The Language Teacher Network – Illawarra will hold a professional learning day for languages on Wednesday 4 December. 

The professional learning will take the form of a programming day targeting the languages taught in the schools of our area. Teachers will revisit sample templates of units of work, scope and sequences and assessment tasks available on the department's website. They will work in language-specific groups – Chinese, French, German, Italian and Japanese – and will program for Stages 4 and 5 for 2020, according to the new K-10 language syllabuses. Participants will have the opportunity to peer-review the resources created and provide feedback. The plan is that each language group will create the following resources:
- scope and sequence
- assessment schedule
- units of work
- assessment task.

Please bring along your syllabuses, assessment schedules for 2020, devices and any resources you are planning to use on the day. 

Date: Wednesday 4 December 2019
Time: 8:30am-3:30pm
Venue: Smiths High School
Enrol: MyPL – course code NR25838

Please enrol via MyPL course code NR25838 and select session Term 4 targeted languages professional learning. 

All teachers living or working in the area are welcome to attend.

For further information please contact Kristen Smith or Evia Kyriacou or call 78142820.

The Language Teacher Network – Queanbeyan will hold its Term 4 meeting on Wednesday 27 November. The meeting will take the form of a 2-hour meeting, and will include 1.5 hours of registered professional learning on "Shifting thinking – new K-10 language syllabuses". 
Date: Wednesday 27 November 2019
Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Venue: Finigan School of Distance Education, 77 Agnes Avenue, Queanbeyan
Enrol: MyPL – course code RG04794

Please enrol via MyPL course code RG04974 and select session "Shifting thinking – Finigan School of Distance Education".

All teachers living or working in the area are welcome to attend.

For further information please contact Amanda Rowe or call 02 6210 5286.

The Hunter Network Film Festival will be held on Thursday 5 December at Hunter School of the Performing Arts, featuring an Aboriginal dance performance by Millabah to celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Entries are welcome from students in Stage 4 or 5, in any language with a duration of 2 minutes each.

Schools unable to attend the film showing may still take part and be eligible for prizes. Films will be distributed for show to participating schools.
The theme is ‘A change’ with a signature item of a plant to be included in the film. There will be prizes for best overall, people's choice, best Stage 4, best Stage 5, best language film.

Films are due Wednesday 20 November via Google Drive.

For further information please contact Daniela Phillips.

The Languages and Culture team has developed a support document to assist non-languages trained head teachers and executive who supervise teachers of languages.

The document aims to:
- raise awareness of the importance of languages education
- provide an overview of language syllabuses K-10
- provide an overview of Stage 6 language syllabuses and eligibility requirements
- outline professional learning opportunities and support available to language teachers.

The document is available on our website, along with a comprehensive range of other resources for language teachers. 

We also recommend the document for all language teachers and Head Teachers, Languages.

The Languages and Culture team has developed a support document to assist non-languages trained head teachers and executive who supervise teachers of languages, however we recommend all language teachers 7-12 read this important information.

The document aims to:
- raise awareness of the importance of languages education
​- provide an overview of language syllabuses K-10
- provide an overview of Stage 6 language syllabuses and eligibility requirements
- outline professional learning opportunities and support available to language teachers.

The document is available on our website, along with a comprehensive range of other resources for language teachers. 

New course performance descriptors are available for the following syllabuses:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Modern Greek
- Spanish
- Turkish
- Vietnamese.

View the new course performance descriptors.

For more information, contact: 
Penny Vlies 
Senior Project Officer, Curriculum and Assessment

Due to insufficient applications, the Languages and Culture team is extending the deadline until Monday 10 September (with the exception of Japanese, for which we have received sufficient applications).

The Languages and Culture team is seeking experienced secondary teachers of languages to develop sample scope and sequences, units of work and assessment tasks for publication on https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/key-learning-areas/languages

The language-specific writing teams will consist of up to 3 teachers for each of the following languages:

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


• Language-specific writers require expertise in the target language and be experienced in programming for Stages 4 and 5.


• In addition, applicants must have attended one of our Languages K-10 Framework and Syllabus Familiarisation and Planning Workshops 2018.

Teachers from all areas of NSW are encouraged to apply. To be eligible, teachers must be permanent or temporary in a NSW public secondary school.

Successful applicants will be required to attend training and/or writing days at our offices in Darlinghurst for up to 5 days. The location is negotiable after the first day of training.

​The positions will commence mid-late Term 3.

The Languages and Culture team will provide release to attend training and/or writing days. Travel and accommodation costs may also be reimbursed, if required.

Selection criteria (to be addressed in a statement of claim, not exceeding one A4 page):

• - language teacher or executive member (with language-teaching background) at a NSW public secondary school – permanent or temporary
• - capacity to develop and design high-quality resources and support material to support the implementation of the new K-10 language syllabuses
• - demonstrated ability to work as part of a collaborative team
• - comprehensive knowledge of the relevant new syllabus document, including participation at a syllabus familiarisation and planning workshop (please indicate date and venue in your application).

 
All applications require the endorsement of the applicant’s current principal. Please attach one A4 page addressing the selection criteria to the expression of interest form, and email as a PDF to maxine.acosta4@det.nsw.edu.au by 5pm Monday 10 September 2018. (Please note that the date on the attached PDF has not been updated.)
 
For further information contact Maxine Acosta, Language Officer on 9266 8540 or via email.

At our recent K-10 syllabus workshops, many teachers have asked "Is it still possible to do the mandatory hours in Year 9?". We had advised that the mandatory 100 hours for the eight new syllabuses must be taught in Stage 4 from 2019, but this advice was incorrect.

We have sought clarification from NESA, and the answer is yes, it is still possible to do the mandatory 100 hours in Year 9 (or in Year 10).

NESA has advised that there are currently no changes to the mandatory requirements with the implementation of the new syllabuses. The mandatory requirement can be taught anywhere between Years 7 to 10, but preferably in Stage 4. (Reference: https://ace.nesa.nsw.edu.au/ace-4007)

The Languages and Culture team is seeking experienced secondary teachers of languages to develop sample scope and sequences, units of work and assessment tasks for publication on https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/key-learning-areas/languages

The language-specific writing teams will consist of up to 3 teachers for each of the following languages:

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


• Language-specific writers require expertise in the target language and be experienced in programming for Stages 4 and 5.


• In addition, applicants must have attended one of our Languages K-10 Framework and Syllabus Familiarisation and Planning Workshops 2018.

Teachers from all areas of NSW are encouraged to apply. To be eligible, teachers must be permanent or temporary in a NSW public secondary school.

Successful applicants will be required to attend training and/or writing days at our offices in Darlinghurst for up to 5 days. The location is negotiable after the first day of training.

​The positions will commence mid-late Term 3.

The Languages and Culture team will provide release to attend training and/or writing days. Travel and accommodation costs may also be reimbursed, if required.

Selection criteria (to be addressed in a statement of claim, not exceeding one A4 page):

• - language teacher or executive member (with language-teaching background) at a NSW public secondary school – permanent or temporary
• - capacity to develop and design high-quality resources and support material to support the implementation of the new K-10 language syllabuses
• - demonstrated ability to work as part of a collaborative team
• - comprehensive knowledge of the relevant new syllabus document, including participation at a syllabus familiarisation and planning workshop (please indicate date and venue in your application).

 
All applications require the endorsement of the applicant’s current principal. Please attach one A4 page addressing the selection criteria to the expression of interest form, and email as a PDF to maxine.acosta4@det.nsw.edu.au by 5pm Friday 31 August 2018.
 
For further information contact Maxine Acosta, Language Officer on 9266 8540 or via email.