We've identified useful links for language learning for Years 7-10 and Years 11-12. Please download the documents attached below.

Re-configuring your lessons (and for many of us, our brains) to deliver remotely is challenging and we need to give ourselves time to plan. For Stage 6, we've been super-busy getting you access to more resources. On our curriculum website, we have added sample speaking questions across a range of Beginners courses. For Beginners and Continuers, we have added listening and reading items, re-purposed from the old HSC Online site. You can set any of this work for students to go on with, while you focus on your planning. ​

We have created this generic task board resource as an option for teachers looking for some alternative tasks for classes experiencing disruptions to learning. The intention is to support teachers at this challenging time to engage students in student-centred language learning activities with a variety of choices to suit their interests.
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We encourage you to make changes to the task board, share further ideas with colleagues and consider making adjustments for students who may not have access to technology, for example they may create a word game or puzzle rather than a Kahoot quiz.

Our focus is to keep our students engaged with language learning activities and support you in providing some alternatives.

Dr Gianfranco Conti, the well-known blogger, speaker and writer of language materials, has made some of his resources available free of charge for French and Spanish. The resources are suitable for Years 10-12, depending on the course.

French: 
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19EIRxEDqGk_-fChREnlnDgS52z9W7jay?fbclid=IwAR2J77yKKBKCSFPWgVkjVfOslohM2n0NHiqNWX9_0TnfGET68e-TYECvVF4

Spanish: 
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h5zdh73thClS0YIBhfbVz2zdPWHo7E35?fbclid=IwAR1dKi3TurkCYyVCqkTZJYWummxT7He8giIQx3pXt6_6P4bk9hNBs4Hdy7c

​A very generous offer, and we know many of you will be grateful.

The NSW Department of Education has a new website section: Learning from home.

Learning from home refers to the ways schools will maintain teaching and learning in the event of a prolonged school closure or student absence. The site includes resources and activities for teachers to support students temporarily unable to attend school.

KLA teams at the Learning and Teaching Directorate are currently populating this site with content, so keep checking regularly for resources, ideas and advice. Let your colleagues from other KLAs know too.

Due to disruptions caused by COVID-19, please be aware that Education Perfect (formerly Language Perfect) is providing free and unlimited access to all schools until 1 May.  Visit the Education Perfect website to register.

Yesterday we delivered our first statewide Adobe Connect session for 2020, with our games bonanza. We explored a variety of activities which bring fun to the classroom whilst developing language skills, and we even had a little interaction ourselves!

We think the live feedback from participants says it all…
Michelle: This has been an amazing session
Paola; Thank you for those great game ideas
Ilian: Thanks, that was interesting, fun and useful. Terima kasih banyak, Bu! :)
Phuong: Thanks so much. It will be very useful
Jenny: Fantastic session. Thanks Coreena. Some brilliant ideas I would like to adapt into my classes.
​Brett: I will definitely be re-watching this with the pause button later.

Our plan is to develop a games and activity sharing space for all teachers to access. If you have any game ideas, videos, templates that your students enjoy and you are willing to share, please send them to Coreena Allen.

We hope you continue to enjoy our short professional learning sessions delivered via Adobe Connect – our Term 4 session on assessment has since had more than 600 views!

Thank you to the 55 language teachers who joined us live yesterday. If you were unable to attend, you can view the session recording. Files and games templates can be downloaded from the attachments below.

Next session: Feedback!

New examples of adjustments for supporting students with disability are now available on the NESA website. The examples include practical lessons, group work, physical activities and excursions.

NESA has published K-10 scope and sequences for Arabic, Modern Greek, Turkish and Vietnamese. They are now available on NESA’s website. These identify concepts and show linguistic progression from Kindergarten to Year 10.

Sample Stage 6 formal assessment tasks are also available on NESA’s website for Year 11 and 12 Beginners and Continuers courses. Go to ‘Sample formal assessment tasks’ on individual syllabus pages.

We are seeking 2 teachers to star in our literacy and numeracy videos, which will be published on our website in 2020.

If you have a great screen presence, and are currently teaching languages in a NSW public secondary school, please send us your audition file.

All you need to do is:

1. film yourself reading the following 2 paragraphs, looking into the camera:
Understanding the way languages work through learning another language is unique to our subject area, as we explicitly teach systems of language, including types of texts, grammar and vocabulary. The study of a language develops students’ understanding of how languages work as systems, enhancing literacy skills in the target language, as well as in a student’s first language.
 
In the language classroom, we discuss grammatical features, sentence construction and the appropriateness of language for differing contexts. We encourage students to use the strategy of drawing comparisons with or highlighting differences from English in order to clarify certain aspects of the target language. 

2. complete the attached EOI form (endorsed by your principal).

Filming will take place over one day in early Term 1, with relief provided (and travel/accommodation costs for non-metro teachers).

Please send your video and EOI form to maxine.acosta4@det.nsw.edu.au (with subject line Video audition) by Wednesday 18 December 2019. The successful applicants will be notified before the start of Term 1.

The Languages and Culture team has published new resources to support teachers of Stages 4 and 5 in implementing the new syllabuses.
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We have published the following resources:

• - sample assessment tasks which showcase how to assess a range of outcomes and macro skills through authentic tasks
• - information and resources to support intercultural understanding and communication
• - sample scope and sequences for Stage 4 Indonesian and Modern Greek.

Remember, all K-10 language syllabuses (2017 and later) are underpinned by the Languages K-10 Framework so it's worth looking at materials for all languages, not just the one/s you teach.

Our support continues and we will add more materials as they become available.

All our resources are housed on our website.