The idea of "powerful knowledge" has been developed by Young (2008; 2010; 2012; 2013), who argues for a subject-based curriculum. This notion has created widespread debate within the fields of sociology of knowledge and the sociology of the curriculum. Young's work takes a social realist perspective to describing the academic disciplines…

In this increasingly interconnected world, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with each other defines success in relationships, in the workforce and in one's personal pursuits. (AFMLTA More Leaps, 2012). There is an impetus in education, therefore, to improve the quality of language teaching and learning programs in schools and to…

Over the past 20 years task-based language teaching (TBLT) has become a dominant approach to teaching in many contexts, including schools in New Zealand and the Flemish speaking region of Belgium (East, 2012; Van den Branden, 2006), but there are challenges for teachers in adapting their teaching to this approach. This paper reports on a study…

Developing curricula for languages in the context of the Australian Curriculum is a complex undertaking that needs to address a number of demands. These include: the nature of language-and-culture learning for contemporary times within an increasingly diverse linguistic and cultural world; the goals of mainstream education and the…

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has been developing language-specific curricula for a range of languages in the "Australian Curriculum: Language"s and has also undertaken development of a "Framework for Australian Languages", to provide guidance for the development of curricula for specific…

Intercultural understanding is one of the seven General Capabilities identified by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority in the national curricular development currently underway. Conceiving languages education as "an endeavour focused on the development of intercultural understanding" (Liddicoat & Kohler,…

With a view to bridging the gap between elementary (primary) and secondary school second language teachers and researchers, the study reported in this paper identified differences in language register, educators' lack of access to research articles and lack of shared space for researchers and educators to communicate as causes of the gap. There is…

This article presents selected findings from an ethnographic study of classroom-based assessment practices in languages classrooms (Indonesian) in the final year of primary (Year 6) and the first year of secondary (Year 7), respectively. In particular, the paper focuses on differences between the respective year levels in how learning was assessed…

International Grammar School was founded twenty years ago on the belief in the benefits of immersion language learning for children. It offers immersion second language learning in German, Italian, French, and Japanese which continues through kindergarten into the high school years. With language as the medium and not the object of learning,…

Presents a synthesis of the results of two research studies that examined he attitudes to Web-based language learning of primary, secondary, and tertiary students. Factors investigated include he following; students comfort. enjoyment, strategy strengths, learning styles, study preferences, and age and gender differences. (Author/VWL)

In addressing the theme of transition in learning languages, describes aspects of three projects. Data are drawn from the projects to highlight issues in context, culture, and communication and principles that support transition and continuity in learning languages. (Author/VWL)

Highlights strategies and processes implemented across two schools as part of the Languages Focus Schools project in Australia. The intention was to improve outcomes for student learning in Spanish through a streamlined approach to programming, assessment, and transition from the first year of primary school to Grade 9, with a focus on the middle…

Describes a collaborative project whose goal was to explore ways to improve transition for students who have been learning a language in primary school for up to 7 years and choose to continue with this language when they enter high school. (Author/VWL)

Discusses assessment of student language learning in relation to the transition from elementary to secondary level education in Australia. (Author/VWL)

Discusses transitioning students from primary to secondary language programs from a Tasmanian perspective. Identifies factors important in a smooth transition from the primary to secondary level, based on research, and outlines the Tasmanian issues and action plans and acknowledges the challenges that remain. (Author/VWL)