Connecting schools and universities in
language learning
AFMLTA National Conference 2015
Melbourne
10 July 2015
Jane Simpson,
Australian National University
jane.simpson@anu.edu.au
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
Universities
Schools
Community Schools
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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
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Linguistic Diversity
Europe
AsiaPacific
Country sizes scaled by number of native languages
© 2013 ARC Centre of Excellence
for the Dynamics of Language
Map Source: http://th-mayer.de/cartogram/
Linguistic Diversity
European
languages
English
French
Spanish
Japanese
~1500
Asia-Pacific
languages
Country sizes scaled by number of language-learning studies.
Source: Language acquisition studies,
CHILDES
© 2013 ARC Centre of Excellence
for the Dynamics of Language
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 CoEDL
It'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 young
woman of the Sydney region,
taught Lieutenant William Dawes
her language. His notes are the most
detailed description of the Sydney
language, and reveal his affection for
his language teacher
Kárăgȧ To pronounce (as
Mr. 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, 2015
Award 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/getinvolved/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 Australia
An 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/dep
artment_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 categories
Is 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
Will people find this
language? E.g.
interesting - other
– Indonesian is an Austronesian language. than linguists?
– 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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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 Olympiad
http://www.ioling.org/
2014 Beijing, China
2015 Bulgaria
2016 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/ & Facebook
Information 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
societies
We 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.
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PLACES
CENTRES
Ampilatwatja
Angurugu
Areyonga
Barunga
Galiwin’ku
Gunbalanya
Kaltukatjara
Lajamanu
Ltyentye Apurte
Maningrida
Milingimbi
Nguiu
Numbulwar
Wadeye
Papunya
Umbakumba
Wadeye
Warruwi
Willowra
Yipirinya
Yirrkala
Yuendumu etc
LANGUAGES
Alyawarr
Anindilyakwa
Anmatyerr
Arrernte
Burarra
Dalabon
Djambarrpuyŋu
Gumatj
Gupapuyŋu
Jawoyn
Kaytetye
Kriol
Kunwinjku
Maung
Murrinh-Patha
Ndjébbana
Pintupi-Luritja
Pitjantjatjara
Rembarrnga
Tiwi
Warlpiri
Wubuy etc
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
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/
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Social media connections
• Sign up to our newsletter
https://www.facebook.com/laalanguages
https://twitter.com/living_archive
www.cdu.edu.au/laal
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/
jane.simpson@anu.edu.au
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.
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