News

2019 Chinese Language Teachers' Conference – save the date!

20/5/2019

The 2019 Chinese Language Teachers’ Conference is being organised for K-12 teachers of Chinese across NSW to support teachers in implementing the new Chinese K-10 syllabus, particularly in assessment and reporting, as well as to explore 4Cs activities (critical reflection, creative thinking, communication and collaboration) in the context of Chinese language learning to support students in thriving within school and beyond.

The conference will be held on Friday 18 October 2019. Further details regarding conference venue, agenda and registration will be made available in early Term 3.

Term 2 statewide Adobe Connect – Wednesday 22 May 2019

14/5/2019

All secondary language teachers are invited to participate in the Term 2 Adobe Connect webinar. As the webinar runs as a one-direction session, you will not need a microphone or be required to speak.

The webinar can contribute to 30 minutes of teacher-identified professional learning addressing Standards 6.2.2 and 7.4.2 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Agenda:
- K-10 syllabus familiarisation and planning eCourse (and why we recommend all secondary language teachers get involved in this professional learning opportunity)
- our website – what's new and what's planned
- project updates.

Join us online via the S econdary Languages Adobe Connect room on Wednesday 22 May from 3:30-4:00pm.

For participants new to using Adobe Connect, please see the attached how-to-guide below.

We look forward to meeting you in the Secondary Languages meeting room.

adobe_howto_guidesecondarylanguages.pdf
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Support for school-organised networks

1/5/2019

Over the last 12 months, the Languages and Culture team has been asked to present at school-organised networks, which support teachers and/or head teachers across a community of schools. These events are often on School Development Days.

In order to best support these networks, we would like to develop a database of what school-organised networks are operating. This is the information we have to date, but need to check its accuracy.
- HT Network Hunter, coordinated by Rebeca Tamas (for languages)
- HT Network Central Coast, coordinated by Michelle Stewart (for languages)
- HT Network Northern Beaches Secondary College, coordinated by Renata Grudic (for languages)

We're also aware of the Illawarra CNI, which is coordinated by Evia Kyriacou (for languages).

If you lead/coordinate support for a school-organised network, for teachers of languages and/or language coordinators and/or head teachers, please contact Maxine Acosta.

We will continue to support the 16 language teacher networks which run across the state.

Mentoring program for beginning secondary languages teachers 2019-2020 – VLMN – applications closing soon

1/5/2019

The Languages and Culture team successfully established the Virtual Languages Mentoring Network (VLMN) in 2017 to support beginning and/or isolated languages teachers 7-12. A beginning teacher is one in their first 2 years of teaching in metro areas and up to 5 years in rural and remote.

Beginning and geographically-remote teachers of languages often work as the only language teacher in the school and have specific needs which cannot always be met at school level.

The VLMN includes a Language Officer, Evia Kyriacou, from the Languages and Culture team, 2 lead mentors, 2 beginning mentors and up to 15 school-based language teacher mentors (selected via expressions of interest) working to support the mentee teachers.

Expressions of interest are invited from early career/geographically remote teachers of languages 7-12 (mentees) who would like to join the second cohort of VLMN for 2019-2021.

The VLMN will:
- identify professional learning needs for mentees and mentors
- implement evidence-based mentoring practices to develop the capacity of mentees over an 18-month period
- support teachers of languages in working towards and maintaining accreditation at a range of career stages
- build the capacity of virtual and face-to-face language teacher networks.

The VLMN will begin with a centrally-located 2.5 day conference for both mentors and mentees. The Languages and Culture team will provide release to participants to facilitate mentoring support and to attend targeted professional learning.

Please complete the Google survey https://forms.gle/mQpQMMwZKdvb17Z48 and download the attached EOI form and submit by 5pm on Friday 10 May 2019 to Evia Kyriacou.

Sadlier PS are seeking an Arabic teacher K-6 for 7 weeks from 20 May 2019

30/4/2019

Please contact Katherine Morabito at katherine.morabito@det.nsw.edu.au or on 9607 8201 for more information.

Professional learning opportunity for K-6 language teachers

30/4/2019

Expressions of interest (EOI) are invited from interested applicants to participate in Quality Teaching Rounds.

Interested applicants should prepare a written application of no more than one A4 page to address the following criteria:
· approval to teach K-6
· approval to teach language
· demonstrated capacity to design and deliver high quality community language programs to students K-6
· highly developed communication and interpersonal skills with the capacity to work collaboratively in teams.

Applications should be forwarded to Konstantia.Zagrimanis2@det.nsw.edu.au by no later than 4pm Friday 24 May 2019.

Enquires should be directed to:

Konnie Zagrimanis
Languages Adviser, K-6
9244 5261

or

Stephen Nogher
Languages Officer, K-6
9244 5284

New primary resources for Languages K-10 Framework

17/4/2019

Please find a Stage 2 unit starter, linked to the new K-6 Science and Technology syllabus by clicking the link below:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/key-learning-areas/languages/early-stage-1-to-stage-3/programming-and-resources

More resources will be posted on the languages/ES1-S3 page.

Mentoring program for beginning secondary languages teachers 2019-2020 – VLMN

28/3/2019

The Languages and Culture team successfully established the Virtual Languages Mentoring Network (VLMN) in 2017 to support beginning and/or isolated languages teachers 7-12. A beginning teacher is one in their first 2 years of teaching in metro areas and up to 5 years in rural and remote.

Beginning and geographically-remote teachers of languages often work as the only language teacher in the school and have specific needs which cannot always be met at school level.

The VLMN includes a Language Officer, Evia Kyriacou, from the Languages and Culture team, 2 lead mentors, 2 beginning mentors and up to 15 school-based language teacher mentors (selected via expressions of interest) working to support the mentee teachers.

Expressions of interest are invited from early career/geographically remote teachers of languages 7-12 (mentees) who would like to join the second cohort of VLMN for 2019-2021.

The VLMN will:
- identify professional learning needs for mentees and mentors
- implement evidence-based mentoring practices to develop the capacity of mentees over an 18-month period
- support teachers of languages in working towards and maintaining accreditation at a range of career stages
- build the capacity of virtual and face-to-face language teacher networks.

The VLMN will begin with a centrally-located 2.5 day conference for both mentors and mentees. The Languages and Culture team will provide release to participants to facilitate mentoring support and to attend targeted professional learning.

Please complete the Google survey https://forms.gle/mQpQMMwZKdvb17Z48 and download the attached EOI form and submit by 5pm on Friday 10 May 2019 to Evia Kyriacou.

eoi_accessible_vlmn_mentee.docx
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Languages oral examinations timetable

25/3/2019

NESA has released the exam timtable for the HSC oral examinations. The exam timetable period will run from 8 August to 14 September.

Visit the NESA website for full details.

Languages K-10 syllabus familiarisation and planning eCourse – support for teachers 7-10

25/3/2019

The Languages and Culture team has released an eCourse for teachers 7-10 (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese) – search for course code RG04277 on MyPL. The course is registered for 3.5 hours of professional learning and there are 4 cohorts for enrolment – Term 1, Term 2, Term 3 and Term 4 2019.