Phase 1 teacher participant example

Japanese year 8

Cynthia Dodd

Queensland

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Disclaimer The views expressed in the publication do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training. Acknowledgment This work was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme (AGQTP).

Attention! TEACHERS AT WORK!

Welcome to an example of teachers’ programmes drawn from their work during Phase 1 of the ILTLP. Teachers were asked to plan, document, teach (at least in part) and share, either a long term teaching programme (e.g. a semester long programme or longer) or a short term teaching programme (e.g. a unit or term long programme).

Their work is provided for you to examine, consider and make use of, in expanding your own understanding of intercultural language learning in practice. Not all programmes provided by Phase 1 teachers have been posted on this website. Some teachers did not feel comfortable with sharing their and their students work at this time, others did not manage to obtain the various permissions to include student work and photographs and others did not create programmes that fulfilled the ILTLP requirements.

What kinds of materials can you expect? You will not find models of programming that you can instantly adopt and teach among the work posted

here. That was never the intention. You will find ideas about programming that you can use, however, working in your own context.

You will not find ‘best practice’ or exemplars of definitive programmes for intercultural languages teaching and learning. You will find some outstanding approaches to programming that advance our understanding of how to make intercultural languages teaching and learning a rich and effective learning experience for students.

You may find what you regard as some errors of language use or some hints of pedagogies of which you may be critical. However, you will also find professional educators striving to make sense of their work with students, interculturality and language learning. You will find a great deal to learn from.

What this and other teachers’ programmes show are ‘teachers at work’. The Phase 1 teachers responded to their particular contexts, the curriculum and assessment frameworks they must work within, the particular demands they and their students face in languages education and their own ‘learning-by-doing’ in relation to intercultural language teaching and learning. You will see how a teacher and a group of students working together, taking account of their own identities and cultural understandings, make learning happen. The teacher profiles and reflections generously provided by these teachers provide professional insights into the interaction of programming and ‘what happened’. One teacher asks at one stage during her teaching ‘Do I know what I am looking for here?’ It’s a highly professional question about what learning looks like. It’s a question for all of us.

You will also get glimpses of pedagogies at work to bring the structure, sequence and assessment aspects of teaching into life. One teacher scratches her head and asks her children how we might categorise the groups they belong to, here in Australia and if they lived in Japan, and the words they would use. Others introduce ICT at crucial moments or involve parents and other teachers. Reading across these programmes, you will get a sense of the dynamic that teaching from an intercultural language teaching and learning stance creates, for teachers, for students, for whole schools in some cases, and for communities in others.

You will learn a great deal!

UNDERSTANDING THE LAYOUT

Teacher participants in Phase 1 of the Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning in Practice project were asked to develop a number of sections in their programmes or units of work. These sections are explained below. Teachers prepared their programmes on an individual basis, and may not have followed these sections in the same sequence.

Teacher profile

In this section teacher participants profile their socio-cultural and linguistic enculturation, consider how this shapes teaching and learning in their programmes and how they apply this in their interactions with students.

School context

In this section teacher participants describe the context of the school and its language programmes. They may describe the demographics of the school, the languages offered, the levels at which it is taught, the number of students taking a language, the number of teachers, resources and facilities, the assessment requirements and the place of languages in the curriculum.

Programme

The programmes provided by the teacher participants in this section may be a unit of work all of which was taught in the classroom or a long term programme of which a part was taught. The module content and assessment procedures follow the teaching policies and instruments and assessment requirements of the state and territory education system.

Reflection

Here teacher participants reflect on what they learned through their programme preparation, identifying the changes that the intercultural focus necessitated in their programme planning, teaching and assessment and the impact this had on their students’ learning.

Programme

The Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning in Practice Project (ILTLP)

Option 2: Year-long Japanese programme

Context

One Year 8 class of 22 boys.Japanese learning experience:

12 started in Year 4; 2 started in Year 6;8 started in Year 8

Time on task: 3 x 50 minute lessons per week, usually in their own classroom, as necessary in computer labWhole School Languages Profile attached. (Appendix 1)

Purpose and aims of the programme

The ILT related aims of the Japanese language program are that the students go beyond “tolerance” and notions of socio-cultural facts, beyond collecting information ‘about’ the target culture and language, to become linguistically and interculturally proficient. This will involve experience and exploration of the nature of language, culture and inter- and intra-cultural experience, as well as the development of Japanese language proficiency. The focus is on making cultural, intercultural and intracultural meaning as well as mastering linguistic forms. The principles which frame the program combine the ILTLP principles – active construction, making connections, social interactions, reflection, responsibility – with the principles which underpin effective L2 learning.

Targeted learning outcomes

Evidence of developing proficiency in the target language Evidence of developing intercultural proficiency: understanding of the nature of culture and of themselves as cultural actors in both intra- and inter-cultural

terms Understanding of the concepts of identity, culture and survival Evidence of knowledge of the target language, in terms of grammar, form and functions, and also as cultural and social practice Knowledge of Japanese communicative patterns and how these identify and contribute to cultural processes and the ability to compare with L1 cultural

processes and communicative patterns Development of a metalanguage for talking about these things Evidence of the ability to develop cultural literacy: to experience, notice and reflect on the target language’s values, ways of expressing meaning.

Content – interactions – tasksThe linking device through the year is the interconnected themes of language, cultural identity and survival.L2 is used unless otherwise stated.

The first two units of this programme are Term units, the last is a Semester unit. Unit 1: Students will focus first on general notions of identity, beginning with their individual identity and their own “tribe”, moving out to other groups to

which they belong. This will then scaffold their exploration of Japanese constructions of identity and of the ways in which these are contained and constructed in language.

Unit 2: The second component focuses on sport, which is explored via a cultural comparative analysis frame, comparisons explored with a Japanese keypal’s or DEAI character’s sporting choices. Sporting involvement is a significant component/natural extension of national history/personal identity in the context of this student group in this school (e.g. the popularity of Rugby Union in this boys’ school).

Unit 3: The final component explores traditional Japanese and Australian stories as cultural texts, on issues relating to species endangerment/cultural identity, focussing on the theme of survival in times of change and upheaval. This unit builds on the personal/group identity theme of the previous units and, through stories, traces links between Aboriginal culture and the animal world, Japanese traditional culture and nature. The following questions are offered: How do stories reflect changed cultural constructions in new contexts and under changed circumstances? How does identity survive and/or change? Can one build a new “uchi” (Japanese “inner circle”) in a foreign setting? This focus links to the QSA Years 1 to 10 Syllabuses: SOSE strands of Time, Continuity and Change/ Culture and Identity and the English Cultural strand. Because of synergies with current focuses in the Arts programme, this is an integrated Japanese/ Arts unit and will culminate in a public puppet performance entitled “Dreaming Bunraku”, narrated in Japanese and enacted with puppets and backdrops made by the boys and dramatised in Drama classes. This performance integrates the dual focuses of identity and survival.

Queensland context

The QSA Year 4-10 LOTE Syllabus requires coverage of six fields of knowledge twice in a three year course. These are: Personal and Community Life, Leisure and Recreation, Natural World, Built World, International World, Imaginative World.

Specific language functions, grammar, process skills and strategies need to be taught in a spiralling up process embracing increasing complexity as students move along a communicative continuum. Hence, these three units cover the four highlighted fields (above) and explicitly teach selected language functions and literacy skills. Each unit is organised around a logical sequence of meaningful, purposeful tasks and interactions, moving through Orientating, Enhancing and Synthesising phases.

UnitsTerm Tasks/Interactions ILT Frame Language

functionsGrammar Script Resources

1Belonging to groups

Orientating phase:

Identify groups to which class members belong. Teacher models own identity profile, shows visuals representing family, school, year level, activity etc. Teacher questions class, then individuals mind map in notebooks and feed back to small groups.

Students then contribute to the construction of a whole class identity poster of nationality, race, family size, religion.

Interrogating culture: thinking about identity – Noticing: What is your “tribe” (nationality/race/religion/family/ customs/school culture)? Where were your parents born?

Identifying and asking about people, places and things

Identifying and asking about situations and activities

これ、（それ、あれ）　 　は 私のかぞくです

五人かぞくですね。目があおいです

　どんなグループに ぞくしていますか何年生ですか

　私は （かぞく)　 のグ　 　 　 　ループ にぞく

しています.なに人ですか.お父さんはどこで生まれましたかNames and members of groups, group ID

All hiraganaAll katakana(sports, countries)目何年生

一。。。二十人中国、、日本ごう州か族、みん族 recognize

QSA Year 4-10 LOTE Syllabus CD Rom – “Belonging to groups” module -

The Japan ForumDEAI Kit

Give reasons for belonging to these groups. Teacher models- family, school, religion, interests and models why (s)he belongs to each, then elicits some students’ spoken responses using visual stimulus.

Students individually read and complete “Why I belong to a group” (QSA Res 2) and share findings with a partner. L/S/R assessment opportunity

Why do you belong to … group?Interrogating culture-in- language - Noticing/comparing/reflecting:

(Why) do Japanese students tend more to group activities?

どうして。。。にぞくしていますか。そのグループにうまれました(か）自分でえらいましたそのほかのりゅう

QSA module -Resource 2

Enhancing phase: ひまな時に何をします 時、時間 QSA CD

Teacher models her weekly leisure activities and outlines whether they are solitary or group activities. Students complete a survey for themselves then group into 4s and interview the other group members about activity preferences, recording findings on Res. 3.

Students then graph group findings in terms of preferred activities and

whether solitary or group.

Students view web pages about two Japanese students and analyse texts to find the details of Yamamoto Takayuki and Tamaki Shun’ichi and what activities the two students do and whether they are group activities. Students add their details to the surveys.

Based on this and their previous worksheets, students draw a Venn diagram and track similarities and differences between their own personal profile and that of one of the Japanese boys.

Noticing ‘situated perspectives’ – differences in priorities and values

Noticing/compar-ing: What is Japanese student’s “tribe” (nationality/race/religion/family/ customs/school culture)? Where were their parents born? Group versus individual orientation – history,Amaterasu, warewareno Nihonjin, banzaiNotion of “zoku” --in sport / modern day yakuza / youth groups/fads.Reflecting:Pressure to conform/succeed – group suicide phenomenon

Describing situations, activities and events

か［クラブ］かつどう

　 　一人で それとも グ　ループで 。。。を

しますか

　トムくんは （一人　で、 グループ

　で）。。を しました・ませんでした

　私は 。。。とくらべて、（かぞく、かつど

　 　う）が おなじ です　・ちがいます。

月，火、水　 、木、金、土よう日

同じ

Res 3

http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/chart/ts_movie.html

http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/chart/yt_movie.html

Students view video segment and complete worksheets focussed on time and activities.

Teacher tells of activities she did in the past week – Friday night, to the movies with friends, finished at 11pm, Sunday lunch with family etc. and writes a weekly

Noticing:Linguistic elements

Comparing:

Describing situations, activities and events

Time (に）/ から Time 　まで ［か

　つどう］を します・しました

　（月よう日）の 三時から五時まで、ときど

時間よう日

時々

Video - NSW”Japanese for Junior Secondary Students” Vol 1.1Worksheets 1.2,1.3,1.4

timetable on a blank OHT timetable

Students draw up their own weekly schedule and calculate how much time spent in group activities.

Teacher partially deletes QSA CD Res.5.

Students listen as someone describes activities, take notes on the partially completed timetable and work in groups to complete the timetable, then calculate total time spent in group activities.

# This resource is intended to apply the skill of listening for key recently modelled linguistic elements.

Own timetable with other students’

Reflecting:What nationality is the speaker?Individual differences about being in groups

Identifying when 　き、いつも、 ぜんぜん

日本のみんな

QSA CD Rom # Res 4, 5

Students forms pairs and, using a dictionary, read group rules (Res. 6) -teacher can edit out as desired - to each other in turn and indicate whether they agree/disagree.

Students then form groups of 5 and collate their decisions. The group leader reports to the teacher, teacher summarises on board/poster. This becomes set of class rules.

Students choose groups of up to 3, read Res.7 and decide on their own rules for a group of their own design.

＊ These groups will work together from here to complete the synthesising task.

Noticing:Situated perspectives – differences in priorities and valuesComparing:Ways of disagreeing – Aust/JapanReflecting:Why is language/tone different? Is this changing?Who might group suit? Why?Group norms – how much freedom in Japan?

Agreeing and disagreeing

私は/ 　三人の メンバー　は さねせいです、は

んたいです

QSA CD Res. 6

Res.7

Groups read a table of human Comparing/ Comparing Person には Thing 　が 赤ちゃん QSA CD

needs/wants and prioritise them in a ladder. Teacher models needs vs wants, using pictures and a large Venn diagram and students suggest items for each category.

Groups decide on an age group they are familiar with and suggest needs/wants for that age then share this orally with whole class.

Teacher asks what students do/could do for the chosen age group, then each group develops a poster of things they can do.　

reflecting：Is this hierarchy the same for all Australians, in Aust/Japan? Why?

ILT task: Discuss the nature and function of groups:Why do we group? Intracultural awareness: the self and different groupings.

Stating abilities

大切ですかほしいですかもとっ大切、、一番大切

これより adj です

Person/group にはA は B より adj です

Group に私は… 　が できます

子ども年をとった人．。才からの

　グループ

Res 8

Teacher uses pictures (can be Res 9 upscaled to a poster) to introduce the school environment group and member activities.

Students listen to two members of the group discussing belonging to the group and identify/write down the benefits.

Students in their groups research a Japanese school group (kurabu katsudou) and identify/note the benefits of belonging/expectations to belong. They report back to the class through a Japanese poster they design telling the benefits of that group

Comparing/Reflecting: ILT task: discuss the nature and function of groups: why do we ‘group’?Intracultural awareness: the self and different groupings – role of language in thisわれわれの日本人内、外

Identifying people, places and things.

Identifying and describing situations and activities.

　 　こちらで 。。をします…することが adj です

いいてん、いいこと、好きなことは何ですか一番 adj

だれでもいいです内、外

QSA CDRes 9

Res 10

http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/content/japaneseculture/13club.htmandstudent research

Teacher uses realia/authentic materials Notice/compare/ Describing and Japanese

to show identification features used by groups.

Students work in groups to match group identifiers (badges/colours etc) to the groups and add others they know to complete the worksheet (Res.11)

Class brainstorms ideas for identification features for a new group.

Teacher suggests other ways of identifying groups – e.g. a song.

Students work in groups to choose/write a song for their group

reflect:Intra/ interculturalCommonly used identifiers in Japan/Australia – why? How deep?National anthems –currency of kimigayo

asking about things

Giving and responding to instructions

(Group)は(noun) 　が あります

Vb てくださいVb.てはだめです

teen/sports/music magazinesQSA CDRes. 11

Synthesising task Working in your groups of 3, present a plan (with visuals) for a new group.

2Anyone for sport?

Orientating phase:

Teacher asks students whether they play sport, whether they like it or not.

Teacher shows pictures of sportspeople in action and the class discusses words which describe the benefits of sport

Teacher shows poster – “Benefits of sport” Res 1.　 Students list the benefits in order of priority.

Notice: Intracultural:Favourite sports/sport as a part of who I am/history, traditionsIntercultural:Notice/ compare/ reflect male/female participation, , kurabu katsudou, school days, housing/lifestyle impactsReflect: do different sports represent different social/physical/cultural functions? Sport and religion

ILT:L1/L2 balance

Describing and asking about habits

Giving reasons

（どんな）スポーツをしますか好きですかはい、そうですいいえ、しません・好きじゃないですこの人はけんこうですか

どうしてスポーツをすると思いますか。楽しむためです。スポーツをするりゅう

やすいからけんこうにいいからAdjective （だ）からNoun 　 だからNoun 　に かんけいあるから

好き

楽人気

Action shots of sportspeopleQSA CD – Unit: Sport in the CommunityRes.1)

The Japan Forum DEAI Kit

Enhancing phase:

Students read Res 1 and identify the sport mentioned and the most/least popular.

Students guess if the same sports are popular in Japan and rewrite the list in their expected order of Japanese preference. Teacher then shows Japanese statistics and students write down similarities and differences on a Venn diagram.

Introduce and discuss statistics about sports participation in Japan and Australia.

L2

Notice, Compare, reflect:Changing gender balance in sports/”new” female sports

What do participation statistics tell us about how sport is valued by the Japanese?

Comparing – most (adj)

Giving reasons

一番人気スポーツまんおなじ、ちがいます

天気はいいからAdjective （だ）からNoun 　 だからNoun 　に かんけいあるから

　 　家族・学校） の で　んとう だから

一番人気

天気

家族・学校）　(recognition)

QSA　 CD Res 1Slugger” JA baseball magazineSoccer- Takarabako , Sept 2006, No 9Captain Tsubasa (manga/anime)Japan Foundation SLC, Dear Sensei

Students receive copies of the survey sheet (Res. 2) and complete the survey by questioning people in their family/community (EN), then report back to the class in Japanese.

Teacher organises ability groupings of no more than 5 students who each gather the information for one heading in the survey sheet. (Students need to copy the survey sheet into their note books with 5 columns, and complete for homework).

Groups pool answers, each group choosing one scribe to construct the pie graph that illustrates the responses to a particular question about sport.

Students present their information in a pie graph to the class. Beginners may say “All”, “some” etc, advanced may use more information about age groups, gender of people in the various categories.

L1/L2Notice: are there differences in values accorded to different sports? Are there ‘cool’ or ‘uncool’ groups? Power relations operating? Cultural capital in play? More symbolic and ideological considerations – the richer version of what culture is.

Identifying and asking when

Days, times, frequency

（月）よう日まい日、あまり、週に。。回

日週月年回

QSA CD Res. 2

Students look at a Japanese TV guide and determine those programmes about sport. Classify whether this is a team sport, individual sport, or discussion show and tell teacher what total viewing time (and what percentage) is for each category. Look at the local guide and follow the same process. Beginners – add up the hours and say how many hours of sports programmes there are.

Students consider – is there more or less sport on Japanese television? Why might this be?

Notice/compare/reflect: Why might Japanese and Australian viewing times/duration differ? Differing participation rates in team vs individual sportsCultural implications of natsu bashoWhat do viewing habits suggest about attitudes to life, social ways/values, the importance of balance in life?L1/L2: Why do writing systems exist in this way?

Describing and asking about habits

Comparing

　。。は何時間 見ますか

一人でするスポーツチームでするスポーツ

日本のスポーツ番組の時間は少ないですか、多いですかそれはいいですか、わるいですか。どうしてですか

All katakana - sports terms, magazine and programme names

　時（間 ）見少多

Japanese TV guides/URL’sLocal TV guides

http://dir.yahoo.co.jp/Recreation/Sports/

Teacher hands out brochures and catalogues and class discusses the participation costs for sports. Individual students research costs connected with their favourite sport: affiliation fees, match fees, clothing, equipment

Students collate the class information and plot the relative costs of the sports on a bar graph along with the associated time commitments.

Students choose one sport and give three reasons they would like to play it.

(based on “Giving reasons” in earlier task)

L2

Notice/compare/reflect:Who is able to participate in Rugby in Japan/ Australia? Why is this so? What role does cultural capital/class play in a person’s social involvement in a particular sport/life beyond

Asking and saying how much

Item はいくらですか一年で（スポーツ）をするのがどのぐらいかかりますか。

QSA CD Res 3

Sports brochures and catalogues.

that sporting involvement?L1/L2

Students listen to teacher reading information about a well-known local or Japanese team. They identify the team, colours, mascot, players and team record of winning.

Students then complete a profile of their favourite team, listing colours, mascots, players.

Teacher explains with visual input – a chart of the current competition - that everyone will submit their tips each Friday (winner, score, highest scorer) for the competition.The student with the most points at season’s end wins.Individual students can be asked each week to talk about their previous luck and justify their tips in L2.

Notice/compare: “Good luck” vs “gaman suru”, religion and sport,

Notice:Language for suggesting, winning, losing

All L2

Identifying and asking about people and eventsIdentifying when

Offering and responding to suggestions

　これは ［日本のサッカーチームについての話しです。聞いてくだ

　さい。 色は。。ですかちますか、まけますか

Vb ましょう（か）そうしましょう。は いかがですか。よう日に。。に来てください

行きましょう来色

Chart of current competition draw for the sport. Team details from local area/JA websitehttp://dir.yahoo.co.jp/Recreation/Sports/

# Students read Res 4, an information sheet about the organisation of a sporting event in a particular place (the Gold Coast Indy) and categorise the textual information under the headings ‘venue’, ‘crowd’, ‘cost’, ‘time’ and ‘sideshows’.They then divide this information into ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ – some may be both.

Students identify other places in the world which host special events – e.g. the Japan Cup.

Students decide on a sporting event their community could host and present arguments for and against the proposal. Extension students may plan a specific

Notice/compare/reflect: Gold Coast Indy vs. Japan Cup, Japanese powerboat racing/trotting (What can you discover about values, gender roles, other dimensions of culture?)

Expressing agreement and disagreement

Asking about situations and activities

Asking for and giving opinions

ちょっと、だめです、けっこうです、ちがいます

Event のえいきょうは　何ですかけいざいてき社会てきなえいきょう。。はどう思いますかいいと思いますふべんだと思います

社会recognize

思

QSACDRes 4

event.# This is an effective indicative integrated reading/writing and speaking task.

Enhancing phase (cont’d) Investigate community opportunities for

disabled sports people: Students look at the list of sport included

in the Paralympics (Res 5), then classify them into team or individual sports.

## Students listen to or read the profile of Brian McNicholl (Res 6) and use a graphic organiser (storyboard works well in the L2) as they apply the 4 Reader Roles to the text.

## Another excellent opportunity to gather evidence of comprehension skills, which can be rated as writing skills through the execution of the graphic organiser and the extension task.Extension students, having analysed the text, could write a Herofax to Brian.

Notice/compare/reflect: L2 Aust/JA disabled Olympians’ profilesReflect:L1/L2Treatment of disability in both countries/impact of A-bomb

Asking about situations and activities

バスケットボールはチームでするスポーツ、

　 　一人で する スポーツですか

バスケットボールは同じようにしますか 同じ

QSA CDRes 5,6Profile:Mayumi Narita(Sydney Paralympics)http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/chart/yt_movie.html

Synthesising task - Speaking/writing Work in pairs to prepare a poster/video/Power Point for a sport, promoting participation by 12-18 year olds living in Brisbane.

3/4Dream-ing Bun-raku

Orientating phase:

Students view website and print images of Ainu and Aboriginal people and teacher leads discussion of similarities/differences (L1/L2). They then read samples (L1) of traditional stories from the two cultures and identify common themes/animals, noting how each culture’s narratives are both a cultural construction and a ‘maker’ of culture. This is a good juncture for the teacher to guide student to reconnect with the discussion of what ‘culture’ is.

(Brainstorming terminology and

Notice/compareIntercultural:Explicit exploration of cultural narratives and art forms as expressions of collective identity, vehicles for communicating/preserving values etc.Ainu and Aborigine features

Describing situations and activities – origins, elements, themes, mood

Identifying and asking when

Comparing – social hierarchy/features of storytelling genre

(Bunraku) のとくちょうは A と B です。

　［文楽］は 。。。(文楽)は　たのしくてきれいです、楽しかったです

　いつから年［前］からです。おどったりうたったりします・しました。A は B 　とおなじ です/ちがいます

年時代今人間

くろ子大、小

時代

同じ

物語、話

Video: ”The Tradition of Performing Arts in Japan: The Heart of Kabuki, Noh and Bunraku”,Nippon, the Land and its People.http://www.askasia.org/

developing language) Students view video footage (L1/L2) of Japanese traditional performing arts genres – kabuki, noh, bunraku and identify key features/history/themes/moods. They then complete a matching task of features (Worksheet 1) and re-view the video footage to identify the instruments in Resource 1(a).

Enhancing phase: Students view a corroborree scene and

identify key features. (L1/L2) Students complete a matrix listing

attributes of the Japanese and Aboriginal story traditions (DB Worksheet 1a – L2). This forms the basis of a class discussion (L2) of similarities and differences. #

Students focus on aspects of bunraku and corroborree and complete a Venn diagram of similarities and differences.

Students complete Worksheet 2 – Features of…...

# This and the following task provide rich evidence of students’ capacity to identify key language elements and use them to re-create patterns or to form original utterances.

similarities.Why might both be oral traditions?L1How did bunraku start? Notion of rakuReflect:Why was bunraku taken up by the ruling classes in Japan?L1,2– rice harvest – matsuri– samurai Noukoushou/Ainu/burakumin/Korean sabetsuNotice: (L1/2)What is the history of acceptance of Aboriginal stories in Australia? Compare: (L1/L2)Dominant culture uptake Japan/Australia.Reflect: (L1)Why (not)accepted?.L2.

Giving reasons – to celebrate/thank, because of…, because it is/was…

一番上のはさむらいでした　－しのうこうしょう　－あいぬ　－ぶらくみん　

（いわう）ためにうたったり、おどったりしました

おどりましょうか

私食べる

人形, 文楽,音楽楽しい (recognition)

teachers/essays/essay.php?no=131/

http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/

http://www.city.amagasaki.hyoogo.jp/web/contents/info/city/city03/chikamatsu/English

http://www.dreamtime.net.au/dreaming/storylist.htm

Video:“Dance and Body Art” Knowledge Books Software

Books: “Aboriginal fables” Alan Reed.“Ainu no monogatari”.

“Kabuki iroha”

Kyoto Studio Park guide http://www.lightbrigade.demon.co.uk/Breakdown/Instruments.htm#hyoushigi

http://users.lmi.net/taikousa/dictionary.html

Teacher provides a large blank world map and attaches a series of country labels beside it on the board. Students read the labels aloud together then teacher asks students as she indicates each country – こちらはどの国ですか？and students answer until labels are placed on the map.

Teacher attaches a few endangered animals (QSA CD Res 1, pg 1 - selected somewhat to fit in with key indigenous stories) cards to the map, modelling as she does so 「（ぞう）は

　 　 アフリカに住んでいます」。She then hands each student an endangered

Notice/compare: Animals as symbols, signifiers in cultural narratives and art forms:Compare different animal symbols: what do they tell about that group’s cultural values, history etcHow important are symbols in collective identity

Describing people and things –habitat

あたらしい生そくちは ひろくて　あんぜんです。

Katakana ―animal/place names

中国日本動物住寺小や

Maps:Blank world maps – 1 large, small one for each student

Large country labelsEndangered animal worldmapレッドデータ

　まっぷ（WWF)

animal card (labelled) and asks the students to mirror her performance with their animals.

This is a great juncture to use profiles of people obviously Asian, black African, Islamic, and to use their face cards as stimulus and ask students 「こちらはどの国に住んでいますか。何人でしょうか」。I didn’t do it, but will next time.yes, would be excellent…

Students’ understanding can be checked with some random questioning or some “red herring” statements.

In group discussion, students identify and feedback to class the part key animals/animal symbols have played in the story-telling traditions of our countries and in their own cultural construction.

and meaning-making?Symbols of longevity/ wisdom, barometers of environment, symbolism of events, spirits in land forms, land/animal connections , tsuru,umigame, washi, green tree frogWhat is 「めずらしい」？Hayakuchi KotobaママパンダとパパパンダがささのはパクパクふたごのこぶたはこぶふたこぶらくだFun or message?Intracultural:What symbols have cultural significance for you? Why?

Expressing possibility

―から来たでしょうhttp://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/pa/pa0423_full.html

QSA CD Module : Endangered SpeciesRes 1

めずらしいどうぶつずかん

Text :Mirai 2 –Units 6 and 7

I would tie in these peoples’ status with the animals’ when I do this again. I touched on this notion too briefly so far. Different ethnic groups – e.g. Tsutsis in Africa, Aborigines, Rwandans – could be researched here and their group names placed on the status dial. Disappearing Languages may be investigated similarly.

Students work in pairs, each reading a case study of an animal (QSA CD Res. 2, cut up

Notice/compare:What parallels are there between animals’ and peoples’ endangerment? Ivory and hanko.Reflect:Notion of “I am my

Describing people and things – animals physical/status of people/animals

　ビルビーは しっぽがながいです。ぞうのとくちょうはながいはな と 大きいあたまです。 とらは(けがわ)があるどうぶつです

QSA CD Module : Endangered SpeciesRes 2,3http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/news/98-7/

into single animal’s cases). As they read, they refer to a poster-sized, laminated coloured status dial made from Res 3 (QSA CD).Students then write the name of their animal on a card and blutac it to the status dial.The teacher then hands out partially completed * Attribute List matrix (Worksheet 1a) and asks a member of each pair to tell the class the name of their animal and its status. All other students have to listen and complete the first 3 columns of the matrix.Teacher then asks the students who have not yet spoken to answer a question based on their matrix information, on an animal other than their own. The status dial, with animal labels placed in appropriate sections, remains in the classroom as a stimulus resource. All L2 Note that Attribute Lists are in

themselves more cognitively challenging than vocabulary lists, and very helpful in sorting linguistic elements as a springboard for composing original texts. Note that all headings are in L2 and the matrix is to be completed in L2.

language” Animal はめずらしいすくなくなっていますぜつめつききにあります

　ぜつめつ です

endangered.html

http://planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37491/newsDate/3-Aug-2006/story.htm

Teacher shows students large flash cards (enlarged from QSA CD Res 1, pp 2,3)“Causes of endangerment” are on red card, “Conservation efforts” on green. Students are asked to look at the cards and decide on the significance of the use of green and red.They then work through the cards’ labels in turn, using other literacy strategies:- decoding of images- identification of key words

Notice:What are positive and negative practices? L2Compare/reflect: relative causes of endangerment. L1/L2

Asking about situations and activities

Expressing possibility

Animal name のえいき　ょうは 何ですか

(けがわ)にかりをして　ころしました （か

ら）人は　せいそくち［住むところ］をこわしましたなくなるでしょう

Books: “The Rabbits” John Marsden & Shaun Tan

- noticing of prior language and repetition- Kanjito decipher meaning from the text.

Students refer to these cards (which are displayed in classroom) to complete the matrix (worksheet 1a) based on the case studies in QSA CD Res 2＃. Having completed their own animals, students circulate and ask other students. “Animal name 　 ”が ありますか 、until they find the animals they are missing and complete the grid.

# Note that Res 2 cards vary in complexity from very straightforward to needing strong text access strategies. This sequence provides a good opportunity to notice students’ literacy skills and L2 strengths in reading.

Teacher refers students to “Causes of endangerment” and “conservation efforts” cards displayed in class and shows an OHT of three animals chosen from QSA CD Res 5 with their names deleted. Also on the OHT, teacher has individual labelled pictures of several animals, some of which match the OHT descriptions. Students take part in shared reading and identify which animal picture (on film) matches each section.

Groups then read the table and match an animal to each section, writing causes and efforts in the appropriate columns using language they see on the displayed red and green cards. NB The emphasis here is not on understanding everything, but on using text access strategies to isolate key information.

Groups then develop symbols for each item – perhaps a red circle for causes

L2 literacy focus

Notice/compare/reflect:How does this reflect refugees’ experiences? Survival of animal species and human groups facing threatening situations (asylum seekers etc).What measures do Australia/Japan take to protect their endangered animals?

QSA CD Res 5.

Large blank

and a green triangle for efforts. They then prepare a legend with symbols and their meaning.

Using their symbols, students place endangered animals on a large world map accompanied by their red or green symbol.

Groups take turns to explain their maps to another group. Each student can choose one animal/one aspect (e.g. conservation efforts) to talk about.

*** These maps may be used as visual backdrops to the ensuing Animal Forum role play

As an intercultural focus, students could be encouraged to research refugee groups and their origins/reception in other parts of the world and to mirror the mapping task above for groups of people. Students form groups of 3 or 4 to plan,

draft, rehearse and perform a masked role play, Animal Forum. In these groups, they read Worldwide Fund for Nature QSA CD Res 8 (first half), highlighting conservation efforts they read. They then select one or two animals, create characters who might be friendly/destructive to animals and create a role play plan (L1).

Students complete the Dreaming Bunraku role play worksheet cloze exercice (L2), and, having had that and their role play plan checked by the teacher, draft their script (L2). Before they draft, students work in their groups and then with teacher to develop role cards (L1)– bilby, Wildlife Warrior, developer/poacher. Then, based on a clear understanding of their own roles

Which animals (people) are accepted in a new place? Why?L1

world map for each groupAnimal pictures QSA CD Res 1, pg 1

QSA CD Res 8

Dreaming Bunraku role play worksheet cloze exercise

Role card sample –Resource

and on the prior concepts and language learnt, the students draft scripts.

*** INDICATIVE TASK:Writing/Speaking task:ALL students do this task

Present an Animal Forum masked role play. Detail causes of endangerment and suggest actions to protect/save specific animals.

***Videod samples of role plays will be provided with annotations on accompanying tasksheets/rubrics. These annotations are intended to document both the performance and the reflective journal “journeys” of the boys mentioned below.

Notice/comparereflect: roles of animals, language register for performance, relative status of characters reflected in language/ register***L1 ― discussion of roles/register,L2 ―script ,/performance

Greeting appropriately

Introducing

みんなさん、おはようごあざいます。

　私たちの えんげきに　　ようこそ

いらっしゃいませ。　キャラクターは ビル

ビーとかりをする人と　ウアルドライフ ウオ

リアーです。。。。では、みんなさん、これでおわりましょうか。どうもありがとうございました。

Animal Forum – teacher/student made animal/character masksTeacher made resources:- Role cards L1- “Mantle of

the expert “ technique　

L1

Teacher encourages students to reflect on their own intra and inter-cultural journey through specific reflection questions in L1. This will take the form of in-class discussion and journals. Re-examine notions of European occupation of/impact on Australia and is First People/ecology/wildlife

Teacher reads excerpts from “Adios to Tears” about Japanese people forging strong alliances in South America, but finding it difficult to go “home”.

Aboriginal saying “nulla koola moodich nigibugina” – travel well through this land.

Journals: L1

Notice/reflect: Where is home? Barriers and sabetsu. Hitowa seisokuchi wo kowashita.Compare with European occupation of Australia, Japanese Nisei in Brazil trying to “go home”.

L1/L2

“Adios to Tears” Seiichi Higashide―L1

Students all plan a storyline (L1). All have worked through this unit in Art – set design/production OR puppet design and making - or in Drama, with some

peripheral musical focus. Depending on which of these they have done, they will be puppeteers, narrators, puppet character voices, musicians, stage crew, promoters. Those assisting in the writing of the Japanese script will be the strongest language students, but all (53 boys) are involved somehow in the puppet show production.

Synthesising task

### Choose Australian native animals to perform a puppet show using the Bunraku medium. Storyboard/script/dramatise/design and resource the Dreaming Bunraku play. IcLL journey reflected here?

THIRD/FINAL SECTION ROLE CARD SAMPLE

　　　　　　　　　　　名前：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

Year 8, Semester TwoIntegrated Unit: Dreaming BunrakuComposing (writing/speaking) task Due date: Week 3, Term 4

Indicative task:Working　in　groups,　design,　script　and　present　a　masked role play “Doubutsu hanashi”.

This　is　one　part　of　continuous　assessment　-　a　suite　of　assessment　items　–　through　the　Dreaming　Bunraku　unit.　These　are:- attribute　list　(DB　Worksheet　1a)- individual　reading　and　peer　questioning　　(QSA　CCCD　Res　1,　Worksheet　1a)- cloze　task　(Dreaming　Bunraku　role　play　worksheet　cloze　exercise)- this　role　play　–　all　the　above　are　in　L2- student　reflective　journal　(L1)

Conditions: Groups　are　to　be　a　maximum　of　four　people Characters　and　plot　are　to　be　based　on　concepts　of　endangerment,　influences,　story　elements,　performance　aspects　and　intercultural　understanding　developed　

in　this　“Dreaming　Bunraku”　unit Role　cards　will　be　provided　as　guides　(I　did　not　do　this　at　first,　but　realise　most　students　needed　tighter　scaffolding) Scripts　are　to　be　written　in　kanamajiri All　boys　must　interact　and　make at least four utterances which include statements, questions and answers Language　is　to　be　as　wide-ranging　as　possible,　covering　recently　and　previously　learnt　forms At　least　three　(3)　periods　of　class　time　will　be　devoted　to　writing,　refining　and　rehearsing　the　script You　will　be　judged　on　your　role　play　and　anecdotal　observations　as　you　prepare,　according　to　the　following　Level　statements　

がんばってください

Communication A B C D E

Composing The　student　has　worked　consistently　and　reflected　effectively　to　develop　linguistic　and　intercultural　　understanding　and　proficiency　in　creating　original　utterances　based　on　models.　　The　student　systematically　analysed　language　necessary　and　appropriate　for　this　expository/persuasive　task　and　managed　time　effectively　so　he　could　reflect　on　and　polish　his　script.He　demonstrated　significant　intercultural　insight　in　his　choice　of　language,　register　and　gesture　and　is　likely　to　be　able　to　transfer　such　an　interaction　to　a　real　life　context.

The　student　worked　steadily　and　demonstrated　an　improving　reflective　capacity　as　he　applied　linguistic　and　cultural　knowledge　to　create　original　utterances.　His　intercultural　competence　-　as　evidenced　in　his　choice　of　language,　register　and　gesture　fitted　to　the　role　play　purpose　–　is　developing　well,　and　is　showing　potential　for　real-life　application.

The　student　demonstrated　some　individual　understanding　of　intercultural　issues,　cultural　difference　and　some　linguistic　awareness　and　proficiency.　　The　script　and　delivery　were　fairly　heavily　dependant　on　the　model.　The　role　play　interaction　demonstrated　some　evidence　of　reflection　and　polishing　based　on　feedback　received　in　terms　of　language　choice,　register　and　gesture.

The　student　demonstrated　little　intercultural　understanding　in　either　a　cognitive　or　an　affective　sense,　and　little　grasp　of　the　context　and　purpose　of　the　role　play.The　role　play　interaction　demonstrated　no　evidence　of　reflection　or　polishing　based　on　feedback　received　in　terms　of　language　choice,　register　and　gesture.

The　student　did　not　engage　with　the　drafting/feedback/reflecting/polishing　process.The　role　play　script　was　incomplete.　There　was　no　evidence　of　interculturally　appropriate　language,　register　　or　gesture.　

Assessment tasks: Evidence of the student’s intercultural and intracultural journey will be collected and assessed through : reflective discussions (videoed)

o Knowledge of Japanese communicative patterns and how these identify cultural processeso Development of a metalanguage for talking about these thingso Evidence of students’ developing understanding of the nature of culture and of themselves as cultural actors

journals (in English) o Evidence of students’ developing understanding of the nature of culture and of themselves as cultural actorso Understanding of the issues of identity, culture and survival

the final puppet performance. o Understanding of the issues of identity, culture and survivalo Knowledge of Japanese communicative patterns and how these identify cultural processeso Evidence of developing proficiency in and knowledge of the target language, in terms of grammar, form, functions etc but also as cultural and social practice: seeing how language and culture work together to make meaningo Evidence of the ability to explore and reflect critically upon different cultural attitudes, values etc to allow for some adjustment of their own readings of experience. (cultural literacy)

the Animal Forum role play will also be videoed and assessed and may be used for this project. o Evidence of knowledge of the target language, in terms of grammar, form, functions etc but also as cultural and social practice: seeing how

language and culture work together to make meaningo Understanding of the issues of identity, culture and survivalo Evidence of the ability to explore different cultural attitudes, values etc to allow for some adjustment of their own readings of experience. (cultural

literacy

School context

MODERN LANGUAGES AT MY SCHOOL 2007

Languages Offered and LevelsJapanese in Years 4 to 12; Mandarin Years 7 to 12; French Years 7 to 12; and Indonesian Years 9 to 12 (Additionally a small number of students take Greek, Years 7 to 10.). Students electing a language for Years 11 and 12 incorporate this in their Queensland Certificate of Education leading to tertiary study.

Numbers/Percentages of Students Taking a LanguageJapanese: Years 7 to 9 – 56 students each year of 220 students; Years 10 to 12 – 37 in Year 10 of 220 students, and 20 students in each Years 11 and 12 of 221 and 256 students respectively

Mandarin: Years 7 to 9 has 28 students each Year level; Year 10 has 20; Years 11& 12 combined has 17

French: Year 7 has 56 students; Year 8 has 84 students; Year 9 has 84 students; Year 10 has 35 students; Year 11 has 12 students and Year 12 has 15 students

Indonesian: Year 9 has 28 students; Year 10 has 15 students; Years 11&12 combined has 11 students

DurationAs described above students must take Japanese Years 4 to 6, then by election Years 7 to 12; Mandarin and French can be elected in Years 7 to 12; Indonesian is currently by election Years 8 to 12

Number of Teachers: Japanese – three; French – two; Mandarin – one; Indonesian – one

Resources and Facilities:Specialist language classrooms exist in the Senior School campus for all languages with networked computers for students and datashow projectors; the School is a leading Australian boys boarding school with 1,628 students with a strong academic leadership role in Brisbane; technology continues to develop but the aims are for state of the art facilities for our students

Teaching and Learning Arrangements: Language choices are elected by students in Years 7 to 12, and Japanese must be studied in Years 4 to 6. In Years 10 to 12 studying any language is only by election. Classes are chronologically based with the exception of Indonesian and Mandarin in Years 11 and 12 which have two Year groups combined into one class. Overseas visits are encouraged and common for our Senior School language classes, and Prep School visits to China and Japan also occur. A sister school in Shanghai has entered into an exchange agreement with ACGS and this will be in place in October 2006.

Assessment Requirements:ACGS Modern Languages follows the Queensland Studies Authority’s syllabuses for Years 11 and 12, and also closely follows the QSA’s Years 4 to 10 LOTE syllabuses.

Overall Place in the Curriculum:The Strategic Plan for launch in October 2006 states that the School is an Australian school that is international in its outlook. The promotion and study of Modern Languages is central to this strategic aim, and students are actively encouraged to continue their language studies into their Queensland Certificate of Education final year at school as one of their seven subjects.

Recent Planned Changes:- increasing the availability of the latest ICT technology and software in language classrooms- adding language elective choice to Year 7 with Japanese, French and Mandarin, which previously commenced in Year 8, adding another year of elective

language study for French and Mandarin students- phasing out the offering of Indonesian so as to increase language numbers in Japanese and Mandarin- structuring the Modern Languages faculty with a Head of Faculty, and with Heads of Subjects in each language

Adherence to State Requirements:The School follows the Queensland Studies Authority’s Senior Certificate syllabuses in its modern languages, and all work programmes are submitted and authorised by the QSA. Additionally, all assessment is moderated and agreed by the QSA for Years 11 and 12. The School follows the state and federal governments’ guidelines for reporting student academic performance to parents.

‘International Education’:School Council policy does not encourage ‘International Education’ for our enrolments. There are a small number of VISA students enrolled at the School, as exceptions to this.

A profile of the school community: teachers, administrators, parents ADMIN STAFF (this includes 16 MALES36 FEMALE Age20-30 431-40 641-50 1351 and over 29Country of BirthGreat Britain 4New Zealand 1Sri Lanka 1Australia 46

TEACHERS93 MALES

54 FEMALESAge20-30 1731-40 3741-50 4051 and over 53

Country of BirthGreat Britain 2New Zealand 1Indonesia 1Australia 143

Parent profile:Occupations: Significantly more than 50% of fathers professional, about 30% in trades and service industries, many dual professional parents, only about 5% of mothers doing home duties, very small numbers of rural occupations now.Religions:95% mainstream Christian, strong element of Greek Orthodox, smatterings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and alternative Christian. Approximately 1% claim no religion.

Student group profile

Of the class of 22 boys:

13 were born in Australia, 8 born overseas (1 each in US, Channel Islands, Ireland, Malaysia, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan) In second school – 11 third school - 7 fourth school - 2 Home language spoken - English only - 12 - English + 1 other language - 5 - English + 2 other languages - 3 Home habits (e.g. TV) - 12 English only, 5 English plus 1 other language Other languages previously studied

Chinese, German, French - 2 eachSpanish, Italian, Indonesian, Korean – 1 each

Previous language learning duration:

No, of years Japanese Other

1 3 22 4 23 3 -4 7 -8 1 112 - 4

Teacher profile

Name: Cynthia Dodd (in English): .Name: 　シンシャ ドッド

My name has a specific meaning in …Greek - Virgin Goddess of the hunt and the moon, twin sister of Apollo.

Place of birth: Mackay, QLD

Place(s) of upbringing: “Cardowan”, Sarina, QLD Place(s) of education:

Primary: Primary Correspondence School.

Secondary: St Margaret’s ACGS, Brisbane

Tertiary: University of Queensland (B. Arts, Grad Cert.Technology in Language Teaching)

Languages (or variations) I use for daily communication/interaction (listening & speaking): English and Japanese

Languages (or variations) I use for daily communication/interaction (reading & writing): English and Japanese

Languages (or variations) I use for teaching:Listening & Speaking: English, JapaneseReading & writing: English, Japanese

Other Languages (or variations) I use in my study & research: a little French, Latin

Other Languages (or variations) I have used in the past in my studies & research, or for communication/interaction:…Latin, French - at university, travelling

My relationship to English: Native speaker

My relationship to the language I teach: Proficient speaker

My relationship to “Australian” culture: I have a rich bush heritage but am comfortable almost anywhere in Australia as I can “fit” into a range of sub-cultures

My relationship to additional languages: Interested but no real command of…

Tertiary subjects I have studied (place & institution):French – 2 yearsJapanese - 3 yearsJapanese Contemporary Culture – 1 yearEconomics – 2 yearsPolitics – 3 yearsTechnology in Language TeachingSecond Language Acquisition TheoryAll at University of Queensland

Tertiary subjects I am studying currently (place & institution):M.Arts (Ling) – stalled

Employment: Present (area[s], subject[s] & where): Middle School Japanese and English.A high school in Brisbane

Past (area[s]m subject[s] & where): SOSE – in my present school and SOSE, English and Japanese in various high schools in Brisbane.

Base cultureI am a proud Australian who loves best the open spaces of this country in which my convict Irish forebears became pastoral pioneers. The core of my life is my family, in which I am daughter, sister, mother and grandmother. I believe that my family has thrived by being open and adaptable and through valuing education and innovation. These attitudes, I believe, predisposed me towards other cultures and approaches. Growing up in the bush meant a quality of life to my knowledge unparalleled in urban environments. Visitors from many countries were warmly received and mealtime discussions vibrant and challenging. I grew up safe, busy, engaged with my education in both the correspondence school classroom and on our cattle property. Hard work, honesty and treating others, our animals and our land with respect were core values. My parents were consistent, firm and fair and nurtured my four siblings and me admirably on Christian principles; we believed in ourselves and our capacities and have embraced challenges in many different fields – aviation, computer programming, sharemarket analysis, lay preaching, journalism, rural innovation, beef industry politics, inbound tourism design, teaching.

I was always a good student, but attending secondary boarding school in Brisbane opened a plethora of new opportunities for we bush kids. For my part, having access to learning other languages awakened a passion which has not abated, tapping into my childhood fascination with “other” and with language in general. My highest marks were in French, Latin and English, prompting continued French study at University in tandem with my fledgling Japanese studies. As I contemplated University courses, my farsighted “bushie” father advocated some Japanese; this was to prove an ongoing fascination and a great culture-in-language /language-in culture journey. Further education in Linguistics has focussed on Technology in Language Teaching, with an M.Arts in train.

Travel is another passion. Several study awards to Japan and many school trips later, I still yearn to go back. I find many complementarities between Japan and Australia and some of my dearest friends and closest soul mates are Japanese. Having visited Ireland to spend time with my son and his Irish wife, I believe the twin Irish factors of strong linguistic capacity and a hunger for education are imprinted on me. They are values which I have inculcated in my own children, all vibrant, open people, articulate communicators and keen travellers, and hope to pass on to my grandchildren.

Professional domain Teaching was not my first choice of occupation as I graduated with a B. Arts from the University of Queensland. Trade with Japan was “hotting up” and connections in the mining industry encouraged me to seek employment with a Japanese company in Sydney – “Nippon Steel, hajime mashite”. Nothing in my life that far had prepared me for the sometimes overwhelming feeling of otherness and of being a token Australian presence, that I sometimes felt in that branch office of the company which was then the world’s second largest steel company and which negotiated all of Japan’s dealing with coal companies in Australia. Despite being treated cordially by all and very kindly by some, I was never in the inner circle (“uchi”) in that work environment. This was, after all, 1973, only a century since the Meiji Restoration, when Japan had opened its doors to the world after a long period of isolationism. It was also a very formative period for Australia/Japan trade relations, and the real internationalisation mood had not yet taken hold in Japan. The dual impacts of somewhat stand-offish Japanese male employees and my inadequate language skills were salutary, as was the realisation that the senior negotiator would pretend to understand no English whilst in negotiations, yet speak very good English socially. The footings of the pylons of my intercultural bridges were poured in that setting. Feeling an outsider in “the big smoke” but being truly an outsider (“soto”) for the first time in my life gave me new eyes and was probably the point when my openness to “other” began to go beyond being tolerant to really working at connecting.

My improving interculturality and University studies in economics attracted the notice of a Sydney investment analyst very interested in Japan’s stock market. His introduction saw me working for Gold Fields, a prominent foreign mining company’s Australian office, in share market dealing and investment analysis. There, the cultural adjustments were much less unsettling because of the largely mono-cultural team, mainly of private school backgrounds not unlike my own: but the investment industry sported a culture of its own. And the intercultural understanding was limited to that, for example, between merchant bankers and stockbrokers. I noticed many traits and features; I compared them with my own, and I reflected on the similarities and differences. The intellectual challenges were very enjoyable, I made good friends, yet I longed often to be back in the bush.

Then, my then husband was offered an opportunity to work in Brisbane, and we headed north – closer to my family ties in time for the birth of our first child. Happy times ensued as we lived between our two home territories, and I assumed the new role of mother, adding three more offspring in short time. No matter what travel, privileges or exciting challenges I have had, I regard being able to devote my life totally to my children’s upbringing in their pre-school years as both my greatest privilege and my most productive act in life so far. The bonds forged then, I believe, formed the bridges so desperately needed when these children hit adolescence, and I believe they are not so different from quality connections with those of different cultural backgrounds – if the effort to communicate is genuine, if one keeps one’s word and persists, rich linkages ensue.

Teaching beckoned to me as the priority in my family shifted from day-to-day organisational support to the financial substance to provide secondary education. This coincided with my growing disillusionment with absences caused by my tourism work, and with an emerging conviction that I might have something

useful to teach young Australians. So, I entered the teaching culture, and, as an itinerant LOTE teacher, have had to simultaneously build bridges with various school teams, many children in multiple classes, and professional networks. This was in the early 1990’s, when LOTE funding was plentiful and Queensland Primary LOTE initiative starting. Yet, I once again began to feel that sense of being “soto”, something ‘other’. I am dismayed at the extent to which Languages are still treated as such in Australian educational settings, and, as a matter of conviction, am actively engaged in trying, through professional associations, to better engage and inform the public. Through reflective and constantly evolving practice, and through developing challenging, purposeful tasks using rich TL resources, I believe we can raise the bar on Languages programmes whilst actively engaging young learners; hence, the need to connect to youth culture(s), in our own settings and in the target country. It seems no coincidence that the trusting, open relationships of my childhood are the sort I try to foster with the young men I currently mentor as a Form Teacher in a Middle School, and I take it as a compliment that, from highly gifted to learning-challenged, they confide in me and work productively with me. In a nutshell, it seems that the productive, open, trusting interaction between cultures, be they national, age, gender, context or industry based, when mediated in a shared language, is the nub of interculturalism.

Other areasIt seems that, irrespective of one’s political affiliations (mine vary), one’s faith (mine is a constantly evolving understanding of the nature of God), one’s hobbies (tennis is a long-standing passion forged on an ant-bed court in Central Queensland and shared from Kyoto to Belfast, as portable as linguistic capacity and, like linguistic capacity, a great mediator), one’s lifestyle, one’s family and friends, one is a constantly fluid “interactor’’. My Father recently passed away and, my Mother being frail, I felt for the first time the mantle of “family elder” fall quite firmly on my shoulders. Even though I have an older brother to whom I am close, and we five siblings are variously close, there seems to be a shift to daughters when the support of the elderly is at stake – another cultural practice? My role of daughter suddenly seems to be that of mother, even as I need to step up to the “Senior” plate.

With some of my Languages teacher friends, I often find myself at foreign film festivals, soaking up and revelling in “difference”. In an Australia which too often seems to be descending into arms length tolerance at best and xenophobia at worst, and a Queensland which seems to better warrant the name “Sad State” than “Smart State” (given recent moves to further marginalise under-resourced Languages programmes), I take great heart from linguistic opportunities and friends from other cultures. To focus on the old adage that “A rolling stone gathers no moss”: rather, I would like to postulate that “A vibrant intercultural mediator constantly acquires often unseen riches in the never-ending quest to connect with self and with fellow humans”.