Students at Lockleys Primary School from Reception to Year 6 participate in Italian language and culture lessons with a specialist Italian language teacher. Students access the program for 2 lessons per week. The languages program aims to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure students are able to communicate in the target language, gain an understanding of the language, culture, and learning and their relationship, and thereby develop an intercultural capability in communication. It also strengthens their ability to understand themselves as communicators.
The Italian language program provides students with opportunities to engage in learning through hands on learning experiences as well as explicit teaching of language features and aspects of culture. Positive learning experiences aim to instil an interest in learning about other cultures and a receptiveness to and understanding of other people, languages and cultures throughout their lives.
Italian, also known as Standard Italian or italiano standard, is the official language of Italy, the Vatican City, San Marino and parts of Switzerland. It is also an official language of the European Union, and a major community language in countries such as Australia, Luxembourg, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, and in parts of Africa. Italian is, and has been for many years, one of the major community languages in Australia.