As LOTE (Languages Other Than English) Day approached, the boys eagerly asked: “What do we do this year?” “Are we going to have some special food?” or “Are we going to wear special costumes”? I smiled and said “NO”. They looked a bit disappointed but little did they know that this year they would experience something very different.

Programs such as LOTE Day aim to further develop students’ global-mindedness, as well as building on the Australian Curriculum priority in the area of Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia. This priority will ensure that students learn about and recognise the diversity within, and between, the countries of the Asian region.
This year, we had the pleasure to invite groups of performers and craft masters from Taiwan who were here to participate in the 2016 Sydney Taiwan Festival which is part of the Spring Festival of Willoughby council in Chatswood. Our boys were so fortunate to have seen the Taiwanese Aboriginal tribal dances and songs and experience the craft workshops before the festival. In the morning, we were treated to the outstanding, as well as amazing, giant glove puppet show.

After the performance, our Year 5 and 6 boys had the opportunity to have a cultural encounter session with those younger primary school age performers. They sat down and had a group morning tea together. There were a lot of selfies taken which gave our boys a chance to practice their Mandarin. Our teachers suggested children could play a friendly basketball game together. As Mrs Zammit observed and commented “… just amazing and lovely to see the courtesy and respect of our boys with their counterparts from Taiwan”.

After recess, the boys split into 4 groups to participate in different workshops. They played glove puppets and watched how a lively glove puppet was created. Some lucky boys got to sample yummy sugary treats from the sugar painting workshop or taking home cute characters from the dough figurines workshop. At the face painting workshop, everyone wanted to be picked to have their face painted. At the spring flower workshop, the boys used silk thread to make a delicate leaf.

Overall, our boys had a lots of fun and hopefully, they realise that learning another language allows them to understand the culture and bring people closer.

Eva Angel – Mandarin Teacher