Welcome to the Term 2, 2019 NZALT newsletter, part of the Ministry of Education’s funding package under the Networks of Expertise.
If you are aware of language teachers who are not receiving this newsletter, please email coordinator@nzalt.org.nz
Focus of this newsletter:
- Networks of Expertise funding for Learning Languages 2019-2020: NZALT Awards – Exploring Effective Practice; Inquiry Clusters; Online webinars
- 2019 LangSems: Otago/Southland Saturday 11 May; Massey region Saturday 8 June; feedback from Christchurch Saturday 30 March Papanui High School
- 2019 NZALT Membership subscription
- 2019 March Moderator's Newsletter
- International Languages Week 7: 10-14 June
- AFMLTA International Languages Conference, 7 - 9 July 2019, Hobart, Tasmania
Networks of Expertise funding
This funding is enabling NZALT to support all learning languages teachers, including te reo Māori, Pasifika and NZSL. This support provides a newsletter every term and support for teachers to attend PLD and inquiry clusters as well as other initiatives such as the LangSems in 2019.
The Exploring Effective practice awards will continue in 2019. They provide secondary teachers and primary teachers with up to $1,000 to explore effective teaching practice, for example, by visiting other schools with successful language learning programmes. There have been some changes to how the funding is paid to streamline our systems. Travel and relief will be paid for directly by NZALT and other expenses will be refunded on receipt of an invoice. Further information about the criteria for applications is on the Exploring Effective Practice Awards Application form. The deadline for term 2 applications is 7 June 2019.
Inquiry Clusters
The NZALT Inquiry Clusters are now running in Christchurch, South Canterbury and the Hutt Valley.
The inquiry clusters are based on teacher requests with approximately five meetings a year, for approximately one and a half hours after school.
Teachers have the opportunity to work with other language teachers around their specific inquiry and receive support from the coordinator. Funding is available for travel and relief costs where necessary. The dates for term 2 cluster meetings are as follows:
- Christchurch: 15.30, Thursday 9 May, St Andrew's College; 15.30 Thursday 27 June, Papanui High School
- South Canterbury: 15.30, Friday 31 May, Opihi High School; 15.30 Wednesday 26 June, Opihi High School
- Hutt Valley: 15.30, Tuesday 21 May, Heretaunga College; 15.30 Thursday 20 June, Heretaunga College
If you are interested in joining one of these clusters or would like a new cluster to be set up in your area, please contact Jeni Lemberg.
Online Webinars
NZALT is pleased to offer free online webinars for Learning Languages teachers that are tailored to your needs. These will be delivered via Zoom Web conferencing, for which you will not need an account to join.
Please fill in this Google form to let us know what topics you would like for the webinars. Topics can be about the use of e-tools in the classroom to language teaching pedagogy.
Once we have collated your ideas and information, we will confirm topics, dates and times based on your answers.
2019 NZALT LangSems
One of the initiatives which NZALT is continuing to fund are the LangSems held in each region throughout the year. We started the year with one in Christchurch on Saturday 30 March at Papanui High School with over 30 teachers attending. We have had very positive responses to the variety of workshops from the use of Whakatauki in a Learning Languages classroom to support for teaching scholarship, e-learning, and task-based language learning. Our keynote speaker Anne Passmore, spoke about her use of the Exploring Effective Practice funding to support her development of four different models of Collaborative practice with two year 9 French classes.
The following LangSems will be held this term:
Otago region LangSem Columba College on Saturday 11 May
Massey region LangSem Woodford House, Havelock North, Saturday 8 June
Waikato region LangSem Saturday 22 June. Please email Annabel Rowlands for further details.
Auckland region to be announced
Wellington region LangSem, late term 4.
2019 NZALT Certificates of Excellence
Schools which applied for the 2019 NZALT Certificates of Excellence should have received these by now as they were sent out in the last week of term 1.
2019 NZALT Membership Subscriptions
Members of NZALT who attended the AGM at conference will be aware that we debated a new, individual membership fee structure to replace our existing multi-level structure. The idea was ratified at a special general meeting on 21st February, and our new member rate has been set at $50 (including GST) per member. In schools with more than 10 languages teachers, all teachers over the 10 will be able to join at no extra cost. This replaces the former school membership.
If you want to become an NZALT member, please go to our website and follow the sign-up instructions - https://nzalt.org.nz/sign-up/individual-member. An invoice will be sent to you automatically once you have completed this step. Since this will be your first registration on the site you will be asked to select a password. Please be aware that we now have a new bank account - this will be clearly displayed in the invoice. Payment by credit/debit card and PayPal is also possible.
HODs please note: If your school has 11 or more teachers, and you wish to have the capped rate of $500 (10 x $50), please email vicepresident@nzalt.org.nz to advise of your school’s circumstances (11+ members). You and your teachers will still need to click on the SIGN-UP button and complete the individual registration process, but we will take care of invoicing for your 11th and subsequent teachers.
Contact Details
NZALT President
Regional Officers
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