Ruby Mahoney’s time at school was very much one that didn’t shy away from diverse cultural learning. As one of three students of the Class of 2009 who studied both Japanese and French through to VCE, Ruby’s learning was enriched by her active participation in all cultural exchange programs available at Emmanuel at the time.
Even before Ruby began school at Emmanuel College, a passion for language in all its forms had been fostered at home. “My family was very involved in a range of student exchange programs when I was growing up, which began with hosting a Japanese exchange student for a year through Emmanuel in 2002, through to a program where my sister went to a host family in Argentina for a year in 2011 while we hosted a Swedish student in our home.” Ruby explains, “by the time I reached secondary school we had many Japanese family friends as a result and so I expected to travel there. For French, it was always a plan to move to Europe at some point and it seemed like a useful language to know.”
Beyond the skill of speaking a second language, Ruby also highlighted the knowledge and experience she gained by being involved in these programs. Ruby commented “it [hosting exchange students] taught me a lot about Australian culture and how others see it. Also the benefits of being able to practise with a first-language speaker, without having to fly anywhere! Also, I think it helped me prepare to move to Melbourne and beyond, and connect with people from a range of backgrounds and experiences who I may not have otherwise met in Warrnambool.”
As a result, I’ve made friends and connections around the world and kept in touch - I’ve already visited several of these in their home countries
Following her time at Emmanuel, Ruby went onto study Bachelor of Arts at RMIT. “My majors were creative writing and media, and I also completed an advanced French course and studied philosophy. I then completed Honours in Media and Communication, researching and writing a memoir that largely focused on my family’s relationship with Japan as I was growing up.” Ruby adds, “From there, I moved to Sydney and studied a Master of Teaching at UNSW.”
“In retrospect, part of me wishes I had kept more focused on languages after finishing school, and I am now considering doing a Master of International Studies.”
We asked Ruby if language studies had influenced her on the paths she has chosen to get her where she is now. “I think studying French and Japanese and having interactions with other countries and cultures throughout those programs made me confident in both travelling and moving overseas, and also developing an ‘ear’ for other languages I might need along the way,” replied Ruby.
“In particular, said Ruby, “French has been a helpful language for interacting with travellers and expats across Asia and Europe, as many, many countries teach French as a second language. As a result, I’ve made friends and connections around the world and kept in touch - I’ve already visited several of these in their home countries.”
At the time of writing, Ruby was in Lille, France for part of her summer holidays. For the last year she has been teaching English at a secondary school near London, and before that spent two years teaching English Literature at an international school in Shanghai.
