LANDMARK LESSONS IN FRENCH

A HOBART schoolteacher has won a rare scholarship from the French embassy to study in France as leaders seek to boost the profile of LOTE study in Tasmania.

Kelsey Cooper, who teaches French at Eastside Lutheran College, in Warrane, has received an endowment to complete a twoweek teacher pedagogy course in Nantes.

Ms Cooper, a committee member of Alliance Francaise de Hobart and president-elect of the Modern Languages Teachers Association, said she was excited to have the opportunity to gain skills she will use to run an “immersion program” at her school.

“It’s where you use language to teach something other than the language – I might teach cooking and hospitality in French, for example,” Ms Cooper said.

“(The scholarship) definitely signifies that the French embassy is recognising the need to raise the profile of the language in Tasmania.

“In general we have low literacy rates and learning another language really helps with first language literacy, which is not something people usually connect the dots with.”

Alliance Francaise de Hobart president Caroline Jackson said the organisation was thrilled when Ms Cooper announced she had won the scholarship. “Hopefully more students will take up French in Tasmania, which is the idea that the ambassador has with this program,” Ms Jackson said.

Ms Cooper said: “It’s an increasingly globalised world and it’s even more important to understand other cultures even if you don’t become proficient in the language. We don’t want to disadvantage our students here just because we are a bit isolated, we need to bring the world to them.”