NEWSLETTER

Vol-4 | 17 October 2013

Spanish Cooking

and Dancing

Nationwide work-

shops for Spanish

language teachers.

Read more here

Meeting the

Challenge

ILEP 2013 confer-

ence for language

teachers.

Read more here

Japanese language

workshop

NCEA workshops for

Japanese language

Read more here

German

Scholarships

German language

scholarships

announced.

Read more here

Stage de

Noumea

French language im-

mersive experiences

in New Caledonia.

Read more here

World War I

Shared Histories

NZ and French

schools collaborate

to commemorate

World War I.

Read more here

Language-themed workshops are an important tool for

professional development as they offer playful and practical

experience, offer new insights into culture and living, and

expose participants to new ways of doing things.

A range of Spanish cooking and dancing workshops are held

around the country, which have proven to be very popular

and successful with overwhelming participation in

Wellington, Auckland, Whanganui and Napier so far.

Nationwide Spanish Workshop Series

These professional development courses combine Tapas

cooking and traditional Spanish dancing in a two hour

session and are held in Spanish in a supportive manner to

make it an entertaining way of practicing the language while

celebrating traditions in two of the most important areas of

Spanish culture.

If you are interested in participating in a Spanish language

workshop as well, please find more information on our

homepage or contact Maria Mitenkova at admin@ilep.ac.nz.

Spanish music and Spanish dance

in particular have played an im-

portant part in Spains cultural his-

tory. The first mentioning in

Spanish literature dates back be-

yond the 6th century. Read more

here.

Also coming up:

Training Course on Spanish Language and Cinema

Three session-workshop on Spanish language and cinema for

teachers of Spanish organised by ILEP/Ministry of Education of

New Zealand in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of

Spain and the Department of Spanish of the University of

Auckland. Auckland, 15, 16, 23 November Read more

ILEP is hosting a special conference on Thursday, 14

November at Waipuna Conference Centre in Auckland.

Many languages teachers, who successfully completed the

TPDL Programme, are now facing the challenge of "what's

next". How do you become a leader in your area and keep

improving your language skills?

ILEP and the Ministry of Education are hosting a conference

to give languages teachers the opportunity to share and

discuss challenges, opportunities and ideas.

The conference will focus on language study, pedagogy,

Meeting the challenge — ILEP conference 2013

teachers as leaders and school initiatives.

For more information on the conference, or if you are

interested to attend, please go to www.tpdl.ac.nz/2013-

conference.

Japanese language learning and teaching

A number of events on Japanese language learning and teach-

ing is being organized in Christchurch this year.

The NCEA workshop at the University of Canterbury (UC)

on the 6th of June, attracted over 180 Japanese students from

13 secondary schools in Canterbury. The aim of this one-day

workshop was to help students prepare for the internal NCEA

assessments. The concept behind this workshop was to en-

hance the Japanese learning community beyond the borders of

the secondary and tertiary sector. Thus, 14 secondary school

teachers, 6 UC staff, one CPIT (Christchurch Polytechnic Insti-

tute of Technology) staff member, and the national language

advisor worked together to do the planning and organisational

tasks before and on the day. In addition, 16 UC students, taking

Japanese at stages 3 & 4, participated as teaching assistants and

mentors for the students, and they made a short presentation on

their experience of Japanese language learning.

The day started with a keynote talk by Dr Rachel Payne of UC,

who spoke enthusiastically about her introduction to Japanese

language and culture. This was followed by three language ses-

sions in groups of 10-15 students.

Students found the intensive nature of the sessions very benefi-

cial. They were able to use their Japanese in many different

contexts during the day, and experience different teaching meth-

ods and styles. They also enjoyed meeting and interacting with

students from other schools. There was an amazing wadaiko

(Japanese drum) performance by Takumi, the Canterbury Japa-

nese Drum club.

This event was the largest of its kind, and the key to its success

was the strong connection between secondary schools, tertiary

institutions and the language advisor. We believe that this

workshop contributed to strengthening the link between second-

ary and tertiary language departments, which will lead to fur-

ther development of the language programme.

Most recently, the Japanese language workshop at the

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT)

allowed a select group of teachers and academics to discuss

topics surrounding the learning and teaching of Japanese.

The group of 10 high school teachers, 3 CPIT academic staff and

the Japanese Language Advisor gathered to discuss different

approaches to language teaching, suitable readings and materi-

als as well as common grammatical pitfalls of Japanese in a re-

laxed and accommodating environment.

Thanks to CPIT and Ms. Semba from ILEP, the workshop was a

huge success and provided a range of helpful information, tips

and enlightening conversations.

ILEP National Language Advisor for Japa-

nese, Ms. Tomoko Semba has left for Ja-

pan to take on a new and exciting role,

and we wish her all the best for her future

overseas. Her contribution and ideas

made both events in Christchurch possible

and a huge success.

Farewell message from Tomoko Semba

Three of the best memories I will take away from NZ:

1. The first student who won the first place at the senior high

school division at the Australian final Japanese speech competi-

tion in 2011.

2. Discovering my personal links to NZ. I realised that high school

students that I taught Japanese in Hiroshima several years ago

were from Otago Girls High School.

3. It was really lovely to get to know that many teachers of Japa-

nese keep unique pets, such as cats, dogs, horses, and even

cows!

Three of the worst memories I will take away from NZ:

1. My arrival day to Wellington in the middle of Sevens Games

2. Driving a small rent car on motorway-1 from Petone to Welling-

ton on the record breaking storm day on 20 June.

3. When my smart phone tells me “not found” for the target place

I am trying to visit.

It was challenging for me to drive a rental car to unknown places,

speeding at 100Km on state highways. But it always turned out to be

a fantastic experience to meet teachers and students after these

long periods of travel.

Students Year 8 or below were always so curious about Japan, and

one of the popular questions from them was “Do you have NINJA in

Japan?”.

What is the ideal answer to this? “Of course we have! There are also

some schools for them and you can get a certificate when you grad-

uate from them”.....is it the one?

Although the numbers of learners of Japanese keep declining, there

are still many students who are interested in Japan and Japanese

culture, and New Zealand and Japan have had long and good rela-

tions in the past. We have so many things in common, not only in

geographic features, so I believe we can keep our wonderful rela-

tions and create good future together, too.

I really had very good time in New

Zealand and wonderful experienc-

es as Japanese Language Adviser.

I would like to thank all Japanese

language teachers in New Zealand

for their hard work and on-going

efforts to promote Japanese pro-

grammes.

As you know in 2019, Japan will

be hosting the Rugby World Cup,

and the Olympic Games in the fol-

lowing year. These fantastic two

great events will be good boosters

to encourage young kiwis to learn

Japanese!

“2019 nen ni Nihon ni ikimashou! 2020 nen ni Nihon de aimashou!”

Thank you for your warm support and friendship toward myself and

my work in New Zealand.

I wish you all the best for your good health and continued success

and I look forward to our paths crossing again.

Tomoko Semba

Final selection of scholarship recipients for Germany

This year, 8 scholarships of three different kinds were available

for the best New Zealand Year 12 students of German. The

initial selection was based on the results of NCEA Level 1

German exams and on the individual interviews which were

conducted by the National Adviser in the students' schools.

The best 18 applicants were then invited to the final selection

round which took place at the Goethe-Institut in Wellington on

15th and 16th September and was a true immersion experience.

Although there were only 8 actual scholarship awards, all

participants said that the experience of attending the two day

selection process was a prize in itself and inspiration to

continue studying German to a higher level. The National

Adviser of German was very pleased about the high level of

language skills achieved in New Zealand High Schools, despite

the relatively low number of contact hours in most cases. She

attributes this to the high level of motivation shown by both

teachers and learners of German in New Zealand.

Are you and your school interested in providing German

language programmes or would you like to increase your

network to Germany? Then contact the German National

Advisor, Heike Papenthin, at German@ilep.ac.nz.

On 14 September, CIUC and ILEP (International Languages

Exchanges and Pathways) organized the 2013 third term Chinese

teachers' workshop. The speakers were the national Chinese

Language Advisor Dr Wang Yu, French Language Advisor Glenda

Palmer, Kevin Grounds, Chinese teacher at St Bede's High

School and Zhu Lisha, Chinese teacher at Willow Park Primary

School in Auckland. More than twenty teachers participated in

this workshop including teachers form the South Island and CIUC

volunteers.

Confucius Institute Teaching Seminar

The seminar was broken up into four parts. First, Dr Wang Yu

led a thorough discussion about the aims people have for

studying Chinese. Those attending spoke from their personal

experience and their teaching experience.

One of the issues raised was "We study Chinese with the aim of

being able to dialog with people from other cultures, but when

we are teaching we emphasise correct grammar". This issue

stimulated much discussion. Next, Mr Grounds presented a

model lesson; his lively and realistic slides encouraged a lot of

discussion. After this, Ms Palmer placed the participants in a

totally foreign language situation, which allowed everyone

present to experience for themselves the difficulty of studying a

new language. Then Ms Lisha Wang introduced a series of

specific methods of Chinese language teaching which inspired

everyone present. Finally, the teachers shared different

classroom activities that they have used, particularly those

which the students enjoyed a lot, for example, climbing hills

and guessing sentences.

On that afternoon, the seminar concluded on a positive note.

The Chinese teachers who participated in the workshop all

said that they benefited from it, and said that they were

looking forward to participating in the next seminar.

The Stage de Nouméa provides a unique and invaluable

opportunity to be immersed in French life. Teachers participate

in a three-week long experience in Nouméa led by ILEP. Their

accommodation is provided by a New Caledonian family, and

their study time is divided between school observations,

intercultural inquiry and formal language classes at the

University of New Caledonia.

This programme has been well received and participants enjoyed

a great time and had first hand experiences in one of the most

Stage de Nouméa

Dr. Yu Wang is the National Chinese Advis-

er in New Zealand to support teaching and

learning of Chinese in NZ schools.

In November, she will be leading a panel

discussion as part of the NZASIA 2013

conference in Auckland. More info here.

beautiful places of the South Pacific.

Participants enjoyed practising their French, learn everyday

words and expressions and dive deep into the history and

commons of the culture. The programme provided them with a

unique chance to collect common phrases, discuss special topics

using the language and expanding their skills by engaging with

native French speakers all day.

Overall an unforgettable and enriching experience and a great

success for the language programmes.

If you are interested in participating in Stage de Noumea 2014,

please find more info here. Applications for 2014 will open in

December this year.

From 2014 and during the next four years, the

centenary of the first World War will be

commemorated in New Zealand and around the

globe.

Schools have a vital role to play in the

commemoration. As the last of the war veterans

have all but disappeared, it is essential that the

next generation should be educated about this

major episode of New Zealand’s history so that it is never

forgotten.

To mark the centenary of the Great War, the Ministries of

Education of New Zealand and France have decided to launch a

joint initiative to allow school children to commemorate the

common involvement of both countries in the Great War.

The programme, called Shared Histories, aims to create a

framework for schools to form partnerships and work on common

pedagogical projects on the theme of WW1.

A call for projects will be sent to all intermediate and secondary

schools in New Zealand. In France, colleges and lycées (secondary

schools) will also be invited as part of the French Education

Ministry’s programme Memoires héritées, histoires partagées.

Shared Histories seeks to bring school students together to

explore the profound significance and impact of this event through

creative projects. It offers obvious benefits in terms of learning

outcomes, but also builds lasting relationships with French schools

and raises cultural awareness. Contact Glenda Palmer on

French@ilep.ac.nz for more information.

World War I Commemoration Programme

Advisory Support

National Advisers for Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish provide lan-guage specific support and can also offer advice about foreign language assistants and scholarship and immersion opportunities for each language.

National Coordinators for Learning Languages, Secondary Student Achievement Con-tract, focus on effective implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum and the NCEA realigned achievement standards as well as the development of literacy and language practices.

Northern & Central Regions please contact: Dee Edwards.

Southern & Central South Regions please contact: Jo Guthrie

NZALT The New Zealand Association of Language Teachers offers a nationwide net-work to support language teachers, including regional meetings, professional devel-opment, awards, newsletters, conferences and advocacy on key issues.

Professional Development Opportunities

TPDL (Teacher Professional Development Languages) is a Ministry of Education funded programme aimed at developing teacher language proficiency and second lan-guage teaching capabilities in order to improve student language learning out-comes. TPDL is available to beginners as well as language experts.

ILEP (International Languages Exchanges and Pathways) supports schools and teachers to implement the Learning Languages curriculum area, particularly at Years 7 and 8.

Language Immersion Awards are provided by the Ministry of Education for teachers of languages to undertake immersion experiences overseas. Further details are available at the AFS website.

Don't forget! Check out the Learning Languages Website for regular updates and more information.

ILEP Language Teacher Conference ILEP invites you to a special conference on Thursday 14 November at Waipuna Confer-ence Centre in Auckland: "Meeting the challenge: Building on TPDL" Get in quick and register here.

Networking with German National Advisor A great opportunity to enrich your teaching, to inspire and to get inspired. Taking place on 30 October at Cambridge High School, 25 Swayne Road, Cambridge. Read more.

Training Course on Spanish Language and Cinema Three session-workshop on Spanish language and cinema for teachers of Spanish or-ganised by ILEP/Ministry of Education of New Zealand in collaboration with the Minis-try of Education of Spain and the Department of Spanish of the University of Auckland. Auckland, 15, 16, 23 November Read more.

Learn how to dance while you practice your Spanish! Three ninety-minute workshops for teachers of Spanish Taught by a Spanish profes-sional dancer who also teaches Spanish Organised by ILEP/Ministry of Education of New Zealand in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Spain. Next session: New Plymouth, 15 November 2013. More info here.

Chinese Scholarships 2014 The Chinese and New Zealand Ministries of Education are offering up to 12 scholar-ships to New Zealand teachers of Chinese to attend a three week intensive language and culture programme in China in January 2014. The programme is targeted towards teachers at the Sustainability stage of the PLD pathway for New Zealand language teachers. More info here.

French Immersion—Stage de Nouméa 2014 Applications for 2014 will open in December 2013. More info here.

Coming Up ... Key Contacts and Links