SBS National Languages Competition 2019

This national competition organised by SBS Radio aims to encourage and celebrate a love of learning languages in Australia. Languages learners from 4 years old to adult are invited to tell SBS “How does learning a language make a world of difference to you?” 

• Open to Australian residents learning an additional language, including Auslan and English 
• Five categories: 4 – 7 yrs old, 8 – 12 yrs old, 13 – 15 yrs old, 16 – 18 yrs old and 18+ 
• Prizes: Apple iPads and Apple AirPods plus trip to award ceremony in Sydney in November 2019
• Entries close 5pm 27 September 2019

​For more information: www.sbs.com.au/nlc19     For poster click HERE

ANU Innovative Language Education Symposium

• Thursday 5 September to Saturday 7 September 2019
• Sir Roland Wilson Building ANU, 120 McCoy Circuit ACT 2600
• Free and open to the public

The symposium brings together national and international leaders in language education to map out their visions of what constitutes innovative language education today and share and discuss the pressing national and international issues surrounding language education.

It offers participants the opportunity to learn about the latest research in Asian language teaching and hands-on opportunities to learn about developments in language teaching pedagogy.

Through this study of policy, research and pedagogy, the symposium will further debate about how Australia could set its course to lead the way forward in language education in the Asian Century.

For program and to register: CLICK HERE

ANGLS conference in Canberra

The 2019 conference of the Australian Network of Government Languages Schools (ANGLS) was held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 August at Telopea Park School. It was hosted by the Canberra Academy of Languages (CAL), a not-for-profit organisation established in 2016 with the aim of providing expanded opportunities for language learning to complement existing programs offered in the ACT. 

The conference brought together educational leaders from government funded schools in Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory that offer language programs to over 25,000 students who cannot access their chosen languages at their own schools.

One of the things discussed at the conference was the undertaking by the federal government, announced on Friday 2 August 2019, to invest in language studies and to develop a national languages strategy to support language teaching and learning in Australia (see https://ministers.education.gov.au/tehan/investing-languages-studies-australia) 

Following the conference, ANGLS issued a media release that calls on all Australian governments to recognise the huge benefits of helping our students become truly global citizens by boosting the status of language learning both in word and in deed. 

"It is widely recognised  that in terms of both global and local imperatives, Australia needs to do better in fostering languages learning by students, and in strengthening existing multilingual capacities of students who do already have languages skills, in all Australian school systems"    

You can read the full ANGLS media release at: angls_media_release_2019-08-19.pdf. 

A podcast for language lovers in Australia and beyond

Great initiative from two young people in Melbourne who are promoting language learning by talking about their own experiences

https://www.languagelovers.com.au/podcast

Embedding Indigenous Perspectives and Making Connections

A mini conference organised in the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages by the Modern Language Teachers Association (MLTA) ACT Inc

• Saturday 17 August 2019
• 8.30am (registration) 9am (start) – 2pm
• Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning, 51 Fremantle Drive, Stirling, 2611, ACT
• Morning tea and lunch provided
• FREE for members of MLTA ACT or MLTA in other states and territories
• $50 for Non-MLTA members 

Program

Welcome to Country: Tyronne Bell, Ngunawal Elder and traditional custodian

Presentations 

• Promotion and preservation of Ngunawal culture and language, Tyronne Bell
• Learning and speaking First Nations languages in Australia, Professor Jane Simpson, Chair of Indigenous Linguistics ANU, and Deputy Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language
• Belconnen High School's Connecting to Country journey, Anne O'Neill, Executive Teacher Languages and Aboriginal Programs at Belconnen High School
• The Victorian School of Languages (VSL), its role and services, Frank Merlino, Principal of the VSL  
• Breaking through to consistency of teacher judgements about student achievement, Amanda Pentti, President of the AFMLTA

The MLTA ACT Inc. acknowledge and thank the ACT ED Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Section for their generous support of this Mini Conference

Intext Book Co. & Language International Bookshop will have a display during the conference

Registration required by COB Tuesday 13 August at https://www.trybooking.com/535199

More information from MLTA ACT Executive Secretary: Annemarie.Power@ed.act.edu.au