LANGUAGE

EDUCATION
ACTION PLAN
Language education in
ACT public schools

Education Directorate

April 2024

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Priority Statement
Introduction

Canberra is a vibrant and multicultural city and remains one of the best cities to learn an additional
language.

The Future of Education Strategy (the Strategy) provides the strategic framework for the delivery of
language education in our public schools and closely supports the delivery of high quality and innovative
language education programs in ACT public schools.

All ACT public schools teach the Australian Curriculum version 9. Languages are one of the eight
learning areas under the Australian Curriculum and provide valuable learning for ACT students.
Language education provides students with skills to access an increasingly global environment.
Studying language education benefits cognitive function and assists with critical thinking and problem
solving as well as making students more culturally aware.

ACT public schools currently have a range of mechanisms in place to support the provision of high-
quality language learning. Supports include language teaching assistant programs, and funding
language teacher networks in each of the eight priority languages: Chinese, French, German,
Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

In the broader language context, the Directorate supports the development of student mother tongue
and other language programs through the Canberra Language Network, the Community Language
Schools Association and the provision of professional learning for community language school
teachers. The ACT is well positioned to provide a rich language program with access to embassies,
universities and the broader community language sector.

The ACT education system is consistently evolving and improving. It needs to be flexible to meet the
increasing demands of a modern global society. Language provision is a critical subject area.

Principles

The provision of language education in ACT public schools should contain the following elements:

• Languages is regarded and valued as one of the eight learning areas under the Australian
Curriculum

• All students have access to options for language proficiency

• All schools offer a language education program reflective of the diverse and international
community in the ACT

• Consistency in language education programs to ensure the time allocations meet the minimum
requirements

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• There is an action in the workforce strategy where language education teachers are
systematically recruited

• The ACT has a delivery model that is agile and flexible enough to meet student and community
needs

To deliver a world class language education program, this Language Education Action Plan provides
actions regarding Workforce Planning, Pedagogy, and Curriculum and Partnerships.

This Plan provides a pathway for the ACT to be the jurisdiction of choice for public school language
education in Australia.

Priorities

With the implementation of the Future of Education Strategy, the Directorate aims to reposition
language provision to further encourage and support language programs in ACT public schools. An
improved model for language provision in ACT schools will:

 meet the needs of the community

 provide flexibility and richness in language provision options and delivery
 provide choice for students to pursue language proficiency
 support teachers with professional learning to keep up to date with their language
 have purposeful and meaningful relationships with the broader language stakeholders in the
community
 include a strategic approach to the recruitment and placement of language teachers
 and include collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders like Universities and Embassies.
To ensure the continued provision of robust and sustainable language education in the ACT, the
Education Directorate has formulated the Language Education Action Plan.

To deliver a world class language education program, the Action Plan provides a pathway for the ACT
to be the jurisdiction of choice for language education in Australia. It outlines a range of actions that
will be implemented to support language education delivery in ACT public schools across the
following priority areas:

• Workforce Planning

• Pedagogy and curriculum

• Partnerships

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Implementation Actions
Observation/challenge Action Implementation
Timeframe
WORKFORCE PLANNING
1 There are limited numbers of public school Action 1: Develop a workforce plan for public school language By end of 2025
teachers in the ACT who are language specialists, teachers that is integrated with the Education Directorate’s
and it is important that existing language specialists existing workforce strategy.
are able to be retained. Further opportunities for
public school language teachers in the ACT may be
explored through continuing to develop
relationships with ACT universities as well as
providing opportunities to existing teachers to
develop a language specialty.
2 Investigate further opportunities to leverage from Action 2: Work with the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) to By end of 2025
the community languages sector and international explore options for international teachers looking to teach in
teachers, recognising there are limitations ACT public schools, including access to Permit to Teach status.
3 associated with the English language proficiency Action 3: Collaborate with TQI on Permit to Teach From 2026
requirements of teacher registration. Further requirements and investigate tuition supports for the
exploration of these issues may be beneficial. International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
4 Language education is provided in a range of Action 4: Explore options for alternative delivery models for By end of 2025
settings outside ACT public schools. Examination of public school language education programs, including online
these settings, and further opportunities for greater delivery, which will provide flexible and innovative solutions for
collaboration with language delivery partners (for students wishing to undertake a pathway for proficiency.
example community language schools), online
platforms, and alternative delivery models may be
considered.

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PEDAGOGY AND CURRICULUM
5 Languages are required to be delivered as one of Action 5: Maintain the minutes mandated for language learning Ongoing
the eight learning areas under the Australian in the ‘Curriculum Policy and Procedures’ so that languages is
Curriculum but are not always delivered in every delivered as one of the eight learning areas under the
school. Australian Curriculum.
6 Current ACT public school language provision may Action 6: Update the ‘Curriculum Policy and Procedures’ to By end of 2025
not align with student uptake and demand. ensure consistency in the review and decision making of
Identified priority languages could be reconsidered language pathways for individual school settings. This will
to meet student and community expectations. require extensive consultation with all stakeholders.
Decisions to adopt a language program in an ACT
public school is made on a school-by-school basis,
often considering the language the teacher can
teach rather than the need of the
students/community, which can limit the continuity
of language pathways available to students and
limited attention to planning and context.
Directorate assessment of adoption of a language
program by schools would provide a coordinated
approach to language program provision and allow
for the planning of future language pathways for
students.
7 Students and the community would benefit from Action 7: Provide access to pathways for proficiency options in By end of 2025
greater access to information about the pathways high school and colleges to facilitate consistency in language
available for language education in ACT public provision across school years. This includes tracking of
schools. Guidance for students and the community pathway options and providing advice on pathway options.
about language pathways could be publicly
available to assist with program and school choice,
particularly with respect to the pathways available
in Category B schools, for years 7 to 12 students.

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PARTNERSHIPS
8 There are languages outside the eight priority Action 8: Forge stronger connections between ACT public By end of 2025
languages that ACT public school students are schools and community language schools (for example
pursuing outside of the school environment, Canberra Academy of Languages) and explore potential ways
without formal recognition of their learning. to include and incorporate more community languages into
Exploration of the provision of language education ACT public schools.
through Community Language Schools Association
and how this may be recognised may be warranted.
9 There are limited numbers of public school Action 9: Leverage existing relationships with universities to By end of 2025
teachers in the ACT who are language specialists, promote the training of public school teachers in language
and it is important that existing language specialists education. This would include forming a partnership with the
are able to be retained. Further opportunities for University of Canberra and building upon the Affiliated Schools
language teachers in ACT public schools may be model.
explored through continuing to develop
relationships with ACT universities as well as
providing opportunities to existing teachers to
develop a language specialty.

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