Mandarin Education in the ACT: Pathways to Proficiency 10 August, 2013 Jane Orton, PhD Director Chinese Teacher Training Centre The University of Melbourne

National Provision Update - Since 2008 Chinese still smallest – max. 90,000 students German next smallest at about 127,000 Japanese the largest at about 330,000+. More programs everywhere, especially in Primary and in the Catholic Sector Replacing German, even Japanese > tensions Programs same as ever > same old problems

Key Problems Administrators not knowledgeable about language learning, or special needs of Chinese Primary = 30 mins a week = a waste of time Too often just songs + noun clusters, e.g. animals All levels pedagogy still very limited – a quick rush to drill in the characters Almost all teaching is done in English > Kids don’t learn; get discouraged/bored > Give up as soon as they can = 95%

Heritage Speakers/Year 12 Heritage (home speaker) learners dominate the L2 scene at every level in most schools Year 12 ratio of Heritage : Classroom Learner (genuine L2) in Victoria and NSW of about 8 : 1. > WA barring Heritage students at Yr 12 > anger > Vic – offering bonus for ‘bilingualism’ if take higher level + considering dividing by number of hours of formal study – under discussion now.

Advances 1 – Programs New style primary programs: in WA, Vic, NSW – VERY few but VERY exciting as being done well = + time +intensive/immersion/ bilingual programs (and still some old ones in Vic, NSW, SA and Qld); – gesture-based (AIM) using drama, stories – CLIL, with content in science, SOSE, ICT – Ready for National Curriculum of min. 350 hrs New bilingual high school in Melbourne in 2014.

Advances 2 – Resources The Language Learning Space – rich supply of well arranged, linked and indexed work on all and everything Chinese For teachers and for students COOL material! [Otherwise, too many beginner resources = no Book 2; most pretty much same old same old in the way they treat language and content – low appeal and no intellectual development at all]

Advances 3– Professional Learning Noticeable increase in numbers at CTTC PDs Noticeable interest from Ts in talking about teaching