"Teaching in a bilingual school inspired me to learn Italian"

Lisa Donoghue

Lisa Donoghue at Brunswick South PS Source: Michael Loftus-Hill

Lisa Donoghue teaches at Brunswick South Primary school, Melbourne's only Italian bilingual school. She explains that working there has inspired her to learn Italian. This interview is (mainly) in English.


Lisa Donoghue is the English teacher in the 1/2 team at Brunswick South Primary school. She studied French at school and later as an adult, but she found it very challenging.

Recently, after starting to work at Melbourne's only Italian bilingual school, she has decided to learn Italian, "so that I can understand my students' perspective".
I love the culture of the school here, and I love that there’s so much Italian around us and the children are learning it, and I wanted to be part of that
While learning a language as an adult has its own challenges, being immersed in it every day is helping her.

Moreover, she can show her pupils that even adults can learn, and she can feel part of the school's community by sharing the journey of learning a new language.
The  is an SBS Radio initiative to encourage and celebrate a love of learning languages in Australia. Visit  to enter.

È tuttora in corso la quarta edizione della National Languages Competition della SBS. Il concorso celebra la diversità culturale e linguistica della società multiculturale australiana, con l'obiettivo di promuovere i benefici del multilinguismo. Per ulteriori informazioni sulla nostra iniziativa basta visitare il sito  

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