Italian

At the Zoo

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App 4 overview

At the Zoo

The Polyglots at the Zoo includes animals and food items from a range of cultures within the diverse environment of an open-range zoo. The learning experiences encourage values aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework such as developing an understanding of the interdependence between people and animals. The app introduces new language relating to fruit and drinks while building on language learnt in apps 1, 2 and 3. Children will encounter many other animals in the zoo, some are endangered species while others are culturally significant. Children will meet a Chinese panda, an Arabian camel, a French water vole, a Japanese macaque and an Indonesian orangutan.

Language learning features

  • Repetition: Italian language is repeated in meaningful contexts, providing many opportunities to hear the language.
  • Visual cues: visual cues and gestures are aligned with spoken language to reinforce and emphasise meaning. The app uses the interactive functionality of the tablet.
  • Production: children have opportunities to produce the language. The learning experiences encourage children to mimic and play with Italian sounds, words and short phrases.

Cultural references

Language learning experts emphasise the importance of linking language to culture. To inspire children’s curiosity about Italian culture, the learning experiences feature cultural items and characters from Italy.







Unique learning experiences

Each preschool group and community is unique. Educators may find a variety of ways to apply the learning experiences in The Polyglots at the Zoo apps to a particular child, group of children, preschool or community.

Links to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and Australian Curriculum

In the Admin area, children's educational outcomes are linked to the EYLF and to the Australian Curriculum: Languages content descriptions for schoolchildren in Foundation – Year 2 as well as to the language of each learning experience. Educators can use this data to support planning or can print the outcomes for children’s portfolios. 

Belonging

‘Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider community.’ (EYLF)

All children have the right to belong. This is reflected in the cultures and relationships of the characters in The Polyglots at the Zoo. This app provides imaginative play experiences that parallel many children’s own experiences of visiting a zoo. In this space, characters are portrayed as belonging to a community, just as children do.

Being

‘Childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world.’ (EYLF)

When using The Polyglots at the Zoo, children can explore and expand their understanding of the world. They can take time, perhaps several weeks, to investigate other ways of being. 

Becoming

‘Children’s identities, knowledge, understandings, capacities, skills and relationships change during childhood.’ (EYLF)

When children engage with the apps, they can broaden their knowledge, understandings, capacities and skills. With tablet technology, the apps expose children to Italian language and culture and provide for many other learning experiences.

Resources

Resources to extend ELLA into your playspaces

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Have a question or need some help?

Contact the ELLA helpdesk

[email protected] 1800 468 303 (9 am – 4 pm AEST, Mon–Fri)