Term 3 is subject selection time at SHC, and many students will be already thinking about which subjects they would like to study next year. Whilst all students in Years 7 and 8 are required to learn either French or Japanese, this becomes a choice for students from Year 9 onwards. Ms Twilley has been visiting Languages classes to talk to students about their language learning experiences, and to answer questions they might have about continuing French or Japanese.

There are many compelling reasons to continue learning a language into the senior years of school. You might be interested in this article from the Conversation, which was part of a series aimed at helping students decide on their subjects for VCE.

Students who continue their study of a language can expect to:

• Improve employment opportunities

• Develop literacy skills that are transferable to other subject areas

• Enhance their understanding of the English language

• Gain access to opportunities for travel

• Foster intercultural skills

• Improve memory retention and attention span.

There are also significant academic benefits to studying a language at VCE level:

• VCE Languages students are eligible for the prestigious VCE Baccalaureate. When students study a combination of any English subject (with a minimum study score of 30), Maths Methods/Specialist Maths, and any language they are automatically eligible for the VCE Baccalaureate which is highly regarded by tertiary institutions.

• Study scores for VCE Unit 3/4 Languages subjects are scaled up. This is partly due to a Victorian government policy to encourage the study of languages. The extent of the scaling depends on the competitiveness of each year’s cohort and the raw study score of individual students. See the VTAC website for more information on scaling.

If you have any questions about studying a language at SHC, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s language teacher or myself at ktwilley@mazenod.catholic.edu.au.