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Victorian School of Languages

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Victorian School of Languages

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The Victorian School of Languages is the largest single provider of languages in Australia, with a long history of academic excellence in language provision.

History:
The Victorian School of Languages (VSL) is a government school with a strong history of commitment to the provision of language programs for students in Years Foundation to 12 (VCE) who do not have access to the study of those languages in their mainstream schools. The school's language program is delivered through face-to-face teaching in language Centres across the state and through Distance Education mode. The school had its beginnings in 1935 when it started Saturday classes at MacRobertson Girls' High School for pupils who desired to learn modern languages. The first classes offered were in Italian and Japanese. Currently the VSL offers over 40 languages around Victoria to 13,000 students in face-to-face classes and 1600 students in Distance Education. Our face-to-face classes for students in Years Foundation-12 (VCE) are held out of school hours in 29 metropolitan and 12 country/regional Centre's of the VSL, which are located in government secondary colleges

The Distance Education (DE) section of the VSL provides instruction in the following languages for students in secondary school: Arabic, Chinese, Classical Greek, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese. The DE section caters for a range of school-based and non school-based students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to access a language in either a mainstream school or face-to-face VSL classes

04/11/2026

A colourful Mid-Autumn Festival at VSL Westall!

On Saturday 5th September our Vietnamese language students at Westall came together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with a wonderful morning of culture, creativity and fun!

From team games and lantern-making to a colourful lantern parade, students enjoyed sharing traditions, celebrating their heritage and making memories with friends.

A big thank you to our dedicated teachers for bringing Vietnamese language and culture to life through these special experiences.

What a wonderful celebration of our VSL community!

03/11/2026

A Proud Moment for Our VSL Korean Language Community!

What a wonderful achievement for our VSL Korean language students, teachers and families. Their hard work, creativity and shared passion for Korean language and culture were celebrated on the national stage at the 20th Korean Performance Contest in Sydney on the 14 September.

The VSL proudly took home THREE first-place awards!

Primary Performance: VSL K–6 Fan Dance Team – Traditional Korean Fan Dance

Secondary Performance: VSL and Doncaster Secondary College Korean Lunchtime Club – K-pop Dance

Primary Art: Leah Park (Year 6) – Artwork celebrating the Korean harvest festival, Chuseok

With 537 students participating in the preliminary rounds across Australia, these achievements are something to celebrate.

A special thank you to Ms Che Soon Lee for her dedication to inspiring students and sharing Korean language and culture across our school community.

Congratulations to our students, teachers and families whose encouragement and support helped make this success possible. A fantastic achievement for the entire VSL community.

02/11/2026

Visit by Mr Jorge Bolle to VSL Box Hill Centre

VSL Box Hill Centre was delighted to welcome Mr Jorge Bolle, a poet, performer and storyteller, who shared his children’s book Lorie & Lorika in Dutch and his writing journey with our students. He also introduced his upcoming possum storybook.

Mr Bolle encouraged students to enjoy printed books, appreciate the feel of turning pages and rediscover the joy of reading beyond electronic screens.

We warmly thank Mr Bolle for sharing his stories and passion with us. We look forward to welcoming him back and hope more Dutch parents can join us next time to share in the joy of storytelling and reading!

30/10/2026

Happy World Teachers’ Day!

Today, Friday 30 October, we’re celebrating the wonderful teachers who inspire, encourage and support our students every day.

At the Victorian School of Languages, our teachers play an important role in keeping languages alive, sharing cultures and helping students build connections with their heritage and the wider world.

To all our dedicated VSL teachers, thank you for the passion, care and commitment you bring to your classrooms and our community.

29/10/2026

Celebrating Student Success: Sham Abuamro

Learning a language is about more than academic achievement. It's also about identity, culture and staying connected to your heritage.

For VSL student Sham Abuamro, studying Arabic through our Distance Education program provided the opportunity to maintain that connection while completing her VCE studies.

Sham's dedication and hard work saw her achieve an outstanding study score of 48 in Arabic – the highest in Victoria – an ATAR of 94.95 and a prestigious Premier's VCE Award.

We are delighted to share Sham's personal reflection on her VSL journey, in her own words.

My Experience with the VSL – Sham Abuamro

Studying Arabic through the Victorian School of Languages (VSL) has been an important part of my educational and personal journey. Balancing Arabic with my mainstream school studies and the demands of VCE was challenging at times, but VSL gave me the opportunity to continue developing a language that is deeply connected to my Palestinian identity and heritage.

As a Palestinian student, maintaining my Arabic has always been especially meaningful to me, as it allows me to stay connected to my culture, family and roots.

I genuinely enjoyed studying Arabic because it strengthened not only my language skills, but also my sense of connection to where I come from.

My teacher, Adel Moussa, played an important role throughout my journey through his guidance, encouragement and continuous support.

My experience with theVSL taught me the value of maintaining my language alongside my other studies and helped me grow in confidence both personally and academically.

The dedication I put into Arabic, together with the support I received from Mr Moussa and the VSL, contributed to achieving a study score of 48, the highest Arabic study score in Victoria, and an ATAR of 94.95, as well as receiving a Premier’s Award.

These achievements made me especially proud because they reflected years of hard work while balancing my Arabic studies with my mainstream education.

I am very grateful to the VSL and to Mr Moussa for giving me the opportunity to continue developing a language that is such an important part of my Palestinian identity and for supporting me throughout my educational journey.

👏 Congratulations, Sham! Your achievements are a wonderful reflection of your commitment, perseverance and pride in your language and heritage.

Discover more about learning Arabic through VSL Distance Education: https://web.vsl.vic.edu.au/courses/distance/

28/10/2026

Brunswick Year 11 Italian Students Explore Italian Culture at Festa & Expo

On Saturday 17 October, Brunswick Year 11 Italian students visited the Italian Festa & Expo at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.

Students immersed themselves in Italian food, music, language and traditions, exploring the cultural heritage Italian migrants brought to Australia and how these traditions have evolved in their new home.

An engaging opportunity to connect classroom learning with the richness of Italian culture and heritage!

27/10/2026

VCE Hindi Class of 2026

Sharing some images from the final day of classes for our VCE Hindi students at VSL South East Dandenong!

Congratulations to our students, and thank you to our teachers and families for supporting language learning and keeping our VSL community connected. Best wishes for your exams and beyond!

22/10/2026

Celebrating Our Westall Khmer VCE Year 12 Students

On Saturday 10 October, our three Year 12 Khmer VCE classes at the Victorian School of Languages (VSL) Westall Centre celebrated their graduation, marking the end of their VCE journey and recognising the dedication, perseverance and hard work that had brought them to this important milestone.

Why such an early end to their academic year?

Khmer is a CCAFL language and is scheduled for examination shortly after the first VSL term 4 session. Saturday 10 October marked the students’ final day of VCE classes at VSL Westall. At the VSL our CCAFL year 12 classes have a scheduled additional hour to ensure they receive their allocated examination session times in preparation for their early CCAFL examinations on Thursday 15 October.

The Khmer graduation was honoured by the attendance of local Member of Parliament Meng Heang Tak, who delivered an encouraging address to our international students, acknowledging their achievements and inspiring them as they prepared for their final examinations. Parents and staff members, including Mr Nath In, Mr Sinon Sil and Mr Bill Chhun, were also present to share in this special celebration and congratulate the graduates.

The students reflected on their VCE experiences, sharing stories of friendship, enjoyable classroom moments, challenging study commitments and the sacrifices made by their families to support their education. They also expressed their appreciation and respect for their teachers, recognising the guidance, encouragement and commitment that had helped them throughout their studies.

As they embark on the next chapter of their lives, we wish all our Year 12 graduates every success in their examinations and future endeavours. We hope they will continue to cherish the friendships they have formed and maintain close connections with their teachers and classmates.

Congratulations to our Westall Khmer VCE graduates!

21/10/2026

Year 11 Persian Students Showcase Their Learning

At the end of Term 3, Year 11 Persian students at the VSL Dandenong Centre, taught by Sayed Quraishi, presented their individual research projects and visual posters as part of their Unit 2, Outcome 3 assessment.

Students researched cultural groups living in Australia beyond the Persian-speaking community, exploring the concept of legacy from a Persian-speaking cultural perspective. They examined how different cultural groups have influenced and enriched Australian society over time.

Through their research and oral presentations in Persian, students explored how migration has shaped Australia's cultural identity through cuisine, music, traditional art and language. They also drew comparisons between Australia and other cultures, using their posters to support and communicate their findings.

Congratulations to our Year 11 Persian students on their hard work, creativity and thoughtful presentations. It's wonderful to share their achievements and celebrate their learning!

Thank you to Sayed Quraishi for sharing the students' work with us.

04/10/2026

Welcome to Term 4!

All teaching sessions and term dates are available on the VSL website at: https://web.vsl.vic.edu.au/contact/ #!/sessions

Address

Level 6/20 Otter Street
Melbourne, VIC
3066

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm

Website

http://www.vsl.vic.edu.au/

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