PERTH - The language assistant program of WAATI is now back to what it was before the interruption of the pandemic.
The project has been active again for a couple of years now thanks to the tenacity and support of WAATI coordinator Laura Bava and the association’s teachers, Italian universities involved in the project and of course, WAATI’s students.
After the four very valuable assistants who finished their unforgettable experience returned to Italy last term, eight more have landed in Perth and will be joined by a ninth who will assist virtually from Italy.
The nine will assist Italian language teachers with primary, secondary and tertiary level classes.
The benefit for students is that through these teaching assistants, they’ll come into contact with today’s Italy and its language. Like all languages, Italian evolves alongside the country’s customs and traditions.
The assistants are all university students currently studying in Italy, each looking forward to a unique and extraordinary experience together with their mentor teachers and students in the classroom.
Their time in Australia will also be an opportunity for them to compare two very different school systems, methodologies and approaches – some of which they may choose to bring back with them.
Some of the assistants will also use the experience to form part of their dissertation in Italy, as it will provide valuable research data and the opportunity to make direct observations.
While WAATI’s language assistants are poised to leave an indelible mark on Italian classrooms in Western Australia, the hope is it will be equally formative for them, as well as a memory that will last a lifetime.
