Italian

At Nailsworth Primary School, all students from Foundation to Year 6 learn Italian. For a number of students at NPS, this may be their third or fourth language that they are learning. Learning a foreign language gives students a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own culture, as well as developing a respect and appreciation for others.

Languages education provides students with many benefits. As well as expanding career opportunities, research shows that learning a language:

• Stimulates brain development 
• Significantly enhances English literacy
• Improves memory, concentration, and critical thinking skills

Italian, developed from Latin, shares many commonalities and connections with the English language, as an estimated 60% of the English vocabulary derives from Latin. For this reason, many Italian words can be recognised through their similarities to English. Both Italian and English share the same Roman alphabet, and with Italian being mostly phonetic, it is helpful in the development of listening and speaking skills. 

The Italian program at Nailsworth Primary School strives to immerse students in Italian language and culture. We adopt a communicative based approach in our language teaching and use authentic experiences to incorporate language practice, making classes engaging and meaningful to students. Throughout the year, the students learn through fun, interactive and stimulating activities such as singing and drama, while learning to speak, read and write the language.

A highlight of the program is the annual competition hosted by the South Australian Association of Teachers of Italian (SAATI), in collaboration with the Dante Alighieri Association of South Australia and the Italian Consulate of Adelaide to promote the Italian Language. Results from the last competition in 2021 saw all our entries from our F-2 classes, 3-5 classes and 6-7 classes each win first prize in their respective categories.