While it is true that language teaching in NSW is not always given adequate space, it is equally undeniable that opportunities do exist for those who seek them out—even though they’re not always paid.
The Secondary College of Languages, for example, is a co-educational public school that allows students from both government and private schools to study a second language free of charge on Saturday mornings.
At Ashfield Boys High School, students gather each week to explore the Italian language and culture, guided by qualified teachers and their coordinator, Marco Man, who has worked with the Secondary College of Languages for more than 40 years.
“In Sydney, there are 13 different campuses of our school, where 24 languages are taught. At Ashfield, we offer four to our 180 students: Polish, Spanish, Greek and, of course, Italian,” Man explained.
Classes range from Grade 5 to Year 12, and the course is formally recognised for the HSC by the NSW Department of Education.
“For the other languages taught at the Ashfield campus, some students have received the highest mark in the state. Italian will get there soon,” Man said with a smile, noting how motivated and capable the students in his courses are.
Much of the credit, he added, goes to the teachers, who engage students with dynamic lessons that range from grammar to cultural exploration.
“Alongside the core aspects, which involve grammar and language learning, we also teach Italian culture at school, using tools such as dance and music,” said Man.
“For example, at the end of last school year we organised a Tarantella performance, with students taking the stage together with their teacher. It was great fun.”
But that’s not all. Students also go to the cinema and read books in Italian. “It’s important for them to rediscover the joy of reading,” the coordinator said.
An experienced and passionate teacher, Marco Man (born Marco Mangiavacchi in Montepulciano) moved to Australia when he was very young. Yet his connection to his birthplace remains strong, and he returns every year.
That bond has been reinforced, not only through four decades of teaching, but also through a student exchange program he built from scratch during the 25 years he spent teaching at the girls’ campus of Beverly Hills High School.
“It was in 1997 that I organised the first exchange with the San Bellarmino Institute in Montepulciano,” he recalled. “I had planned to do it just for that year.”
Instead, the program continued for 25 years, during which Man accompanied an average of 25 students on each exchange.
“Once I even took 97 students,” he said with a laugh, recalling the memories of 38 exchanges to Italy and the many Italian students from Montepulciano who came to study in Australia.
“The greatest satisfaction is that more than 20 students, all non-Italian, have gone on to become teachers of Italian themselves,” he shared.
“One in particular even started an exchange program at the school where she later worked.”
Perhaps it is witnessing the lasting influence a teacher can have on their students’ lives that still gives Marco Man the energy and enthusiasm to make a difference by helping young people discover the world.
