As most of you are aware, the Languages and Culture team (Secondary Education) no longer has language-specific consultants. Instead, we have four Language Officer positions to provide generic support to teachers of all languages 7-12, ensuring greater equity.

So we can still provide language-specific support, when required, we would like to establish language-specific reference groups for the following languages:

• - Chinese
• - French
• - German
• - Indonesian
• - Italian
• - Japanese
• - Korean
• - Spanish.

This is a trial program targeting the higher candidature languages.

Each reference group will provide a range of support, for example:

• - developing language-specific support materials 7-12, including sample assessments
• - providing feedback on new NSW language-specific syllabuses developed under the Languages K–10 Framework
• - developing language-specific support materials for the new course prescriptions (2019-2023) for Extension courses and Language and Literature (formerly Background Speakers) courses.

Each language-specific reference group will run from the start of Term 2 2017 to the end of Term 3 2018.

Membership is limited to NSW public school teachers 7-12. We are seeking 3-5 members per group. Membership may support working towards ‘Highly Accomplished’ (standards 1.3.3, 2.1.3 and 2.3.3).

The time-commitment will vary according to the language and the time of year, but will not exceed six days per teacher. Participation dates will be negotiable. Relief will be paid to schools.

If you’d like to express interest in being part of a group, and working with the Languages and Culture team, please complete the attached Expression of Interest (EOI) form and email to nicholas.wilson28@det.nsw.edu.au

A selection panel will review all EOIs.

Closing date is Friday, 7 April 2017 (last day of Term 1). Successful applicants will be notified at the start of Term 2. 

Students in Years 5-10 are invited to participate in the 2017 MLTA of NSW Inc. Linguafest Competition.

Students need to create and submit a short film, formatted as a AVI or MP4 (no more than 2 minutes in length), using the target language they are studying. Films should be submitted online. The film should be based on the theme ‘A second chance’. Following the format of the Tropfest competition, somewhere in the film students need to have a watch.

Competition entries close 20 September 2017. 

For more details visit the MLTA website.

​NESA has reviewed all Stage 6 Board Developed Course school-based assessment requirements. 

The survey was released yesterday (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SBALANGUAGES) and closes on 9 April 2017. The survey seeks to obtain feedback about the draft components and weightings and any proposed mandatory tasks for all Stage 6 Languages courses. It is important that all teachers read and take the time to give their opinion on the changes being proposed.

Questions in the survey are optional and you may choose to answer with N/A for questions about specific courses which you are not teaching. Some of the proposed changes include: 

Year 11 (internal assessment)
- 3 tasks only
- no task worth less than 20%, or more than 40%
- only one formal written exam for Year 11
Year 12 (internal assessment)
- 4 tasks
- no task worth less than 10%, or more than 40%
- One formal written exam only and weighting no more than 30% (ie this would be the trial)
Year 12 Continuers mandatory weightings (internal assessment) changing to:
- Listening 25%
- Reading 40%
- Speaking 15%
- Writing 20%

The University of Wollongong has made a series of videos as part of their Language Ambassador Program. In the videos, university students talk about their language learning experiences and how languages have impacted their tertiary study and career options.
Videos are available for:
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Mandarin.
View the videos at ​https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=In2Uni+UOW+Language+Ambassadors - they are a great discussion starter for students wishing to continue their study of language.

We are often asked to advertise on behalf of outside agencies which organise inbound and outbound student travel. DE International oversees student study tours and exchange programs, ensuring that agencies meet compliance with NSW child protection procedures, host family screening, safe and supervised travel, adequate accommodation standards and emergency contact procedures.

We will no longer be advertising inbound/outbound student travel on the Languages NSW site.

The information below can be found on our home page. We are including as a post today, to raise awareness about DE International and their role.

​Study tours and sister schools
All study tours into NSW government schools are managed through DE International.

If your school is contacted by an agent, organisation or overseas group (students, teachers or adults) wishing to visit your school please forward the request to the Study Tours team at DE International.

Sister schools are reciprocal and non-commercial – no payments are made to the school. Establishing a sister school is at the discretion of the principal and does not need to go through DE International. 

For more information see the policy and guidelines for overseas student and group visits, including the implementation document and the link to related documents which has a sample memorandum of understanding for sister schools.

If the sister-school wishes to visit your school and you will not do a return visit overseas, the visit should be arranged as a study tour through DE International.
​
Hosting study tours
DE International is always looking for new schools to host overseas groups. Please contact the Study Tours team if you'd like to be involved.

Contact
Senior Study Tours Officer (Melissa Ong)
ph. 8293 6910
melissa.ong@det.nsw.edu.au

Exchange programs
NSW student exchange programs may only be operated by registered student exchange organisations (SEOs). SEOs and exchange programs are registered and overseen by the NSW Registration Committee for International Secondary Student Exchange, through DE International.
 
SEOs must be compliant with both the National Guidelines for the Operation of International Secondary Student Exchange Programs in Australia and the Guidelines for Operation of Secondary Student Exchange in New South Wales. SEOs are required to ensure incoming and outbound student exchange activity is conducted on a reciprocal basis and meet child protection legislative requirements.
 
Exchange students must hold a Visa Subclass 500 and an Acceptance Advice for Secondary Student Exchange (AASES) form to enrol in a NSW school. Principals should confirm their acceptance of the exchange student enrolment by endorsing the AASES Request Form prior to the AASES form being issued by DE International.
 
Students may enrol in NSW schools for a minimum period of one term and a maximum of one year. Outbound students may enrol for a minimum of 10 weeks and a maximum of one year in overseas schools.
 
Shorter international study experiences are not student exchange programs and must operate as a study tour, or be arranged through a sister school agreement or Departmental Memorandum of Understanding.
 
Further information on study tours and sister schools can be found at Overseas students and visitors.
Outbound school excursions or visits to sister schools must comply with the Excursions policy.
If you are contacted by a company offering student exchange, that is not listed on our website, please forward the request to studentexchange@det.nsw.edu.au.

Contact
Secondary Student Exchange Coordinator (Sandra Copeman)
ph. 02 8293 6950
sandra.copeman@det.nsw.edu.au

Do you subscribe to NESA News? Make sure you're receiving the latest updates.

Stronger HSC Update released
The first edition of the Stronger HSC Update was released last week by NESA. This is a new fortnightly newsletter dedicated to the Stronger HSC Standards reforms, which includes a review of languages education in NSW. 

Supervisor of Marking vacancies for Modern Greek, Chinese & Italian
Applications for 2017 and 2018 HSC Supervisor of Marking positions in Modern Greek (2017), Chinese (2018) and Italian (2018) have opened. Coordinating senior markers and senior markers with HSC marking experience are encouraged to apply. Read more.

Teacher Accreditation Information Session dates released
NESA has announced dates for online and face to face information sessions on accreditation for casual teachers maintaining accreditation or working towards Proficient Teacher. Information session dates have also been announced for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Accreditation candidates. Read more.

Student work samples to be retained for Stage 5 and Stage 6 Preliminary courses
Schools are required to keep a small number of student work samples and the associated assessment activities for Language courses in 2017. Schools selected to provide samples will be contacted in Term 1 or 2 each year. Read more.

The Languages Advisory Network Group (LANG) is live this afternoon, delivering our very first blended online learning course: Languages and Numeracy.

Good luck to all our facilitators:
- Amanda Singh - The Ponds HS
- Anna Brain - Dubbo School of Distance Education
- Belinda Munro-Laylim - Port Hacking HS
- Kate Wang - Rouse Hill HS
- Michelle Walls - A/Language Officer
- Trish MacDonald - Bowral HS
​
And a massive thank you to Janelle Byrne, Language Officer, for bringing the whole thing together!!

The Term 1 statewide Languages Adobe Connect session connected languages teachers from across NSW.

Teachers from rural and remote schools such as Bellingen, Grafton, Camden Haven, Gulgong, Melville and Mount Austin High Schools, as well as non-metropolitan schools such as Lisarow, Katoomba, Lake Illawarra, Woonona and Kanahooka High Schools, joined with metropolitan schools such as Picnic Point, Riverside Girls, Sefton, Riverstone and Fort Street High Schools.

Participants represented a range of languages and we look forward to continuing to provide professional learning for languages teachers in this sustainable forum.    
 
If you were not able to join in live, you can access a recording of the session. 

Languages Adobe Connect sessions will take place in Week 4 of each term, contributing 30 minutes of teacher-identified professional learning addressing Standard 7.4.2 of the APST. Details will be advertised on Languages NSW, in SchoolBiz and the News section of the curriculum website.
 
We look forward to meeting with you in the Secondary Languages Adobe Connect meeting room in Term 2 on Wednesday May 17.