Senior School – Languages
Governor Stirling Senior High School
In Year 10, Languages becomes a subject that you can choose. Many Governor Stirling students choose to continue their language study until the end of Year 12 and achieve excellent results.
In order to study a language as an ATAR (university entrance) subject in Years 11 and 12, you must do the language in Year 10.
We asked students for the main reasons they chose their language course in Year 12:
- commitment, interest, enjoyment and learning challenge
- cognitive advantage and effective thinking
- better cross-cultural communication and understanding
- future career, study and travel plans
- quality teaching, programs and learning experience
- progression and achievement in language learning
- ATAR bonuses for language study
Learning a language at Governor Stirling is not just about giving students the opportunity to communicate in a foreign language, it also plays an integral part in improving student’s literacy skills. Through learning a language students are able to become more aware of their own language structure. Studies are showing that students learning a second language are also improving and developing skills in their first language. In actual fact learning a foreign language draws your focus to the mechanics of language: grammar, conjugations, and sentence structure. This makes you more aware of language, and the ways it can be structured and manipulated. Language speakers also develop a better ear for listening, since they’re skilled at distinguishing meaning from discreet sounds. So academically, your child learns about how languages work and their literacy skills are enhanced because a clear link exists between learning another language and literacy development in English.
Benefits
- Your child develops an understanding and respect for other cultures, people, their ideas and ways of thinking. Thus, enriching your child’s global connections.
- Excursions, competitions and activities to challenge and engage students in an academic context.
- Extra University credits (10% more) to any student whom successfully completes a Year 12 foreign language ATAR subject.
There are many pathways with a language – at university, it combines well with many other courses including Law, Engineering, Business, Science, Arts and many more.
Student Testimonies
“After 6 years of studying Italian, I can’t imagine my schooling experience without it. I know it’s easy to think that learning a language is too much hard work, but if it weren’t for Italian, I wouldn’t be half the student I am. Through school, I’ve learnt about Italian culture, world issues, and even new music and tastes. While I admit my Italian may not be fluent, I have earned so much more through this program – a program that charges less than most others, offers a 10% bonus on my ATAR, and gives me the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture through excursions, host students, and immersion days. I am so grateful that Ms Forgione encouraged me to continue Italian in year 10, because without it, I would have been as monolingual as I am clueless about the world around me.”
-Jesse Shepherd Year 12 (2021)
“Hi, I’m Ariel Sala Tenna at Governor Stirling SHS and I recently went on exchange to Bressanone, Italy, a small town in the north of Italy. It was such an amazing, once-in-a lifetime opportunity. Learning a language, immersing myself in the culture has benefited me a lot, both with my confidence in the language and personal growth. I was also able to travel to Italy, visiting Piedmont, Venice, Verona, Rome and the Vatican City. I am so grateful for this experience, and being able to learn Italian at Governor Stirling Senior High School has changed my life.”
-Ariel Sala-Tenna (2023)
Please contact the language department if you need more information.
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