Speakers and Abstracts

Presented by Naomi Fillmore, Wei-Lin Melody Chang, Des Crump, Samantha Disbray, Kayoko Hashimoto, Michael Haugh & Gari Tudor-Smith

Abstract

The case for more people to be learning languages in Australian schools has been repeatedly made. In the past decade, formal commitments to increasing the capability of Australians in both global languages such as (Mandarin Chinese), Japanese and Spanish have been made at both the State and Federal levels in Australia. Yet despite ongoing calls to action and formal policy commitments by Australian successive governments, the number of students learning global languages in schools across the country remains low. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a lack of formally accredited language teachers remains a significant barrier to the provision of global languages education in Australian schools. In this presentation we outline the preliminary findings of a project aiming to systematically examine pathways to language teaching in Australian schools. The objectives of this project are to not only identify who is entering such pathways, and to better understand their experiences with respect to those pathways, but to also identify who is excluded and the barriers culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) speakers face in entering formal training pathways for language teaching. We report on the results of systematic review of the academic (i.e. research) and grey literature (i.e. policies and reports) on language teaching in Australian schools, as well as initial findings from interviews we can have carried out with current and previous teachers of Chinese and Japanese, focusing on some of the key enablers and barriers to their career progression.

About the presenters

Naomi Fillmore is a sociolinguist and education specialist interested in the role of languages in education policy, pedagogy, and assessment. Naomi is a PhD Candidate at the University of Queensland’s School of Languages and Cultures, where she researches early education policy and provision for linguistically diverse students through a critical and poststructural lens. Naomi’s research is informed by her professional experience with government and non-government education organisations in Australia and abroad.

Presented by Louisa Field

Abstract

The need for proficiency in Asian languages has been identified as vital for Australia’s regional prosperity, but the absence of a national language policy and data collection has allowed languages study to deteriorate at alarming levels (Cruickshank et al, 2020; Slaughter et al, 2019). This article analyses data for trends in participation in ‘priority’ Asian languages, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Korean NSW High School Certificate (HSC) courses from 2001-2021. The study analyses disaggregated data to examine trends in individual languages and courses. The overall finding in this study is that despite the considerable funding, there has been no significant improvement in Beginner, Continuers or Background Speaker courses: 2001 had 4.25% of HSC students studying one of the priority Asian languages, but in 2021 this figure dropped to 3.43%.  The detailed analysis revealed possible reasons for this relating to issues such as differential retention of students from Year 10 language courses This study adds to a limited body of research on languages education in Australia: disaggregated data analysis is important for future planning and strategies to address these declines. Without consistent data collection, policy evaluation and the development of evidence-based approaches to language education, Australian language education will continue to flounder.

About the presenter

Louisa Field is a secondary French and History teacher and is currently undertaking a PhD in education at the University of Sydney. Her undergraduate honours thesis was a secondary data analysis of NSW HSC languages participation with a case study on Asian Languages. Her PhD research aims to uncover strategies to stem the decline seen in languages study in Australian schools. Louisa is passionate about improving the quality and accessibility of language education, so that more students can enjoy all the benefits of learning a language.

Presented by Itin Hadijah

Abstract

We are Balai Bahasa dan Budaya Indonesia Queensland (BBBIQ - the Queensland chapter of the Centre for Indonesian Language and Culture), an incorporated association whose membership is made up of Indonesian language teachers, academics, and cultural educators. BBBIQ was formed in 2017 as we are concerned about the current trend that will lead to the extinction of Indonesian studies in Queensland: more schools are abandoning their Indonesian programs; there is an apparent indifference by education and government institutions to change the situation; there is little public interest/support in Indonesian studies; the current ‘last batch’ of Indonesian educators in Queensland are aging; and there are no teacher training pathways available in Queensland to become an Indonesian teacher. This presentation is an adaptation of a 2021 submission titled, ‘The strategic importance of Indonesian literacy to Queensland: Reinvigorating Indonesian language learning’, which provided data showing that Indonesian will disappear from Queensland schools in the next few years. BBBIQ’s has a proposal that outlines the importance of retaining and reinvigorating Indonesian studies. Altogether, we recommend seven steps across ten years to rebuild Indonesian in Queensland and maximise benefits of closer engagement with our near neighbour.

About the presenter

Itin Hadijah started teaching in the early 1990s when there was a big push to increase the number of language teachers Queensland. Later while living in Indonesia, Itin worked as a translator and interpreter for international aid organisations as well as, working in several international schools. Fifteen years in Indonesia deepened her appreciation for the language and culture. Itin now teaches Indonesian language in a regional P-12 school. She is honoured to be speaking today on behalf of BBBIQ as one of the first bunch and now one of the last bunches of Indonesian teachers in Queensland.

Presented by Hao Tran, Huong Nguyen, Thao Nguyen, Linh Chu, & Nguyen The Duong

Abstract

Empowering Asian languages, including Vietnamese, is crucial in Australia for maintaining political, social, and economic relationships between countries and within Australia. While other Asian languages have been widely taught in communities and offered in schools, Vietnamese has not been taught in Queensland's schools and is only offered in a small number of language community centres. Teaching and learning Vietnamese is important for maintaining social and cultural understanding, enhancing self-esteem and self-identity, and fostering more cohesive family relationships. However, the responsibility for teaching Vietnamese is currently solely placed in the hands of parents and community teachers. This roundtable discussion aims to bring together various stakeholders in the Vietnamese community in Australia, including language teachers, language researchers, community centre leaders and parents. By exploring different aspects of maintaining Vietnamese at home and teaching and learning the language in language centres, the discussion will provide an overview of the current state of Vietnamese language education in Australia. (Un)Successful stories from parents regarding the maintenance of the Vietnamese language at home, as well as the challenges and opportunities in teaching Vietnamese faced by teachers and leaders of community centres in Queensland, will also be discussed. 

About the presenters

Dr Hao Tran has been teaching in the Applied Linguistic Program in the School of Languages and Cultures, the University of Queensland since early 2019. Building upon achievements of her PhD and MA (TESOL Advanced), her research interests encompass language policy and planning and teacher education in a broader context. She also investigates students' engagement in tertiary courses and task-based language teaching using diverse technology-mediated platforms. As a language researcher, language teacher, and a parent of Australian-Vietnamese mixed-race children born in Australia, she is driven to explore avenues to maintain the Vietnamese heritage language in the Australian context.

Dr Duong The Nguyen hold a PhD in Linguistics at School of Languages and Cultures (The University of Queensland) in 2016. He worked at the Vietnam Institute of Linguistics from 2003 to 2019. His research interests include teaching Vietnamese as a heritage language, children language development, and conversation analysis. Dr Duong is the co-author of Tieng Viet cua em, a series of textbook for Vietnamese children. He is currently the Director of Truong Yeu Tieng Viet (Viet Academy Pty Ltd), a language school in Brisbane offering Vietnamese courses for children in around 25 countries.

Dr Huong Nguyen is an eLearning Adviser at the University of Queensland where she obtained her PhD in Language Policy and Planning. In her current role Dr Nguyen provides training and consultation on eLearning systems and tools to the teaching staff to enhance student engagement and academic success. Her research interests include the policy and implementation of English as the medium of instruction, TESOL education and the internationalisation of higher education. Currently, her research focus is on learning design, digital learning, and students’ sense of belonging in the online environment.

Dr Thao Thi Phuong Nguyen used to work as a lecturer and a teacher trainer of TESOL in Vietnam. She did her Master of Arts (TESOL Studies) and PhD educational research at the University of Queensland and is currently a sessional academic at the School of Languages and Cultures, the University of Queensland. Her research and teaching focus on storytelling as pedagogy in second language learning, EFL young learners, methodologies in TESOL, and teacher education.

Linh Chu is an experienced educator fueled by a profound passion for inclusive education and community support. Completing her master’s degree in educational studies, specialising in Guidance, Counselling, and Career Guidance in 2021, she is presently pursuing a doctorate degree at the School of Education, The University of Queensland. Her research primarily revolves around understanding the link between the brain, emotion, and academic achievement in children aged 8-12 years old. Her research project on the efficacy of attentional control training with Dr Elizabeth Edwards and Professor Annemaree Carroll has been acknowledged by the prestigious 2023 Spencer grant.

Presented by Wendy Jiang and Chunxuan Sheng

Abstract

This study unveils the state of Chinese language teaching in secondary schools in Queensland, Australia and investigates the challenges the Chinese teachers are facing under the current ATAR system. Two research instruments, i.e., an online Qualtrics survey and a semi-structured interview, were utilised to gauge teachers’ perspectives on the Queensland Chinese language programs. Forty completed survey responses were received, and 20 teachers voluntarily participated in the interviews. The findings reveal manifold challenges, which include the low retention rates, the low ATAR scaling, the extremely difficult senior Chinese syllabus, lack of textbooks and shortage of professional development targeted for teaching Chinese in the current Queensland context. It is strongly recommended that differentiated pathways, i.e., syllabi, teaching, and assessment for L1, L2 and HL learners, need to be implemented. It is imperative to turn the “mission impossible” into a mission possible.

About the presenters

Dr Wenying (Wendy) Jiang is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland, Australia. Her main research interests are second language acquisition in Chinese, Chinese pedagogy, and technology enhanced language learning (TELL). Her mostly and widely cited publications include her monograph Acquisition of Word Order in Chinese as a Foreign Language (published in 2009 by Mouton de Gruyter) and her jointly published article with Dr Wei Li entitled “Linking up learners of Chinese with native speakers through WeChat in an Australian tertiary CFL curriculum” (2018).

Presented by Chilmeg Elden, Rebecca Murray, Yumi Martin Angela Chang

Abstract

With nearly 95,000 Japanese residents, Australia boasts the third largest Japanese population abroad, trailing behind the United States and China (Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2022). To cater the diverse student groups, several states in Australia, including New South Wales and Victoria, offer differentiated levels of Japanese courses at the senior secondary level. However, despite comprising nearly 30% of the Japan-born population in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021), there are no differentiated pathways for learners of Japanese in Queensland. Native and heritage speakers of Japanese in Queensland are either studying alongside students with no Japanese background in the same classroom or being deterred from learning Japanese at all. The challenges faced by this group of students in maintaining Japanese language can lead to a loss of valuable assets in language education, as they possess the potential to become future language educators. Meanwhile, teachers in language classrooms, particularly those in EQI schools located in metropolitan areas with a high influx of international students, are encountering challenges in effectively accommodating native and heritage speakers of Japanese. This roundtable brings together three Japanese teachers from EQI schools to discuss and share their experiences addressing various issues in language classrooms.

About the presenters

Chilmeg Elden is a casual academic in the School of Languages and Cultures at The University of Queensland. She holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics and TESOL studies, and bachelor's degrees in Arts (majoring in Chinese and Japanese) and Secondary Education. She has experience in Japanese language education at both primary and secondary levels in Queensland state schools.

Rebecca Murray currently teaches Japanese and is a pedagogy coach at Kenmore State High School. She lived and worked in Japan for five years where she taught English and studied Japanese. Upon returning to Brisbane, she continued to teach English to international adults before finally making the switch to high school teaching. She was also the international student coordinator for a number of years, has taken student groups to Japan, and is an ensemble member of Tenteke Taiko.

Yumi Martin (Brisbane State High School, QLD)

Yow-Tsyr Angela Chang is a 3rd year teacher at Springfield Central State High School, teaching Japanese to both junior and senior year levels. They have been studying Japanese since they were a high school student and studied Japanese and Education at The University of Queensland.

Presented by Rowena Ward.

Abstract

There is no doubt that most states are facing a shortage of language teachers at the High School level. This situation is expected to get worse in New South Wales when it adopts the National Curriculum and language learning is incorporated into the Primary School curriculum. The reasons for the present situation, its effects and remedies are complex. Nevertheless, the results of research into the motivations of students studying Japanese language and the feedback from graduates may be useful. This presentation focuses on the results of two different projects: 1) a 2017 project which considered the reasons why graduates of Asian languages had studied a language at the university level; and 2) a 2021 project which focused on the motivations of Japanese language learners. Results from the 2017 survey shows that few students study an Asian language for heritage reasons. Results from the 2021 project show that most Japanese language learners are not motivated by external factors including family background but are self-motivated. The results of both projects have implications for future directions in language learning and teacher training.

About the presenter

Dr Rowena Ward is a Senior Lecturer in Japanese in the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry at the University of Wollongong. She holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations and teaches Japanese language and modern history. Rowena has published on queer theory in the language classroom, the employment of graduates of Japanese and the arrest, internment and repatriation of Japanese civilians resident across the South Pacific in December 1941. Rowena is a co-convenor of the Jōkyū Network and Treasurer of the Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA).

Presented by Wei Wei

Abstract

Australia is a multicultural and multilingual country, with more than 685,000 people using Chinese at home. The latest Australian Curriculum emphasises teaching Modern Standard Chinese in schools. However, the Chinese language and community are complex. For example, the 2021 census found four varieties of the Chinese language: Min, Hakka, Cantonese, and Mandarin, which are mostly mutually unintelligible. Consequently, Chinese-Australian students can feel that learning Modern Standard Chinese is like learning a second language, despite their language background in another variety of Chinese. Moreover, the Chinese community in Australia mix with people from various geographical locations, such as Chinese from Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Therefore, education professionals face challenges with students from multiple backgrounds. There are two leading solutions. One is to implement mother-tongue-based multilingualism. Firstly, teachers and schools allow using students' home languages in the classroom and show respect for their home languages and cultures. Secondly, teachers can build a multilingual classroom using labels, a multilingual word wall and literacy materials. Translaguaging is another valuable strategy to embed home languages into regular classes through formal lesson plans. The paper also suggests that educational institutions, such as universities, design more professional development courses for understanding Chinese-Australian students and suggest teaching strategies.

About the presenter

Wei Wei is a PhD candidate in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University. Coming from China, she has a Chinese-teaching background in China, and is now a registered teacher in Australia. With master’s degrees in teaching Chinese as a Second Language, Teaching, and TESOL, she integrates the knowledge of language teaching and pays special attention to children’s language and literacy development in Australia. Her current study focuses on home language maintenance among Chinese families. By investigating the language policies in different social contexts, she hopes to support children’s wellbeing and language development for life-long benefits.

Presented by Min Jung Jee

Abstract

In the process of migration, the migration group undergoes the acculturation process to some degree. According to Berry (1997), four modes of acculturation strategies can be observed – integration, assimilation, segregation, and marginalization – and integration is considered as the most adaptive strategy (Berry et al. 1987). Australia is one of the most multicultural societies with many migrants around the world. Among them, Korea is the 15^th country with 102,092 Korean-born migrants in 2021 based on data by the Australia Census (ABS, 2021d). To better understand Korean immigrants in Australia, this study investigates various aspects of Korean immigrants in Australia in terms of demographic information, English proficiency level, motivations of immigration, perceived cultural identity, cultural distance, unfairness, and discrimination, to examine their relations and check their status of acculturation in Australia. 143 first-generation Korean immigrants from NSW, VIC, and QLD completed the online survey. The major findings to further explain the status of Korean immigrants’ acculturation in Australia will be discussed during the presentation.

About the speakers

Dr Min Jung Jee is a Senior Lecturer in School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland, Australia. Her research interests encompass various aspects of foreign/second language learner affect (e.g., motivation, anxiety, beliefs, and attitudes), heritage language education, heritage language maintenance, ethnic identity, and issues related to Korean immigrants (e.g., acculturation). Her work has appeared in such journals as International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, Language, Culture and Curriculum, and Australian Review of Applied Linguistics.

Presented by Lanting Wang & M. Obaidul Hamid

Abstract

Immigrants are often inflicted by systemic and structural oppressions which, to a large extent, derive from a legitimised linguistic hierarchy that prioritises the dominant language(s) while disparaging heritage languages (HLs). In order to adjust to the host country, first-generation immigrants often draw upon cross-border and ethnic resources associated with their country of origin and mediated by their HLs. However, despite the indispensable role of HLs in immigrants’ integration into the host society, relatively limited research has explored how HLs as embodied and embedded capital and habitus contribute to their economic wellbeing. Drawing insights from Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice that triangulates the concept of capital, habitus, and field, this presentation will explore how three first-generation Chinese immigrants capitalise Chinese as a heritage language (CHL) and develop transnational habitus to defuse the impact of structural constrains on their economic wellbeing in Australia. The findings demonstrate disparate adaptation trajectories of the participants who used heterogenous CHL-mediated capitals and manipulated transnational habitus in distinct and flexible ways to negotiate work for social and economic mobility. Based on these stories, we make a case for viewing HL as a cultural capital and as part of immigrants’ transnational habitus produced by migration demands and experiences. The work seeks to contribute to HL research as well as language and migration studies by substantiating the economics of HLs beyond the typical socio-cultural focus.

About the presenter

Lanting Wang is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Education at the University of Queensland, Australia. Her research interests include language policy, education policy, language economics, and the sociology of language.

Dr Kayoko Hashimoto is Senior Lecturer at School of Languages and Cultures, The University of Queensland, Australia. Her main research area is language policy with particular interest in Japanese and English language teaching in Asia and Australia. Her publications include Asian Studies Review special issue “Japan and Southeast Asia: Language, mobility and employability” (Guest Editor, 2022, Vol. 46, Issue 4), an edited book, Japanese Language and Soft Power in Asia (2018, Palgrave Macmillan), and a co-authored book, Beyond Native-Speakerism: Current Explorations and Future Visions (2018, Routledge, with S. A. Houghton & D. J. Rivers).