Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 15

LEFT TO RIGHT: EDWARD HILLS, NEIL DOSHI, MATHEW SCOULLER, GEORGE BABLIS, JAMIE CHANG, THOMAS CHERK, WILSON CRAWFORD German Café.’), but the key to building and managing positive social and perhaps future business relationships. Why else would young boys commit to an early morning extension class as well as endless hours of practice in order to gain an internationally recognised certificate issued by the renowned Goethe Institut? Why else would they be prepared to sit a challenging two- hour exam, demonstrating not only their growing skills in sustaining a basic conversation, but also being able to extract information and write personal messages? But no matter how well our boys perform in their test to prove their language proficiency, they have begun their linguistic journey with a true appreciation as well as insight into the special qualities of that language. I enjoy listening to them; how they tune into its unique music, and the rhythms, intonations and tones that make up its core. I appreciate how hard they try to come to terms with how language is organised, selecting from a range of possibilities for communication and problem-solving. It is amazing how they engage with the culture and history. They are so curious in gaining an insight into a world beyond their immediate experience. These boys have done more than learning vocabulary or trying to master simple grammatical points: they are gaining an invaluable skill, an ability to read, interpret and experience the world from an additional perspective. Everything changes when you are able to use the local language. It is amazing how much more open people are when you speak their mother tongue. It also demonstrates to them a great level of respect. Our Language Captain for 2019, Jamie Chang (Year 6), expressed it this way: ‘I struggled at first, did not have a good grasp of the German vocabulary and was too scared to mispronounce words. However, I persevered and eventually overcame my fears. Subconsciously I started to tap into my hidden superhero to learn a foreign language as well as becoming someone who can inspire, lead by example, support and encourage others.’ It seems when you master a foreign language, you can exercise your new superhuman power of being able to understand what someone is saying, recall the proper vocab and grammar, put that vocab and grammar into the proper context, and reply – all on the spot and in a timely manner. You’ve connected. And that is what it’s all about. CORNELIA KOEHNE-DRUBE – HEAD OF LOTE, JUNIOR SCHOOL www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot 13