Jane Simpson,

Australian National Universityjane.simpson@anu.edu.au

Connecting schools and universities in language learning

AFMLTA National Conference 2015Melbourne 10 July 2015

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Acknowledgment of country

• We acknowledge and celebrate the First Australians on whose traditional lands we meet, and pay our respects to the elders of this area past and present.

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Connections

Indigenous communities,

Diaspora communities,

Homeland communities

Schools

Community SchoolsUniversities

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5 projects connecting schools & universities

• ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language

• The Patyegarang-Dawes award– honouring language teachers

• ULPA – providing information on languages at universities

• OzCLO – getting students engaged with structure

• LAAL – providing resources on Indigenous languages

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CoEDL

• Aim to study how – languages are learned– they change over time– they are processed in the brain– they are structured and how they can differ

• Focus on languages of the Asia-Pacific region• Lead partners: ANU, Melbourne, Queensland, UWS

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Languages are…

• ways of communicating• entry to people's lives and world-views• entry to societies, their histories, cultures,

and aesthetic traditions• intricately structured products

– of people and societies – which are constantly changing

Linguistic Diversity

© 2013 ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language

Country sizes scaled by number of native languages

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Map Source: http://th-mayer.de/cartogram/

Linguistic Diversity

English

~1500 Asia-PacificlanguagesSpanish

French

Europeanlanguages

© 2013 ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language

Country sizes scaled by number of language-learning studies.Source: Language acquisition studies, CHILDES

Japanese

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CoEDL is seeking engagement with language teachers in schools

• Check our website• Contact us about potential projects and

partnerships• Become an affiliate

• http://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/

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Project 2: The Patji-Dawes Award, sponsored by CoEDLIt's a major achievement to learn• ways of communicating• intricately structured products of people

and societies • to handle the fluidity of languages

We should celebrate the mastery of another language

Information flyer in your registration packet

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Language learning and teaching

• Mastering the intricacy and complexity of another language is a great learning experience

• This is too rare in Australian society– except for Indigenous people and immigrants

learning English• We need to recognise publicly excellent

language learning and teaching.

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Early language learning in Australia

Patyegarang, a youngwoman of the Sydney region,taught Lieutenant William Dawesher language. His notes are the mostdetailed description of the Sydneylanguage, and reveal his affection forhis language teacher

Kárăgȧ To pronounce (asMr. Dawes búdyĕrĭ káraga

Mr. D. pronounces well)

http://www.williamdawes.org/

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The Patji-Dawes Award• Honouring language teaching• Any setting – school, university, private

language school, indigenous communities• Online nomination

– by someone inspired by their teacher to master the language.

– which sets out how the teacher inspired the nominator.

Deadline for submission of nominations: 20 August, 2015Award announced: 16 October, 2015 Award conferred: 25 November 2015

INFORMATION: http://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/get-involved/dawes-award/

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Nominate someone..

• http://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/get-involved/dawes-award/

• Spread the word!Information flyer in your registration packet

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Project 3: University Languages Portal of Australia

Languages are…• ways of communicating• entry to people's lives and world-views• entry to societies, their histories, cultures, and

aesthetic traditions• intricately structured products of people and

societies

We need to help people find where they can learn all these aspects of languages at universities

Information flyer in your registration packet

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Which Indigenous languages can you study where at University level?

• Pitjantjatjara – University of South Australia • Kaurna – University of Adelaide • Yolŋu Matha – Charles Darwin University • Wiradjuri – Charles Sturt • Gamilaraay – University of Sydney and ANU• Arrernte - Batchelor Institute of Indigenous

Education

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Modes of delivery

• Yolŋu Matha - online• Pitjantjatjara – intensive summer school

(used to be full semester)

The student enrolment numbers do not warrant offering these courses in many universities.

Solution: make it easy for students to take these languages cross-institutionally

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Application to other languages

• What applies to Indigenous Australian languages applies also to lesser-taught languages (Ugaritic, Burmese, Tetum…)

• And it applies to advanced level thematic courses in widely-taught languages

• ……

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University Languages Portal of AustraliaAn Office of Learning and Teaching Project

• www.ulpa.edu.au• Launch: 25 November 2016

– at the Colloquium of the Languages & Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU)

• http://www.lcnau.org/• http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/faculty_of_arts/

department_of_international_studies/events/lcnau_colloquium_2015/

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ULPA Aims• to create a national language portal,

– like the My University website • to allow people to find information on:

– 1. which languages are offered at which levels at which universities

– 2. which languages are offered online at which level, and at which universities

– 3. how to enrol cross-institutionally in these units of study from any university in Australia

• to highlight advantages of learning languages

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Mobile view

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Search by language

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Main search criteria: where and what?

• I want to study Spanish. How do I find out which universities offer it?

• I have just finished studying a language at Year 12 level—how do I find out where I can continue studying this language?

• I live in Western Australia and would like to study a language on-campus. How can I find out what languages are offered at universities in WA?

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Information

• About the languages• About ways of studying• Why study languages?

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Language categoriesIs it helpful for students to know if related languages are taught at the university?• Proposed categories

– Asian Languages– Australian Indigenous Languages– Classical Languages– Middle Eastern Languages– Modern European Languages– Pacific Languages– Signed Languages

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Language descriptions• What will beginning students want to know about the

language? E.g.– Indonesian is an Austronesian language. – It is a standardized form of Malay, the historical lingua

franca in the region. – When Indonesia declared its independence in 1945,

Indonesian became the national language, even thought 5 per cent of the population spoke it.

– The Indonesian language is a strong marker of national identity in a country with many other prominent regional languages.

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Language descriptions• What will beginning students want to know about the

language? E.g.– Indonesian is an Austronesian language. – It is a standardized form of Malay, the historical lingua

franca in the region. – When Indonesia declared its independence in 1945,

Indonesian became the national language, even thought 5 per cent of the population spoke it.

– The Indonesian language is a strong marker of national identity in a country with many other prominent regional languages.

Will people find this interesting - other

than linguists?

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Some questions we think students will ask• Can I enrol in a single subject without doing a degree?• What is a ‘language bonus’?• What is a Diploma of Languages?

Proficiency• What does ‘ab-initio’ mean?• I studied a language for a few years at secondary school but can't remember much -

can I study the same language again as a beginner?• Are there pre-requisites for the subject I am interested in?

Delivery• I would like to study a language online—what are the technical requirements?• Are there any requirements for me to attend the campus if I am studying online?• How many contact hours are required for language subjects?

Availability of languages• Where can I study an Indigenous language?• My university doesn’t offer any languages—what are my options?• I am interested in studying a language which isn’t offered anywhere—what can I do• Where can I do an intensive language course?

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Your advice is needed!

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Project 4: OzCLO sponsored by many universities

Languages are…• intricately structured products

– of people and societies– which are constantly changing

• Learning the structures, seeing patterns is an engaging and challenging intellectual activity

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OzCLO

Information flyer in your registration packet

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OzCLO Olympiad competition• a language puzzle-solving competition

– puzzles from spoken, written and artificial languages around the world

– done in teams– can be taken online– organised by State by university Linguistics

departments• for students in years 9-12

• especially those who like languages, maths, computers and natural sciences

• no linguistic knowledge necessary

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OzCLO Results 2014

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OzCLO 2015

• Two winning teams – Shore School, Sydney – All Saints Anglican School, Brisbane

• Going to Bulgaria to compete in the 13th International Linguistic Olympiad

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International Linguistics Olympiadhttp://www.ioling.org/

2014 Beijing, China2015 Bulgaria2016 India

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OzCLO 2016

• Competition – First Round: Thursday, 3rd March, 2016.– National Round: Wednesday, 23rd March, 2016.– Winners go to India for International Linguistic

Olympiad• Training packs are available on website• Information:

http://www.ozclo.org.au/ & FacebookInformation flyer in your registration packet

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Project 5: Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages (LAAL)sponsored by Charles Darwin University, NT Education Dept, NT Catholic Education, NT Library, BIITE, Australian National University

Languages are…• ways of communicating• entry to people's lives and world-views• entry to societies, their histories, cultures, and

aesthetic traditions• intricately structured products of people and

societiesWe need to preserve and provide access to the resources produced in language teaching

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Mother-tongue medium instruction in the Northern Territory• In the 1970s mother-tongue medium

instruction was supported for a number of speech communities in the Northern Territory

• Speakers produced reading material for the schools (everything from readers, to natural history, to myths, to oral history to dictionaries)

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Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages

• After the NT Government closed these programs, it was realised that the knowledge and aesthetic traditions represented in the materials and literature is very important for future generations.

• Charles Darwin University established LAAL http://www.cdu.edu.au/laal/ to digitise this material and where possible make it available on the web.

AmpilatwatjaAnguruguAreyongaBarungaGaliwin’kuGunbalanyaKaltukatjaraLajamanuLtyentye ApurteManingridaMilingimbiNguiuNumbulwarWadeyePapunyaUmbakumbaWadeyeWarruwiWillowraYipirinyaYirrkalaYuendumu etc

CENTRESLANGUAGES

AlyawarrAnindilyakwaAnmatyerrArrernte BurarraDalabonDjambarrpuyŋuGumatjGupapuyŋuJawoynKaytetyeKriolKunwinjkuMaungMurrinh-PathaNdjébbanaPintupi-LuritjaPitjantjatjaraRembarrngaTiwiWarlpiriWubuy etc

PLACES

Web interface www.cdu.edu.au/laal • User-friendly front-end

to CDU Library eSpace• Suitable for a variety of

devices • Visuals – map, covers• Browse by language,

place, author, title• New map page layout

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Current status (June 2015)

• Around 4000 items uploaded to repository• Awaiting permission to make public

• Around 2250 items already uploaded• Digitised, OCRed, metadata checked

• Around 1000 items still in progress• Digitised but awaiting OCRing, etc

• More books awaiting digitisation• Other sources not yet investigated properly

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For teachers• Use the Living Archive materials for your teaching. 

• Explore the use of the archive in different contexts, including the Australian Curriculum and the Draft Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages pathways. 

• Tell LAAL of your experience so we can share it with others.

• http://www.cdu.edu.au/laal/

Social media connections• Sign up to our newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/laalanguages

https://twitter.com/living_archive

www.cdu.edu.au/laal

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Further information

• ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Languages: coedl@anu.edu.au http://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/

• Patji-Dawes Award Information flyer in your registration packet http://www.dynamicsoflanguage.edu.au/get-involved/dawes-award/• ULPA: http://www.ulpa.edu.au/ULPA/ Information flyer in your

registration packet• OzCLO: http://www.ozclo.org.au/ Information flyer in your

registration packet • Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages: http://www.cdu.edu.au/laal/

Support for the production of this presentation has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, the ARC, and the ANU. The views expressed in this presentation do not necessarily

reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, the ARC or the ANU.

jane.simpson@anu.edu.au