Languages
| Course Information |
French, German, Japanese and Spanish are offered at HGHS.
French, German and Japanese are offered in the junior and senior school and Spanish Beginners is offered in the senior school.
For an overview of the continuum of languages click here.
Year 7
All students are exposed to a short course in French, German and Japanese. Students study the language over one semester and in the other semester they study Music. Through this initial exposure to the language, students then make an informed decision about which language they will study for the whole of year 8. This choice is made at the beginning of November.
Year 8
Students study the language they chose at the end of year 7. In order to best allow students to receive their first choice there are 5 language classes in year 8. In previous years all students have studied their first choice.
Students study their language for 4 periods each cycle (2 periods per week).
The following texts are used with the respective courses:
• French – Tapis Volant 1 (2nd ed)
• German – Katzensprung 1
• Japanese – Obentoo Deluxe
A highlight of the year 8 program is the Languages Day held in August. In previous years students have enjoyed activities ranging from Theatre workshops directed by bilingual professional actors, cooking, quizzes and games.
School Certificate Languages (Years 9-10)
In order to continue language study into senior school students must select a language as a 200 hour course . Students are strongly encouraged to continue the language they were studying in year 8, however there is the possibility to pick up an additional language or start a new one from scratch.
During the school certificate courses students have much more authentic use of the language. We host visits every second year from our sister schools Graf Rasso Gymnasium in Fürstenfeldbruck in Germany or Shukutoko in Yono Prefectaure in Japan. We also host an annual visit from Nagoya Woman's University in June. Students also have the opportunity to travel to France, Germany, Japan and New Caledonia either on individual exchange or in group trips organised through the school.
Importantly, if your daughter is planning on going on exchange she needs to talk to the Deputy Principal Mrs. Sexton to organise both her leave from school and the arrangements for any students who we are hosting when you apply to host .
More information for each subject is available below.
Senior Language study
In year 11 students can study French Continuers, German Continuers, Japanese Continuers and Spanish Beginners (BOS Syllabus) In year 12 students have the option to pick up an additional unit of in French Extension, German Extension and Japanese Extension.
You don't need to nominate for Extension units until during year 11. If you are not sure if you want to do an extension course it is best to talk with your teacher in year 11 about it.
Frech Continuers French Extension
German Continuers German Extension
Japanese Continuers Japanese Extension
If you are interested in studying a language not offered by the Languages Faculty such as a community language, you can apply for a place in the Saturday Day School of Community Languages ( SSCL ) or through the Open High School ( OHS ). Bear in mind though that only 4 new OHS places are available per year and preference is given to senior students.
For more information see the Head Teacher Mrs Faye Roberts .
| Faculty Information |
The Languages faculty is highly committed to providing students with the linguistic and cultural skills necessary to operate within our multicultural communities, both within Australia and abroad.
All teachers are highly experienced with a wealth of knowledge about both the languages they teach and about the HSC process. All senior teachers have done HSC marking in the language they teach.
Mrs Faye Roberts (acting Head Teacher)
Ms Edit Arch
Mme Dominique Barbeau
Ms Annabel Anderson
Mr Izumi Inoue
In the last 5 years there has been at least one language student who has achieved a top 5 in the State ranking in each year. In some years there have been numerous students. For more information about some of our most outstanding students have a look in the Hall of Fame (docx, 10 KB)
| Excursions |
Sister Schools and trips
German and Japanese have active sister school relationships.
- The German sister school is Graf-Rasso at Furstenfeldbruck near Munich, and for the past few years there have been student visits to and from Germany.
- The Japanese sister school is Shukutoku Yono in Saitama near Tokyo, and there have been a number of very successful exchange visits. A group of students and teachers travelled to this school in December last year and then experienced the sights and flavour of Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima and Osaka.
| Internet Links |
