<div dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/oddnews"></a><span></span><div class=""><div id="block-menu-block-sbsf-news-common-news-main-menu" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class="">
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a class="" href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/" title="News"><img class="" src="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/profiles/sbsdistribution/themes/news/images/vertical/transparent-wedge.png"></a>
<div id="breadcrumb-active-trail-wrapper">
<div class="">18 Dec 2015 - 7:13pm</div>
<h1 class="" id="page-title">Italian bilingual primary school to open in Melbourne</h1>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="">
<ul class=""><li class=""><div class=""><div src="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/full/public/images/podcast/2015-12/site_197_World%2520News_460760.JPG?itok=8Wp2TJQd&mtime=1450422306"><img src="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/full/public/images/podcast/2015-12/site_197_World%2520News_460760.JPG?itok=8Wp2TJQd&mtime=1450422306"></div> <div class="">
Italian bilingual primary school to open in Melbourne </div>
</div></li></ul>
</div>
<div class="">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<div class="">
<ul style="" class=""><li class="">
<div class="">
<div class=""></div>
</div>
</li><li class="">
<div class="">
<div class=""></div>
</div>
</li><li class="">
<div class=""><br>
</div>
</li></ul>
</div><br></div></div></div></div>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="" itemprop="description">
A small Victorian primary school will become the first in the state
in two decades to formally establish a new bilingual learning program. </div>
</div>
<div class=""><div class=""><div class="">
<div class=""> <div class="">
<div src="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/thumb_small/public/Luke_SBS_800.jpg?itok=4lrF5Tt_&mtime=1401676472"><img src="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/thumb_small/public/Luke_SBS_800.jpg?itok=4lrF5Tt_&mtime=1401676472"></div> </div>
<div class="">
<span class="" style="font-weight:bold">By</span>
<div class=""><a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/author/luke-waters">Luke Waters</a></div> <br>
<div class="" title="UPDATED 18 Dec 2015 - 7:13 PM"><span class="">18 Dec 2015 - 4:12 PM</span> UPDATED 18 Dec 2015 - 7:13 PM</div></div>
</div> <div class="">
<div class="">
</div>
</div><div class=""><a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/12/18/italian-bilingual-primary-school-open-melbourne#comments"><span class=""><span class="">0</span></span></a></div></div></div></div>
<p>A small Victorian primary school will become the first in the
state in two decades to formally establish a new bilingual learning
program.</p>
<p>The move has prompted calls for more such programs to be established
around the country amid criticism of language-education policy.</p>
<p>Luke Waters reports.</p>
<p>Breakfast conversation at the Marsicovetere family home in Melbourne's inner north is always in Italian.</p>
<p>The Australian-born parents, Michael Marsicovetere and Diana Amato,
say raising their children to be bilingual was instinctive but, when it
came to education, the choice was considered.</p>
<p>"Having a bilingual school reinforces their Italian. It normalises
it. For me, it's important that it's not just a washed-down -- a few
words here -- enough to maybe hold a really simple conversation."</p>
<p>The couple's 10-year-old daughter Mia is already fluent and says she
is considering the doors her linguistic abilities could open.</p>
<p>"Maybe if I want to help in other countries, like refugees and stuff, well, that would help, too, another language."</p>
<p>Mia Marsicovetere, her sister Allessia and their brother William attend Brunswick South Primary School.</p>
<p>It offers robust language programs which complement the language spoken at home.</p>
<p>But this week, a state grant ensured it will become the first in the state to formalise a new bilingual program since 1997.</p>
<p>Victorian education minister James Merlino made the announcement, to the delight of assembled parents and staff.</p>
<p>"Brunswick South will be a fully-fledged, official bilingual school in Victoria."</p>
<p>University of Melbourne linguistics professor Joseph Lo Bianco says
he endorses the move and more formal bilingual schools should be
established.</p>
<p>He maintains learning outcomes improve significantly for students who learn all subjects in more than one language.</p>
<p>"Their own communications about themselves in their own world that
makes you step outside how you've naturalised the world in English to
step inside another cultural system."</p>
<p>Professor Lo Bianco recently released a paper arguing, for too long,
linguistics education policy has been driven by considerations of trade
and business.</p>
<p>"It transcends economic questions. Of course, we should also attend
to the needs of the economy, but that's only one part of a language
policy. But it seems to have taken over everything."</p>
<p>An appreciative Brunswick South principal Sheryl Hall says she
agrees, that the benefits of a formal bilingual education are many and
varied.</p>
<p>"It's their confidence, their love of other languages, their
appreciation of a much more global perspective, rather than just here in
little insular Brunswick."</p><p><a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/12/18/italian-bilingual-primary-school-open-melbourne">http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/12/18/italian-bilingual-primary-school-open-melbourne</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
</div>