MELBOURNE - Knowledge of languages has accompanied Patricia Welti throughout her life.
She heard the sound of French when she was still in diapers, thanks to her mother, while she has always spoken Italian with her grandmother.
“English is my third language,” she clarifies with a smile.
Welti became an Italian teacher almost by accident.
“I was a teacher at Rowville Primary School, but that year - it was 2008 - there was no Italian teacher, so for two years I filled that role,” she explains.
Having returned to her initial role in the classroom for 13 years, Welti was faced with the same choice last year, given the shortage of language teachers exacerbated by Covid.
“So, I accepted the role of Italian teacher and this year I am teaching Years 3 through 6.”
During her classes, Welti offers an academic approach related to the study of grammar, using apps that also help with listening.
She also has the students practice Italian through cooking and gardening.
An interesting gardening program was started at the school, thanks to the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, that Welti then elaborated upon for Italian classes.
“With the vegetables we grow in our garden we prepare Italian recipes thanks to the support of the school cook and the large equipped kitchen we have at our disposal,” she says.
The students, after growing tomatoes, harvested them and prepared passata which they used to season pizza and gnocchi, cooked in the school kitchens.
That’s not all, the kids take care of the chickens and pick olives from the school’s trees and flavour them before putting them in jars.
Students tending to the school garden
Each week, guided by Welti and Mrs. Hadden, the school’s cook, they also try their hand at Italian recipes.
Gnocchi, omelets, pasta topped with various sauces - something for every palate.
“The recipes are given to the kids in Italian and English, and before they start cooking we talk about them, to make sure they know the meaning of all the words,” says Welti.
“This program also allows me to introduce culture. For example, through different regional dishes we have addressed the topic of different Italian regions.”
Bringing the Italian language into the kitchen has been so successful at Rowville, the program has enjoyed longevity.
The program also thrives with added support from Welti’s colleagues.
“I also encourage my colleagues to greet students in Italian, ask them questions such as how they’re doing, inviting
