Fun activities, music and arts: How these Aussie kids in Central Coast learn Filipino language and culture

Learning a language, like Filipino, knows no age or limits. It can be in the classroom or outside too. Hear from these Central Coast kids as they share their fun and exciting journey learning Filipino.

These kids from the Central Coast engage in games, arts, and playtime with friends every Saturday during the school term, all while exploring their parents' Filipino language and culture. Credit: Filipino Class as supplied by Kristina Calisin-Porter

Key Points

• As the fifth largest migrant community in Australia, with over 310,000 Filipino-born residents living in the country as of the 2021 Census, Filipino is among the most common languages spoken across Australia.
• For younger Filipino Australian generations, learning Filipino provides a deeper connection to Filipino culture, history, and community.
• A group of Filipino parents on the Central Coast, along with the Filipino Class in Gosford, create fun learning activities to keep their children engaged in learning the Filipino language and culture.

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Fun activities, music and arts: How these Aussie kids in Central Coast learn Filipino language and culture

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A two-hour once-a-week in-classroom activities and outdoor games, the Filipino Class in Gosford Central Coast create an interesting opportunity for children to learn about the Filipino culture and language.

Run by volunteers and supported by the New South Wales Department of Education, the Saturday learning Filipino class is headed by Vavette Castro, a former teacher in the Philippines whose passion is teaching her mother language to kids on the Central Coast.

Students and members of the community enjoyed a Filipino Story Time held at the Erina Library on the Central Coast in celebration of Filipino Language Month. Credit: Filipino Class (Facebook)

This August, in celebration of the Philippines' Filipino Language Month, their class enjoyed one weekend of a storytelling session at the local Erina Library, featuring beloved Filipino children’s stories.