Scotch College: Language and Culture Centre

Deo Patriae Litteris

Multimedia Laboratory

Self access technology room

Demonstration kitchen

The Scotch College Language and Culture Centre, opened in December 1995, is perhaps unique: a modern school building with first-rate facilities and equipment, specifically designed for teaching Languages other than English, and Senior English. Click here for details of the daytime
Languages Curriculum.

Outside of normal School hours, the Centre runs language courses for members of the wider community, including those in the corporate sector. For details of courses currently available, please refer to Community and Business Language Courses.

When not in use as above, any part of the Centre, its facilities and equipment is available for hire at reasonable rates. Please inquire from the Director, as below.

Facilities and Equipment

Language Multimedia Computer Laboratory

The Language Multimedia Computer Laboratory is equipped with computers, each with CD-ROM drive and hard disk, video card and capture card, microphone, and headphones. Students can use interactive multimedia programmes, working at their own pace, can watch TV programmes off air or from a videocassette recorder, and can record segments of full-motion video to use for language tasks. The teacher has full control from his/her computer, can demonstrate the use of programmes, download software quickly to student computers, take over a student's screen to give help, and shut down programmes or computers as required. Access to the Internet is provided, and its use is encouraged.
Self-Access Technology Room

Equipped with three Macintosh PowerPC and three IBM-compatible multimedia computers, a colour scanner, laser printer, and six audio and video carrels, this room is available to students in their spare time, to encourage creative use of the technology for language-learning purposes. The Internet can also be accessed here.
Demonstration Kitchen
The Demonstration Kitchen reflects the fact that food and eating customs are an important part of many cultures. The folding doors can be opened so that students can observe the preparation and cooking of the food in the large overhead mirror, and can then participate in the eating customs. Small groups can also participate in the cooking.
Library/Seminar Room
This room contains books and magazines on language-learning, and on a variety of countries and cultures. It is designed for quiet study, and a number of arm-chairs and tables are provided. It can also be used for staff meetings, or as a seminar-room for up to 15 students.
Recording studio
This studio is designed for small groups to practise and record (audio or video) role-plays and scenarios which can then be used in class.
Teaching Areas

There are two large classrooms for each of the languages taught in the daytime curriculum (French, German, Indonesian, and Mandarin Chinese) to set up their displays of pictures, posters, art objects, etc, and to help create the ambience of the culture concerned.

Each classroom is equipped with many wall display panels, a videocassette recorder and large monitor, an audio cassette recorder and amplifier, ceiling speakers throughout the room with excellent sound reproduction, and provision for a teacher to connect a laptop computer and present previously prepared material on the TV monitor. A portable LCD projector is also available for presentation of computer output on a large screen.

Three of the eight large classrooms can be subdivided, using soundproofed folding doors, into smaller seminar rooms. This gives greater flexibility, depending on the size of the class.

Throughout the building the floor is built with space underneath for cables (power, computer, internet, telephone etc). Both the floor and the carpet are designed in square tiles which allow easy access to these cables, and therefore maximum flexibility for future change.

Sites of interest for language teaching and learning

For other Internet sites of interest, click on the relevant language: Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese.

Inquiries

Phone (03) 9810 4407
Fax (03) 9810 4333

or write to: The Director
Language and Culture Centre
Scotch College
Morrison St
Hawthorn Vic. 3122