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Spacer Pix
Email the Chinese Community Facilitator. Spacer Pix Kia ora and welcome to the news page for the Chinese language community. We value your feedback and ideas, and invite you to contact us at chinese@tki.org.nz.

We update this page regularly with information and materials relevant to teaching and learning Chinese. There are links to over 350 quality-assured materials in this community. Find them by using the menu bars and the quick search facility on the right-hand side of this page.

Note also the curriculum item immediately below and check this regularly for updates.

The New Zealand Curriculum. The New Zealand Curriculum
Explore The New Zealand Curriculum online and link to a range of resources and support materials. The revised curriculum will become mandatory from Feb 2010. Schools are encouraged to begin working towards its implementation. Check out the new section Strategies for Getting Started, and add comments to share your expertise and experiences.
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz

  What's new in Chinese   
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Greetings to everyone from Margaret Hardiman and Glenda Koefoed, the Ministry of Education's Senior Advisers for languages. Welcome to the individual community page for Chinese teaching and learning! Keep an eye on this page for updates on initiatives and opportunities arising from the new languages strategy as a result of the Curriculum Stocktake report.

Read the message regarding the status of the new learning area learning languages in the revised New Zealand curriculum.

The Second Chinese Language Teachers’ Conference
The New Zealand Chinese Language Association will be holding its annual conference in Rotorua, from 6─8 February 2009. The conference will cover topics such as The New Curriculum Principles, Peking University scholarships, TiLL research, the new Language bands, the NCEA Matrix, and ICT in Languages.

For further information, please contact Laytee George – phone: (07) 347 2527, fax: (07) 347 2528, email: georgesotonga@xtra.co.nz.
29-10-2008


Comet icon.

Mandarin Essential Grammar
This resource provides grammar information and exercises for advanced Mandarin learners. Includes audio.
http://comet.cls.yale.edu/mandarin/content/grammar.htm
20-10-2008


China Guide.

China Guide
Let your students explore the country of their target language through this tourism site which provides information about Chinese culture, history, geography, and the main tourist attractions. It also has guides to the major cities.
http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/
27-08-2008

Hello-World.

Hello-World
Try these interactive games, songs, and other activities for young language students.  Languages include Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian and Spanish.
http://www.hello-world.com
27-08-2008

Hanban.

China Student Camp
January 2009
Hanban (The office of Chinese Language Council International) is offering 20 New Zealand students of Chinese and two teachers an opportunity to participate in a 24-day programme in China. Download the information sheet and application forms from the ILANZ website, or contact Dr Han Xi, the National Chinese Adviser: email chinese@ilanz.ac.nz. Applications close 20 September 2008.
http://ilanz.ac.nz/la/cn/index.htm#dayscamps
20-08-2008

ILANZ.

Chinese English Center
Explore these activities, games, stories, maps, and tools for learning Chinese. There is also a searchable online dictionary, information, and a collection of images for learning about China. Viewers will need Chinese fonts installed on their computers. Registration (free) is required to access some of the tools.
http://hua.umf.maine.edu/ChineseFrame/chineseframeset.html
20-08-2008

NZQA logo.

NZQA: Resources for Chinese
Check out this page for NCEA Chinese resources on the NZQA site.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/resources/chinese/index.html
20-08-2008

ILANZ.

ILANZ: Chinese Resources
Scroll down this page from the ILANZ website to find new Chinese language resources based on the Olympic Games. Find word cards and lists, essential phrases, and sound files for listening to Chinese pronunciation.
http://www.ilanz.ac.nz/la/cn/resources.htm
08-08-2008

Olympics Beijing 2008 image.

Olympics Beijing 2008
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games provide a unique opportunity for teachers to engage students in learning about one of the world's most dynamic countries and cultures, as well as celebrating this important global event.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/hot_topics/olympics-beijing_e.php
04-08-2008

eSpok. eSpok
Explore the multimedia Internet language-learning materials brought together in this collection. Languages include Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. The site contains social software and user-contributed content. It is recommended that teachers are discerning when using this resource with students.
http://blog.espok.com/
28-07-2008
sinosplice. sinosplice
View this linguist's blog site which provides phonetic explanations and diagrams to help Chinese language learners with the pronunciation of Mandarin. The site contains social software and user-contributed content. It is recommended that teachers are discerning when using this resource with students.
http://www.sinosplice.com/lang/pronunciation/
28-07-2008
User-contributed content icon. New category of websites: User-contributed content
In response to the changing nature of the Internet, TKI will now link to selected social software (Web 2.0) sites. Social software allows users to contribute content and to collaborate with others using blogs, wikis, and other tools. These sites will have the head and shoulders icon to show that they contain user-contributed content. While all sites are still subject to rigorous quality-assurance processes, teachers are advised to evaluate this category of sites carefully for relevance and accuracy, and to consider any privacy and security issues before using them with students.
30-06-2008
International Year of Languages. 2008, International Year of Languages: Languages matter!
The United Nations has declared 2008 to be the International Year of Languages. Read about the UNESCO initiatives to promote multilingualism, and review the planned projects and activities.
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35344
&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Asia-White-Paper/index.php

25-01-2008

  Community Facilitator's choice   
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Have a look at these great resources for teaching and learning Chinese.

ILANZ

National Advisers ILANZ (International Languages Aotearoa New Zealand)
The National Advisers for languages focus on language-specific and cultural issues, including classroom practice, running specified courses, and finding resource materials. Their work is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the respective governments of China, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. The National Advisers also collaborate closely with other language advisers and services. The National Advisers are based at ILANZ and managed by Victoria Link.
http://www.tki.org.nz/community/language/nat_ad.php

TKI logo. TKI Search for learning languages resources
Search the 2000+ quality-assured language resources in the TKI database. For example, find Chinese pronunciation activities for younger students. Use the filters Learning Languages:  keywords: 'Chinese language' and 'Pronunciation', Level: 'Upper Primary', Resource Type: keyword: 'Sound'. Click the 'search tips' button for more help with TKI searches.
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/search/
Te Pātaka Matihiko.

Te Pātaka Matihiko Our Digital Storehouse
Use your school registration and login to access these digital learning objects that are designed for independent use by students. Search the learning objects by entering 'Chinese' as a keyword and leaving the other boxes blank, although you can also search by level. There are many interactive activities to incorporate into your Chinese language teaching programme, including a number for understanding and revising Chinese characters.Read The Le@rning Federation Summary: Languages update (Word 35KB) for further information. Download the FAQs about registering on Digistore (Word 31KB).
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/digistore/

Confucius Institute. Confucius Institute New Zealand
This organisation was established to promote Chinese language and culture in New Zealand. Keep an eye on Programmes: Education for events and opportunities, including the poster and speech competitions for students, scholarships available, and the New Zealand Principals' delegation to China in September 2008.
http://www.confuciusinstitute.ac.nz/
NZQA logo. National Qualifications Framework statistics 2007
View the national 2007 NCEA results for languages. To see percentages gaining Achieved, Merit, and Excellence in individual Achievement Standards, select the language, and Standard Type: Achievement standards.
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications/ssq/statistics/nqf-stats.do?ch=3200
&year=2007&nqfLevel=0&la=13&st=0&cg=0&decile=N#t

The New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT)
NZALT is a professional association for over 500 teachers of languages (other than English or Māori) from the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. Their website includes access to conference details and white papers, information about professional development awards, a news page, and links to the specialist international language associations and advisers within New Zealand.


ESOL Online ESOL Online Professional Readings
Explore these ESOL Online pages for ideas relating to pedagogy and practice for teaching second languages. Check out the collections with material relevant to language teaching in general, including vocabulary, language acquisition, speaking, and listening.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/esol/esolonline/secondary_esol/research_e.php
TKI Assessment Assessment
Check out the Assessment community on TKI for support with implementing best assessment practices in your language teaching programme.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/index_e.php
NCLRC logo. The Essentials of Language Teaching
This comprehensive US web resource provides professional reading and best practice guidelines for educators involved in teaching languages. The material includes a general description of learner-centred instruction and reflective teaching practice, with sections to develop understanding of language teaching methodology, and practical suggestions for teaching specific language skills. Although designed for tertiary level instructors the principles can apply to all language teaching.
http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/index.htm

Learning Languages: A Guide for New Zealand Schools
This resource provides information to help schools understand the place of languages within the curriculum. Print copies are available: email orders@thechair.minedu.govt.nz, freephone 0800 660 662.

The New Zealand Chinese Language Association
For more support with the Chinese language, or to join a network of others who are involved with promoting and teaching the language, contact the National President Laytee George, or email: georgesotonga@xtra.co.nz [no spam].


Chinese Language Foundation. Chinese Language Foundation
Check out the website for the Chinese Language Foundation which was established to promote and support the teaching and learning of Chinese language in New Zealand. The site contains information about the advantages of learning Chinese, notices about professional development opportunities and professional support, and links to access teaching and learning material. There is also an email forum for educators, and lists of New Zealand tertiary institutions and schools teaching Chinese.
http://www.clf.org.nz/index.htm
Learning Languages Series.
Learning Languages Series
Hao! An introduction to Chinese
These resources are available to New Zealand schools free of charge from Learning Media. Each school is entitled to one set of modules per teacher teaching the Chinese language. For enquiries or orders: email orders@thechair.minedu.govt.nz, freephone 0800 660 662.
ChineseOn ChineseOn.net
Investigate the free resources for teachers and students of Chinese on this website. There are features about China and Chinese culture, explanations of pronunciation, animations demonstrating calligraphy, and word lists with spoken examples. There are also extracts from the writings of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in Chinese and in English, and samples of recent compositions from Chinese students.
China Culture Information Net China Culture
China Culture Information Net
Explore the many faces of China in these comprehensive guides to all aspects of Chinese culture. From ancient opera to the art of calligraphy, there are explanations and descriptions, pictures, diagrams and recipes. Both sites can be viewed in English or in Chinese.
TKI Kete TKI Kete
Have you ever used "Favourites" or "Bookmarks" to store your favourite websites so you can find them again later? TKI Kete on Te Kete Ipurangi functions in the same way only better! And it's absolutely free! Using the TKI kete function, you can save different types of resources, including websites, in your own space on TKI. This way you can access your favourites from any computer with Internet access. To find out more, click on the link above.

We are currently seeking useful and interesting websites to include as part of this community. If you wish to draw the online editor's attention to a website then please email us.

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Events are now listed on the TKI Learning Languages calendar, see right-hand navigation bar.

  Messages   
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Asia: NZ logo

Asia New Zealand Foundation Education Grants and Awards
Grants are available through Asia: NZ for study programmes in a number of Asian countries. Investigate the range of scholarships through the Asia 2000 website, or visit NZALT for information about the Asia: NZ Funds Awards for teachers of Asian languages.

Ministry of Education logo. List of PD/language immersion awards 2007–2008 (Word 101KB)
View this list of professional development opportunities currently available to New Zealand language teachers. Read the Effectiveness Reporting Framework document (Word 60KB), and check out the list of programme participants (Word 33KB) for 2007 and the MoE Language Immersion Award recipients (PDF 21KB).
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/language/Table-of-Awards-Languages07.doc
10-09-2007
Ministry of Education logo. Teacher Professional Development Programme in Languages Years 7–10 (PDF 226KB)
Apply for this Ministry of Education-funded programme to assist teachers to learn a language or improve their language fluency, and improve their language-teaching pedagogy. Work towards an internationally recognised qualification in French, German, Chinese, Spanish, or Japanese, and study graduate-level course Teaching Languages in Schools. Contact Wendy Thomson: 09 623 8899 ext 46310 or w.thomson@auckland.ac.nz [no spam].
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/language/09TPDLbrochure.pdf

Telephone TutorialTelephone Tutorial
The TKI Team would be happy to provide a tour of the site, via the telephone, at your school staff meetings or planning sessions. Contact us at tutorials@tki.org.nz if you would like to explore this option.

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