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NZCLTA LAUNCH

YEAR 5s MAKE DUMPLINGS

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

CHINESE LANGUAGE NEWS

MICHEL BOIRON WORKSHOPS

REFLECTIONS OF FRENCH FLA

LA PROGRAMME 2015

FRENCH LANGUAGE NEWS

JUDITH GEARE WINS AWARD

LIFESWAP

EXPERIENCES OF GERMAN FLA

GERMAN LANGUAGE NEWS

NCEA JAPANESE WORKSHOP

TASTE OF JAPAN

UPCOMING EVENTS

JAPANESE LANGUAGE NEWS

BUILDING STUDENTS

INTERNATIONAL CAPABILITIES

NZALT CONFERENCE

NEWS & PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

SPANISH RESOURCE LIBRARY

SPANISH & FOOTBALL

EXPERIENCES OF SPANISH FLA

SPANISH LANGUAGE NEWS

NEWSLETTER

Vol. 4 | 30 July 2014

For questions, comments or to contribute to this newsletter, please contact Georgina Ma at

georgina.ma@auckland.ac.nz or on 09 623 8899 x48506

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Chinese Language News

Year 5 Meadowbank Students Learn to Make Dumplings The Year 5s at Meadowbank School learnt how to make

dumplings. Emily Priday shared her experience with us.

Our school is lucky enough to have Mandarin lessons

and we got to make Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) in the

school kitchen this term!

Once we arrived in the kitchen, we were split into

groups. We listened excitedly to the teacher as she

explained what to do and demonstrated how to do it.

We used minced pork and chopped vegetables as the

filling. We learned different ways of wrapping the jiaozi

from the teachers and parent helpers.

We were eager to get started, some of us perhaps a bit

too eager, as when we put our dumplings on the tray

provided, they flopped at an odd angle and fell apart!

To begin with, we picked up one of the many pastry

circles and then we carefully put a small amount of

filling into the centre of the pastry circle.

Next, we dipped a clean spoon into a waiting bowl of

water, and spread the water around the pastry. We

folded the pastry onto itself, making a half-moon shape.

We then crimped the outside of the dumpling so that

the filling wouldnt fall out. We repeated this process

again and again!

We then boiled the jiaozi in hot water. We put soy sauce

and vinegar together to make the dumpling sauce. Once

the dumplings were cooked, some of us helped out by

placing a few dumplings on each plate (along with a pair

of chopsticks). We all chose a seat and sat down to the

scrumptious sight and smell of dumplings!

Then Miss Ko explained how to use chopsticks, and

when she was done, everyone dug in. It was SO

delicious! Hen hao chi! It was a great cultural

experience, and Im sure that everyone had a great

time!

Zhngqi ji

Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival is an official harvest festival celebrated in China. The

earliest celebration of this festival dates back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th to

10th century). The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the

Chinese lunar calendar (nngl),during a full moon, which is in September

or early October in the Gregorian calendar.

In the old days, the festival was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice and

wheat with food offerings made in honour of the moon (yuling).Today, it

is still an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat moon

cakes (yubng)and watch the moon (shngyu),a symbol of harmony

and unity (tunyun).Moon cakes are one of the hallmark traditions of this

festival. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and unity.

Other fruit, such as apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates, melons,

oranges, and pomelos are offered together with moon cakes while people enjoy

watching the moon.

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Upcoming

National

Advisor

Workshops

Early August - Chinese resource sharing workshop (Senior), Wellington

6 September - iCLT workshop on Moon Festival

To attend, please RSVP to admin@ilep.ac.nz

NZ Chinese Language Teachers Association Launch In late August, the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers Association (NZCLTA) Launch Ceremony will be held.

The aim of this organization is to provide professional network opportunities and professional development opportunities for New Zealand teachers of Chinese at primary and secondary level, in order to promote effective Chinese learning and teaching in schools.

More information on NZCLTA can be found at http://www.nzclta.org/

To attend the NZCLTA Launch ceremony, RSVP to admin@ilep.ac.nz

2 August Qiqiao Festival (Double-Seventh Day/Chinese Valentines Day)

8 September Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival

28 September Confucius Birthday Holidays & Festivals

Chinese Resource Sharing Workshop for Teachers

The National Chinese Adviser, Wang Yu, ran a resource sharing workshop for teachers on 5 June in

Wellington. At this workshop, teachers brought and shared Chinese language teaching resources.

It was a very successful day and the participants were very positive about the workshop.

If you are a secondary school Mandarin teacher, join Wang Yu at the next resource sharing

workshop in Wellington in early August .

For more information have a look at the Courses, Workshops and Meetings offered in 2014

section at http://www.ilep.ac.nz/national-advisers/chinese-national-adviser

...it was very worthwhile linking up with like-minded people

and to see the wonderful range of resources that are available

to support and enhance our programme.

I have a clearer understanding of the resources available.

I have learned many good ways to create class activities. Many

useful resources of books, worksheets. Great ideas.

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French Language News

Michel Boiron Workshops French teachers were inspired, motivated and entertained

Three Michel Boiron workshops were held around New Zealand from 12 to 15 May. Michel is the director of Cavilam-Alliance Francaise in Vichy. Cavilam has an international reputation for its pedagogical innovation and has key partnerships with TV5monde, the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Institut Francais, Radio France, and the Organisation International de la Francophonie. For more information on Michel, visit www.cavilam.com.

French teachers in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland who attended the workshops were inspired and motivated by Michels innovative and passionate approach to language teaching. For those teachers who were not able to attend the workshop, here are some of the useful websites that Michel shared at his workshop.

http://www.caricaturesoft.com

Students create a cartoon on a topic, such as My Future.

Chop up the scenario into sequences and have other students

reassemble the cartoon.

http://www.20minutes.fr

Students source a news item and report back on the when,

where, who, what, why and how of what they read.

http://www.leplaisirdapprendre.com/passeport-pour-le-francais/

Download a passport for each student with pages to be

stamped as they achieve goals.

www.didapages.com

Students can have fun creating booklets using a multimedia

program such as Didpages or Simply.

http://www.francparler-oif.org

Visit this site for some interesting French lesson ideas.

Upcoming

National

Advisor

Workshops

World War 1 Shared Histories Support Workshops

15 September - Wellington

17 September - Auckland

To attend, please RSVP to admin@ilep.ac.nz

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Bonjour ! Je mappelle Marie. Jai 30 ans, je suis assistante de franais Auckland, en Nouvelle-Zlande !

Travelling is an addiction: when you start, you cant stop. I had travelled a lot - to the USA, South Korea, around Europe - and lived one year in Qubec, Canada, but I needed a new challenge: to find a job which reflected my way of life and my addiction to travel. So I decided to become a French teacher! I went back to Uni, did a Master Franais Langue Etrangre, and came to New Zealand!

Why New Zealand? Challenging; English-speaking country; Mori culture; amazing landscapes; the furthest country from France I could go!

I was really lucky to get this position here. Im really thankful to ILEP and CIEP to let me be part of their programme.

I arrived in New Zealand in April 2013. My first week at school was observation: to become familiar with the school system, and get to know the students, of course.

Among my experiences last year and this year, I came to work in different schools and suburbs of Auckland. The differences I found meant that I had to adapt not only my way of teaching, but also the way I behaved.

Primary School (Year 1 to Year 6) I loved this experience. These kids are amazed by everything; their eyes sparkle when it comes time to learn! With them, I made lessons a game. We had a French day for Bastille Day, and we did a play about the French Revolution. We also started a lovely project with the Year 6 classes: an exchange with a French school. I kept in touch with a teacher in my home town in France (Langogne). It wasnt easy, because of the time difference and the school year (September to June in France), but at least we managed to send a couple of letters, and some pictures and videos! When we received the first letters, the kids were so excited. Inspired from this experience, the French teacher and I tried to find a school in New Caledonia, and this year the primary school is starting an exchange with a New Caledonian school! Secondary School (Year 9 to Year 13) I work with small groups, playing games, or doing little conversations in French. I create resources for teachers and, from time to time, I share cultural stuff with the whole class through PowerPoints. I really like the relationship I have with the students. Through learning, we get to know each other, and they become more and more confident in speaking. Virtual Learning Network This is one of my challenges this year: teaching French via the

Internet to students who are living in remote places of New Zealand. I was so excited when I got this position. Its so amazing to offer this opportunity to kids to learn not only a language, but also a lot of different subjects, even if they are living far away from everything! I make PowerPoints, and we talk on the phone. They are so clever and motivated. I am looking forward to again doing a big tour of New Zealand at the end of the year, and to meet all of them. My experience as a French assistant in New Zealand was, and is still, one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life. As New Zealand is far from France, you have to be strong and independent. I grew up by ten years in only one year of staying here. This experience brought a lot: knowledge about the New Zealand school system, New Zealand culture, but also about Mori and Pacific Island cultures. Personally, this experience brought me confidence, good teaching experience and turned me into a French teacher!

French Foreign Language

Assistant Appointments 2015

One of the Most Amazing Experiences

Expressions of interest are invited from schools to employ a

French Language Assistant for the 2015 school year. The

scheme is available to all schools teaching at primary,

intermediate and secondary level.

For further information and to request the application form,

please contact Dmitry Mitenkov at programmes@ilep.ac.nz

More information: http://www.ilep.ac.nz/language-

assistants

Marie Testud reflects on her work as a French Language Assistant

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German Language News

For language teachers it is sometimes not that easy to

teach the culture of the target language in a way which

keeps students engaged and inspired, makes them laugh

and even long for more.

Two young men, a New Zealander and a German, have

come up with a brilliant animated series which is not

only funny for anybody who experiences the challenges

of life in a different country, but makes for a wonderful

teaching resource especially for teachers of German in

New Zealand.

In this series Jrg from Germany and Duncan from New

Zealand swap their apartments for a few months, setting

out on an adventure in which they discover sometimes

delightful, sometimes frustrating aspects of each others

culture which they relate to one another in monthly

Skype-conversations.

So far three episodes have been finished with the

support of the Goethe-Institut in New Zealand and the

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - and all are

readily accessible on the World Wide Web. While

Episode 1 centres on Duncans difficulties with the

German way of meticulously separating rubbish (the

animation itself is a treat for teachers and students alike

who always come across this topic in their classes!),

Episode 2 (The tea towel stinks) deals with the

disharmony Jrgs direct way of expressing criticism has

caused in his Kiwi flat. Episode 3 (The Winter deniers)

makes one feel with Jrg, whose eyes fill with (lovely)

tears when he reveals to Duncan how (home)sick he

feels because of the lack of central heating in his New

Zealand home

The animation by Steffen Kreft is appealing and contains

lots of playful allusions (e.g. a pear instead of the famous

apple on Jrgs notebook, the popular IKEA Pax

wardrobe behind Duncans back, which is a piece of

furniture one would find in so many German

Wohngemeinschaften). It is hand-drawn which fits the

intention of conveying personal experiences in a down-

to-earth manner very well.

The scripts by William Connor are so witty and filled with

so much intercultural content, that they are apt to

inspire lots of discussions in the classroom and beyond.

What a wonderful resource for the German language

classroom, for Germans and Kiwis alike. More episodes

are planned watch out for them!

Links: www.goethe.de/nz

www.lifeswap.net

Heike Papenthin

German National Advisor

Lifeswap - A fun film resource for intercultural teaching

Upcoming

National

Advisor

Workshops

Using film as a medium for teaching German

Wellington, Auckland & Dunedin in September

Dates & Venues to be confirmed

To attend, please RSVP to admin@ilep.ac.nz

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At their biennial international conference in July 2014 in Palmerston North, the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT) awarded the Peter and Eunice Beveridge Award for Leadership in Languages to Judith Geare Head of the German Language Department of the Goethe-Institut New Zealand.

Early in her teaching career Judith taught at Aranui High School in Christchurch and Green Bay High School in Auckland and since 1985 has been working at the Goethe-Institut New Zealand in German teaching and teacher professional development for teachers of German.

At the award ceremony, NZALT recognised Judith as an outstanding leader of, and advocate for, languages in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Judiths support of language learning goes beyond the realm of German teaching. She has worked closely for many years with many organisations, contracts and associations that promote the learning of all languages. She was also one of the initial organisers of International Languages Week and helped to develop a website of many wonderfully creative ideas for teachers of all languages...Judith is an amazing motivator. She goes out of her way for students and teachers. She is constantly inventing new and exciting ways to promote languages and to enthuse, support and reassure learners and teachers.

On behalf of the Language Learning community, we congratulate Judith on this award and thank her for her the amazing contribution she has made to language learning and teaching in New Zealand. Her passion and work in the field continues to inspire us as a community.

Judith Geare awarded the Peter and Eunice Beveridge

Award for Leadership in Languages

ShortFilmFest 2014

The ShortFilmFest for NZ students of German, organised by the Goethe-Institut and ILEP with support by the German Embassy, is up and running again this year! Students from primary school to tertiary level are invited to use their German language skills, creativity and teamwork to make a film of about 3 minutes length on the topic of

SEHNSUCHT Dont miss this wonderful opportunity to engage your students in a fun and meaningful way to showcase their language skills.

The films are due by Friday, 26 September 2014 and the best will be shown in Wellington at an Award-Ceremony on Friday, 5 December.

For more information, go to www.ilep.ac.nz

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In Middle-Earth Or At Worlds End?

Fabian Prolingheuer on Living as a Language Assistant in New Zealand

Guten Tag! Ich heie Fabian. Ich bin 25 Jahre alt. Und

ich komme aus Deutschland.

Understood? Cool! (This word is used a lot in German.)

If not: no worries, here is the translation Good

afternoon! My name is Fabian. I am 25 years old. And I

come from Germany.

And now you: ... (you will probably need words like

Neuseeland [n'ze:lnt] or England ['lnt]).

Quite good, try again to say ich; the ch is like the

whispered y in you, with a constantly flowing

airstream. Sehr gutvery good!

A typical situation in my job, taken from the beginnings

of Year 9: language modelling, language support,

coaching in language use. For the 2014 school year, I

work in four Auckland high schools for one day a week

each, up to four periods a day. During the six months

that I have spent here so far, I gained a lot of

experience and have enjoyed working with the

students very much. Within the four schools, I assist

nine German teachers overall. This is really interesting,

as I can observe many different teaching styles and pick

out the aspects that I find appropriate for my own

teaching. I learn new methods and get access to a

range of teaching materials, which in the case of

pictures and flashcards will even be useful for my

English classes back in Germany.

Talking about my living experiences, I can clearly say

that I enjoy being here a lot. I like the friendliness and

open-mindedness of the people here and have done a

few trips so far, which led me to Wellington, the

Northland, Matamata and Coromandel, and most

recently to Rotorua. While I have tried to learn some

bits of Te Reo Mori since I arrived in NZ. In my free

time, I enjoy walking in the Waitakere Ranges, which I

have done a few times with my new friends already,

and also on my own, which turned out to be somewhat

adventurous. With my flatmates, I have had an amazing

beach trip and several barbecues, and watched many

of the German matches of the Soccer World Cup.

Due to all these experiences (and with the recent final

in mind), I will start the second half of my year with

enthusiasm and confidence.

German Foreign Language Assistant

Appointments 2015

Expressions of interest are invited from schools to employ a German

Language Assistant for the 2015 school year. The scheme is available to all

schools teaching at primary, intermediate and secondary level.

For further information and to request the application form, please contact

Dmitry Mitenkov at programmes@ilep.ac.nz

More information: http://www.ilep.ac.nz/language-assistants

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German Film Festival 2014 The German Film Festival 2014 will be held in Auckland, Wellington & Dunedin in September. There is an impressive line-up of films and this is an excellent opportunity for teachers and students of German to immerse themselves in German language and culture.

The German Film Festival commences in Wellington, where it runs from 4 to 14 September at Paramount Cinemas. The Auckland leg of the festival runs from 11 to 21 September at Rialto Cinemas,

Newmarket. The festival wraps up in Dunedin, where it runs from 25 to 28 September at Rialto Cinemas.

Ostwind and Der ganz groe Traum are highly recommended for school groups. Ostwind (Windstorm) is a must-see for horse lovers and is the story of a teenager who is not succeeding at school and who discovers an affinity with a difficult horse. Der ganz groe Traum (Lessons of a Dream) is the story of how football first came to Germany and stars Daniel Brhl.

Other recommendations are Sound of Heimat, a story of a New Zealand saxophonist who goes in search of the German Folk Songs, Amma and Appa, a documentary about a relationship between a young Bavarian woman and a young man from India and 4 Days in May, a WWII story involving a young boy.

The Goethe-Institut has negotiated special ticket prices for school groups, of more than 10, attending screenings on weekdays before 4pm. Should you be interested in taking a school group to the screening, please contact Judith Geare at the Goethe-Institut at judith.geare@wellington.goethe.org

For more information about the German Film Festival, visit http://www.goethe.de/ins/nz/en/wel/kul/mag/flm/gff.html

Elke Diedrichs and Judith Geare from the Goethe-Institut were ably assisted

by students of German at Palmerston North Boys' High School to set up the

exhibition.

Deutschland im Koffer

"Deutschland im Koffer" or "Germany in a Suitcase", is the title of a new Goethe-Institut exhibition that arrived in New Zealand in July. The "suitcase" is really two extremely large (and heavy!) trunks, that open up to reveal a range of high and low tech, inter-active aspects of Germany and the German Language. The display can function as a first introduction to things German, as well as as a more in depth exploration for students of the language. The exhibition is on view in the Spiers Centre, Palmerston North Boys' High School for the month of August. After that it will make its way to other parts of New Zealand. Expressions of interest in hosting the exhibition can be sent to:

german@wellington.goethe.org

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Japanese Language News NCEA Japanese Workshop at the University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury (UC) recently held their second annual NCEA Japanese workshop on the 12th of June. Since last year, the programme has greatly expanded, with 226 senior secondary school students from the Canterbury region participating in the event. The aim of the day was to cover NCEA internal assessment topics with an underlying focus on expanding the language learning community.

The day began with an opening ceremony where keynote speaker Craig Smith, CEO and co-founder of Language Perfect, passionately spoke about how language learning has opened up a world of opportunities for him. This was followed by three intensive workshop sessions throughout the day.

This workshop provided an excellent opportunity for high school teachers and UC faculty to work together, with help from 23 UC students acting as teaching assistants and one staff member from the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. Serving as relatable role models for high school students, the UC teaching assistants made a presentation on their encounter with Japanese and their language learning, and showed their enthusiasm for learning and participation in a group a key part of Japanese culture. They gave high school students a clearer idea of the directions and opportunities that come with furthering their study of languages. The day finished with a Japanese drum performance, feedback by Ms Akiko Harada, the National Language Advisor, and a traditional ceremonial handclapping.

This new approach to creating a learning community was especially appreciated by the students from Opihi College, in Temuka. According to their teacher Eric Lindblom, who ran the highly engaging session for conversation assessment, Opihi is the only school in South Canterbury that teaches Japanese. As such, he and his students appreciated the chance to come to this workshop to be a part of a wider language learning community. This student link cemented the ties between schools and the university, which is optimistic about the growth and improvement of this workshop and learning community in years to come.

The next NCEA Japanese Workshop will take place in June 2015. For more information, please contact :

Dr Rachel Payne Co-Head of the Department of Global, Cultural and Language Studies,

European and European Union Studies, University of Canterbury. rachel.payne@canterbury.ac.nz

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Upcoming

National

Advisor

Workshops

For more information on Taste of Japan, go to http://nzjapan.net/tasteofjapan/

If you arent based in Auckland, dont miss out on an opportunity to increase your students cultural knowledge or the

profile of your language. You could run similar workshops with your students at school. This would be a fantastic way to

involve your students, their families and other members of the community.

Taste of Japan

August September October

The New Zealand Japan Society of Auckland Inc.,

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki and the Consulate

General of Japan have collaborated together to

present Taste of Japan. The event commenced in

May and runs over seven months. Each month a

workshop is held on a different topic aspect of

Japanese culture.

If you are based in Auckland or surrounding areas,

these workshops are a perfect way to expose your

students to Japanese culture outside the classroom.

They can be attended as a class or encourage students

to attend the events with their friends or families.

There are three workshops remaining. The workshop

schedule is as follows:

Cooking Immersion Workshop - Kazari maki sushi

16:0018:00 on 14 August & 20 August 2014

Epsom, Auckland

Places are limited - To attend, please RSVP to

admin@ilep.ac.nz

Japan Information & Cultural Centre

The Japan Information & Cultural Centre offers an excellent range of resources for teachers. The services are free and are open to the public. Resources available for loan include newspapers, books, maps, brochures, flags, slides, tapes and documentary and cultural VHS videos. It hosts a range of educational events such as monthly movies and educational visits for primary, intermediate and high school students.

Information about the Japan Information & Cultural Centre can be found at http://www.nz.emb-japan.go.jp/

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Spanish Language News

On 29 May, the Office of Education at the Embassy of Spain, along with ILEP, started the 2014 edition of the Spanish and Football programme. This initiative started two years ago and has been very successful.

The National Spanish Adviser, Pablo Mateu Garca is in touch with several professional football players from Spanish-speaking countries and from time to time they visit schools to support Spanish language programmes. The visits are divided into two parts: 1) A presentation in Spanish. This includes a talk about the importance of Spanish worldwide and also about football. Then the students get to ask questions in Spanish. 2) A short training session in Spanish and a scrimmage game under the supervision of the players. This year the first visit was to St. Marks Church school

in Wellington. Albert Riera, from the Wellington

Phoenix Football Club, who was nominated most

important player last season, was the main protagonist

of the visit.

Sport is a fantastic way in which to introduce language

and culture to students.

Spanish & Football Programme

The Spanish Resource Centre is a library of teaching materials,

readers, textbooks, dictionaries, CDs and DVDs located at the

International Languages Exchanges and Pathways (ILEP) office

in Auckland.

Teachers of Spanish are welcome to borrow books in person,

via email or telephone. Enquiry and Lending services staff are

available to assist on:

Monday 8:30 am - 5 pm

Tuesday 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday 8:30 am - 5 pm

To borrow a book email m.mitenkova@auckland.ac.nz or call

09 623 8899 ext. 46 377

For more information, go to: http://www.ilep.ac.nz/spanish-

library

Spanish Resource Library

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A Kiwi Experience

Reflections on New Zealand by Cristina

Velquez Lpez, a Spanish Language

Assistant

Spanish Foreign Language Assistant Appointments 2015

Expressions of interest are invited from schools to employ a Spanish Language Assistant for the 2015 school

year. The scheme is available to all schools teaching at primary, intermediate and secondary level.

For further information and to request the application form, please contact Dmitry Mitenkov at

programmes@ilep.ac.nz

More information: http://www.ilep.ac.nz/language-assistants

When my plane arrived in Auckland after almost forty hours of journey it was pouring with rain. It was the end of the summer and the moist air and the thin rain welcomed me. But despite the bad weather I was as happy as a lark!

New Zealand has also offered me plenty of new things: my first road trips, trips with the school to experience Mori culture, living alone and therefore becoming more independent. I have also learnt to appreciate the Mori culture, and how deep-rooted it is in New Zealand. It is alive in its legends, in the language, rituals, traditions, food, ways to kiss and welcome people. And its not only Mori; being in New Zealand is like entering a new world where every culture has its place. Not so long ago I met a Mexican man in a great pizzeria called Pungari Winery, in the middle of nowhere on our way from Coromandel, and I asked him why he had stayed here and if he didnt miss Mexico. He replied: I stayed here because I havent found anywhere else in the world where Ive felt as accepted as here. And I have seen his words reflected in this society. While you walk down Queen Street you can see at least ten cultures walking in your direction, and its amazing!

New Zealand is a country that keeps me dreaming. From time to time I get away to some other part of the country with the car or by plane because there is always something new to find out. Right now I am visiting the South Island. I am in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by high mountains covered in snow and with a huge lake offering wonderful views. And it is exciting because I still have a lot to discover!

I know that when I leave New Zealand I am going to miss every single bit, especially the people who have welcomed me so warmly and who have become an important part of my life. A year is short and goes by quickly, but the intensity of how you live that year is up to you, and I think you always have to make the most out of your day!

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The Ministry of Educations report on

International Capabilities that was

published in July 2014 states that learning

a second or foreign language is considered

by some to be one of the most effective

ways for students to develop cross-cultural

communicative competence and an

awareness of other cultures and

worldviews (p.12). This is an overview of

the summary report for schools.

International Capabilities report

The report provides recent research

findings about international capabilities completed for the

Ministry of Education by the New Zealand Council for

Educational Research (NZCER). International capabilities have

been included in education policy in education systems

around the world for a number of years with the goal to

integrate international capability development into the

learning of all students.

The report introduces international capabilities as a learning

outcome of classroom and other learning opportunities that

students may experience within the framework of the New

Zealand Curriculum (NZC). It defines international

capabilities, investigates their importance for students,

suggests learning opportunities in which they can be

developed and used and discusses approaches in which they

can be measured.

What are international capabilities?

International capabilities are defined as the knowledge,

skills, attitudes, dispositions, and values that make up the key

competencies that enable people to live, work and learn

across national and cultural boundaries (p.1). Other terms

that are commonly used to refer to international capabilities

include, global competence, international-

mindedness,cross-cultural competence. Being

internationally capable involves an awareness of ones own

culture as well as an awareness of other cultures. It involves

the understanding that we all experience our lives through a

number of cultural and personal lenses, and that

comprehending and accepting others needs and behaviours

rests as much on understanding ourselves as it does

understanding them (p.4).

Why are international capabilities important?

International capabilities fit with governments broader goals in supporting business growth and increasing the value of international education in New Zealand. Providing young

people opportunities to develop or build on their international capabilities contributes to achieving objectives and goals under the Business Growth Agenda (http://www.mbie.govt.nz/what-we-do/business-growth-agenda) and Leadership Statement for International Education (http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/InternationalEducation/PolicyAndStrategy/LeadershipStmt.aspx)(p.2). The Leadership Statement for International Education clearly states that New Zealands economic future will be determined by interactions with the rest of the world and

one of its major goals is to increase New Zealanders skills and knowledge to operate effectively across cultures. Research suggests that employees lacking international

competence contribute to their firms missing business

opportunities, failing to deliver on supply contracts or

meeting client expectations, having sufficient credibility with

foreign counterparts, finding business negotiations more

difficult than expected, misunderstanding the business

environment and culture, and failing to identify important

shifts in trade policy and regulations of countries. (p.7)

International capabilities are economically and socially

important for all New Zealanders. International capabilities

can:

Help New Zealanders achieve success in a globalised world;

Make New Zealand a cohesive and attractive place for international migrants and students;

Assist young people to be positive contributors and leaders in culturally diverse settings;

Help young people to be positive change agents who initiate and contribute to efforts to solve social,

environmental and other global issues;

Allow for the development of self-awareness, awareness of other world views and open-

mindedness;

Generate confidence and a better sense of place and belonging through a better sense of our own identity,

culture and language;

Allow young people to have richer experiences when travelling abroad and to be good ambassadors for our

country and culture;

Enable New Zealanders to work effectively in diverse settings locally or internationally.

News Learning Languages can play a vital role in developing students International Capabilities

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What role can Learning Languages play in developing

international capabilities?

The report states that International capabilities are how the

NZC Key Competencies look when young people apply them in

intercultural and international contexts (p.9). Although

students international capabilities can be developed and used

in any Learning Area or subject discipline, the Learning

Languages Area provides students with an excellent

opportunity to see, think and feel as people who speak other

languages do (p.12). The report states that gaining facility in

another language allows a person to subtly and emotionally

relate to people in the country or countries where that

language is spoken (p.12).

Data shows that many students in New Zealand are not given

the opportunity to study a second or foreign language as

regularly or for the length of time that is required for them to

progress to secondary or tertiary level study or achieve a

useful level of proficiency in the language.

The following graph shows the low numbers of Year 13

enrolments in the five major international languages, as well

as te reo Mori as a separate language, taught in New Zealand

schools.

How internationally capable are New Zealand students?

It is not clear the extent to which New Zealand students

possess or are developing international capabilities, as there

has been no measurement of these capabilities to date.

NZCERs research for the Ministry in 2013 found that more

information is required regarding teachers and students

understanding of international capabilities as well as the range

of learning opportunities through which students can develop

and use their international capabilities before measurement

can be done. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD) has indicated that it may include

measurement of global competence in its Programme for

International Student Assessment (PISA) assessments of 15

year olds in 2018.

The summary report for schools can be found at:

http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/international/international-capabilities

For the full report, go to:

http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/

international/144533

Second language learning is one of a variety of learning

opportunities for students to develop and flex their

international capabilities.

Learning a second language also helps you to think

critically about your own first language or languages,

culture/s and identity/ies. This positions you to be more

open to learning about and navigating other cultures and

ways of being, knowing and doing, which is an important

facet of being internationally capable. It can be applied

by students immediately too, on an everyday basis in

their school, social and work settings in New Zealand, as

well as in international contexts.

Marie-Louise Siddle, Senior Policy Analyst,

Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Educations International Capabilities report represents a significant boost and incentive for the teaching and learning of languages other than English in Aotearoa/New Zealand. One of the major positive benefits of learning a language other than English is the insights such study gives into different worldviews and diverse cultures. Through language learning students are exposed to, and required to build appreciation of, otherness and difference, as the report itself acknowledges. Languages provide the necessary bridge between unique and different national and cultural boundaries, and are crucial components of what the report refers to as global competence, international-mindedness and cross-cultural competence. Teachers of languages will find a good deal in this new report which validates and strengthens their work.

Dr Martin East, Associate Professor in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy,, University of Auckland

"Learning Languages engages students in not only understanding their own culture but that of others. It creates a capability to move beyond mere cultural comparisons into a higher-order level of learning. It is from this third place (Kramsch 1993, Crozet et al. 1999) that NZ students with international capability can interact comfortably with those from other cultures, they develop the skills to effectively negotiate difference and enhance mutual understanding. It is with these skills, that can be created in the languages classroom, that students can surmount economic and business barriers."

Jeni Lemberg and Deb Ward, National Coordinators Learning Languages

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Professional Learning & Development

Your principal has asked that you teach German this

term to Years 7 and 8. A myriad of reactions may be

scrolling through your mind (fear, terror, memories of

being made to memorise French verbs at high school,

boredom) last but not least; aaaahh, but I dont speak

German!

There are two ways you could approach this:

Stick your head in the sand, read aloud from your

material, keeping one eye on the clock until the lesson is

over for another week and the other eye on the

calendar, counting down the weeks till the end of term.

Of course all the while cursing your principal for

burdening you with such a heinous task.

On the other hand, you could see it as a fantastic way to

broaden your own horizons, linguistically, culturally and

professionally, while helping your students to gain a skill

that will have many more benefits to them than just

being able to communicate in a foreign language and

learn about another culture (openness to other cultures,

increased knowledge and awareness of their own

language and culture, positive effect on literacy, links to

other curriculum areas, improved confidence).

To turn out confident and competent global citizens,

teachers need to embrace language learning. To assume

that everyone else out there in the world speaks English

is not only incorrect (less than 30% of the world

population speak English as either a first or second

language), but also very limiting and limited. Motivate

students to be interested in learning a language by

showing them that you are interested.

The most important trip you may take in life is meeting

people halfway Henry Boye, Author

Your first move is to set a good example by actually

using the language as much as possible in class yourself;

if you dont, why should your students?

Consider starting your lessons by having a song in

the target language playing in the background as

students come into class. It should be something

current that kids their age would be listening to.

Encourage students to search out music (or other

info and pictures about sports, comics, food,

movies or fashion trends from the target language

country) that they could share with the class. This

will also help you find out what they are

interested in.

Try having a routine, for example the first students

to arrive write up the date and day of the week in

the target language or perhaps they put the

answers to the homework on the board or change

the phrase of the day either you or they could

provide this. Ask them to write up your do nows

in the target language.

Display chunks of classroom language on a poster

or get students to make their own. Model this

language constantly and make it an expectation

that students use it too by giving awards or small

prizes for those who use it the most.

Find out about what is going on in the country or

countries where your language is spoken or any

events in the local community, for example,

cultural or food festivals, sports events or

important news.

If you are new to teaching languages and perhaps the

only one at your school in this position, not being a

speaker of the language and or perhaps having not

received any specific language teaching pedagogy in

your pre-service training will make this all pretty

daunting. Sign up for workshops offered by the National

Advisers; subscribe to the listserve of the language you

are teaching or seek out other online groups; these are

good forums for asking for advice and sharing ideas or

materials; it will help to have a supportive community at

hand to call on.

The ILEP Initiation Stage is here to support you with

ideas on how to start learning the language yourself,

motivate your students, use and adapt the available

resources and make your schools language programme

New to teaching languages?

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sustainable. It is the first step on a pathway of

professional development in language teaching.

If you are or if you know a teacher who is:

new to teaching languages

whose school has recently introduced Learning

Languages programmes in their classes

a native speaker with limited or no pedagogical

background in teaching languages

an experienced teacher who wants to update or

refresh their language teaching skills

Contact Stephanie, ILEP Initiation Stage Adviser:

s.korucu@auckland.ac.nz to find out more about the

support we can offer you.

New Advisers join ILEP Team

I have been a keen language learner since Year 9 when I was inspired by the talents of

my wonderful German and Japanese teachers at Nelson College for Girls. I later added

Spanish and Russian at University before leaving NZ to travel and work for 15 years.

During this time I taught EFL in the UK and Turkey and worked in educational

management and teacher development. While living in Istanbul for nearly 12 years I

managed to become fluent in Turkish and start a small family. We came back to New

Zealand in 2011 and I have been working for Auckland Uniservices since then, first as

a teacher and Cambridge CELTA trainer at the English Language Academy, then I was

involved in setting up and developing language programmes at Princess Noura

University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I now work as Initiation Stage Adviser for ILEP,

supporting teachers who are new to teaching languages.

Stephanie Korucu

Georgina Ma

Goeie dag! Sawubona! Bonjour! Salve! Nihao! Kia ora! Growing up in South Africa, a

melting pot of cultures and languages, I was exposed to the wonderful world of

language and culture from a young age. I studied Afrikaans as a second language from

primary school to university level. In primary school, I learnt Zulu and for the first two

years of secondary school I learnt French and Latin. I worked in Taiwan and China for 7

years, where I learnt to speak Mandarin. I have worked in language teaching, language

teacher training and educational management for 17 years. My family and I recently

settled in New Zealand, a country that we are very proud to call home. I joined

Auckland Uniservices in May and work as the Professional Learning Adviser at ILEP. I

provide support to principals and middle leaders in setting up sustainable language

learning programmes.

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NZALT Conference 2014

The New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT) conference took

place in Palmerston North from 6 to 9 July. This years conference marked the

40th anniversary of NZALT and was attended by almost 200 delegates from

around New Zeland and Australia. The conference opening was held at the

impressive Palmerston North city library, where delegates were warmly

welcomed by the Town Crier. The conference was opened by Associate Professor

Martin East, NZALT President and the Ambassador of France, M. Laurent Contini.

Languages give you wings

President of NZALT, Martin East opened the 2014 NZALT conference; Almost 200 delegates attended the 2014 conference; Dr Jonathan Newton revisits the six principles of

intercutltural Communicative Language Teaching (iCLT); Professor Noel Watts, founding member of NZALT, was celebrated at the conference.

The general theme of the conference was languages give you wings and a

broad range of topics were explored by keynote speakers and presenters during

the parallel sessions. Key topics explored by presenters included the importance

of language learning, using technology in language teaching, task-based learning,

developing students intercultural competence, assessment, promoting language

and retaining language learners, immersion and project-based learning and

Content and Language Integrated Learning. It was an opportunity for language

teaching professionals to meet, reflect, share ideas and develop their practice.

The next NZALT conference will be held in Nelson in 2016.

This year's biennial NZALT conference provided a special opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beginning of NZALT, and to remember the many people who have contributed through the years to building the Association and promoting language teaching and learning in New Zealand. In particular, the life of Professor Noel Watts, founding member, was celebrated through a dedicated seminar. The audience was reminded of Noel's significant contributions in arenas such as language policy and planning. The establishment of Learning Languages as an additional learning area in New Zealand's revised national curriculum owes a great deal to the dedicated commitment and hard work of a range of NZALT members. Dr Martin East, President NZALT

Delegates were invited to view the impressive International Language section at Palmerston Norths city library; Mihi

Whakatau at the Opening Ceremony; The ILEP team were on hand to provide support and information for teachers; National

German Adviser, Heike runs a PechaKucha session on using sport as a tool for language teaching.

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14 Ways to Promote Languages at your School One of the key topics covered at this years NZALT conference was the importance of language learning. Language

improves cognitive skills, helps native language ability, enhances students understanding of self and their own

culture, increases intercultural competence and opens opportunities for travel, study and work. However, language

teachers find that attracting and retaining students can be a challenging task. With International Languages Week and

subject selection weeks coming up, there is no better time to share some of the great ideas that were covered by

Nathan Lane and Allyn Danzeisen during their presentations at the conference.

1. Be knowledgeable make an effort to read the relevant research and information on your language as well as

language teaching and learning;

2. Help parents and students make informed decisions by providing material, such as brochures or displaying

information on a languages noticeboard on why language learning is important as well as post-school

scholarship and work opportunities that are relevant to your language;

3. Ensure the careers officer at your school is aware of the importance of learning a language and the scholarship,

international study and employment opportunities that are available to students who study a language;

4. Encourage family and community engagement by organising demonstration language lessons, language film

nights, language festivals, language trivia nights, displays in the local library where language students showcase

their work or language concerts;

5. Reduce students anxiety through praise and encouragement, carefully selecting your approach to language

teaching and using rewards (e.g. the penguin award just like the penguin who dives in the water first, this is

an award for a student who takes a risk with their language learning and tries something with the result that

either s/he will befit from the glory of succeeding or by making a mistake, others will benefit);

6. Identify and celebrate language champions for your languagethese can be authors, singers, actors,

sportsmen/women, parents, members of the community, and if possible, invite them to speak to your class;

7. Take any opportunity to place the students into the country and culture in your classroom; encourage students

to weave the language into their future travel, study or employment goals;

8. Hold your students accountable for their learning; have personal learning conversations with your students;

encourage students to hand their projects in personally and say what they are proud of about their project;

display excellent work on a Wall of Fame;

9. Break the perceptions that other faculties or administration have of learning languages by keeping them

informed, being actively involved in the school, showcasing the languages department and looking for

opportunities to work with other faculties;

10. Look for opportunities within and outside your school environment for your students to use the target

language or engage in the culture;

11. Set a theme for the languages department each term or year and display theme-related content on the

languages noticeboard;

12. Create in-school language competitions (which could include posters, singing, art speaks languages) and

encourage students to participate in external competitions;

13. Create a fridge magnet which outlines the way in which parents can support their child in learning a language;

14. Organise sister schools locally or abroad and organise regular communication with the school through Skype,

email, teddy bear projects or school visits.

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