Professional Learning

Starting a program

Advance planning is key for a languages program to be successful so that students gain proficiency in the language and to ensure the program is sustainable. A high quality language program will need strong support across the school and from leadership, clear direction and active promotion. 

A successful and sustainable languages program:

• Has a stated rationale, purpose and clearly defined outcomes that are developed by staff and leadership but owned by all staff, parents and the community
• Contains regular and frequent language lessons which are well resourced
• Plans for continuity across the school with development of the language program, aimed to meet students’ needs to retain student interest and promote retention of language learning
• Links to other learning areas and includes a focus on intercultural understanding
• Uses meaningful and relevant contexts that build student intrinsic motivation to learn the language
• Includes teaching methods and strategies that suit students interest and develop their enthusiasm
• Values the languages teacher/teachers as part of the whole school staff and community and encourages all teachers to build awareness of the language program
• Involves the school community and uses the natural resources and links that exist to support the program

Adapted from Teaching Languages in the Primary School, Julie Browett, Anne Spencer. 2006

Illustrations of practice

• Discover how Portland Secondary College (VIC) implemented a strategy to establish Indonesian language programs at six cluster primary schools.
• Learn about Connected language classrooms which established new language programs in NSW.