Marzia Gritti and Natascia Morlotti, who teach English in Italy and Italian in Perth respectively, met in 2014 and started a cultural exchange via Skype, which has lasted for more than seven years.
Students from both countries converse in a foreign language with their peers, introducing themselves, getting to know each other, discovering their differences and finding out that, at the end of the day, their lives are not so dissimilar.
When it was possible to travel, Morlotti often went to Italy and she would always visit Gritti, who would proudly display the Australian flag hanging on the wall of her classroom.
“Our aim was to interest our students in different cultures so that they could explore other countries in the future,” Gritti said.
Gritti’s students would connect with Morlotti’s students in Perth via a video call.
“We saw them once a week and exchanged ideas, opinions and points of view with them; we always had fun despite some connection problems,” the students said.
“Each of us had a predetermined partner whom we would speak with during our calls.”
When video calls were not possible, the students exchanged letters in which they introduced themselves, stated their name, where they lived, their preferences in food, colours and sport.
“This way we got to know each other better and expand our English vocabulary,” they said.
“It was really nice to receive a letter from a person we’d only met on a video call, who was from another country and spoke another language.
“It was exciting and fun – an experience that made us overcome our shyness in speaking a language other than our own.”
At the end of the project, Morlotti organised the Italian Week at St Augustine’s Primary School, for the 10th consecutive year.
The event is an opportunity to bring together students and their families.
Everyone helps to make a homemade pasta dish for lunch, which is followed by an ice cream, and games of soccer and bocce.
