Curriculum Update Issue 52 – Learning Languages

Curriculum Update 52 outlines recent curriculum developments that support teaching and learning. This issue focuses on teaching and learning new languages.

Index

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework
Learning new languages
Extending the learning of languages
Second Language Learning Funding Proposals Pool for years 7 to 10
Quality teaching of languages
Building professional capability
Language-learning materials and support
Contacts
References and publication details

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework

All students benefit from learning another language from the earliest practicable age. Such learning broadens students' general language abilities and brings their own language into sharper focus. It enriches them intellectually, socially, and culturally, offers an understanding of the ways in which other people think and behave, and furthers international relations and trade. Students will be able to choose from a range of Pacific, Asian, and European languages, all of which are important to New Zealand's regional and international interests.

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, page 10

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework/Te Anga Marautanga o Aotearoa (item 93243) promotes learning languages as an area of the curriculum that is important to the country’s health and growth. The essential learning area Language and Languages recognises that English, te reo Māori, and other Pasifika, Asian, and European languages, including classical languages, are important to our regional and international interests.

He taonga ngā reo katoa
All languages are to be treasured

The language curricula and support materials

Schools in New Zealand offer a range of languages to their students:

• te reo Māori;
• the languages of the Pacific;
• the languages of Asia;
• the languages of Europe and the Americas;
• classical languages.

Schools are encouraged to include language learning in their school's strategic plan so that all students have equal opportunities to learn at least one new language. Each school and its community need to establish their vision for learning languages and their priorities for the school programme through the school's strategic plan.

The following curriculum statements and support materials are published by Learning Media Ltd for the Ministry of Education.

International languages
Chinese in the New Zealand Curriculum, 1995 (item 02900)
Developing Teaching Programmes in Modern Standard Chinese (item 20568)
French in the New Zealand Curriculum, 2002 (item 24699)
German in the New Zealand Curriculum, 2002 (item 26666)
Japanese in the New Zealand Curriculum, 1998 (item 21235)
Curriculum Support Material: Part 1 (item 21252)
Curriculum Support Material: Part 2 (item 23627)
Korean in the New Zealand Curriculum, 2002 (item 26799)
Curriculum Support Material (item 21258)
Spanish in the New Zealand Curriculum, 1995 (item 02899)

Pasifika languages
Cook Islands Māori in the New Zealand Curriculum: Draft, 2002 (item 26791)
Ta'iala mo le Gagana Sāmoa i Niu Sila, 1996 (item 02639)
Sāmoan in the New Zealand Curriculum, 1996 (item 02692)
Developing Programmes for Teaching Pacific Islands Languages (item 23749)

The eight principles of learning new languages:

• Learning a new language benefits all students, intellectually, socially, and culturally.
• Learning a new language gives students a better understanding of their first language.
• Learning a new language gives students the skills to learn further languages.
• Exploring language helps students to gain skills and confidence and encourages them to take learning risks.
• Language and culture are inseparable.
• Language is most rewarding when it is used for meaningful, purposeful communication in specific contexts.
• Students gain most when they are involved in a wide range of interactive learning activities.
• Learning a new language enables students to take their place in a multicultural community and a multilingual world.

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