vento
Nevica / È nuvoloso
C’è il sole /
Fa bel/brutto tempo
Song ‘Oggi, Oggi’ –
Worksheet to identify
types of weather
conditions /
Use of flashcards to
identify weather
conditions
In che stagione siamo?
Siamo in
estate / autunno / inverno /
primavera
Cosa ti metti in inverno?
Mi metto…
Role playing using actions
for weather words
Students make a poster
for Today’s Weather
Match season to
weather/types of
appropriate clothing

8. Stage 2
Topic: Identifying seasons and related weather conditions
COMMUNICATIVE
FUNCTIONS
Enquiring and commenting
on the weather
Identifying the seasons
Identifying and discussing
appropriate clothing for
varied weather conditions
CULTURAL COMPONENT
Starting dates for seasons
in Italy/Australia
Months / seasons written in
lower case
Seasonal food variation /
Festivals
LANGUAGE STRUCTURES
VOCABULARY
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Use of verb ‘fare’ for
weather
Che tempo fa?
Fa freddo / Fa caldo
Piove / Tira vento
Nevica / È nuvoloso / È
nebbioso / C’è il sole / Fa
bel/brutto tempo /
È sereno / È variabile / C’è
il temporale
Song ‘Oggi, Oggi’ –
Students locate weather
forecasts for Cities
mentioned in Song from
authentic materials ie.
Internet/La Fiamma and La
Corriere della Sera
Le stagioni
L’estate / L’autunno /
L’inverno / La primavera
La temperatura minima /
massima
Access online weather
forecasts on Rete Italia and
SBS Radio
Construct and present a
weather report to the class
or as an Assembly Item
using a map of Italy
Graph recorded weather
patterns over term.

9. Stage 3
Topic: ‘La Moda’ for Fashion shows of the Season
COMMUNICATIVE
FUNCTIONS
Identifying and
commenting on appropriate
clothing to suit weather
conditions/seasons
Identifying seasonal items
of clothing and expressing
likes and dislikes
Expressing likes and
dislikes in types of weather
conditions/seasons
CULTURAL COMPONENT
Variation in timing for
seasonal fashion in
Italy/Australia Fashion
Designers / labels /‘La
sfilata’
LANGUAGE STRUCTURES
VOCABULARY
Vocabulary for weather and
appropriate items of clothing
Mi piace / Non mi piace
Quando …. fa freddo / fa
caldo /piove / tira vento
nevica / è nuvoloso / è
nebbioso
c’è il sole / fa bel/brutto
tempo / è sereno / è variabile
/ c’è il temporale … mi metto
Prepositions..
d’estate / in autunno /
d’inverno / in primavera
La temperatura minima /
massima
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Song ‘Oggi, Oggi’ –
Students create their own
rap version of weather
song for their chosen
locations
Search seasonal ‘fashion
week’ websites around
the world
Develop a short play
incorporating a ‘situation
relating to clothing’
/fashion parade using
target language

10. Creating ‘La Sfilata’
Students bring to life their newly acquired knowledge and
language skills with a ‘Performance’. They take ownership
through their creativity. Each student plays an integral role
in their own learning.

11. Performing ‘La Sfilata’
Students engage with the entire process.
They acquire new vocabulary in the target
language and work cooperatively with peers.

12. Creating shape with the body

13. Mirror imaging

14. Creating Arlecchino

15. Fostering links with local feeder
schools
• Students conduct
interviews in
classroom activities
which promote
confidence in using
the language and
understanding
cultural concepts
• They demonstrate
their understanding
by asking questions
out of sequence and
respond
appropriately testing
and assessing each
other.

16. Peer support – strengthening links
• Year 8 students who
studied Italian K-6
at Oatley Public
School
• Working with these
students raises the
profile of languages
in the primary
context as students
achieving great
results at high
school level due to
prior knowledge
gained in primary
school
• Success!!

17. Multi-modal focus
Objective
Through incorporation of multi-modal digital
technology, students develop knowledge,
skills and understanding:
• Creating
• Performing
• Appreciating

18. Visual literacy through
pubblicità?
Student sample of short stop
motion video created using
Ipad app ‘Video Star’

19. Conclusion
Positive outcomes of learning language
using technology such as video
conferencing through peer collaboration
• Student engagement
• Development of trust and selfconfidence
• Long term retention of vocabulary and
sentence structures in target language

20. Conclusion (Cont’d)
Collaborative activities utilising video
technology encourage elementary
students to:
• adapt
• think
• feel
• evaluate
• create
• assess
• observe
• motivate themselves
and others

21. MLTA Annual Conference 7 March 2014
Programming for transition: Italian
Penelope Johnstone
Oatley Public School
penelope.johnstone@det.nsw.edu.au