If you would like to contribute your views on language maintenance and revitalisation, or on what you think the most pressing New Zealand human rights issues are more generally, visit our survey and answer the two questions there.

land Diversity Action Programme Facebook page now has over 400 friends.

Check it out to keep up to date with news, events and issues on the new Facebook page. The Race Relations Commissioner also has a Facebook page for general race relations issues.

Mental Health Development Unit, Le Va, has received a high demand from local communities for information and assistance regarding their mental health and wellbeing following the tsunami that struck Samoa. The information is now available on their website in English and in Samoan.

Applied linguist Judi McCallum came up with the idea for the programme after seeing an initiative for health professionals during a sabbatical trip to the Netherlands. She thought it could meet the needs of some of the migrant clients she was seeing as Wellington's ESOL Assessment and Access Service specialist.

"Skilled migrants coming to see me had been here two, three or four years and were not getting interviews for jobs they were applying for. Some had applied for 500 jobs and got to the point of despair."

Judi worked with Victoria University to set up the Workplace Communication for Skilled Migrants' Programme. It features in-class teaching for six weeks, workplace experience for six weeks, and mentoring from business people. The internships and mentoring have been strongly supported by the Rotary Club of Wellington and recruitment agency The Johnson Group. Judi remains heavily involved, interviewing and assessing applicants.

The programme also received special commendation from the New Zealand Human Rights Commission in June this year. For more information visit the Victoria University website.

A group of whanau worked on the project for about three years and the project was overseen by Ka Pai Kaiti. Te Puna Reo is committed to the regeneration of Māori knowledge, skills, values and culture through normalising the use of the Māori language and creating a holistic teaching environment that supports children's spiritual, cultural, physical and intellectual development. Te reo Māori is the only language spoken around the children and one whānau member in every child's household must be committed to speaking only Te Reo Māori to that child. Te Puna Reo also facilitates Te Reo classes for all whānau members so they can develop their own language skills. For more information, visit the Te Puna Reo o Puhi Kaiti website.

The closing date is January 29. Further information and an application form can be found on the Interpreting New Zealand website. A list of the languages we currently provide is also available on the website. Interpreting Wellington welcome all expressions of interest from people in the wider Wellington region, but are particularly seeking candidates who speak Amharic, Burmese, Cambodian, Cantonese, Somali or Swahili.

The new Christchurch branch, Interpreting Canterbury, celebrated its first birthday on International Interpreters and Translators Day, September 30. The third series of interpreter training modules based in Christchurch is well advanced. Applications for the 4^th series will be advertised on the website in mid 2010.

For the past 18 months, Google has been researching how incorporating minority languages into its applications could help keep such languages alive and diversify access to them on a global scale. Until now content on Google could not be translated in Māori.

Waikato University computer science lecturer Dr Te Taka Keegan helped Google launch the toolkit. Dr Keegan spent six months at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, researching how such technology could help advance and promote Māori, and other minority languages.

"Getting Māori more easily online helps keep Māori relevant in the age of the internet and globalisation, and especially encourages use of Māori by children who are ultimately responsible for bringing the language to future generations," he said.

"Languages provide identity, pride, a sense of belonging and spiritual guidance to minority language communities, both in New Zealand and around the world.

"Google hopes that by giving both majority and minority language speakers the tools to make online content accessible in their language, we will encourage and promote the use of many languages and language communities," Dr Keegan said. Test the toolkit out online.

TangataWhenua.com have also announced that they are continuing the Google in Māori translation project started last year as part of Google's 'Google in your Language' program.

The team is currently working on translating Google's main Search site and Google Wireless, which helps to navigate the numerous websites that are not optimised for Mobile use. The team was just recently given permission to translate Picasa 3, free software from Google that helps organise, edit, and share photos. Find more information, including video links, online.

They plan to have their draft vision and action plan out for consultation with stakeholders by mid-February 2010. If you are interested in being part of the consultation group, contact Mary Roberts, Secretary or Sunita Narayan, President.

Designed for both classroom and personal use, Gagana Sāmoa features a methodical approach suitable for all ages; an emphasis on patterns of speech and communication through practice and examples; 10 practical dialogues covering everyday social situations; an introduction to the wider culture of fa'asamoa through photographs; more than 150 exercises to reinforce comprehension; a glossary of all Samoan words used in the coursebook; and oral skills supplemented with downloadable or streaming audio files. For more information visit the University of Hawaii press website.

CALD training is a practical programme designed to improve the awareness, knowledge and skills to work with and understand Asian, Migrant and Refugees from different cultural backgrounds. This includes working with interpreters effectively to improve communication.

CALD training is provided in five sessions.

• Culture, cultural competency and working with interpreters.
• Working with CALD service users and working with refugee service users.
• Specialist training working with Asian service users.
• Specialist training working with refugee service users.
• Follow up and consultation.

Between July 2008 and June 2009, 110 registered health practitioners from around New Zealand completed CALD training. Participants represented diverse fields of medicine, including psychology, psychiatry, nursing, social work, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and health education. CALD training was delivered in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Christchurch with participants travelling from around the country to attend.

This project has gone from strength to strength thanks to a dedicated team of diverse, highly-skilled professionals who have contributed much time and expertise. RASNZ said funding for this pilot, provided by Te Pou, has led to a much-needed, direct and tangible outcome in workforce development in the mental health and education sectors.

If you are interested in finding out how to access training, please contact Mele Ngaluafe at RASNZ or Elena Wong at Waitemata DHB Asian Health Support Services.

The report finds that, as globalisation spurs an unprecedented cross-fertilisation of cultures worldwide, investing in cultural diversity can renew approaches to sustainable development, ensure the effective exercise of universally recognised human rights and freedoms, and strengthen social cohesion and democratic governance.

This report analyses all aspects of cultural diversity and maps out new approaches to monitoring and shaping the changes that are taking place. It proposes a series of ten policy-oriented recommendations, to the attention of States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, international and regional bodies, national institutions and the private sector on how to invest in cultural diversity.

Emphasising the importance of cultural diversity in different areas (languages, education, communication and new media development, and creativity and the marketplace) based on data and examples collected from around the world, the report is also intended for the general public. It proposes a coherent vision of cultural diversity and clarifies how, far from being a threat, it can become beneficial to the international community.

You can download a copy of the report in English. The Executive Summary is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish and can also be downloaded.

A web where Chinese is the dominant language, and connections are so fast that distinctions between audio, video and text are blurred is perhaps just five years away, he told delegates at a technology conference in Orlando, Florida.

Find more information, including a link to video of the Eric Schmidt's interview online.

This was celebrated with a workshop in Auckland in October. A panel discussion followed a keynote address by Professor Duncan Webb, who specialises in ethics in the professional practice of law. Sir Paul Reeves, provides a foreword for the book and opened the launch with a mihi in which he remembered Tupaia the famous Pacific island interpreter who accompanied Captain Cook.

The book is part of an initiative by the Office of Ethnic Affairs' Language Line team to help interpreters keep in touch with developments in their field.

There have been over 175,000 sessions using Language Line in the past six years. "It's great." Language Line Manager Diana Clark says:"We know that because there is accuracy and neutrality in these sessions, people are able to settle more quickly so they can enjoy the good things New Zealand has to offer."

For those who would like to know more, including which languages and agencies are available, go to Language Line's website or contact Diana Clark.

By using technology to improve whānau access to health information and services this project will strengthen whānau and contribute to their wellbeing. Technology also helps reduce the isolation many people with disabilities experience.

With the Relay Service, Deaf people sign to an interpreter via a web camera. The Interpreter then relays their message in speech to the hearing person. The hearing person talks back and the interpreter signs what they say back to the Deaf person.

Project Karere is also going to develop a digital pānui and translation service and it will make internet radio programmes that provide information for the Māori blind. For more information read the online article.

The theme 'Korero Mai - Speak to me' sees Parkinson's New Zealand, and their 20 divisions across the country, focus on reaching out to families affected by Parkinson's disease who may find English-only material a barrier to access to vital information.

'A diagnosis of Parkinson's can be hard to comprehend and for people who speak little or no English it can be even more confusing, stressful and alienating,' says the National Director of Parkinson's New Zealand, Deirdre O'Sullivan.

In addition to the English and Te Reo Māori versions, An Introduction to Parkinson's, which describes Parkinson's disease symptoms, treatments and related services, will be available in Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Samoan, Spanish, Tongan, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese.

The multilingual pamphlets were launched at Parliament on Thursday October 29 to a crowd of Parkinson's New Zealand members, community figures and cultural leaders. For further information visit Parkinson's New Zealand's website.

The Raukawa Trust Board received Te Tohu Huia Kaimanawa, the Supreme Award for 2009. The award was given in recognition of the work that they have done to support Māori language regeneration within their iwi and the wider community. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori CEO Huhana Rokx said that the Trust Board were 'considered leaders in language planning and strategy, their commitment is unequivocal, and they continue to set the bar for excellence as far as language revitalisation goes.'

Professor Timoti Karetu, a long-time advocate and supporter of te reo was the inaugural winner of the Taku Toa Takimano award, given in recognition of an individual's efforts for the language.

The language learning programme Te Ataarangi received the Te Aumangea award, which is given to a group or organisation in recognition of their efforts towards language revitalisation.

For more information and a list of all the winners, visit the Kōrero Māori website.

Their offices throughout the country will organise local events and promotions and they always need help with the huge amount of preparation that takes place in the months leading up to NZSL Week. Please contact Kathryn Heard for more information about how to get involved and how to learn NZSL.

An initial planning meeting will be held on 24 November 2009 to discuss preparation for 2010. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding Samoan Language Week 2010, please contact us or Ester Jane Laban of F.A.G.A.S.A Inc.

or Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2010 have been announced. Next year, Māori Language Week will be held from July 26 to August 1, 2010.

The Applied Linguistics Associations of New Zealand and Australia (ALANZ and ALAA) will hold their first combined conference in Auckland from December 2- 4, 2009 at AUT University. The theme of the conference is 'Participation and acquisition: Exploring these metaphors in Applied Linguistics'. Keynote speakers include: Lourdes Ortega (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Cathie Elder (University of Melbourne), Tim McNamara (University of Melbourne), Gary Barkhuizen (University of Auckland). The draft programme is now available on the ALANZ website. For further information contact Professor John Bitchener (0064 9 921 9999 ext 7830).

A hui on Māori Literacy within Māori Medium Education and bi-lingual units in English Medium Education will be held at Tangatarua Marae, Waiaraiki Polytechnic, Rotorua from July 12- 16, 2010. Hui participants will have the opportunity to:

• hear Cathy Rau - one of New Zealand's foremost experts in the field of Māori medium literacy
• participate in reading, writing and oral language workshops
• engage with keynote speakers
• interact with current classroom practitioners.

The early bird cost for the noho marae is $410, while noho ki wāhi kē is $335.00. The cost after May 28, 2010 is $510 / $435. Registrations close on 11 June 2010. For more information and to register online visit the TRCC website, email, or phone 0800 872 211.

The 'Critical Link 6' Interpreting in a Changing Landscape conference will be held on July 26- 30, 2010 with the aim of bringing together representatives from all spheres of the public service interpreting community, and to examine the role of interpreters in the world. The conference will be held at Aston University (Languages and Social Sciences) in Birmingham UK, and aims to explore the political, legal, human rights, transnational, economic, socio-cultural, and sociolinguistic aspects of public service or community interpreting. Visit the website for Aston University to download a call for papers.

The CLESOL 2010 conference will be held October 1- 4, 2010 at King's High School in Dunedin. The conference committee are now calling for submissions of abstracts for presentations. The theme of the conference is 'Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning, Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo'. Presentations, workshops, and colloquia that relate to the conference theme are especially welcome, but all topics relevant to language teaching and learning will be considered. Presentations may include research, theory or practise-based ideas, inquiries, approaches or strategies. The committee encourages first-time presenters, especially those from the primary and secondary sectors, and hopes to establish support from more experienced ones. Please follow the prompts to sign up for an account and to submit documents for CLESOL 2010 online. The call for papers closes on April 1, 2010. For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries email CLESOL or visit their website.