Organisations and Programs

Organisations and Programs

Other Australian Government initiatives – supporting the delivery of the NALSSP

The Australian Government has funded a number of national languages projects which will support the achievement of the NALSSP objectives:

  • The NSW Board of Studies, on behalf of the Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and Certification Authorities (ACACA), has developed language courses in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian and Korean for heritage speakers at the senior secondary level.
  • The University of South Australia undertook a project to provide important information on what proficiency means for each of the target languages at the end of Year 12. The project also investigated the impact of frequency of language learning, length of study and student language background on achievement in Asian languages education.
  • A project led by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, on behalf of ACACA,  investigated a national approach to access and incentives to study Asian languages at the senior secondary level. 
  • The Asia Education Foundation has examined the current state of Indonesian, Japanese and Korean language education in schools to provide a complete data set for the NALSSP target languages. The reports from this project were realised by on 25 May 2010. The set of reports complements the Chinese Language Education in Australian Schools report (October 2008) published by the University of Melbourne.

 

Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships

The Australian Government’s Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships provide opportunities for practising and trainee teachers to improve their language and cultural skills through a number of overseas short-term study programs. The Fellowships take place over a three-week period in January each year.

 

Language Teacher Organisations

Australian Federation of Languages Teachers Associations (AFMLTA)
The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA) is the national professional body representing teachers of all languages in Australia.
 
Chinese Language Teachers’ Federation of Australia (CLTFA). Inc

The Japan Foundation: Sydney


Studies of Asia

National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools
The National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools
is a national policy statement approved by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in 2005.  The Statement identifies the broad knowledge, understandings, values and skills required to engage with Asia in the context of existing policies and practices in teaching and learning.


Asia Education Foundation
The Australian Government supports the studies of Asia in Australian schools through the Asia Education Foundation.  Since its establishment in 1992, the Foundation has received annual grants from the Australian Government to support its work.
 
The Asia Education Foundation works in partnership with government and non-government education agencies, universities, philanthropic foundations and the corporate sector to:

  • promote and support the study of Asia across the curriculum
  • develop Asia-related print and electronic materials
  • promote the study of Asia through professional learning
  • educate the broader community about the importance of young Australians engaging with Asia.


MCEECDYA

The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA)comprises State, Territory, Australian Government and New Zealand Ministers with responsibility for the portfolios of school education, early childhood development and youth affairs. The council coordinates strategic policy at the national level.  Relevant MCEECDYA Languages Education Policy Documents are:

Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians
On 5 December 2008, State, Territory and Commonwealth Ministers of Education meeting as the then Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, released the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians  which sets the direction for Australian schooling for the next 10 years. The need for young Australians to become Asia literate, and engage with and build strong relationships with Asia is an important part of the Declaration.

MCEECDYA Languages Education Working Party
Ministers of Education are committed to the vision of quality languages education for all students, in all schools, in all parts of the country. They believe that through learning languages our students and the broader Australian community gain important benefits.

The MCEECDYA Languages Education Working Party meets regularly to implement and monitor the National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools .


Languages Education Page

DEEWR has a webpage dedicated to the teaching and learning of languages.  This website includes a number of national language reports funded under the Schools Languages Program.


Ethnic,Community and Government Language Schools

Community Languages Australia 
Community Languages Australia (Australian Federation of Ethnic Schools Associations) is an umbrella body uniting the state bodies of Australia’s 1400 community language schools.

State Government Language Schools

Victoria College of Languages 

South Australia School of Languages

New South Wales Saturday School of Community Languages

Darwin Languages Centre