Teaching Languages

Teaching Languages
in the Primary School

Examples from current practice
Julie Browett
with Anne Spencer
Teaching Languages
Teaching Languages
Examples from current practice
ISBN-13: 978-1-86366-617-6 ISBN-10: 1 86366 617 6 SCIS: 1257264 Published by Curriculum Corporation PO Box 177 Carlton South Vic 3053 Australia Tel: 03 9207 9600 Fax: 03 9639 1616 Website: http://www.curriculum.edu.au Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2006 This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source and no commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above, requires the prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney Generals Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca Disclaimer The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training. Acknowledgement This product was funded by the Australian Government through the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy, administered by the Department of Education, Science and Training. Edited by Marion Russell and Associates Designed by Sharon Carr, Graphic Divine Illustrations by Kate Ashforth Photographs by Daniel OBrien Printed in Australia by Impact Printing (Vic.) Pty Ltd
Contents
Acknowledgements About this book vi 1
Introduction
The 21st century context An emphasis on intercultural language learning Building a sustainable languages program Using this book
2
2 3 5 6
Focus on curriculum
Transdisciplinary teaching and learning Languages and literacy: shared and guided reading Languages and literacy: analysing visual texts Information communication technologies
9
10 14 18 22
Focus on learners
The early years of schooling Success for boys Transition from primary school to high school
27
28 30 32
Focus on organisation and support

Developing a whole school approach Operational considerations Engaged leadership Bilingual and immersion programs Distance delivery Partnerships beyond the school
37
38 42 46 50 54 56
Further resources Bibliography Appendix: Participating schools
61 63 65
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the generous professional contributions of all who participated in the creation of this book, particularly Greg Ashman, University of Tasmania and Jill Bignell, Department of Education, Tasmania.
Participating schools
This book certainly would not have been possible without the teachers and school leaders who gave time from their busy schedules to provide the researchers with the information they needed. It is important to note that the approaches to languages programs featured in this book are not case studies of particular schools. Rather, the authors have fused elements of programs gathered from a number of schools to produce descriptions of successful practice that reflect a particular focus. A full list of participating schools can be found on p 65. Development of the Teaching Languages in the Primary School resource has been managed by the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). The AEF is a foundation of the Asialink Centre at The University of Melbourne and Curriculum Corporation funded by DEST. More information about the AEF, including contacts in each State and Territory, is available at www.asiaeducation.edu.au.
The Project Advisory Group

Ms Judy Gordon (Chair), representing the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) Mr Tom Croker, representing the Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council (APAPDC) Ms Louisa Rennie, representing the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) Ms Rita Tognini, representing the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA) Ms Sue Tolbert, representing State Government education jurisdictions
The Project Management Team

Ms Christine McKenzie, Curriculum Corporation Mr Richard Laurie, Curriculum Corporation Mr Kurt Mullane, Asia Education Foundation Thanks to Mr Jim Dellit, University of South Australia, for his early work on this book.
vi
Teaching Languages in the Primary School
About this book

This book is designed to help primary languages teachers, class teachers, school leaders and curriculum advisers plan and implement effective and sustainable languages programs in Australian primary schools. It provides examples and practical ideas drawn from current practice to address issues that affect primary languages programs. Key issues identified by recent national1 research and consultation2 with school leaders, languages teachers and representatives of education authorities include: support from school leadership for languages programs community support for languages education effective pedagogy for primary learners, including linking across curriculum areas time allocation and continuity of programs to high school resourcing languages programs, particularly in rural and remote areas. Teaching Languages in the Primary School aims to stimulate professional reflection by presenting a range of ways to consider policy development, curriculum planning and teaching and learning practices in relation to languages education in primary schools. It strongly advocates the active involvement of school leaders and promotes partnerships between languages teachers, class teachers and members of the community while at the same time recognising that local needs and circumstances will influence decision making. Thirteen approaches to enhance the quality and sustainability of languages programs are presented which will be useful for schools wanting to introduce new languages programs as well as to enrich existing programs. Each approach supports intercultural understanding as an intrinsic part of language learning, especially through helping students to develop interpersonal communication skills in another language. Students consider how culture affects language structure and use and how language influences culture. They also learn to reflect on their own language and culture and question their assumptions about how they and other people interact in the world. These approaches were developed by surveying schools and interviewing teachers across Australia. Elements of programs from different schools were fused to produce descriptions of successful practice for particular areas. They are organised within three themes: Focus on curriculum Focus on learners and languages Focus on organisation and support.
1 Review of the Commonwealth Languages Other Than English Programme 2002, pp 156166. 2 A National Seminar on Languages Education for School Leaders was held in Melbourne 3031 May 2002 to exchange views on the teaching of languages in Australian schools, identify the factors affecting the delivery of quality languages programs and develop a commitment to action. It was the first national gathering of school leaders, language teachers and representatives of education authorities held on languages education in Australia.
About this book
Introduction Introduction
The 21st century context
The importance of developing Australias linguistic resources in preparing its future citizens for successful participation in a rapidly changing world was first recognised nationally in the National Policy on Languages (Lo Bianco, 1987). This was reflected in the 1989 National Goals for Schooling, which identified Languages other than English as one of eight key learning areas. The 1999 National Goals for Schooling reaffirmed languages as a key area of learning and highlighted the importance of providing a local, regional and global dimension to the learning experienced in school by our young people.3 The National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 200520084 emphasises the fact that education in a global community brings with it an increasing need to focus on developing intercultural skills and understanding. It affirms the important role languages education can play in leading students to reflect in meaningful ways on their role in the world, the language and culture that shape them and their values and attitudes. These national developments reflect international trends in languages education. In its materials for the European Year of Languages in 2001, the Council of Europe emphasised both intercultural competence and the contribution of languages teaching and learning to education for democratic citizenship and the development of tolerance and understanding between peoples. This in turn has influenced school and higher education curricula developed in Europe in recent years. The figure below illustrates how languages learning equips Australian students with the skills to make connections with local, regional and global communities.
Regional Global Australian students require the skills, knowledge, By providing values and understanding to be students with able to interact with the people frequent and varied of the Asia-Pacific region, Local opportunities for which is home to 60 per cent Australias diverse linguistic and meaningful interactions of the worlds population. cultural environment with peoples of the Engagement with the can enrich the language Languages world, learning languages and culture of the program and provide and languages develops region provides opportunities opportunities for communities students to apply students ability to for linguistic, social, creative become linguistically and intellectual development their learning in and culturally and assists students to authentic contexts. competent understand their roles and participants in responsibilities as members the global of the regional community. community.
3 Goal 3.5 4 Developed through the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) and recently endorsed by all Ministers of Education, The National Statement and Plan is available for download at http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/default.asp?id=11959.
An emphasis on intercultural language learning

Teaching any language necessarily involves teaching culture culture shapes the way language is structured and used.5 As reported by McLaughlin and Liddicoat (2005), intercultural language learning is developing as a key direction in languages education both in Australia and elsewhere. One of the key goals of intercultural language learning is to move beyond culture learning as factual knowledge about culture to a critical engagement with diversity through language.6 It involves purposefully helping learners to notice, analyse and reflect on their own culture and language as well as the target language and culture. The National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 20052008 highlights the capabilities developed through intercultural language learning. Learners: communicate, interact and negotiate within and across languages and cultures understand their own and others languages, thus extending their range of literacy skills, including skills in English literacy understand themselves and others, and understand and use diverse ways of knowing, being and doing further develop their cognitive skills through thinking critically and analytically, solving problems, and making connections in their learning.
(p 3 National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 20052008)
Related principles and pedagogy

As cultural groups intermingle across the world as a result of extensive migration and tourism, worldwide communication systems for mass and private communication, economic interdependence and the globalisation of the production of goods (Risager 1998, p 248) there is more opportunity and a stronger need for language learners to be familiar with the experiences and perspectives of other cultures. Intercultural language learning gives Australian students opportunities to develop such familiarity with the experiences and perspectives of other cultures. The principles and pedagogies of intercultural language learning listed on the following page are those reported by Liddicoat, Papademetre, Scarino and Kohler (2003) as featuring in successful teaching and learning practices across the curriculum. These principles and pedagogies form a foundation for building links between languages learning and other curriculum areas and for catering for the diversity of learners in the classroom. Linking languages learning to other curriculum areas assists students to build coherent and sophisticated understandings about culture and interculturality. Schools working successfully in transdisciplinary ways do so without compromising learning outcomes (see pp 1013 for suggestions on how to build transdisciplinary connections within languages programs).
5 Getting Started With Intercultural Language Learning: A Resource for Schools, p 6; Commonwealth of Australia 2005. 6 McLaughlin, M and Liddicoat AJ 2005, In the Context of Intercultural Language Learning, Babel, vol 40, pp 511.
Introduction
Principle
Active construction
Pedagogy
is task-oriented includes the use of effective questioning caters to the requirements of individual learners incorporates graphic organisers and other visuals that help to connect understandings encourages a gradual shift from the descriptive to the conceptual highlights particular linguistic and sociocultural considerations.
Making connections
is designed in line with learners development and builds on previous knowledge combines learning of language and culture with the development of understandings across the curriculum encourages learners to explain, integrate and inquire builds connections across texts and contexts.
Social interaction
facilitates interactions that promote intercultural communication builds accuracy, fluency and complexity includes interactive talk as an essential part of all tasks includes scaffolding to extend the intercultural connections individual learners are making involves listening to learners and incorporating their responses into the conversation includes making comparisons across a range of languages, cultures and contexts, using multiple examples (cultures, conceptual systems and sets of values).
Reflection
includes reflecting critically on ones own attitudes, beliefs and values involves conceptualising connections between languages and cultures mediates the processes of developing multiple perspectives on language and culture in all societies and acting in non-judgemental ways highlights comparing, analysing and synthesising aspects of language and culture from a universally human perspective.
Responsibility
involves setting personal goals and self-monitoring fosters engagement with difference and includes awareness of multiple perspectives investigates ethical uses of knowledge.
Adapted from Liddicoat, Papademetre, Scarino and Kohler (2003)
Building a sustainable languages program

The continuing high quality of a schools languages program depends on the schools leadership providing clear direction, active promotion, strong support and sound management. Australian schools with successful, lasting languages programs possess the following characteristics: Languages programs have a stated rationale, purpose and clearly defined outcomes that are developed by teachers and the school leadership, owned by all staff and communicated by them to students and parents. Time is allocated for frequent and regular languages lessons and resources are allocated and distributed to languages learning on the basis of its being a key area of learning. Choice of language reflects the local context, availability of teachers and resources, student background and the need for program continuity. Whenever possible schools work together to improve continuity across levels of schooling, so as to retain students engagement and promote retention of languages learning, particularly at transition points. Languages programs are an integral part of the wider curriculum and create pathways to higher levels of intercultural learning. Languages teachers work within the schools overall curriculum context. Their work is supported by all staff. Languages learning is meaningful, relevant and applied, so that students have intrinsic motivation to continue learning. The languages and cultures that students already have are acknowledged and valued. Teaching methods and strategies suited to students enthusiasm and interest at each level of schooling are clearly articulated. The relevance of the language to students, and evidence of their progress in the language are used as indicators of successful programs. The school encourages all its teachers to participate in the sort of ongoing professional learning in languages education that develops their own linguistic, cultural and pedagogical proficiencies. The languages teacher is a valued member of the school and has a collegial community with whom to develop skills and pedagogies. Time for teachers to plan together and to make connections across the school is planned and allocated. Languages teachers are located in teaching teams so that they can share information about effective teaching practices and participate in whole school curriculum planning. A strong profile for the schools languages program is developed through the involvement of members of the school community. When there is pride in and ownership of the program by the schools community, languages programs are strengthened.
Introduction
Using this book

For guiding whole school planning on languages programs
The approaches featured in this book are presented in such a way that they support teachers, school leaders and curriculum advisers in planning and implementing a quality and sustainable languages program that suits their needs and circumstances. Features sets out the conditions and actions that characterise the successful implementation and sustainability of the particular approach. A closer look presents an explanation (or an extended example) of a particular aspect of the approach. The three sets of questions below provide a useful guide for discussion or professional reflection when looking at each approach. In action presents a snapshot of practice or a set of practical ideas drawn from the experiences of schools using the approach. At this point your school group can consider the following questions: How does this approach connect to our school context? What do we already have in place that could support this approach? What changes would we need to make to support this approach? What ideas from this approach could be adapted for our particular circumstances? In what ways could this approach enrich our existing languages program? Is this approach possible and appropriate for this school? Getting started offers suggestions for introducing the approach into your school. At this point your school group can consider the following questions: What is realistically achievable for us? Who needs to be involved in discussion and decision making? How can the school leadership support this approach? What resources are needed to make this work? What are our priorities? What needs to happen? Who will be responsible? What will be our milestones of progress? What is our timeline? Who can help us? What else do we need to find out? Going further is directed at schools that are already undertaking the particular approach and are considering a further step in implementing the approach. At this point your school group can consider the following questions: What successes have we had to this point? What is helping to sustain our languages program? How embedded is the program in the life of the school? What ideas from this approach can help our students languages learning?
For professional reflection

Individuals and groups of teachers approach professional learning in diverse ways. Below are suggestions for use of the book by five typical readers. If you are participating in a formal professional learning session, you will be asked to progress through this book in a particular way, according to the aims of the professional learning session. If you are the principal of a primary school that does not yet have a languages program, consider moving to Focus on organisation and support after reading the Introduction. In the first three approaches described in that section there are ideas for developing a whole school vision and approach to the languages program, practical suggestions for timetabling and
resourcing the program, and suggested ways of supporting the work of the languages teacher. If you are a languages teacher who would like to work more collaboratively with classroom teachers, turn first to Focus on curriculum. The approaches described there provide starting points for developing ways to connect languages learning to other areas of the curriculum. If you are a languages teacher with an interest in the learning needs of particular groups of students, Focus on learners is a good place to start. There you will find suggestions for teaching young learners
of languages, boys in languages programs, and providing languages learning pathways for students at transition points in their schooling, including their transition from primary to high school. If your school already has a Languages team established to coordinate the languages program, this resource can assist you in strengthening your program. You may like to focus on the Going Further sections in particular. For all readers, the final Further Resources and Bibliography provide further sources of information about languages learning in the primary school.
Introduction
Focus curr
s on riculum
Focus on curriculum
In Focus on curriculum you explore:
a transdisciplinary approach to languages teaching and learning that establishes strong connections between languages programs and other curriculum areas approaches to languages and literacy education that adopt guided and shared reading strategies or use authentic visual texts in languages programs possible uses of information communication technologies to enrich languages programs. The four approaches to primary school practice described within this section highlight how students develop understandings about: the relationship between language and culture. As language (including visual language) and culture are viewed as intertwined, learning experiences are designed to integrate the two both the target language and culture and their own language and culture. Students examine stereotypes, challenge assumptions and develop a capacity to reflect on and deal with cultural differences.
Transdisciplinary teaching and learning

Transdisciplinary teaching and learning encourages students to develop deep understandings in more than one area of learning. Approaches that are transdisciplinary thus increase students capacity to make connections across the curriculum and between disciplines.7 In transdisciplinary learning, a languages program is supported by a collegial approach to teaching. Each area of learning is acknowledged as possessing its own body of knowledge, skills and processes. Teachers bring their strengths in various disciplines to a collaborative planning and teaching process. In the school featured below, the languages teacher worked with a Years 56 classroom teacher to plan a unit that connected students Japanese learning to other curriculum areas. The languages teacher found that the process of planning and teaching this transdisciplinary unit resulted in: feeling less isolated and marginalised from the rest of the teaching staff feeling that other teachers valued languages education more highly appreciating the opportunity for collegial discussion about teaching practice.
FEATURES
The languages program becomes connected to other curriculum areas in the following ways: The languages teacher and classroom teachers work collaboratively to plan and implement units. Teachers plan to develop students concepts through visiting those concepts across the languages program and other curriculum areas. Students learning becomes more holistic. Student learning is based around significant issues, tasks, questions or problems.8
For me, the most valuable aspect of working with a team to take languages into the everyday classroom was being able to share with like-minded practitioners, seek clarification, work collaboratively and share the load.
7 Transdisciplinary Learning as viewed on 20 December 2005 at http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov.au/planning/learnteachassess/transdisc.htm 8 Transdisciplinary Learning as viewed on 20 December 2005 at http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov.au/planning/learnteachassess/transdisc.htm
10
Belief
t ys
em
Behaviour
Va l
ues
views
e
Change
Language
I
nt
Wo r l d
Com
ni mu
ty
In
Lan
te
gu
rd
ag
nu
versi
ica
ul
ty
r tu
tio
it
y
un
ep
Inter
actio
er
cu
en
de
Ide
nt
nc
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al
Co
A CLOSER LOOK
A concept is an organising idea that is broad enough to encompass a variety of examples. Concepts are often captured in one or two words (Erickson, 2002). Concepts that link languages and other areas of learning include those shown in the illustration. As teachers repeatedly present these concepts to students over the years of schooling, students are able to build a progressively complex understanding of them. As Erickson (2002, p 51) remarks: As they progress through the grades, students build conceptual structures in the brain as they relate new examples to past learnings. This means that teachers, in writing curricula, need to identify conceptual ideas, often stated as essential understandings, that are developmentally appropriate for the age level of their students.
tourists to our town to enjoy a unique experience. To make the most of this experience the Japanese visitors will need a brochure to help them enjoy their stay here. Local businesses have agreed to display the brochure and our task is to create one that is both welcoming and informative. The languages teacher worked with students to decide what forms of Japanese language were appropriate for the brochure. The classroom teacher assisted students to identify the places to be featured in the brochure and to develop the computer publishing skills needed to produce the brochure. As students worked to produce their brochures they:
it
it
Co
Di
ns
learnt how to use Japanese language for their set task gained knowledge about the features of an effective tourist brochure demonstrated understandings about how the place where they live and their lifestyle contribute to their sense of identity considered how to represent their community to Japanese visitors developed their awareness of stereotypes in representing their own town and its inhabitants, and in the assumptions that they made about their Japanese visitors.
IN ACTION
At a small rural school, the Japanese language teacher and the Years 56 classroom teacher planned a unit together. The unit centred on concepts of identity, place and culture. As a key part of the unit students were presented with the following real-life task: Local businesses are planning to bring Japanese
11
Identity and place transdisciplinary unit plan

Guiding questions
How does where I live influence who I am? How can I represent my culture to others without using stereotypes?
Goals
Understanding Students will be able to: understand that their identity is shaped by the environment that they live in How does growing up in a place influence who we are? understand how to deconstruct cultural stereotypes Is anyone typical? How do you represent a culture to other cultures and how do you do this without creating stereotypes? demonstrate an understanding of interculturality through the production of a brochure for visiting Japanese tourists. How are considerations about a target audience represented in choices made about content and language use? Language skill-building Students will be able to: deconstruct and critically analyse the features of a brochure research facilities and attractions in the local community produce a brochure in the target language. (They will write two or three linked sentences about each topic using well-rehearsed language to convey simple information.)
Tuning in
Students identify places of significance for them in the local area and reflect upon why they are important to them. They reflect about how where they live influences what they do and how they think about their identity.
What is useful? What is interesting to a Japanese tourist? Students become aware of the intended audiences culture and expectations. They understand how language use relates to culture and expectations. What would a Japanese tourist expect to find in our town? What would they be surprised to find? Students edit their work. Why have we included these things? What do they tell the Japanese visitor about us as a community? Is it a true representation of who we are? Is our use of Japanese language appropriate and correct? Students explain the ideas behind their work to others. What new language did we learn? What did we find interesting or surprising? What would we like to know more about? How can this learning help us in the future? Students are given a scenario to show their capacity for in-depth thinking. For example: A new student arrives from another country. How could you help him or her settle into our community? What language knowledge and cultural knowledge would help you?
Finding out, sorting out and going further

Students work with photographs to identify stereotyped representations of Australian and Japanese people and places. Students challenge their assumptions about Japanese tourists.
Taking action
Students design a brochure for Japanese visitors to their community, written in Japanese. Students investigate local tourist brochures and brochures from Japan. What is the purpose of a brochure? What is the genre of a brochure (considering, for example, language, tone, audience, purpose, structure)? They challenge stereotyped representations of people, places and cultures. They identify the features of brochures. They brainstorm what to include in their brochure.
12
GETTING STARTED
If transdisciplinary teaching and learning interests you, then consider the following course of action: Form a group with your colleagues to read, discuss and build shared understandings about transdisciplinary teaching and learning. Decide on ideas or concepts that can be richly explored through combining languages education and other curriculum areas. Agree on a planning format. State the languages learning outcomes and education skills to be built through the unit as well as the outcomes from other curriculum areas. Use alternate staff meeting times for year-group teachers and the languages teacher to plan transdisciplinary units. Be realistic about the amount of collaboration and time that will be required. Ensure that languages learning remains central to the units being planned.
GOING FURTHER
If you are ready to move further with transdisciplinary teaching and learning: Explore ways to plan and conduct significant transdisciplinary teaching more often. Organise common non-contact times across year groups and include the languages teacher. Share your developing understandings about transdisciplinary teaching and learning with other colleagues during staff meetings. Ask your students to keep a learning journal throughout the course of a transdisciplinary unit. Have students reflect on their levels of engagement with learning, and especially with languages learning. Use their reflections to guide the planning of future units.
13
Languages and literacy: shared and guided reading

In this approach, languages learning is considered an integral part of the schools approach to literacy. The languages teacher and the classroom teacher work together within the established structures of their schools reading program, with the languages teacher using reading material in the target language. As students knowledge of the target language deepens, they compare its structure and usage to their own language. In doing so, they develop a heightened awareness of language and a metalanguage a language for talking about language. As a result they become more selfdirected and confident in their languages learning, both in the target language and in English. The languages teacher and the classroom teacher base their reading program on Luke and Freebodys four roles of the reader (see Winch et al 2004), developing tasks and activities around each role as illustrated in the figure below.
FEATURES
The languages teacher and the classroom teacher: use a wide variety of reading material in the target language include target-language texts as a part of regular classroom resources develop students reading strategies in both languages articulate the connections between languages and literacy development talk with parents about the links between languages and literacy learning.
Code breaker Learners make sense of the codes and conventions of texts.
Text participant Learners make meaning from texts.
How do I crack this code?
What does this mean to me?
Text user Learners understand the purposes of a variety of text types for different cultural and social functions.
Text analyst Learners understand that texts reflect their creators purposes and sociocultural background. Learners challenge assumptions made about them as readers.
What do I do with this text?
Why did the author write this? What does this text do to me?
14
A CLOSER LOOK
The languages teacher starts by including shared reading sessions in languages lessons using a big book. The languages teacher chooses a book that is above the students independent reading level in the target language, so that there are reading challenges for students to meet with the support of the whole class. In the example shown here, the languages teacher assists students to develop strategies for reading a narrative text in the target language. As the students language proficiency increases, more of the instructions and questions can be in the target language.
Lets look at the front cover. What sort of book is this? How do you know? What do you think this story may be about? Where might it take place? What clues give you that idea? Who/what might the characters be? What could they be doing? Predict what might happen in this story. Which words support what you think? Where is the title of the book? How do you know that? How do we say the title? Who is this book written for? What makes you think that? Listen as I read. Join in the repeated parts. Use the pictures to help you to make sense of the words and what is happening What will happen on the next page? I didnt know this word. Lets think about how I could have worked it out Now read with me. Which words tell us that ? How can we tell that this happened in the past? Ive covered some words with sticky notes. Lets see if we can work out what they are. (A focus could be a particular language feature such as pronouns, conjunctions, adjectives or prepositions) How do the pictures help us to understand what is happening? Why is (character/place/item/symbol) shown this way? Why is it included? Im going to leave this book in the languages learning centre in your classroom. You can: Match the pictures to the print. Order the story parts. Fill in the missing words. Write captions for the pictures. Describe and illustrate a new character. Use our adjective chart to help you. How would this character change the story? Read the story to a partner.
Languages and literacy
15
IN ACTION
The school had a guided reading program operating in most classrooms. The languages teacher decided to work within this established program structure. In the guided reading sessions the languages teacher worked with small groups of six to eight students. Each student and the languages teacher had a copy of what was being read. Reading material was organised into ability levels so that students worked with texts that were only just beyond their reading ability in the target language. tasks, supported by the classroom teacher. The organisation of the groups was displayed on a task board as shown below. The task board used target-language vocabulary, initially supported by picture clues, as shown in the figure below. Typically the languages teacher would: introduce the new reading material by asking questions about the title, illustrations, headings, text type, text origin, who wrote the text and why. The teacher would then ask about cultural aspects that may need clarification. Students made predictions about content and language. support the reading of the text by prompting the use of reading strategies and emphasising reading for meaning revisit the text with a teaching emphasis on one of the four roles of the reader invite students to respond to texts thorough a range of oral and written activities.
Organisation
Each class in the school had a dedicated, one-hour languages lesson each week. In addition, languages were the focus of two half-hour, guided reading sessions a week which formed part of the classs regular literacy teaching block. Each class was divided into four guided reading groups on the basis of shared learning needs. The languages teacher worked closely with each group once a fortnight. The other three groups worked on related
Task Board
Group Purple Green Orange Yellow Tuesday (Week A) With languages teacher Partner reading Writing centre own poster Oral cloze with partner Tuesday (Week B) Purple Green Orange Yellow Writing centre character Word sorting With languages teacher Partner reading Thursday (Week A) Order and caption pictures With languages teacher Partner sharing Art centre instructions CD-ROM Thursday (Week B) Partner reading Map creation Poster questions With languages teacher Languages learning centre Read languages books our class has written Listening post Choose an activity when you have finished
Vocabulary game
Independent reading
16
GETTING STARTED
A good way to start the process of recognising that languages learning supports literacy learning is for the languages teacher, teachers with literacy teaching expertise and a classroom teacher to form a team to visit classrooms in which shared reading and guided reading is conducted successfully, and to plan together. To ensure that the whole staff and parents understand how languages learning supports literacy learning, consider doing the following: Ask a languages curriculum advisor and a literacy expert to lead staff professional development with senior staff, teachers and teacher aides. Hold an information session for parents. Develop an information leaflet for parents. Talk to senior staff about: a budget to buy a variety of reading material in the language that your school teaches scheduling languages reading sessions at the same time as the usual literacy teaching times introducing the program to one year level at a time. Take enough time to gather and sort reading materials all in the target language into sets and levels before teaching starts. Make sure you have: texts that are big enough for a whole class to see (for example, big books and posters) sets of six to eight copies of childrens magazines everyday texts such as tickets, business cards, CD covers, maps, menus, greeting cards, toy packets and food packaging. (Colour scanning is useful for making multiple copies.) multiple copies of target-language readers, at various reading levels, that have content to interest your students websites, CD-ROMs and other digital material (if the classroom has several computers).
GOING FURTHER
Report to parents about the development of reading strategies used in the literacy program. Develop a home reading program that uses reading material in both languages. Parents may require audio materials in the target language to support their full participation in such programs. Invite an author or illustrator who works in the target language to a Book Week event.
Languages Learning Centre Classroom set-up
Supportive displays (posters) Noticeboard for parents, with information about home reading and pamphlets to take away
Targetlanguage reading resources, in tubs, for group use
Bilingual dictionaries Targetlanguage readers in the reading corner
17
Languages and literacy: analysing visual texts

Visual texts are a form of communication found in all cultures. They appear in many media. Examples include films, CD-ROMs, television, websites, signs, cards, advertisements, picture books and works of art. As shown below, visual texts can be used in languages classes to investigate ideas about language and culture. diverse cultural groups, including minority ethnic groups and youth culture. Students become aware of the role that culture plays in the design of visual materials and in the ways that visual texts are interpreted and understood.
FEATURES
In this approach, languages teachers choose visual texts from the target culture that show culture as varied and changing. The visual materials should represent: past, contemporary and emerging aspects of the culture
A CLOSER LOOK
Analysing the relationship between visual texts and their cultural context involves examining the role of that culture in: how a visual text is created how a visual text is interpreted.
The creator of the text has:

a cultural context beliefs and values personal experiences interests a world view a purpose for creating or viewing the text.
The viewer of the text has:

a cultural context beliefs and values personal experiences interests a world view a purpose for viewing the text an active role in how the text is read.
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IN ACTION
In this classroom the languages teacher and the classroom teacher worked together to plan and teach a series of lessons about rites of passage, including birthdays. These lessons formed part of a study of celebrations around the world in which students learnt that beliefs and traditions vary from place to place and over time. As a starting point the languages teacher helped students to write in the target language about how they celebrate their birthdays. The students wrote about their various family and cultural traditions in a class big book that they illustrated with digital photographs. The class teacher then worked with students, using the KWL strategy to record what they already Knew about birthday celebrations in places where the language they were learning is spoken, and what they Wanted to know. At the conclusion of the unit students would record what they had Learned. The students decided to ask students in their sister school how they celebrate their birthdays. The students also agreed that they would find information on the Internet to compare with information that students in their sister school provided. The languages teacher helped students to write questions such as the following, in the target language: Do you celebrate your birthday? Which birthdays are special? How do you celebrate birthdays? Where do you have your celebrations? Students asked their sister-school friends to send them some birthday cards they had received and then contributed birthday cards from their own homes to form a class collection.
Working with birthday cards

In the sequence of work (shown on the following page) students carried out listing, tallying and surveying in the target language. They emailed students in their sister school in the target language.
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Working with birthday cards

Immersion Students sorted the birthday cards brought from home into categories according to type of picture on each, eg childrens toys, childrens activities. They sorted the cards from their sister school in similar ways. Prediction Students predicted the sorts of messages that might appear on the cards from the sister school. They read the language on the front of the cards and the birthday wishes inside.
Deconstruction Students notice and analyse features of visual texts They ask questions about the purposes of visual texts. They investigate influences on the people who had created the visual texts. They evaluate how they interpret and react to the cards, and how their own cultural background affects them as a viewer. Students asked questions about both sets of cards, including: Who was the intended recipient of this card? What is their gender? What is being assumed about the card recipient? Who chose the card? Can we tell? What might have attracted them to this card? What is shown on the card? How do colour, line, drawing style, medium and placement of objects affect the message? How are boys and girls shown? Why are they shown that way? What are they shown to enjoy? What settings are they shown in? What are they wearing? What are they doing? Who and what is shown with them? Which items shown on the cards from our sister school dont we recognise? What dont we understand? Why is that the case? What is shown to be important (eg appearance, actions, relationships)? Who is not shown on the cards? Who has been left out? Whose reality is being presented? What are the similarities and differences between the two sets of cards? Would the cards from our sister school suit students in our class? How do they suit what we think we know about the students in our sister school? What else do we need to ask them? Reconstruction Taking action Each student created a card showing how they do celebrate their birthdays. Students sent the cards that they made to students in their sister school. They included a message in the target language. They asked their sister-school students to send back cards that gave an accurate representation of their birthday celebrations.
GETTING STARTED
Make sure that your collection of visual texts contains authentic material from the target culture. Gather a wide range that represents a variety of cultural subgroups. Ask yourself questions about your collection like: Are minority groups represented, or just the dominant cultural group? Are people shown to be individuals, with diverse physical characteristics, clothing and occupations? What and whose experiences, histories and heritages are included, and which are omitted? Are the settings diverse (for example, architecture, fauna and flora, rural and urban)?
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Is there any evidence that the text creators purpose was overt propaganda or the stereotyped representation of a minority group? (For further ideas, see Anstey & Bull 2000, pp 21722.) You can find authentic visual texts from the target culture in the following ways: Contact languages bookshops and browse through online catalogues. Ask languages teaching colleagues for recommendations. Use personal contacts, online discussion groups, professional associations and language curriculum advisors. Contact libraries including teacher resource centres. Inquire if embassies have materials available.
Ask people who are travelling to relevant countries to bring back everyday texts. Search for suitable websites, using links on languages teaching websites.
GOING FURTHER
Contact teachers in a sister school and arrange to exchange examples of visual texts, especially everyday texts that may not be readily available otherwise, for example: catalogues, flyers, posters, signs CD covers packaging (for toys and food) maps greeting cards and postcards magazines and comics.
Spirited Away courtesy of Madman Entertainment Ltd P/L. 2001 NibarikiGNDDTM. All rights reserved. www.madman.com.au/studioghibli Cover of Femina reproduced with permission of Femina
Authentic visual texts are useful for investigating ideas about language and culture.
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Information communication technologies

The increasing availability of school Internet access for students opens new possibilities for them to link with other users of the target language. The use of information communication technologies (ICT) in language classrooms allows students to: use familiar ICT for new purposes gain new skills with ICT in using them for language learning. Languages teachers play a crucial professional role in ensuring that the integration of ICT into languages learning is educationally sound. They evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of available technologies, deciding when and how to use them with their students.
FEATURES
Languages students use a range of ICT to: practise language skills learn and experiment with new language access authentic information or texts create new texts in the target language plan and communicate their languages learning communicate with other language speakers locally and globally self-manage aspects of their learning. Languages teachers use a variety of ICT to: create student interest and motivation personalise languages learning to suit the learning styles and interests of individuals or groups of students provide access to examples of authentic language use create networks of communication with targetlanguages users for their own use and for the use of their students.
Students find it motivating to use online technology to practise their languages skills.
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A CLOSER LOOK
The table below lists some computer applications suited to classroom learning processes, along with possible learning activities for languages classrooms.
Application
Instructional CD-ROMs developed for languages teaching and learning Content-based Websites
Learning process
Build skills Practise and reinforce skills.
Opportunities for languages learning

Input and practice of language in structured contexts Reinforce vocabulary through practice in a variety of formats. Obtain feedback through inbuilt quizzes.
Access to ideas and information Explore nature of content and point of view. Research information.
Immersion in examples of language use for noticing and exploring linguistic and cultural features Use with a valued-added component such as a web quest to explore information from or about the target country.
Information-based CD-ROMs and DVDs Simulation games
Access reference material. Explore a simulated world.
Access information and authentic texts from the target culture. Use these for critical literacy tasks. Take part in simulated scenarios, taking on a role. Use the target language for problem solving.
Learning objects Generic software
Enter a virtual learning environment. Extend ideas
Use the target language in a virtual context. Plan language use Observe language use while interacting with others Reflect on language use
Email programs
Communicate with another class. Plan a piece of writing. Connect ideas.
Establish email buddies with another class in the target country, or with another Australian class learning the same language. Collect ideas and vocabulary to create a text. Record thoughts about languages and cultures. Graph results of surveys carried out in the target language. Use password-protected discussion boards to communicate with other learners of the same language. Experiment with language Create output in various media Receive feedback
Mind-mapping software
Spreadsheets Internet forums Generic software
Make a graph of collected information. Share ideas and information via a secure forum. Create and transform ideas
Online chat
Contact other learners.
Interact in real time with other language learners. Print out chat dialogue for further learning.
Word processing
Publish ideas and information for an audience.
Use for presenting language activities, eg a travel brochure, flyer for an event, item for a school newspaper.
(continued)
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Presentation programs
Create an electronic book.
Use written text and oral language. Create a book in the target language for a younger student. Compile a class-authored book such as an anthology of poems in the target language.
Drawing programs Generic software
Design and present materials. Share ideas
Design book pages, cards, posters. Refine language use Interact in the language Share language produced in various media Reflect on language use
Presentation programs
Create a slide show that includes digital images. Create a showcase of work to share on an intranet. Create a school website.
Create a multimedia slide show that incorporates sound, visuals and written text, for sharing with other students or parents. Share language work with other students and parents. Create a web page in the target language about the school and its community. Interview an expert in any field, using the target language. Connect with another group of students using the same language. Record student work, provide students with feedback and then allow them to edit the video in response to the feedback. Use video for student self-assessment.
Web page creation programs
Videoconferencing programs
Interact with other learners and experts.
Video-editing programs
Manipulate ideas using multimedia.
IN ACTION
During a trip to South Korea a languages teacher made personal contact with a primary school teacher in Seoul. On returning to Australia the languages teacher continued contact with the Korean teacher via email. The two teachers agreed to carry out a joint project with their Year 4 classes. They decided on the topic of spare time after school for their students to explore together. The Australian languages teacher listed the Korean language items that the students would need to learn. The teachers agreed on the length of time that the project would take and when it would be carried out. They kept in mind that their school systems had different academic years and holiday periods. The students in the Year 4 classes compared their after-school play activities. They exchanged digital images of the spaces in which they play. Grade 6 computer buddies assisted the younger Year 4 students to scan drawings that they had labelled in Korean. These were exchanged as email attachments. Aware of how language use reflects cultural ideas about status and respect, the local students thought carefully about the language that they should use to communicate with the Korean students. Students compared the range of activities that Australian and Korean students took part in during their spare time after school and tried out some of the activities that they hadnt experienced before. They invited members of the local Korean community to help them and learned associated Korean language. Students reflected about what they enjoyed doing, what felt unusual and why this was the case. Students compared the places in which they play and challenged the ideas that they previously held about those of their own age in Korea. They decided that they would like to make contact with students in a rural area in Korea to see whether there were differences in play activities within Korea.
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GETTING STARTED
At your school: Investigate State and Territory education websites for resources that support the integration of ICT into the curriculum. Tap into languages teacher networks where colleagues evaluate, create and share ideas about using ICT. Your local Modern Language Teachers Association is one such network. Consider your students existing knowledge about and skills with ICT. Plan for students to use these technologies in new ways in languages lessons. Introduce new technologies to them for use in authentic languages learning tasks. Gather ICT resources for languages. Contact your languages advisor for suggestions about languagespecific CD-ROMs. Talk with technology officers at your school about installing programs that support scripted languages.
Allow yourself sufficient time to become familiar with ICT resources. Consider management strategies for use of ICT within your classroom, for example, a computer buddy system.
GOING FURTHER
Investigate interactive games and programs that contextualise linguistic and cultural concepts or place them in virtual learning environments. All Australian governments and the New Zealand government have established The Le@rning Federation to develop digital materials for use in schools. The Le@rning Federations learning objects support primary school languages programs in Indonesian, Japanese and Chinese. Have a close look at these learning objects with a view to incorporating them into your teaching program.
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Focus l
s on learner
Focus on learners
In Focus on learners you explore how to:
use the literacy practices of the early years for students learning other languages consider the needs and characteristics of boys as languages learners make the transition between primary and high school languages programs an exciting and successful experience. Students have a variety of learning needs and learning styles. Students come from diverse cultural backgrounds and have divergent opinions about the value of learning languages. After even a short time in a languages program, students have different levels of language proficiency. These sorts of factors present challenges for languages teachers. The three approaches to primary school practice described within Focus on learners highlight the sorts of language teaching strategies that cater for the particular needs of: students in their first years of schooling boys as language learners students moving from primary school to high school, especially in relation to: the need for teachers in both sectors to share information about each students languages learning history the learning needs of students at different stages of cognitive development.
The early years of schooling

Because literacy is about language, the study of a second language has been found to assist in the development of literacy, language and communication skills. Learners develop and advance their skills and strategies for decoding and making meaning from words. The study of a second language also develops their flexibility and competence in dealing with language concepts.9 Many languages teachers report that starting languages education early has a positive effect on students languages skills, their attitude towards other languages and cultures, and their self-esteem. These teachers carefully choose pedagogy, content and resources to maximise students success in languages learning in the early years.
A CLOSER LOOK
Learning rap in the target language introduces students to greetings, feelings and names of family members. They transfer the language they learn in the rap to a simple role-play that they can act out. More advanced students can compose a rap at home with assistance from older siblings. Students measure weight and height, tell the time and learn about numbers, money and spatial concepts in the target language. Students use their own toys to prompt communication modelled by the teacher, describing the toys to each other as part of a guessing game. Year 1 and 2 students work in peer-tutoring groups, learning to ask and respond to questions in short sentences and use appropriate cultural gestures such as bowing when they greet each other. Students commence their show and tell by greeting the class in the target language.
FEATURES
When schools implement a languages program in the early years: Languages teachers connect their pedagogical approaches to those used in other areas of the curriculum. They follow similar structures to those used by the class teacher in organising the class, particularly with students in their first year of school. Students gain an understanding of how language works. The languages program complements the literacy program through making comparisons with the first language and including similar strategies. Oral and aural language are emphasised. Learning takes place in the languages class and at other times, such as in the playground within other curriculum areas. The approaches teachers choose are learnercentred and process-oriented. Students are encouraged to take risks, share learning and develop independence. Teachers assist students to make connections between the languages and cultures that they are learning. From the beginning students connect with languages in real-life contexts.
IN ACTION
In one school the languages teacher joined the early years classroom teachers for curriculum planning sessions and to share strategies for developing literacy. The languages teacher visited early years classes during general lessons to identify learning strategies that could be transferred to learning languages. The languages teacher built on the qualities that many children at this age exhibit, such as spontaneity, curiosity and a desire to communicate and interact, particularly about topics that are familiar, including self, family and friends, and activities that involve imagination. The group of teachers decided to focus on speaking, listening and action-related communication such as songs, rhymes, finger plays and games. Props in the play corner from the target language and culture included menus for take-away food, entry tickets, shopping lists
9 Commonwealth of Australia 2003, Linking Languages and Literacy as viewed on 20 December 2005 at http://www.curriculum.edu.au/nalsas/pdf/link_lang_lit.pdf
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In the early years oral and aural language are emphasised.
and hotel laundry lists to accompany the dress-up box. The reading area featured picture books, books made by the students in the target language and big books that incorporated literacy learning strategies. The teachers developed and encouraged activities in and out of school time to extend the students use of the target language. Younger students worked in pairs with a buddy from a senior class each week for activities such as reading and playing games. Parents were provided with strategies to support their child such as encouraging prediction and self-correction during target-language reading practice at home.
tactile support for learning the target language, for example, picture charts, word walls and felt letters. Support classroom teachers to use the target language in everyday interactions. Invite teachers and the principal to use words of encouragement in the target language when speaking with students.
GOING FURTHER
Offer introductory language sessions for parents to learn alongside their children. Invite languages teachers to attend professional development in literacy for the early years and early years teachers to attend one languages network meeting or professional learning session each year. Develop joint excursions with the class teacher. For example, if the class is studying folktales about animals, then a trip to the zoo could be a lively way to learn to use the target language to describe animals from the target country and region. Hold a book launch of student-made class big books and invite families to attend. Titles could include: Coming to school, I like
GETTING STARTED
If your school is planning to implement a languages program in the early years: Organise information sessions for parents on the role of languages learning in the development of their childrens literacy. Design information booklets for parents that present the vocabulary and structures that the students are learning, and that suggest ways to support their childrens language development. Ensure that classrooms provide extensive visual and
The early years of schooling
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Success for boys

Concern about the educational achievement of many boys, particularly in the area of literacy, is a matter of national concern. Since 2003 the Australian Government has introduced a number of initiatives to support schools in their efforts to help boys achieve their potential.10 The strategies described in this section are drawn from schools which have developed effective teaching and learning practices to engage boys in the languages program by using the guiding principles developed through national research. Each of these strategies works well for girls as well as for boys. Break down the lesson into a variety of smaller tasks in which boys can succeed quickly and that together build into overall meaningful tasks.11
Include activities that require movement such as a treasure hunt in the target language.
FEATURES
The following general teaching and learning approaches have been shown to support boys in their languages learning: Provide a supportive environment in which boys can take risks and meet challenges. Provide activities for a range of learning styles. Include a variety of resources suited to visual and kinaesthetic learners as well as those suited to auditory learners. Incorporate texts that appeal to boys interests, including popular culture, non-fiction texts with photographs, diagrams and drawings. Include authentic texts and those with an element of humour. Use ICT wherever possible across all tasks, from information gathering to the publication of boys work. Include tasks that require cooperation, encourage a sense of belonging and build self-esteem through the recognition of boys personal strengths and abilities. Incorporate active learning tasks in which boys are asked to solve problems, including tasks that involve boys in construction and creative work.
A CLOSER LOOK
It takes whole school collaborative planning to develop strategies to promote learning success for boys, including their languages learning. It is important to include: practical, hands-on activities that are relevant and connected to the real world of boys ways to challenge boys through higher-order and conceptual thinking ways of encouraging boys to ask questions, evaluate evidence, look at alternative explanations and perspectives and generate constructive solutions negotiation of content with boys and flexibility about the format of student work. Teachers need to use a range of learning strategies to broaden the ways in which students view themselves as learners. For example: Use of Gardners multiple intelligences allows students to work in ways that best match their learning strengths. Use of rubrics for peer-assessment and self-assessment encourages students to develop responsibility and self-awareness in learning.
10 For further information, see http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/policy_initiatives_reviews/key_issues/boys_education/default.htm 11 Adapted from Guiding principles for success in education boys as viewed on 20 December 2005 at http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/policy_initiatives_reviews/key_issues/boys_education/guiding_principles_in_educating_boys. htm#Introduction
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entertainers. They used the Internet to find information about their heroes and then wrote profiles about them in the target language. Using the Internet, students investigated the languages that their heroes spoke. They discussed how knowledge of other languages would help their heroes when they were playing sport or enjoying their leisure time while competing in other countries. The students issued invitations for male teachers to attend their languages lessons and to take part in small-group languages learning tasks like games, computer-based skills practice and making items using simple instructions written in the target language. The languages teacher and the students assisted their teacher visitors to use the target language.
A Sports Day on which all activities, instructions and interaction take place in the target language and culture
GETTING STARTED
Ask questions like: What classroom activities do our boys typically engage in? What do they talk about and read about? How can activities that are difficult for some of our boys to engage with be presented in another way? What do our boys use language for outside our school setting? How can those uses of language be included in our languages classroom?
IN ACTION
The languages teacher and the Year 5 teacher attended a professional development session about boys and learning. Together they decided to incorporate what they had learnt about boys education into planning the Year 5 languages program. They were keen to gain the involvement of males who could support and encourage boys languages learning. The languages teacher contacted a neighbouring high school to arrange for senior boys to join the languages program in the primary school on a regular basis. Both age groups responded enthusiastically to tasks that linked languages learning with sport, transport, computers and comics. In one activity, pairs of students identified sporting heroes and favourite
GOING FURTHER
In your school, you may wish to consider the implications of the findings of national research into boys education which found that in some learning areas boys may work better in single-gender situations. In these settings, achievement is more likely to be seen as cool, desirable and something to be celebrated and boys reportedly become more cooperative, engaged, confident and willing to take risks academically.
Success for boys
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Transition from primary school to high school

Some schools are part of a cluster of primary schools in which students have the opportunity to continue learning the same language at their local high school. In that situation the languages teachers at all the schools in the cluster can more easily manage a transition of students from primary school to high school that allows students to build on their previous languages learning. There is clear, frequent communication between languages teachers in the school cluster. (Building trusting, collegial relationships takes a commitment of time.) The school leaders support funded interschool visits for the languages teachers to develop mutual understanding about their different teaching contexts. Information on students language learning in primary classes is passed to the high school in a concise format.
FEATURES
Whereas there is no one-size-fits-all way of managing the transition of students from primary to secondary languages programs, the following ideas serve as a guide: The feeder primary schools and the high school establish a curriculum pathway for an agreed language.
communication about our students & programs
A CLOSER LOOK
The following mind map was developed by languages teachers in one cluster of schools to summarise the transition issues.
prior learning? tracking & communicating
multilevel teaching
students languages teachers

new students to the cluster ongoing staffing sometimes bored grouping of students in classes who are they?
our professional learning
Transition issues
promotion of languages timetabling some outdated
engagement?
which for primary?/secondary?
information for parents
school and community

support of other staff for languages
resources
who can assist us? sharing?
provision of pathways for languages
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Languages teachers help resolve the above transition issues through the following measures: Go on interschool visits and sit in on language classes so as to develop understandings about each others teaching practices and contexts. Agree to communicate regularly about the use of teaching resources so that students do not use the same materials time after time. Ask for help from languages curriculum officers about developing multi-level teaching and learning strategies. Actively promote languages education within the broader school community as a life-long activity and a viable subject choice. Agree on a format for tracking students prior language learning.
IN ACTION
At the end of the first year of working together on transition issues, the languages teachers in a school cluster planned the introduction of a student tutoring program in which pairs of Year 9 high school students would work with small groups of Years 23 primary school students. In the following year, as planned, the high school students visited their allocated primary school class during their weekly double language lesson. Pairs of Year 9 students took responsibility for designing a task to assist the Years 23 students with their languages learning. Tasks included: making vocabulary-building games, with instructions in Indonesian reading aloud from books written in Indonesian
Create forms for tracking students prior language learning.
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writing their own books together assisting the younger students to find useful websites and helping them to develop reading strategies for finding information in simple Indonesian online text setting up email exchanges between the Years 23 Indonesian classes across the cluster. The high school languages teacher chose Year 9 students to take part in the program because it was their first year of Indonesian as an optional subject and they had sufficient languages skills to successfully participate in the program. The Year 9 students were assessed on their task design, their reflections (written in Indonesian) on the conduct of the sessions, and their demonstration of collaboration and problem solving with the younger students. The high school teacher visited each primary school where the Year 9 students were tutoring. This allowed
the teacher to make observations about the pedagogy of languages teaching and the characteristics of language learners in primary schools. Because the Year 9 students were responsible for working with the small groups of primary students, the two languages teachers and the classroom teacher could roam between groups to assist and to observe. They found valuable time to talk together during the sessions. All the teachers found the experience to be extremely worthwhile. In particular they mentioned that all the students had a sense of purpose about learning Indonesian. As well, the teachers themselves: came to understand more about each others languages teaching contexts and pedagogies identified ways in which students progressed in their language learning from Year 2 to Year 9 found a manageable forum for ongoing discussion and collaboration among themselves.
Visits by high school students to the primary school languages classroom encourage the transition process.
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GETTING STARTED
Arrange a meeting with the languages teachers in your cluster of schools to discuss questions such as: What transition issues does our cluster face? How can we record our students prior language learning so that it can be readily passed on to the next year level and from primary school to high school? What do we understand intercultural language learning to mean? Do we share the same meaning? How does our languages program link to the rest of our schools curriculum? For what purposes do we assess students language learning? How do we assess their language learning? Lets look at some student work samples together. How can we cater for the diversity of learners? How do we handle the multiple ability levels in our classrooms? What interests our students? How can we maintain that interest across the year levels?
What kinds of authentic texts do we use? What other resources do we use?
GOING FURTHER
If you already have a transition process in place, your cluster of schools could consider the following developments: Survey or interview students about their experience of transition by asking students at various year levels: how they find their languages learning experiences what they see as the benefits of languages learning what interests them in languages learning. Develop a languages curriculum document for the cluster that helps you to plan the development of your students languages learning from year to year. Arrange for students in the final year of primary school to join in a high school languages lesson.
Careful planning by high school and primary school languages teachers assist students transition.
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Focus o organ and
on Focus on nisation organisation and support support

In Focus on organisation and support you explore:
three related approaches to supporting languages programs, each of which deals with leadership vision as well as details of program operation ideas for establishing a bilingual or an immersion program, or for using distance delivery to deliver a languages program how to enrich languages learning through forming partnerships beyond the school. The six approaches described within Focus on organisation and support highlight the importance of developing a whole school policy on languages learning, along with actions that support the policy, especially: the need for teachers, school leaders and members of the school community to accept joint responsibility for developing an intercultural perspective linking the learning of language and culture with the development of intercultural understandings across the curriculum scheduling sufficient time and allocating adequate learning spaces and other resources to support languages learning planning for learners to continuously build on their previous knowledge promoting and forming partnerships beyond the school to provide opportunities for students to explore authentic intercultural spaces supporting the work of languages teachers.
Developing a whole school approach

A languages program is most successful when the whole school understands and supports its purpose and operation, and when school leadership engages members of the whole school community in developing a shared vision for the languages program. The languages teacher plays a pivotal role in the initial planning of the languages program, and thereafter in working with classroom teachers to connect the languages program to the rest of the school curriculum. The work of the languages teacher can be supported by a languages advisory group, which shares responsibility for the programs operation and achievements.
A CLOSER LOOK
The school principal and the languages teachers decide to form a languages advisory group comprising interested classroom teachers and representatives of the parent body and co-led by the languages teacher and a member of senior staff. This languages advisory group reports once a term to the school council and communicates more widely through the schools newsletter, information leaflets and intranet. The advisory group provides continuous input and support to the languages teacher and the program by: writing a school vision, rationale and plan for languages learning, using ideas drawn from the whole school community publicising the school vision for languages learning on the schools website, in the school plan, in the weekly newsletter and as part of a display about school purposes in the entrance foyer organising ongoing professional learning about intercultural language learning for all teachers, for example, inviting a languages curriculum officer and local speakers of the language to talk to the staff arranging languages classes for interested teachers and other school community members monitoring the languages program in terms of student learning outcomes and the extent to which languages education is linked to the life of the school.
FEATURES
All teachers in the school have a shared understanding of the links between: languages education and other areas of learning the pedagogies of languages teaching and those of other areas of the curriculum. All students in the school: are taught a chosen (target) language make discernible progress in learning that language from year to year over the full span of primary schooling. The languages teacher works with classroom teachers to link the languages program to other aspects of the curriculum. Strategies to support the development of intercultural understanding become an integral part of curriculum planning and teaching practices.
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IN ACTION
One schools story
May This school is the closest primary school to the main university campus in our city. Increasing numbers of overseas students taking courses at the university enrol their children at the school. During the past few years the school population has become even more culturally diverse as refugee families have settled in surrounding suburbs. Last year, teachers at the school decided that students needed to understand more about languages and cultures. As well, the learning of languages was being promoted as a priority curriculum area by the relevant education authority. For these reasons the school decided that it was a good time to introduce a languages program. The whole staff committed to two initial sessions of professional learning about languages education, led by a languages curriculum advisor, designed to raise awareness of the benefits of learning languages. Interested members of our school community were invited to attend. At the professional learning sessions the surprising level of diversity in the cultures and languages within the school community was revealed. Structured activities encouraged staff and parents to examine their own cultural identity and how culturally influenced ideas, attitudes and values affected our interactions with other people in the school setting as well as in the community. They then brainstormed the intercultural capacities that students would need for living in increasingly diverse cultural contexts. They agreed that they wanted students at the school to feel comfortable in mixing with people from other cultures with different languages. The staff and parents agreed to develop a whole school rationale and plan for implementing a languages program. At the end of the two days of professional learning the school formed a languages advisory group to support the introduction of a languages program. The group will meet monthly during the first (planning) year and twice a term after that. The group is co-led by a senior staff member and the languages teacher (the current Year 3 teacher who is able to teach Indonesian). As Indonesian is the language taught at the local high school, students will have a pathway for their languages learning beyond primary school (see pp 3235 for more information on transition issues). July The languages advisory group visited other schools with Indonesian programs to find out how they operate (see pp 4245 for information on timetabling and other operational issues). It was agreed that the languages program should start in the Year 3 classes next year and expand to Years 47 over the subsequent four years. Other schools advised that a staged introduction of the languages program allows us to plan more thoroughly and to gather necessary resources. September to November The languages advisory group invited the languages curriculum advisor to attend an after-school staff meeting. The advisor helped the whole staff to identify useful links between languages education and other learning areas (see pp 1013 for more information on transdisciplinary approaches). At a subsequent Year 3 planning meeting the languages advisor worked with teachers (including our languages teacher) to plan learning that would support our students intercultural understandings across the curriculum. The Year 3 teachers emailed teaching sequences to the languages advisors, who provided them with feedback. Early next year the school intends to invite the languages curriculum advisor back to the school to help track students progress in learning the language, and to evaluate how well the languages program links to the other learning programs of the school. The school will also look at ways to report students languages learning progress to parents. In special staff meetings held each term the school will also plan the languages program beyond Year 3 and deal with any issues that arise with the expansion of the program.
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Our schools vision for languages learning

Our students will develop understandings to help them interact with people from other cultures. Our students will acquire skill in communicating in the Indonesian language. Our students will understand and value diversity in languages and cultures, including their own, and will develop intercultural sensitivity and skills.
GETTING STARTED
Involve the whole school in the development of your new languages program by discussing: How will a languages program benefit our students? Which languages and cultures are already present in our school community? Which languages are appropriate for our school community to learn? What is our understanding of intercultural learning? What are the key ideas about intercultural understanding in our current curriculum? How will the languages program link to these? How will languages learning develop these? What structures for thinking about identity would we like our students to have? What skills, capacities and understandings will our students need if they are to participate in intercultural contexts when they leave school? How will we build and maintain continuity in our languages program?
GOING FURTHER
You could strengthen the whole school commitment to the languages program by: using the target language on a daily basis in school newsletters, on the school website, on school signage and on your canteen menu using the target languages at school events such as assemblies, school fairs and award presentations incorporating sessions about the languages program into information evenings for parents reporting to parents about students languages learning. holding school community events that feature your target language and culture(s), for example: a school book fair in which your students work is auctioned (Items could include class big books written in the target language.) an exhibition of art in traditional and contemporary styles, including student-made items and pieces borrowed from central curriculum libraries or museums. Ask your students to use the target language for writing the artists biographies and labels for the artwork.
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DoubleDay Primary School

Our schools vision for languages learning
Our students will develop understandings to help them interact with people from other cultures. Our students will acquire skill in communicating in the Indonesian language. Our students will understand and value diversity in languages and cultures, including their own, and will develop intercultural sensitivity and skills.
Upcoming events at our school

Heres your chance to learn some Indonesian!
Support your childs Indonesian learning and be able to greet Indonesian visitors to our school. Add a new dimension to your next holiday! Our school is holding classes for adults who are absolute beginners. The classes will cover how to: greet people introduce yourself eat out ask for directions shop in stores and markets and other everyday topics decided by the group.
Contact the school for more details and to register your interest.
Selamat pagi (Good morning)
Apa kabar? (How are you?)
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Operational considerations
The schools decisions about the allocation of time and teaching resources to the languages program affect the success of the program, including its sustainability. Such operational decisions also influence how the work of the languages teachers is supported, how they feel about being part of the school, and their ability to deliver an effective program. program. Whole school and year-level planning sessions are held both after school and in school meeting times. Model 2: The school has two languages teachers. One (full-time) teaches the target language only to their own class. The second (part-time) delivers the language program to other classes. This model provides a collegial relationship for languages teachers within the school. Model 3: The languages teacher delivers language lessons across a cluster of primary schools in which each school appoints a support teacher who has some languages skills. Each school allocates time for the support teachers and the languages teacher to consult with each other. There is consistency in the languages program across the cluster.
FEATURES
In schools with successful languages programs: Enough time is provided for students to make discernible progress with their languages learning. It is recognised that languages learning is cumulative and that proficiency is developed through frequent, regular experiences with the language. Whole school curriculum planning provides for continuous development of students languages learning from one year to the next. There is a budget for quality resources. Responsibility and accountability for the success of the languages program extends beyond the languages teacher to the school leadership and members of the school community. The languages teacher is treated as an integral part of the life of the school and its community, and is supported to maintain professional networks with other languages teachers.
Support
When they are the only languages teacher on staff, languages teachers often report feelings of professional isolation. They feel that the program will succeed or fail on their efforts alone. Schools can support their languages teachers (especially sole languages teachers in the school) by: forming a steering committee that advocates languages learning and shares in big picture planning and accountability for the program class teachers being prepared to follow up during the week facilitating networking opportunities with languages teacher colleagues supporting the languages teacher to apply for scholarships to countries where the target language is spoken supporting the languages teacher to participate in local and interstate professional learning activities teachers and school leaders showing interest and preparedness to learn a little of the target language.
A CLOSER LOOK
Staffing
Model 1: The languages teacher is also a classroom teacher who teaches languages as part of the regular classroom program. The languages teacher shares the teaching of that class with a teaching partner, which allows for the languages teacher to be released for two days a week to teach languages in other classes. Other classroom teachers support the languages
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Existing resources such as listening posts can be used in languages classes.
Resource materials
Any languages program, particularly a new one, requires an annual budget for buying up-to-date materials to replace outdated and worn resources. Types of resource materials should include: multimedia, eg DVDs, CDs and computer software and hardware classroom resources such as languages dictionaries, posters and reading materials in the target language library holdings that support the languages program teacher reference materials display materials, including those for regular classrooms that help to immerse students in a rich languages learning environment adequate, secure and well-organised storage.
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IN ACTION
In many cases the languages teacher worked across several schools or was a part-time member of staff. The following examples show ways in which schools responded to the factors that affected the languages teachers capacity to deliver a quality languages program.
I need to find strategies to help me feel more included in life of the school; I feel like colleagues don't fully understand what I do; I sometimes miss important information because I can't be at staff or other informal meetings.
In this example, the languages teacher worked part-time within the school. The school responded in the following ways: A languages teaching team, comprising classroom teachers and the languages teacher, was formed. A full-time teacher on the team was appointed to manage the flow of information between the languages teacher and other teachers in the school. A school-wide professional learning plan for languages was developed, in which the languages teacher took a strong role. A member of the school leadership team was appointed advocate for the languages program. The languages teacher was included in the schools induction procedures. The languages teacher was provided with computer access, included on school email lists and assigned a pigeonhole for receiving regular school communications to staff.
In this example the languages teacher worked across a cluster of schools. The school responded in the following ways: Staff meetings and team planning meetings were held in alternate weeks on a day when the languages teacher could be present. Some planning meetings brought together all teachers in the cluster so that they could develop collegial networks, plan collaboratively and share good practice. The languages teacher was allocated some time from the teacher aide. Aspects of assessment and reporting were shared among languages teachers and classroom teachers.
There are so many classes to prepare for ... How am I going to collaborate with all the class teachers? How am I going to track and report the progress of all my students?
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Will I have to attend staff meetings at all my schools? Will I have to do duty in all of my schools? Where will I store all my teaching resources?
In another example the languages teacher worked across a cluster of schools. The school responded in the following ways: A duty statement was developed in consultation with the languages teacher, and revisited regularly by the cluster leadership team. The languages teachers attendance at staff meetings and professional learning were planned by the group of principals with a view to maximising the languages teachers opportunities to make contributions and obtain professional growth. The cluster leadership team reviewed expectations about playground duty and other responsibilities so that it reflected the proportion of time part-time teachers spent at each school. A work space with secure storage and online access was allocated to the languages teacher. A section of the teaching resource library was dedicated to languages resources, properly catalogued and borrowing monitored.
GETTING STARTED
Involve the languages teacher, senior staff and classroom teachers in discussion of questions such as: Which approach to program delivery best fits the learning needs of our students? How much time do we need to allocate to languages for our students to make discernible progress? How will we plan the development of students languages learning from one year to the next? What teaching resources will be available for our languages program? How will we promote the value of languages learning in our community so that budgetary commitments to the languages program will be maintained? A languages teacher may need extra support during this planning process, especially if they have not taught languages before. They need to recruit further professional and personal capacities to meet the new demands. Your school can support your languages teacher during this planning period by: providing the languages teacher with extra noncontact time for collaborative, collegial discussion and planning
allocating additional teacher-aide time to the languages teacher for the preparation of resources allowing the languages teacher time to visit schools with successful language programs providing time and funds for your languages teacher to attend relevant professional learning.
GOING FURTHER
If your languages program is already up and running, you could examine your program in the following areas: Do students languages learning outcomes indicate that enough time is being provided for them to progress well in their languages learning? What is the currency and quality of the schools languages resources? Do we have a whole school plan for students to cumulatively develop their skills in the target language from one year to the next and to have their progress recorded concisely for reference at the next year level? Is there adequate support for the languages teacher, including support for them to develop wider professional networks?
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Engaged leadership
A successful languages program depends on school leadership being committed to the program, actively advocating languages education and taking a strong interest in the conduct of the program. understand the pedagogy being employed within the languages program provide practical, operational support.
FEATURES
To demonstrate active support of a languages program, school leaders need to: articulate a vision for the languages program
A CLOSER LOOK
Committed school leadership is a key component of an effective and sustainable languages program.
Feels like
The school leader: creates a school culture that is supportive of languages education ensures that the languages teacher does not feel isolated from the rest of the school works alongside the languages teacher to make presentations to staff meetings and the school council.
Looks like
So what does engaged leadership mean?
The school leader: ensures that languages education appears in school policy documents and curriculum statements attends key planning meetings and professional learning connected to the languages program.
Sounds like
The school leader: advocates the values of the languages program within the school addresses community groups such as service clubs and the local council about the benefits of languages education to the local community and beyond it regularly reports on initiatives and successes of the languages program often greets students and visitors in the target language.
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IN ACTION
A principal in one school encouraged the languages teacher to develop leadership capacity by: allocating the languages teacher a leading role in a team of teachers and support staff giving the languages teacher control and accountability for some aspects of the program budget inviting the languages teacher to present information about the languages program to members of the school community asking the languages teacher to mentor beginning teachers of languages providing the languages teacher with a voice in school decision-making processes encouraging the languages teacher to have active involvement in professional associations supporting the languages teacher in making an application for a promotion position.
GETTING STARTED
The following suggestions offer ways for school leaders to engage with and support a languages program.
Creating a vision
Become informed about current policy developments in languages learning, at the national, state and system levels. Become familiar with the rationale for languages education within Australias multilingual and multicultural society, and within an increasingly connected world. Consider the long-term opportunities offered by languages education to students. Lead the school staff in developing a school-wide vision for languages education.
The languages teacher attends a school council meeting to discuss the schools languages program.
Engaged leadership
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Pedagogy and curriculum

Read about general developments in languages teaching and learning (see Further resources and Bibliography). Lead the development of a whole school approach to languages learning. Consider designing the curriculum so that languages education is linked to other curriculum areas and develops student learning over all year levels. Invite a languages education expert to lead a whole school professional learning session.
Operation
Talk with leaders in other schools about what makes for success in their languages programs. Form a languages program steering committee for the school. Carefully read Operational considerations on pp 4245. Learn some phrases in the target language for use with staff, students and visitors.
The school principal praises her students using Japanese language.
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GOING FURTHER
School leaders with experience in languages programs recommend making contacts beyond the school as a way of giving students and teachers an additional sense of purpose, and providing opportunities to develop intercultural capacity. They suggest that school leaders: take a leading role in developing sister-school relationships with schools in the target-language country or Australian schools teaching a program in the same target language participate in school tours to visit countries in which the schools target language is spoken host exchange students, teaching assistants and other visitors from the target-language country at home.
Day Double ool ry Sch Prima
lack Fiona B l Principa
a Australi Western 000 8 900 9 1 6 e n o Ph u.au hools.ed c s @ f k lac Email b
DoubleDay Primary School
Fiona Black Principal 61 8 900 9000 blackf@schools.edu.au
Engaged leadership
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Bilingual and immersion programs

Through immersion and bilingual learning programs students become functionally proficient in the target language, master content taught in the target language and heighten their understanding and valuing of other languages and cultures. The positive effects of bilingualism and intensive immersion programs have been well documented and include increased self-esteem, positive attitudes to learning, positive identity, development of thinking and problem skills as well as increased literacy and metalinguistic awareness. Bilingual education is any form of education in which two languages are used to teach content from other areas of the curriculum. It helps develop and maintain a students first language, which is particularly important for students whose proficiency in it may be fading. Immersion language programs are a form of bilingual education used when the target language is not the students dominant language. The target language is used to teach curriculum content for at least one-third of the school week. Through the target language students learn skills and content in key areas of learning. In both types of programs, languages are both a key area of learning and a learning mode. The target language is used as a means of daily interaction, teaching topics and skills in key areas of learning such as maths, science, the arts, physical education, music and studies of society and environment, and for cross-curriculum emphases such as literacy and thinking skills. In some schools all classroom interactions take place in the target language for part of the day, for example, from the beginning of the day until the morning break. Teachers use the target language to present grammar and linguistic structures, introducing them incidentally as required to develop students understanding. They encourage students to notice linguistic differences and to compare their first language with the target language. Significant intercultural language learning occurs in these programs because teachers encourage students to be immersed in and reflect on new cultural situations.
I have two little boxes in my head and I can slip in and out of both my languages easily now.
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FEATURES
Schools that offer successful bilingual and immersion programs find that these programs demand extensive commitment of expertise, time and dedication by all staff and strong support from the wider school community. It is essential that at least one teacher has advanced competence in the target language. The school requires significant, system-level support and resources. Teachers hold information sessions for parents to inform them of the benefits of bilingual education and how the program operates within the school. All staff engage in professional learning related to languages pedagogy. Curriculum delivery in the lower primary years is guided by literacy practices that include languagefocused learning centres in classrooms, shared reading and take-home reading books in the target language. Authentic communication content is provided through a wide range of resources, including ICT. Bilingual assistants act as role models and assist with program delivery and the design of resources. The program links to opportunities for language immersion in the broader community. First-language speakers, including volunteer assistants drawn from universities and TAFE colleges, are a valued part of the program. Strong sister-school relationships are established to provide students, parents and teachers with opportunities to interact with people from various cultural contexts.
They become effective language mediators for their peers and learn extensively from them. Students continually make language and culture connections in both their first language and the target language. They quickly achieve an advanced level of linguistic and intercultural knowledge and skills. They achieve excellent results in the target language and also improved results in English literacy and numeracy.
IN ACTION
The school staff together planned a successful bilingual program. Their collaboration ensured that there were connections between the content of the curriculum, but not overlap. They participated in professional learning centred on languages and other key areas of learning and on the cognitive development of the child. Teachers utilised bilingual immersion websites and joined online communities to network with colleagues, gain ideas, locate information and ask questions. School management allocated adequate time for teachers to prepare tasks and experiences that were rich in content and that presented challenging, achievable concepts and skills. At least once each year staff share understandings and reflect on the benefits of the program. They connect the schools experiences to relevant research. The following is an excerpt from a Year 2 unit on water. All teaching took place in the target language.
Water
Examples of guiding questions How do we use water? What do we understand about water from stories and information books? How can I explain what I find out about water to other people? How can I work out how much water we use? How do we use water now and how could we use it more wisely? How can I find out about water and what it means to lack water?
A CLOSER LOOK
Teachers note that the application of the target language, and the frequent reinforcement of students knowledge through daily use leads to advanced understanding. Students use the target language readily in their responses and are confident in their ability to make meaning without understanding everything.
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Examples of learning experiences (conducted in the target language) Students: complete a task on how we use water in the house and label pictures use flashcards to create sentences to describe pictures showing water use read descriptions of how people use water and underline key words use key words to write their own sentences present charades of how we use water unjumble sentences about using water (in pairs) write a diary entry on how they use water during the day and indicate the time of the day brainstorm what they do at the beach, using supporting flashcards match words on flashcards with pictures of what we do and see at the beach
read short text about children at the beach and what they do, and then sequence the story by matching sentences with the correct pictures create sentences in pairs about what they do at the beach and share them with the class complete a task about what they see and wear at the beach write about A Day at the Beach in small groups read a short text about going to the beach in Australia and in the target country brainstorm safe behaviour at the beach and discuss the reasons for it.
GETTING STARTED
Form a languages planning team of committed staff, including leadership and the languages teacher. As a team consider how to ensure that all members of the school will support immersion teaching and have ownership of the program. This may extend to forming a wider consultative group with representation from the parent body and other community members, teachers, teacher assistants, other members of school leadership and students and conducting information forums for the school community. To ensure the successful implementation of the program, plan to introduce it over several years. This may mean starting with, say, a whole school approach to languages learning and then progressing to a bilingual immersion program once additional staff and resources are secured. The planning team and school leadership each needs to carefully consider how the commitment required by all staff will be achieved and maintained and ascertain what support is available at the system level. Allow the time and budget to source or create resources for teaching aspects of curriculum areas in the target language and ensure that new staff take part in an induction program.
Students learn about water and sustainability through the target language.
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Throughout the stages of planning and monitoring programs, make collaborative decisions with school staff about how students of varying abilities and those new to the school will be supported. Decide how the school culture will ensure that other languages and cultures as well as the immersion language are valued.
Investigate the possibility of parents or members of the community assisting teachers to create resources. Provide opportunities for students and teachers to spend time in the target-language country, perhaps through a scheme developed with a sister school. Investigate hosting exchange students, which can lead to long-term friendships for students, families and teachers. Plan for the recruitment of teachers with confident communication skills in the target language. Consider the possibility of exchange teacher arrangements with the target country. Participate in target-language networks beyond the school.
GOING FURTHER
If your school already has a bilingual or immersion program under way you could consider these ideas for enrichment: Provide comprehensive beginners classes for parents and staff members who do not speak the target language. Develop transition arrangements with kindergartens and secondary schools. Provide activities such as immersion language camps, student exchanges and immersion days.
To see the level of language that students can attain when given the opportunity, support and challenge is fantastic!
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Distance delivery
Distance delivery of language programs is particularly useful for schools unable to recruit a languages teacher to visit the school regularly. This situation can arise in both rural and urban schools. Education departments in each State and Territory can provide further information on the distance education services available to primary schools. the languages teacher visits the students at their school from time to time the classroom teacher talks with the languages teacher regularly about the program and helps students to manage their languages learning.
A CLOSER LOOK
In a school in an isolated town a group of eight students is learning Chinese. The area has strong business contacts with China and a cultural heritage that reaches back to the first development of mining in the area. The languages teacher, located several hundred kilometres away, delivers the languages program using a combination of print materials and telephone- and computerbased communication (learning technologies).
FEATURES
Languages teachers who deliver distance programs suggest that distance delivery works best when: there is frequent live communication (via technology) between the languages teacher and students the teacher uses material that is interesting and relevant to students
Learning technologies
Web application (eg WebCT, Blackboard) customised for teaching and learning, using: email and chat Whiteboard files uploaded as course content.
Use in the languages programs

The languages teacher makes contact with the classroom teacher and with students via email. Work is exchanged as email attachments. The teacher and students have live conversations in writing using the chat tool; they leave messages and ideas for each other on an electronic noticeboard or forum. Teaching and learning materials are placed online. Internet videoconferencing allows live, personal contact between the languages teacher and students. Phone use provides clear sound during videoconferencing. Individual students and the languages teacher speak on the phone at a separate time of the week. The languages teacher uses tracking or highlighting tools to provide feedback on work produced by the students. Students make further changes after feedback is received. Students use websites that have language practice activities. They also devise their own puzzles and games. Students complete interactive activities. They are able to listen to, pause and repeat information as needed. Students record their conversations with each other in the target language. They use the tapes to reflect on their language use. Tapes are sent to the languages teacher, who gives feedback.
Internet-based video conferencing using web cam Telephone with a speaker
Software such as word processing
Internet sites, including languages teaching sites and game-making sites Audio CDs with accompanying websites Videotapes and audiotapes
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Each week the group of eight students has half an hour of live contact with the languages teacher, using a videoconference link. Each student also has a weekly half hour of individual attention using email, online chat or the telephone. The languages teacher helps the students to develop their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing in Chinese, using the variety of learning technologies listed below.
Talk with the languages teacher about how classroom teachers can support the program. Allow time for classroom teachers and the languages teacher to share expectations, to plan together and to evaluate the program. Arrange a visit to the school by your languages teacher. Organise technical support to install, maintain and upgrade your equipment and software. Clearly display contact phone numbers and Internet addresses. Allow time for teachers and students to experiment with, and practise using, the learning technologies. Purchase supporting classroom resources like posters, books, dictionaries, CD-ROMs and DVDs.
IN ACTION
The role of the classroom teacher was crucial to the success of the Chinese language program delivered from a distance. The classroom teacher organised an area of the classroom where the students could use the learning technologies and work individually, in pairs or in small groups. The classroom teacher immersed students in the language by displaying posters, student work, books and magazines. The classroom teacher supervised and encouraged students by joining in language learning activities and, importantly, saw to the operation of the learning technologies and acted as trouble shooter when equipment failed. Occasionally there were interruptions to the routine delivery of the languages program. Teachers on the receiving end of the link let the deliverer know in good time about occurrences such as excursions, camps, illness or technical failure.
GOING FURTHER
If you already have a languages program delivered by distance, consider the following further developments: Arrange for classroom teachers to visit your languages teacher. During the visit, have the classroom teacher connect to your school so as to experience the link from the other end. Invite parents to take part in a videoconference link with your languages teacher. Use the opportunity to explain the purpose of the program and what makes it work well. Make contact with languages learners in other schools, or with target-language speakers. Set up email links. Build links with target-language speakers, using learning technologies.
GETTING STARTED
Develop a clear vision about what your school wants to achieve from a languages program. Visit other schools where the languages program is delivered by distance.
Distance delivery
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Partnerships beyond the school

Forming partnerships with target-language users in the local and global community enriches a schools languages program. Schools that have formed such partnerships report: Partnerships bring benefits to students by providing opportunity to communicate with target-language users beyond the school. It is valuable to form a management group of interested staff, including a member of the school leadership team, for partnership work. Staff members develop a sense of ownership of the language program through planning and participating in the associated partnership activities. It is wise to start with exploring the potential of the immediate school community and the expertise available within the school, including students, staff and families. Partnerships can be built gradually, with some partnerships restricted to students at a single year level.
A CLOSER LOOK
Partnerships in the local community Students work with local organisations to, for example: design business cards in the target language for local businesses make posters on healthy eating (using the target language) for display in the local fruit shop read their own short stories, written in the target language, on community radio publish articles, written in the target language, and photos in local papers and teachers professional journals. Partnerships with language communities Students communicate with languages communities beyond the school through the use of videotapes and audiotapes, the creation and exchange of CD-ROMs, and through web-based applications such as email and chat. Penpals Students write to neighbouring schools where the same language is being studied, and to schools overseas. Teachers use copies of the replies for language activities and students take them home to share the replies with their parents. Community members in the school Community members work with small groups within the classroom to provide additional opportunities for students to communicate and interact in the target language. Partnership with specialists Teachers and students invite to the school specialists who share students interests. The specialists communicate with students in both the target language and the first language. Exchanges and visits Students participate in established exchange programs. Students from sister schools visit the school.
FEATURES
Schools support the languages program by drawing on expertise beyond the school in ways that include: involving the local community groups in language and cultural activities participating in festivals and cultural events in the community conducting school-based multicultural assemblies and culturally specific events promoting students languages achievements in the community engaging with overseas students and valuing their contributions to the school appointing a teacher from overseas as a language assistant organising exchange opportunities in the targetlanguage country for students and staff networking with languages colleagues in other institutions providing a high level of ICT access and support.
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Teachers take part in relevant exchanges and study programs. Language interns support languages programs. International students and other visitors to the community are invited to visit the school. To ensure that an exchange experience is highly positive for visitors, the school needs to: offer orientation sessions for host families encourage staff, students and the community to meet and welcome the visitors and support them in adjusting to the school and the community ensure that visitors are encouraged to participate in the languages classroom and in other learning areas and be involved in school and community activities such as excursions and camps.
inviting members of the target language community to open days such as Grandparents Day and Book Week celebrations interviewing members of the target culture about an aspect of their everyday life (They recorded the interview, made notes with assistance, and used them as the basis for further inquiry.) exploring existing business, trade and local council links between their community and the target country and identifying the languages in which these groups conducted their activities. Principals took a leading role in promoting the importance of languages and building language partnerships beyond the school by: displaying their eagerness to learn and use the target language keeping a prompt-card handy that had phrases to use with students, visitors to the school and members of the community accompanying school groups on overseas visits to learn the target language in more depth promoting the schools role in teaching languages and developing intercultural understanding at local council meetings and through networks such as principals associations.
IN ACTION
Through cross-curricular investigations teachers explored with their students the nature of their local community using guiding questions such as: What are the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the members of our school and what does this mean for our school community? What are cultural stereotypes and how do they affect our perceptions of others? How do people from other countries view us and the place we live? In what ways is it different from the way we view ourselves and our place? How does growing up in a place influence who we are? What does it mean to be multicultural and/or multilingual? Students took a significant role in involving the community in their languages learning and shared their learning with them by: surveying teachers and families about links with the target language and country (for example, relatives, travel, friends, study) and with other languages and cultures, displaying these links on a map that was located centrally
GETTING STARTED
If your school wishes to establish partnerships beyond the school then discuss with staff: What kinds of interactions do students and staff currently have with target-language communities, personally or through reading, the media or the Internet? What are some features of the communities to which our students belong?
The community values the importance of languages teaching and sees its relevance in the education of our students.
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Working with a visiting Japanese intern makes students language learning live.
How do we use languages learning as an opportunity for students to explore what is happening in the world? How do we promote and increase understanding of the importance of languages and culture learning in our community? How do we increase understanding of the value of linguistic and cultural diversity in our community?
Visit a sister-school Students in senior primary years, accompanied by the languages teacher and other members of staff, visit their sister school. In preparation, students and staff are supported to identify and acquire the language and cultural competence they will need. On their return, they share their experiences with other students, staff and the community. Arrange student exchanges Student home-stays are organised with families within the school and the broader community. Extensive preparation and discussion with students before they visit the country and before exchange students arrive is critical to the success of these activities. Some
GOING FURTHER
If your school already has established partnerships beyond the school, consider the following ways of extending and strengthening the connections.
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exchanges may be directly reciprocal, with two families hosting each others child. Visit a sister-town Some communities are closely involved with a sister town through, for example, their town councils. Members of council, the business community and community groups can be encouraged to accompany the schools students and staff on a visit to the country. Investigate community resources Embassies and consulates are a source of authentic resources such as newspapers and publications and
some offer competitions that provide a new avenue for students learning. Develop avenues for parent involvement Encourage parents and members of the community to attend a series of workshops in which they can learn the target language. These sessions focus directly on intercultural language learning that enables participants to interact effectively with others when visiting the target-language country or supporting visiting students and interns to participate in the local community.
The involvement of the community has been a great impetus for the languages program.
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Further resources
Professional learning
A train-the-trainer professional learning program is available to support the use of Teaching Languages in the Primary School resource. This professional learning targets: curriculum advisers and languages officers primary school principals, leadership teams and principals associations primary school languages teachers and classroom teachers languages teachers and representatives of professional associations pre-service educators. The program can be downloaded as a PDF document from the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) website at http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/public_html/ downloadable_materials.htm. Professional learning focused on Intercultural Language Learning and a valuable support document, Getting started with Intercultural Language LearningA Resource for Schools are also available for downloading at http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/alplp.
Online resources and references

State and Territory education websites
Links to the websites of all State and Territory education authorities can be accessed through the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training website at http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/ organisations_contacts/.
Professional Learning
Professional learning materials developed under the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools Strategy (NALSAS) can be accessed at http://www.curriculum.edu.au/nalsas/p_learning/ prof_learning01.htm. Australian Federation of Modern Teachers Associations http://www.afmlta.asn.au Asian Languages Professional Learning Project http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/alplp/ Education Network Australia (EdNa) http://www.edna.edu.au AsiaEdnet (a national collaborative project for all educators interested in studies of Asia and Asian languages) http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/network/index.htm Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/pdf/ engaging_statement.pdf
Professional associations and associated publications

The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teacher Associations (AFMLTA) has member bodies in each State and Territory. The AFMLTA website (http://www.afmlta.asn.au) provides links to State and Territory modern language teacher associations, many of which have their own newsletter. The AFMLTAs refereed journal is Babel.
Further resources
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Languages Education
National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 20052008 (MCEETYA) http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/default.asp? id=11959 National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools Strategy (NALSAS) http://www.curriculum.edu.au/nalsas The Final Report on the Development of Standards for Teachers of Indonesian Project http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/ publications_resources/profiles/indonesian_ standards.htm Report on Intercultural Languages Learning http://www.curriculum.edu.au/nalsas/pdf/ intercultural.pdf Center for Applied Linguistics: Early Foreign Language Learning (US) http://www.cal.org/earlylang Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) http://www.carla.umn.edu/index.html National Centre for Languages (UK) http://www.cilt.org.uk Assessment for Learning (Curriculum Corporation) http://cms.curriculum.edu.au/assessment Linking languages and literacy (NALSAS brochure) http://www.curriculum.edu.au/nalsas/pdf/link_lang_ lit.pdf The Le@rning Federation (Curriculum Corporation and education.au) http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2 National Advisory Centre on Early Language Learning (United Kingdom) http://www.nacell.org.uk/index.htm andut a resource on foreign language learning in Years K8. (USA) http://www.cal.org/earlylang Guiding principles for success in educating boys (DEST) http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/ policy_initiatives_reviews/key_issues/boys_ education/guiding_principles_in_educating_boys.htm #Introduction Bibliography of Resources on bi-lingualism (National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/resources/bilingualism. html Research Centre for Languages and Culture Education (University of South Australia) http://www.unisa.edu.au/rclce Research Unit for Multilingualism and CrossCultural Communication (University of Melbourne) http://www.rumaccc.unimelb.edu.au
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Bibliography
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Appendix
Participating schools
School leaders and teachers in the following schools contributed to the development of this resource: Anglican Church Grammar School, Qld Arncliffe Public School, NSW Augusta Park Primary School, SA Avoca State School, Qld Beaudesert State School, Qld Beenleigh State School, Qld Beldon Primary School, WA Benalla East Primary School, Vic Birkdale State School, Qld Bothwell District School, Tas Bracknell Primary School, Tas Burnie High School, Tas Calwell Primary School, ACT Campbell Primary School, ACT Campbelltown Public School, NSW Childers State School, Qld Clare Primary School, SA Claremont Primary School, WA Croydon Hills Primary School, Vic Darwin High School, NT East Claremont Primary School, WA Emmanuel College, Qld Emmaus Catholic School, SA Essington School, NT Farrer Primary School, ACT Firbank Grammar School, Vic Flaxmill School, SA Glen Waverley South Primary School, Vic Glengala Primary School, Vic Hackham East Primary School, SA Harvey Primary School, WA Havenview Primary School, Tas Heathmont East Primary School, Vic Homebush Public School, NSW Huntingdale Bilingual Primary School, Vic Huntingdale Primary School, WA International Grammar School, NSW Islamic College of South Australia, SA John Paul College, Qld Kaleen Primary School, ACT Killarney Heights School, NSW Leighland Christian School, Tas Leopold Primary School, Vic Lockleys North Primary School, SA Macarthur Anglican School, NSW Malvern Central School, Vic Manjimup Primary School, WA Margate Primary School, Tas Milperra Public School, NSW Moonee Ponds West Primary School, Vic Morley Primary School, WA New Farm State School, Qld Nhulunbuy Primary School, NT Northbridge Public School, NSW OLoughlin Catholic College, NT Open Access College, SA Ormeau State School, Qld Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Vic Our Lady of the Manger School, SA Our Lady of the Rosary School, Qld Pennant Hills Public School, NSW Port Lincoln Primary School, SA Resurrection School, Vic Ridgley Primary School, Tas Rostrata Primary School, WA Rozelle Public School, NSW South Hobart Primary School, Tas St Andrews Public School, NSW St Annes School, Vic St Catherines School, SA St Clare of Assisi Primary School, ACT St Columbas Primary School, Vic St Francis of Assisi Primary School, ACT St Francis School, SA St John the Apostle School, SA St John the Baptist School, SA St Lukes Primary School, Qld St Marys Primary School, ACT St Matthews School, Qld St Monicas School, SA St Peter and Pauls School, Vic Sturt Street Community School, SA The Cathedral School of St Anne & St James, Qld The Hutchins School, Tas Tyalgum Public School, NSW Warragul North Primary School, Vic West Moreton Anglican College, Qld West Ryde Public School, NSW Winthrop Primary School, WA Wodonga Primary School, Vic Wudinna Area School, SA
Appendix
65
Teaching Languages in the Primary School: Examples from current practice is a practical resource for teachers, school leaders and curriculum advisers. It is designed to inform and support the planning, implementation and maintenance of effective languages programs in Australian primary schools. The book advocates the active involvement of school leaders and the development of partnerships between languages teachers and classroom teachers in the building of sustainable languages programs. The resource presents thirteen approaches to languages teaching and learning. These will be useful for schools wishing to introduce new languages programs or enhance the quality and sustainability of existing languages programs. The approaches are based on research in schools, including interviews with teachers and school leaders across Australia. They are organised around three themes:
Focus on curriculum Focus on learners and languages Focus on organisation and support
Each approach is organised under five headings:
FEATURES A CLOSER LOOK IN ACTION GETTING STARTED GOING FURTHER

A wide range of ideas and practical suggestions is provided to encourage, support and enrich your schools languages program.
Julie Browett was for many years a primary classroom and languages teacher. She is a former languages curriculum consultant with responsibility for supporting Tasmanian primary schools in introducing languages programs. Julie now lectures in Languages and Literacy Education at the University of Tasmania, and has written several professional learning programs for Australian languages teachers. Anne Spencer was at the time of writing a project manager for languages at the Asia Education Foundation, with responsibility for the development of national resources and professional learning programs in languages education. She was formerly an R12 consultant in languages and studies of Asia and has worked as a classroom teacher and teacher of languages at both the primary and secondary levels. Anne is currently a project manager with Curriculum Corporation.

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Teaching Languages

in the Primary School

Focus on organisation and support

Further resources Bibliography Appendix: Participating schools

The Project Advisory Group

The Project Management Team

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

About this book

About this book

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

An emphasis on intercultural language learning

Related principles and pedagogy

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Building a sustainable languages program

Using this book

For professional reflection

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Transdisciplinary teaching and learning

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Transdisciplinary teaching and learning

Identity and place transdisciplinary unit plan

Finding out, sorting out and going further

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Transdisciplinary teaching and learning

Languages and literacy: shared and guided reading

Text participant Learners make meaning from texts.

How do I crack this code?

What does this mean to me?

What do I do with this text?

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Languages and literacy

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Languages Learning Centre Classroom set-up

Targetlanguage reading resources, in tubs, for group use

Bilingual dictionaries Targetlanguage readers in the reading corner

Languages and literacy

Languages and literacy: analysing visual texts

The creator of the text has:

The viewer of the text has:

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Working with birthday cards

Languages and literacy

Working with birthday cards

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Languages and literacy

Information communication technologies

Teaching Languages in the Primary School

Opportunities for languages learning

Information-based CD-ROMs and DVDs Simulation games

Access reference material. Explore a simulated world.

Learning objects Generic software

Enter a virtual learning environment. Extend ideas

Communicate with another class. Plan a piece of writing. Connect ideas.

Spreadsheets Internet forums Generic software

Contact other learners.

Publish ideas and information for an audience.

Information communication technologies

Create an electronic book.

Drawing programs Generic software

Design and present materials. Share ideas

Web page creation programs

Interact with other learners and experts.

Manipulate ideas using multimedia.

Teaching Languages in the Primary School