The Chinese Language Teachers Federation of Australia

No. 2 September 2012

The Australian Chinese Teacher

18TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE A GREAT SUCCESS

The 18th national Chinese teachers conference held in Perth on July 7-8 was the largest CLTFA annual At he the meeting of the CLTFA Council held during gathering ever, with about 200 participants from all the Conference, it was decided to hold the 19th states and territories except Tasmania together with Conference in Canberra on July 6 and 7 2013. several from overseas. The Council also decided to confer Life Membership Held at Mt Lawley Senior High School and Edith on two long-serving former officers of the Federation: Cowan University, the program included two key- Geoff Davis AM , as the initiator of the CLTFA first note speakers, thirty-one workshops, a panel discus- president (1994-2001) and newsletter editor since sion and reports from all states and territory affili- the Federation was established, and Andrew Beale ates. (CLTAV) for his many years as treasurer of the CLTFA. The success of the Conference was due, above all, to intensive work by the CLTAWA Committee over the first half of the year. Regular meetings were held at which every aspect of the work was given detailed attention. Officers of the Association put in long hours of work between each meeting attending to details. Every attempt was made to ensure that the workshops would have appeal to all teachers of Chinese in primary, secondary and Chinese community schools to ensure maximum attendance by local teachers. Participants comments were generally favourable. The attention paid to the organization, the keynote addresses, the hands-on nature of many of the workshops, the increase in professional knowledge, the chance to see the many resources available from booksellers were among points noted in evaluations received on both the first and send days.

In This Issue From the President At The Conference Keynote National Curriculum Keynote A/Prof Grace Zhang Around the Bation Conference Reports Book Review CLTFA Directory p2 p 3 p 4-9 p. 9 p 10-13 p 14 p. 15

THE AUSTRALIAN CHINESE TEACHER

From the President

September 2012

Dear CLTFA members, James delivered a paper and Its been a while since we met at the convened a paper delivery session. 18th CLTFA Conference in Perth in July. During the election of ISCLT council members on, he was asked to represent CLTFA for the election. What a fantastic conference it was. As a result, CLTFA received third I would like to congratulate the highest votes and was elected CLTAWA Committee on executing Executive Council Member in such a professionally run conference. the Council. Our appreciation As a member of the organising goes to James for his continued committee, I was personally work to place CLTFA on the map. involved with the hard grind that went into running this major Our other main concern now is event. A lot of credit goes to Jieqi the Chinese syllabus in Australian Zhang, President, Bonnie Woo, Vice Curriculum. At this stage, all President and Secretary, Yung Mew three pathways for Chinese ( 2L of CLTAWA. In addition, the team and BS F-10, 1L 7 10) will go to of supporting teachers should be the ACARA Board for approval in applauded for making the sacrifice November. Their expected release of missing workshops to allow the for public consultation will not be conference to run like clockwork. until around mid December. The The CLTAWA committee is a band public consultation is planned for of Chinese teachers encompassing the period December to March all sectors of Chinese programs in 2013. I urge members to keep track WA. of its progress and make response when the curriculum is available for CLTFA is now officially going consultation. The Keynote Address global. Recently, former President of Andrew Scrimgeour printed in & present Treasurer, James Wu this newsletter will provide a good OAM attended the ISCLT Council basis for your responses. of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching ( Wishing you all a great Term 4 and a ) conference in Xian. well deserved Summer break. The conference was organised by Hanban and approximately 500 Anita Chong people attended this biannual event.
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September 2012

At the Conference

Professor Kerry Cox, Vice-Chancellor of Edith Cowan University deleivered the Welcome to Country and to the University. He noted the importance of Chinese and spoke of the close contacts the university now has in China.

Anita Chong, President of the Chinese Language Teachers Federation, presided over the Conference and the CLTFA Council and was one of the speakers at the Panel Discussion .

Jieqi Zhang, President of the CLTAWA and leader of the organising commmittee , acted as MC throughout the conference.

Geoff Davis AM, founder and first CLTFA President officially opened the Conference. He spoke briefly of the aims of the CLTFA and the way it had worked to achieve its goals.

THE AUSTRALIAN CHINESE TEACHER

September 2012

QUALITY CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHING: DIVERSITY, NATIONWIDE AND BEYOND The Australian Curriculum Chinese; Dealing with Distinctiveness & Diversity Andrew Scrimgeour University of South Australia The challenge for Chinese Curriculum for the Australian classroom We are at present in an age of Chinese fever in which there is a great interest in and demand for quality opportunities to learn Chinese, in order to make the most of the opportunities created by Chinas extraordinary rise as a key player in the world economy, and as a key driver of the sustained economic prosperity Australia has benefited from over the last decade or more. Since Kevin Rudd announced the aspirational targets for the NALSSP guidelines back in 2007, aiming to achieve at least 12 % of students exiting Year 12 with a fluency in an Asian language sufficient for engaging in trade and commerce in Asia and/or university study by 2020, there has been a consistent recognition that Asia literacy is 21C literacy and that this is a strategic necessity for Australia. Features of Chinese fever in Australia With the rise in Chinese fever and the increase in government support for the study of Chinese, there has been a notable increase in interest and support for Asian languages in schools, which has lead to a rise in the provision of programs for Chinese second language learners in schools, as well as an increase in participation by Chinese language background learners and first language learners in schools programs as well. As Dr J Orton noted in the report on Chinese Language Education in Australian Schools (2008), by senior secondary school, the teaching and learning of Chinese in Australia is overwhelmingly a matter of Chinese teaching Chinese to Chinese. Therefore retention of classroom second language learners needs to be the first priority in any campaign to increase numbers in Year 12 Chinese, and in order to achieve this, students who speak Chinese at home should be taught and assessed separately from students who learn the language in a classroom. More recently in an article published in The Australian newspaper (October 01, 2011) entitled Chinese classes topsy-turvy Jane Orton declared that the dream of Chinese (as a second language) as a mainstream subject in schools is fading fast. Engaging the DIVERSITY of learners with the task of learning Chinese as a foreign and as a background language In this context of increasing learner diversity in terms of their language and culture background, their prior language learning experiences, and in their attitude, motivation, disposition to Chinese learning, it is timely for a reconsideration of how curriculum can be developed to address this complexity and meet the challenge of serving the Chinese language learning needs of such a diverse group of learners. This challenge is quite distinct to Chinese in the current climate. It requires curriculum to recognise and respond to the challenge of teaching a most DISTINCTIVE language, Chinese recognising that for the majority of teachers they will be teaching their first Language Chinese, via the medium of their second language, English, while at the same time learning to manage a complex Chinese curriculum for a diversity of learners in their particular school context, with what is consistently acknowledged to be a particularly limited set of resources to deal with this diversity. The Australian curriculum Chinese; a personal perspective. While I acknowledge my role within the process of writing the national curriculum for Chinese, this address reflects only my own views on the curriculum and how it responds to the issues for Chinese in schools. I do not represent ACARA and the views expressed here are my own.
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September 2012

I will review the curriculum with a focus on three key themes; 1 The language (the distinctiveness), 2 The curriculum (the construct), and 3 The context (the diversity) 1 Features of Chinese learnability; Recognising the distinctiveness of Chinese in the Australian context Any curriculum designed to address the particular needs of Chinese second language and background language learner students must address the issues of oral language development and print literacy in distinctive ways, and acknowledge that these two components of Chinese learning are likely to develop at different rates ad in different ways, given the distinctiveness of the language and its distance from English. The task of learning Chinese can be best addressed by designing curriculum with a clear separation between learning to interact orally (supported by print materials in pinyin), and learning to read and write (supported by texts and resources in characters). These issues are not as great for children who regularly speak Chinese at home, but the issues of time on task and the need for resources that address their needs in developing literacy skills and extending their domains of use in reading and writing are also in need of attention for home language users as well. 2 The Curriculum construct Teachers are urged to consult the The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in 2011 ( www.acara.edu.au) for full details on the nature of the curriculum design that Chinese language will need to follow in the development of a national curriculum document for Chinese. In this address I will touch upon a few features of the curriculum as outlined in The Shape Paper, and discuss the implications for Chinese. These key features include; Learner groups and pathways; Time on task & Continuity; Rationale & aims; and the curriculum structure the strands. Recognising the distinctiveness of learner background in the Chinese Classroom; Learner groups & pathways One of the most significant initiatives outlined within The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages (hereafter the Shape Paper) is the recognition of the need to provide curriculum for different groups that is sensitive to diverse needs. In the case of Chinese, learners of Chinese in Australia can be identified in three major groupings: Second Language learners, Background Language learners, and First Language learners, while recognising that within all these groups there will be differences in proficiency in using Chinese. (The Shape Paper para 55). Only Chinese will be developed in each of these three pathways to cater specifically for second language learners across F-10, background language learners across F-10 and first language learners in Years 7-10. The other languages (and associated learner pathways) for which F-10 Australian Curriculum will be developed by the end of 2013 include Arabic, Modern Greek, and Vietnamese for background language learners, and French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish for second language learners. A Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages is also being developed. It is important to recognise that these decisions about curriculum development do not necessarily represent or determine the administrative organisation of language programs in schools. It will remain a school-based decision as to what pathways of curriculum are offered and how classes are organised within each school site. Within each of these learner groups a target group is identified, recognising that a greater diversity in knowledge and experience is likely to occur in reality. Second language learners are described as learners who are introduced to learning Chinese at school. Background language learners are described as learners who use Chinese at home (not necessarily exclusively) and have a knowledge of Chinese and a base for literacy development in Chinese These learners are therefore expected to be essentially bilingual in being raised in their Australian English language context Bilingual learners. First language learners are described as learners who are Chinese language users who have undertaken at least primary schooling in Chinese; they have had their primary socialisation as well as initial literacy development in Chinese. These students, as recent migrants to Australia, are still likely to be Chinese dominant and developing skills in English as they adapt to living in the Australian community.

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September 2012

Time on task The Shape Paper establishes a benchmark for years of compulsory study and time on task for language learning, but again does not mandate such allocations. Time on task will remain a school decision. The Australian Curriculum: Languages is being developed on the assumption that all students will learn languages across the Foundation to Year 8 span and have the opportunity for continuing learning through to the senior secondary years. In terms of allocation of hours, the indicative allocation of hours in typical language programs used to inform the development of curriculum content and achievement standards is: 300 400 hours of learning (undertaken across F-6) 130 160 hours of learning (undertaken across 7-8) 130 160 hours of learning (undertaken across 9-10) 200 240 hours of learning (undertaken across 11-12). A rationale for Chinese While ACARA has decided which pathways should be developed for Chinese, it is necessary to establish a sound rationale both for learning the language and for each pathway, recognising that if different pathways are required then the reasons for offering each pathway may well be different. The rationale for learning Chinese seems obvious enough in current social and economic circumstances. However the rationale for learning Chinese language in compulsory school-based programs needs to offer reasons which will be relevant to young learners, their parents and the wider community, recognising that not all learners will necessarily continue their study through to senior secondary level or beyond. In this context there are four significant reasons for ALL learners to learn or continue to learn Chinese These include recognising; the significance of Chinese as both a global and a local language, not restricted to a particular place, but being actively used in communities around the world, including in our own Australian community. the educational challenge of learning a tonal and character based language like Chinese, and acknowledging that learning Chinese does require a particular set of skills and a commitment of time and energy to the task that sets it apart from all other languages. the dynamism of the Sinophone world (the world of Chinese speakers), and appreciating that along with greater engagement with the rest of the world and rapid economic growth and social change, comes a real dynamism in how Chinese people think, act and communicate, whole maintaining certain links with the long traditions from which it has arisen. The opportunity that learning Chinese offers for future engagement with the Sinophone world. Economic opportunity for the individual and meeting the economic needs of the nation are often put forward as primary reasons for learning Chinese, but in a school based context student aspirations tend to be shorter term and more personal, so this reason is given less attention than the educational, intercultural and social benefits of learning Chinese A rationale for Chinese Second Language For second language learners the real benefits of Chinese learning lie in the challenges of dealing with the distinctiveness of this particular language and its associated culture. The distinctiveness of the language clearly lies in its challenge as a tonal, character-based language, and the particular skills in learning and using such a language that learners need to acquire. Given the typical English and alphabetic background that most second language learner students bring to the task, coming to grips with the distinctiveness of Chinese, and with the features of English in comparative perspective, creates the opportunity to develop a deeper awareness of the nature and diversity of language in general. These contrasts and challenges create the opportunity for young learners to develop a particular set of knowledge and skills in language and culture learning and use, and to extend learners appreciation of languages as systems, and variability within and across systems. Overall, for second language learners the experience of learning Chinese has the potential to be a richly rewarding experience, invaluable in future educational and communication endeavours.
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September 2012

A rationale for Background Learners: For background language learners the study of Chinese as their home language provides opportunities to engage with Chinese as an object of study, and to reflect upon the knowledge and skills gained at home. It is a chance to help home users build upon their oral language capabilities and develop the skills to learn to read and write in Chinese and extend their linguistic repertoire in Chinese. As they learn to read in Chinese and communicate with a wider range of Chinese speakers, a wider world of knowledge, experiences and interactions with other Chinese users, opens up for them, allowing for deeper engagement with the literature and other forms of cultural expression, including popular youth culture, and the chance to deepen their sense of identification and engagement with their wider Chinese community. In the Australian, English language educational environment it is also an opportunity to develop learners bilingual and bicultural awareness, to better understand the nature of language and culture systems, and become more aware of the particular characteristics of Chinese in its cultural context, and compare this with their developing knowledge of English and its use in the Australian cultural context. A Rationale for First Language Learners: For students who think, learn and express themselves daily through Chinese learning Chinese in the Australian classroom provides an important opportunity to return to the world of their native language and participate in activity and dialogue in Chinese about their social, cultural and educational experiences as they adapt to living, learning and communicating in a language and culture other than their own. This opportunity to reflect on and develop an intercultural stance toward their own lived experience offers the potential to assist learners to both better understand themselves and deepen their sense of confidence in their own place in both the Chinese speaking and English speaking worlds. The Shape of the Curriculum, Structure and strands The interrelated aims of learning languages described in the Shape paper include: Communicating in the target language Understanding language, culture and their relationship, & developing an intercultural capability Self-awareness: understanding of self as communicator. These three interrelated aims are to be realised through personal experiences of communication, with a focus on personal experience and experiential learning which reflects the real-life process of action and reflection that is part of everyday life and communication and contributes to the construction and articulation of an individuals linguistic and cultural identity. The curriculum is organised through a set of two interrelated strands. Communicating: using language for communicative purposes Understanding: analysing language as a resource for making meaning The Communicating Strand is itself organised into SIX sub-strands; Socialising and taking action; to socialise to exchange ideas, opinions, experiences, thoughts, feelings and plans and to take action as participants in interaction with others Obtaining and using information; to obtain, process, interpret and convey information in a range of texts; to develop and apply knowledge Responding and expressing imaginative experiences; to respond and give expression to imaginative experience through literature and other forms of textual modalities Moving between/translating; to mediate between languages and cultures to develop the capacity to explain different perspectives to others Expressing identity; to establish and give expression to their own identity as individuals and as members of particular speech communities and cultures Reciprocating: to reflect on experiences of learning and using language

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September 2012

Critical to the needs of Chinese, the structure of the Communicating (using Chinese for communicative purposes) strand allows for curriculum in to be described in a distinctive way, recognising Oral Interaction (listening and speaking), and Written Interaction (reading and writing) require a distinctive set of knowledge and skills, and a distinctive trajectory of progress and development that deserve to be described separately. So for each of the first four sub-strands, Socialising, Obtaining and using information, imaginative experience and translating, there are a separate set of Content Descriptions (and elaborations) for both Oral Interaction and Written Interaction in both receptive and productive modes. The second strand, Understanding; analysing language and culture as resources for interpreting and creating meaning includes substrands (content descriptions and elaborations) relating to the Chinese language system, the variability of contexts of communication, Language awareness, and intercultural exchange in communicating across languages and cultures. The distinctiveness of Chinese Language for second language learners in particular can be addressed through a number of Sub-strands within The Understanding Strand. Within the Systems substrand, content descriptions can detail content and processes for analysing the systems and characteristics of Chinese; including understanding systems of Phonology, Orthography, Morphology, Grammar / Syntax, Text that are particular to Chinese (and how these contrast to English) Within the Variability substrand, content descriptions can identify features of variability in Chinese language use in the a range of contexts and compare this across cultures Within the Awareness substrand, content descriptions at each phase of schooling can address the nature and role of Chinese in the world, for example: the distribution and use of Chinese; variations in the language including accents / dialects, writing systems, romanised forms: The ecology of Chinese including current dynamism, transfers between languages, the role of code-switching; and influence of technology on language and communication. Within the Language and Culture substrand learners are encouraged to analyse, compare and reflect on the role of Chinese language and culture in their learning and use, and explore concepts that impact on communication across cultures Overall the Australian Curriculum: Languages provides a unique opportunity to construct a curriculum both relevant to the distinctiveness of the Chinese language as an object of study, and to the needs of the diversity of learners as identified through the three pathways. There will be many challenges in its implementation, as much as in its development. The Australian Chinese language classroom is a complex place, containing a rich diversity of learners, in terms of language and culture backgrounds and learning needs this each teacher will need to find their own context specific way of interpreting and applying this curriculum as appropriate to their own context. The teachers themselves display a rich diversity of education and language background, teaching experience and expectations of learners and curriculum. How they interpret the curriculum will be influenced by their prior knowledge and experience and as such their responses will differ Given this complexity, given the distinctive nature of Chinese and the diversity of learners in many classrooms, can the national curriculum effectively reflect and respond to these challenges? For the writers a number of questions must challenge their thinking and approach to determining content, of deciding what is necessary in a Chinese curriculum for Australian students. It goes beyond the basic task of deciding how to represent Chinese language & culture learning and purposeful communication in Chinese? The challenge must include considering how curriculum content might best reflect the learners and their learning experiences of Chinese language and culture in the Australian context, rather than simply documenting the Chinese language and its teaching sequence. The curriculum anticipates an intercultural orientation that includes comparing, contrasting & reflecting on Chinese and English, developing language awareness by comparing forms and relating functions, comparing Chinese, local and other cultures, relating ones own experience with that of others with a focus particularly on understanding the learning processes and communication experiences of different learners with different needs. The curriculum is explicit in its attention to Language and Culture, providing the opportunity to include curriculum content that focusses on the Chinese language, & diversity within it, on Chinese culture(s) with a focus on the contemporary Chinese cultures in its contemporary global context, emphasising that the curriculum must recognise Chinese language and culture as a global phenomenon, best described as encompassing the Sinophone world and the experiences of those who live and interact within it, no matter where they live.
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Most importantly of course the curriculum requires a unambiguous focus on meaningful communication, ensuring that all ;earners , irrespective of background or experience are given opportunities for personal communicative experience, to be exposed to authentic language in use, to have the opportunity to actively construct their own interpretations and meanings, from what they see, hear or read or do. The focus must reflect the particular needs of each group of learners in the context of their everyday oral interaction, in the context of culture, with a clear and ongoing opportunity for reflection on their lived experience. In conclusion, Australian Curriculum: Languages provides an opportunity for national collaboration and national coherence in curriculum design and program delivery, the process of development and implementation will be long and complex, but the benefits of the initiative should not be underestimated. References ACARA (2011) The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages. http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Languages_-_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum.pdf Orton, J. (2008). Chinese Language Education in Australian Schools. http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/chinese_language_education_in_australian_schools_file. pdf
DIVERSITY AND LOCALISATION: AUSTRALIAN-BASED CHINESE TEACHINGKEYNOTE SPEECH

September 2012

Associate Professor Grace Zhang (Curtin University) When we teach Chinese expressions relating to celebrations and festivals, should our teaching materials be based on Chinese New Year, Australian Christmas, or both? This presentation focuses on the principles and practices of choosing and tailoring Chinese teaching materials. It investigates the following questions: Should our classroom materials be localised with Australian cultural content? If so, how should this be done? The theoretical framework of McKay (2002, 2012) is adopted, that is, locality is a key issue in language teaching and effectiveness depends on classroom materials being specific to local contexts. The concept of localisation is discussed through case studies (e.g. Chinese language textbooks with different approaches) and analysis of Chinese language diversities (regional, situational and cultural). Different cultures and social norms bring different teaching needs and goals across different societies, and a localised approach is key to bringing the best of diversity. A localised approach can make students highly motivated to learn and diverse local cultures demand carefully tailored teaching content. Choosing teaching materials is a balancing act between the target cultural content (China) and the source cultural content (Australia). The concepts of diversity and localisation are applicable to all areas of high-quality language teaching, and have wide-ranging implications. They are particularly vital if and when we reach the era of world Chineses in analogy to world Englishes (e.g. Kirkpatrick 2010), and Chinese being taught as an international language (e.g. McKay 2002). References: Kirkpatrick, Andy (2010). The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes. London: Routledge (Taylor and Francis). McKay, Sandra (2002). Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McKay, Sandra (2012). Globalization, Language Use, and the Teaching of English. Presented at English as an International Language 2012 Lecture, Monash University. Retrieved on March 31, 2012 http://www.arts. monash.edu.au/eil/lecture-2012.php
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September 2012

Some reports to the 18th National Conference

QUEENSLAND 225 members on the list, less than half are paid
members. Our term 1 PD was on Sunday 5/2/2012, 2:00 to 4:00pm. We had two workshops on the day on how to fill in funding applications and how to look for projects; and how to build up your school community profile , 36 teachers attended the workshops. CLTAQ president Hui Richards did a staff professional development session on Chinese Culture on the 13th of February at Centenary State High School. The whole school teachers (about 90) attended the PD. ICT PD in term 3 Sunday 15/7/2012 Workshop 1: Quizlet and Teacher Tools; Workshop 2: Avatar; Workshop 3: Electronic Whiteboard Chinese Cultural Days with Confucius Institute at Q UT 1. We organized Chinese Cultural Day on the 22 Feb 2012. We did fan dance, paper cutting, Qigong exercise and Chinese cooking on the day. 136 students and teachers took part in the activities. 2. We did Gongfu, Chinese exercise (Baduanjin), Chinese craft and little Chongqing Restaurant at Kedron State High School on the 29th Feb, 2012. 87 students and teachers involved 88 Cultural activities at Stafford Heights State School on the 27th March (91 sts and teachers took part) 3. Cultural activities at Everton Park State School on 18th June (112 sts, teachers and admin staff took part) Regional & Qld state-wide speaking competitions in collaboration with Confucius Institute at QUT Rockhampton on the 29th March (2 schools and 62 students and teachers took part); Townsville on the 24th April ( 4 schools, 54 sts and teachers took part); Hervey Bay on the 4th May (8 schools, 70 sts and

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA
CLTAWA has undertaken quite a few activities while focusing mainly on organizing the 2012 CLTFA Conference for past 6 months. In term 3 and 4 of 2011, we held our annual Chinese Speaking and Writing Competitions. Our 2011 AGM was in last November and a new committee team was elected at the meeting. We currently have about 100 members. A members and families New Year BBQ picnic was a big success. In Term 1 and 2, primary school teachers had a PD workshop on how to use digital resources in teaching, classroom management and discussions on the Chinese National Curriculum. The High School (Hanyuqiao) Students Chinese Bridge Competition WA selection was held in June. Four winners of this competition will compete with candidates from SA, ACT & NT in Adelaide in July, the winners of which will join the world competition in China in November. Successfully hosting the CLTFA 18th national Conference Conference is our main goal for this year and lots of time and efforts have been channeled into the organization of this major event. We have more than 180 participants for this year attending this annual Conference across states and internationally, and encompassing all sectors and community schools. Other major student activities in the horizon will be the Chinese Writing and Speech Competitions in Term 3 and Primary School Pandas Picnic in Term

4. For teachers, there will more opportunities for professional learning.

Immersion Program in collaboration with Confucius Institute at Qld University of Technology The immersion programs were from 24th to 28th June at Qld Conference and Camping Centre. 9 schools and more than 50 students and teachers were involved in the program.

teachers took part)Queensland state-wide speaking competition on 26th May (700 sts, teachers and parents took part). >>>>>

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THE AUSTRALIAN CHINESE TEACHER

September 2012

Some reports to the 18th National Conference

CLCSA SOUTH AUSTRALIA
CLCSA is made up of a 30 40 Chinese teachers who are particularly interested in Chinese Language and curriculum. Our interest is mainly in working to support and share teaching practice with all new, potential and current teachers of Chinese. Priscilla Tyler, the deputy chair person has worked hard to establish a website to advertise and share our work with others. We have only just started this venture and propose to upload and share our work with our members as we grow and develop. http://www.clcsa.com.au/default.html We recently advertised two events for upcoming potential and new teachers to participate in the form of two workshops on June. 22nd.This was well attended by some students studying Chinese at Adelaide University and some who had just finished their practicum. These were new people whom we hadnt met before and we let them know of our website and future events. The workshops delivered by Priscilla and Wang Xuewei were a real hit. Priscilla shared some classroom management techniques and philosophies on how to manage your first years as a language teacher. Xuewei shared her perspective on being a native speaker and the importance of forming positive relationships with students and colleagues. It was great to hear two different perspectives and we all joined in and open discussion on what we thought and some particpants posed questions. Andrew Scrimgeour is going to manage and deliver Chinese conversations as an event later in the year to give us an update on The Australian curriculum and its impact on Chinese language and literacy. An event we will advertise broadly to all current and potential teachers in South Australia. I would like to summarise my report with an invitation to watch this space we hope to develop our website to include links and work that all teachers from all over Australia can access and benefit from We are the Chinese Language Curriculum Studies Association for all Australia not just SA. Stay tuned!

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NEW SOUTH WALES

Priorities Continue to support teachers and students who are undertaking HSC Heritage Chinese course; Develop quality Trial HSC Exam Assessment materials for the various Chinese courses; Create the most relevant and practical professional learning opportunities to Chinese language educators; Increase participation and promote excellence in Chinese language education in NSW. Membership 4 Members before AGM 2012 Grow to 86 up to 1st July (34% increase

Brand new Website This has now replaced the previous site

Sample Exam papers These have been created to meet the needs of students taking the three levels of Chinese now being offered

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Some reports to the 18th National Conference

NEW SOUTH WALES VICTORIA 2011-2012 CLTAV Report Since July 2011, the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Victoria has undertaken the following main tasks: Actively promote Chinese language teaching and learning in Victoria. In recent l years, CLTAV has worked closely with Victorian Department of Education, Education Office of the Chinese Consulate-General, the Confucius Institute and the Chinese Teachers Training Centre of Melbourne University, China Books Melbourne etc on various programs and activities including forums, workshops, seminars, competitions etc. These organisations also have generously provided financial support to CLTAV. Further improve members self-registration on the Associations newly furbished website. All members can now complete their registration or renewal through the website, on which they can also exchange or share their experience and ideas. Organise various academic exchanges, forums and seminars for members; and encourage members to attend both national and international conferences. Also to invite experts from various areas to run workshops on VCE Chinese, classroom management, new technologies for teaching and occupational health etc. Make full use of the Associations resources to create recreational activities for members. The Executive Committee decided to make two executive members responsible for this area. Some activities of this kind have been and will be organised during Melbourne Arts Festival or Melbourne International Film Festival in particular. Compile a book on the Associations history and provide financial support to members for their publishing some teaching resources.

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Contuned from the previous page

Professional Learning Anunber of workshops on the Chinese Heritage Course were held

Media Exposure Regular reports on the work of the CLTANSW have appearsed in the Chinese language media

ARE YOU ON THE LIST? Join CLTFA_discussion@yahoogroups.com Contact Chinese teachers all over Australia! Share news, discuss experiences, ask for information, share details about useful websites and learning materials, etc.

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Some reports to the 18th National Conference

CLTAV Report continued from previous page Apart from these tasks, the Association has also completed the following activities during the last financial year. Collaborated again with Chinse Language Teachers Association of Tasmania to run successfully another Chinese Bridge Competition for Foreign Students of Secondary Schools in May 2012. In August 2011, held another annual Reading Awards for Year 7-9 non-background students of Chinese. In October 2011, held another annual Writing and Speech Competition for Chinese Background students and there would be a similar Writing and Speech Competition for Chinese Second Language Advanced students for the first time in August 2012. Continue to support various networks of VCE Chinese, IB Chinese, Primary School Teachers and VET Chinese. Organised four general meetings each year. An election of a new executive committee was held at the end of 2011 and provided subsidy for members dinner at the last general meeting in 2011.
CLTAT was established in 8 May 2011, currently having 21 members. The first year is very busy for CLTAT. We had our first AGM in July and first workshop in November. We elected our executive committee members: President: Shelley KeyesVicePresident: Kim Phong,; Secretary: Kiki Petrova; Treasurer: Helen Han

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September 2012

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Time flies and CLTASA experienced a busy but successful first half of 2012. The professional development workshops had good attendance and positive feedback from members. More than 20 people participated in our Movie event in Term 2 where teachers shared movies that they can incorporate in their teaching programs at primary, secondary and background. All three 3 movies ran concurrently and proved to be interesting and useful. We are currently organizing our state conference co-organized by CLTASA, CLCSA and Confucius Institute, tol be held on August 18th 2012. The theme will be Creative Teaching in the Modern Classroom . We have decided to hold our AGM at this time because we believe that we have more members attending at this time and would like our members to have a large say in what we do. In term 4, to encourage and promote Chinese language teaching and learning, Chinese Language Awards will be held in November as usual. Prizes will be awarded to the best student of each school offering Chinese as a Second Language course. Throughout the state, approximately 250 people will be expected to attend the event and celebrate the achievement of the students and schools. This year we have changed our selection criteria to show case the award winners work on the evening. We continue to produce a newsletter each term and we are currently working on establishing

CLTA TASMANIA

Tarshi Hull from Hutchins and Lucy Dawkins from the Friends School came first and second and they represented Tasmania in the final competition in 18 teachers attended the November workshop on Melbourne. Lucy came 4th place and may go to China using AIM and non-verbal communication methods for further observation. in the Chinese language classroom.
The CLTAT 2012 Hanyuqiao Competition was held in the Hutchins School on Friday 27th April. Over 60 Students from 8 schools took part in this competition covering four categories: poetry reading, general conversation, speech and culture performance. All participants performed at a very high level impressing the audience and judges with a perfect

On 18th May, the Friends School organized their 2nd Chinese music night for over 400 people. The schools Chinese folk band, Chinese rock band, Chinese choir, Chinese dancing group and an Australian soloist demonstrated their talents to an appreciative audience. The CLTAT is taking small steps to achieve their goals and we are strongly confident about our future.

combination of authenticity and creativity. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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THE AUSTRALIAN CHINESE TEACHER

September 2012

Book Review
James Wu and Bai Lu: 800 Essential Chinese Dictionary for Australian Students, Cengage Learning, 2012, $30 Over the years, teachers and students of Chinese have sought and used a variety of dictionaries to aid their learning of the language. Older dictionaries were largely glossaries providing little help when it came to usage. Some more recent ones have been much more useful to learners, and this one is a very relevant and addition. This dictionary represents a milestone in dictionary development as far as Australia is concerned, in that, while it is based on a similarly entitled dictionary published in China in 2007, it has been adapted to meet the specific needs of Australian students. This has been done through wide consultation with teachers of Chinese throughout Australia with the support of Hanban. Indeed to make the book more appropriate for Australian learners of Chinese, over 900 characters are included compared with then 800 of the original. Dr Jane Orton in her Foreword lists the criteria for judging good dictionary: it contains the language the user wants, words and characters can be found quickly and provides easily understood relevant information. To make the dictionary easy to use, the authors provide a very comprehensive Guide to the Dictionary which teachers selecting this book for use by their class can use to familiarise students with its features. The dictionary makes its use easier for learners by not only including Chinese Radicals and Character indexes, but also has 16 Appendices ranging from Cardinal Numbers to an English Index at the end of the dictionary. Each entry, listed by pinyin, shows the character (with the traditional form below) in clear, large type and even with letters (N, V, Q, W) indicating those Australian states where the character is listed for required learning. In boxes alongside, the basic meanings of the character are given, then the character in combinations and then in pinyin, character and English, and finally examples of the word in sentences. All are in large enough fonts so that everything including tone marks is clear and easily readable. The use of coloured highlighting is also a useful feature. In almost forty years as a learner and teacher of Chinese, I have had to use a huge variety of dictionaries, This one is a tribute to the work of James Wu and his collaborators in its compilation providing teachers and beginning learners of Chinese with a useable, clear and easy to use aid. I have no hesitation in recommending it. Geoff Davis AM

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THE AUSTRALIAN CHINESE TEACHER

September 2012

THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA (INC)

(Incorporated in Western Australia) ABN 44 558 828 192 The Chinese Language Teachers Federation of Australia (Inc.) is the national organisation of Chinese Language Teachers Associations and Societies. Its aims are. To promote the teaching and study of the Chinese language in Australia to undertake activities designed to extend the knowledge of members on all aspects of the Chinese language and teaching methodology to edit and publish or arrange for the editing and publication of materials to assist members and students of Chinese to raise funds by subscription, affiliation fees, donations and grants from government and private sources to aid the activities of the CLTFA to represent the interests of Chinese teachers with governments and other bodies. President: Mrs Anita Chong (anitachong@hotmail.com) Vice Presidents: Ms Hui RIchards, C/- Confucius Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove QLD 4059 Ms Evelyn Man, NSW Department of Education and Communities,, evelyn.man@det.nsw.edu.au Secretary: Ms Jieqi Zhang WA), Oberthur Primary School,School, Nicholls Crescent Bull Creek WA 61490 Treasurer: James Wu OAM, Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School, P 0 Box 417, Niddrie, VIC 3042 Newsletter Editor: Geoff Davis AM (WA), E-mail:geofdav@iinet.net.au Affiliates: THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF WA (INC) PRESIDENT Ms Jieqi Zhang (WA), PO Box 252 BULL CREEK WA 6149 THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA (INC) PRESIDENT Mr Jixing Xu, P O Box 415, DEEPDENE VIC 3103 THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA ( INC) PRESIDENT: Nhu Trinh GPO Box 10261, Adelaide SA 5001 CHINESE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM STUDIES ASSOCIATIONOF SOUTH AUSTRALIA CHAIRPERSON Ms Lynn Davis, Lynn.Davis@openaccess.edu.au THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF NSW (INC) PRESIDENT: Mr John Meng,Rooty Hill High School, N Parade Rooty Hill NSW 2766 THE CANBERRA CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS SOCIETY PRESIDENT Dr Fuxin LI P.O.Box 5270, Lyneham, ACT 2602 THE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND PRESIDENT. Ms Hui Richards,C/- Confucius Institute, Queensland University of technology, Kelvin Grove QLD 4059 THE CHINESE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF TASMANIA PRESIDENT: Shelley Keyes Email: shelley.keyes@education.tas.gov.au Website: http://www.cltfa.asn.au The CLTFA has observer status with the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA)

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