Ms Maria Zaban teaches Italian to all year levels from Prep to Year 6. The Victorian Government has made it compulsory to teach a language other than English in all year levels. The theme for the year is 'Saluti da Italia! Andiamo in Italia per imparare L'Italiano!' (Greetings from Italy! We are going to Italy to learn Italian!).

Throughout the year, the students learn how to use Italian greetings in a wide range of social interactions, for example, 'Buon giorno Mario! Come stai? Bene grazie. E tu?' (Good morning Mario. How are you? Well thanks. And you?) Through fun, interactive and stimulating activities such as singing and drama, students are becoming familiar with the Italian language and culture.

Languages education provides students with many benefits. As well as expanding career opportunities, research shows that learning a language:

• Stimulates brain development
• Significantly enhances English literacy
• Improves memory, concentration, problem-solving and numeracy skills
• Encourages respect and understanding of other cultures.