Raising Children in More than One Language

A free seminar for parents, grandparents,
early childhood and preschool workers, teachers, and others interested in bilingual education

Sunday 21 February
International Mother Language Day
1.30-4.30pm

• Hear from parents who have raised their children in more than one language – and from the children themselves
• Discover more about the benefits of bilingual education
• Find out about opportunities for language learning and bilingual education in the ACT

Building 2, University of Canberra, Bruce
(enter from ‘The Hub’ – see map at www.canberra.edu.au/university/maps )

FREE ENTRY & REFRESHMENTS

Bookings essential: phone Marina on 6201 2483 or email Mandy.Scott@canberra.edu.au

This project was made possible by the support of the
ACT Government’s Multicultural Grants Program 2009–10

The turnout was similar to last year’s picnic – about 25 – and keen and useful links were made  between a range of languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Russian, Indonesian and Welsh.

 Most of the children who attended were too young for the ‘how many languages can you find’ game. However, those who had a go (and their mum!!) got something out of it.  For anyone wishing to follow up on the above language connections, please contact Mandy.Scott@anu.edu.au

March 21st (Harmony Day) is the date for next year’s Language Picnic in Melbourne. At the moment Angela, Brigitte and Elizabeth are working on the project arranging funding, the venue (Collingwood Children’s Farm) and community involvement. However we require more volunteers to help make it a fantastic day and promote languages education at the same time.  

After funding, probably the most important ingredient is community involvement. We need volunteers who would like to help with setting up games, story readings and representing the different language communities that exist across Australia.

Please feel free to join in and register your desire to help either by joining us here at “Lingo” and alternatively if you want to register your support really quickly you may like to visit us at melbourne languages picnic

We look forward to meeting you, one and all!

Expert blasts bilingual education changes

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/07/2678651.htm

Since the Public Meeting on this issue in August, the following action has been taken:

1. A Press Release was prepared and circulated with some media reports.

2. The matter was raised with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. A delegation made up of Professor Michael Clyne, Pandora Petrovska, Frank Merlino and Stefan Romaniw, met with the Acting CEO of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Mr David Howes on September 15, 2009.

The outcome of that meeting was as follows:

(a)    We wanted clarification as to what would happen to CCAFL in light of current national developments.  There has been a national curriculum for some languages in the form of CCAFL, predating the current move towards National Curriculum.  We made the point that it would be a terrible situation to dismantle a system that was working well. We were told that there were no moves to change any of the current set-up for language examination.  The languages that will be part of the National Curriculum have not yet been decided.

(b)    Mr Howes was open to the suggestion that there be a moratorium on the de-accreditation of VCE smaller candidature languages until the status of the National Curriculum for languages has been clarified.  He said that he would raise this with the VCAA Board and contact us regarding the outcome.

(c)     He said the issue of the de-accreditation of smaller candidature languages was not a costing issue as such, rather that a minimum number was required in an administrative sense.

(d)    We discussed the global scaling issue which often adversely affects the scores of smaller candidature languages, an issue which was raised at the Public Meeting. Mr Howes said that this affected other subject areas as well, and when it was implemented, was thought to be the fairest method of ranking students for university entry.  Until such a time, that universities establish other methods for tertiary entry, such as university partnership with schools, student portfolios and aptitude testing, the scaling would remain.

(e)    It was quite a positive meeting overall and we await a response regarding (b) from Mr Howes.

1. In Term 4 a Working Party needs to be established with representation from the key stakeholders who can take this matter further. The Working Party could consist of representatives from

• Tertiary
• Victorian School of Languages
• Community Languages Australia
• Modern Language Teachers Association of Victoria
• Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria
• Victorian Council of School Organisations
• Multilingual Australia
• Victorian Association of Secondary School Principals
• Australian Education Union

Please join in a ‘postcard’ mail-out campaign to lobby against this decision. There are two types of postcards:

- ‘Don’t cut off our tongues’ , addressed to Paul Henderson (NT
Chief Minister).
- ‘Reinstate bilingual education’, addressed to our MP Julia Gillard.

The postcards will be available in a couple of weeks. To support this initiative, please contact Greg Dickson, either by email (greg.dickson@batchelor.edu.au) or
c/- Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Katherine Annexe
PO Box 1896
Katherine NT 0851

and let him know which version and how many postcards you want. Distribute them amongst your friends, family and contacts, and ask them to forward on to the targeted parties.

Any other questions can be directed to Felicity Meakins via email, felicity.meakins@manchester.ac.uk.

Public schools aren’t helping students compete with foreign counterparts

The Register recently ran a story on HABLA, the Home-based Activities Building Language Acquisition program, which aims to help teach toddlers from low-income, Spanish-speaking families English and Spanish by sending language coaches into their homes.

HABLA is based on the premise that the more children communicate at a young age, the more quickly they develop language skills.

While the program remains controversial because of its bilingual approach, recent studies by the Brookings Institution suggest that improving toddlers’ native linguistic skills helps them more easily learn English.

Regardless of the arguments for or against HABLA, its premise – that children best learn languages when they are young and that frequent communication is necessary for language acquisition – should be considered in constructing foreign-language education in America.

Most public school students do not begin studying foreign languages until high school, and then it is usually to fulfill a graduation requirement. After all, it is difficult to see any reason to study a foreign language since much of the rest of the world is becoming fluent in English. Read more

Reprinted from Languages Education in Australia newsletter 21 August 2008