“We should be teaching Maori to every five year old child … because what I think should happen is that you introduce very young children from New Zealand to the idea of biculturalism and more than one language, and then they will be able to learn other languages as their personal circumstances fit. There’s a whole lot of research to back this view up.”

Read a transcript of the Minister’s interview with The Nation here.

Since Minister Groser’s remarks, there have been a number of supportive statements in the media:

TVNZ ran an item in which the New Zealand Educational Institute voiced support for bilingualism and said that New Zealand could look to Europe for inspiration. Minister of Māori Affairs Pita Sharples said that there was no doubt that bilingualism would open the doors to greater language learning and make it “so much easier to understand the world.”

In the Bay of Plenty Times, Keri Welham wrote that te reo is ‘ours’ and “if we want future generations of New Zealanders to speak a language, which presumably we do because it is proven to have benefits for brain development, why would our first choice not be the language of this land, the language unique to the country we call home?”

The Taranaki Daily News reported that school principals in Taranaki also supported the Minister’s stance on compulsory te reo. One principal said “it’s about engagement with our country and it’s also building on the children’s brain development.”

Columnist Kere Woodham in the New Zealand Herald wrote that she was pleased at the Minister’s stance and hoped it would be a catalyst for action.

Auckland Minute blogger Richard Boock wrote about the connection between language and cultural understanding, and the role that compulsory te reo could play in changing attitudes over time, concluding that New Zealand would be “a better place for it.”

2012 is also the 50^th anniversary of Samoa’s Independence and the recognition of New Zealand’s continuing relations with Samoa through the signing of the Treaty of Friendship. Both these anniversaries will be celebrated during 2012 with a particular focus on Samoa Independence Day on 1 June and the signing of the Treaty of Friendship on 1 August.  See the Samoa 2012 website.

Visit the Samoan Language Week “Participants” page to find out what organisations, schools, libraries, city councils, media, government departments and community groups are doing for the week. You are invited to register your activity by emailing nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz so that it can be published on the website and promoted as part of the week’s activities.

For more information visit the Samoan Language Week website. Samoan Language Week also has a very active Facebook page with over 6,500 participants worldwide.

Come and hear Auckland based Samoan author Lani Wendt Young speaking about her writing, her inspirations and her book which is sweeping the world ‘Telesa: the coverant Keeper’. Find out about storytime sessions, craft activities, scavenger hunts and much more. Check the Auckland Libraries website or ask a librarian about events.

Auckland Libraries holds many Samoan language resources for Aucklanders. With their extensive range of Pacific books, DVDs, picture books and junior readers, you definitely won’t be feeling left out of the Pacific buzz.

Keep up to date with what’s new on their shelves through the Pasefika NextReads eNewsletter. Read latest editions and subscribe for the monthly e-newsletter online.

As well as examining resourcing, capacity and capability, the committee will consider the role and contribution that the Government, the private sector, and the community and voluntary sector can make in early childhood education to improve the prevalence and quality of Pacific language in New Zealand. Submissions close on 25 June 2012.  For more information, visit New Zealand Parliament – Inquiry into Pacific languages in early childhood education.

The report, including draft guidelines, was launched at an even this month involving Christchurch agencies involved in the Christchurch earthquake response and recovery.  Research was undertaken to assess the preparedness of local and central government agencies in supporting Christchurch during and after the earthquakes. Most agencies acknowledged that they did not know how best to engage with CALD communities, and some are aware that they are still not engaging effectively with these communities. There is urgency to identifying best practice guidelines that would support agencies and communities to effectively engage with each other in 2012 and beyond.

The research includes:

• Best Practice Guidelines for Agencies in their Communication with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Times of Disaster (Draft) and
• Advice for CALD Communities on Communication with Key Agencies in Times of Disaster (Draft).

Sarah Wylie, who conducted the research and prepared the guidelines, stressed “if you want to communicate well with CALD communities following disaster, don’t wait until something really bad happens. Get to know them now – build a relationship with CALD communities based on mutual trust, respect and understanding.” A media release and a PDF copy of the CALD guidelines report is available on the Healthy Christchurch website.

In May, the arrival of the Queensland fruit-fly in the Avondale community also highlighted the need for government agencies to be prepared to liaise with CALD communities. Early information was only available in English but has now been translated a week later with print adverts in Chinese and Korean and radio adverts in Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin and Punjabi. Visit the   Biosecurity New Zealand website to access the translations.

The Human Rights Commission plans to host a session at the New Zealand Diversity Forum (19-20 August 2012) on ‘Communication in a Crisis’ to discuss the issue and best practice approaches.

The reference group will advise the Government on how to increase the number of high-quality, te reo-fluent teachers in Māori-medium education.

“Māori-medium education is of enormous value to New Zealand, both for protecting and revitalising te reo Māori and for achieving good education outcomes for learners, and for preparing for engagement with other cultures,” said Ms Parata. Associate Minister Dr Sharples said it is crucial for New Zealand to increase the supply of high-quality, highly trained, te reo-fluent teachers to meet current and future demand for Māori-medium education.

The reference group will focus on teachers in Immersion Level 1 (te reo Māori used 81-100% of the time) and Level 2 (te reo Māori used 51–80% of the time). The group will develop a vision for strengthening the workforce and recommendations on how to achieve this vision. They will report to the Ministers in July 2012.

Read the full article here.

Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson said that Deaf New Zealanders faced barriers to full participation in society every day. Increased use and better acceptance of NZSL as an official language would help to reduce the many issues of discrimination that came to the Commission’s notice each year. From July, a Commission team will begin work on an official public inquiry into the use of NZSL and how our third official language can be strengthened.

For more information, contact Victoria Manning.

Instead, they set about doing what they could to save te reo Maori in their own community, starting with their own school community first. Their efforts have attracted national attention – they’ve been special guests at the Māori Language Awards and met Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples – and late last year they won their division in the National Community Problem Solving Championships in Auckland. In June the 12 and 13-year olds, of Ngāpuhi and Tainui descent, fly to the United States in the hope of repeating their feat on the world stage.

Read the full article on The Northern Advocate website.

The three-phase Teachers Council’s Whakamanahia te Reo Māori Research Project approach builds research-based knowledge and consensus on what constitutes te reo proficiency in Māori-medium education.

“We’re looking closely at what level of te reo Māori proficiency student teachers will need to have when they enter their teacher education programme and what level we expect them to reach when they exit,” said Teachers Council Director Dr Peter Lind.   

“This final phase will identify the necessary te reo Māori proficiency required to successfully teach students in Levels 1 and 2 kura/schools and Māori-medium early childhood education settings.”

A key outcome of phase three is to create a proficiency framework with descriptors of language for learning and teaching.  The framework will guide the selection of appropriate te reo Māori exit assessments of graduating teachers, and determine or identify their proficiency prior to their graduation from initial teacher education (ITE) programmes.

The processes being used to achieve consensus around the development of the framework will consist of wananga, focus groups, kanohi ki kanohi and reference groups. 

Whakamanahia te Reo Māori Research Project – Te Kohikohinga o Ngā Taonga Mahi will be completed by October 2012.  For more information about phase one and two of the project visit the Teachers Council website.

They are particularly short of interpreters in Amharic, Assyrian, Burmese, Chin, Hindi, Khmer, Oromo, Somali, Tamil, Tigrinya, Tongan and Vietnamese.  You’ll need to be a New Zealand resident or citizen and have been living in New Zealand for 18 months or more, be generally available during normal working hours, and be well educated, with a broad general knowledge.  If you think you have the qualities necessary to do this intensely interesting and hugely responsible job, check out the steps involved in becoming an interpreter with Interpreting New Zealand.

Applications for the next Wellington course close on Friday 15 June. The course starts on Monday 30 July 2012, and runs every Monday evening from 7:00 to 9:30 pm, with an additional two Saturday practice sessions.  Contact info@interpret.org.nz if you need further information.

Applications for the next Christchurch course close on Friday 29 June.  The course starts on Saturday 11 August 2012, and runs over 5 non-consecutive weekends, finishing on Sunday 4 November.  Contact canterbury@interpret.org.nz if you need further information.

No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do, the whole nation is encouraged to find a way to express how and in what ways they use, honour, speak and thereby show their love for the language.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori will be launched with an event at Te Awa, The Base in Hamilton on Monday, 23 July, at 8.30am. The launch is being celebrated by performers from local kura, retailers own promotions, give-away breakfast snacks and the week being opened by government officials and Tainui dignitaries. You are welcome to come along for a morning snack, some inspiring entertainment and to preview Māori Language Week resources.

All Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori resources for 2012 will be available to download online by 1 June 2012.

Māori Language Awards open on 1June 2012. Start thinking now what your organisation can do not only to celebrate Māori Language Week but also to enter the awards. To get some ideas visit Korero Māori online.

Visit the Confucius Institute online for more information.  The Confucius Institute also have a group of Mandarin language assistants in schools this year. This article describes the experience from one assistant’s perspective.

Seeflow, based in Auckland, offers a new service for Deaf people who need documents, emails, contracts, articles and so on, translated into New Zealand Sign Language.   Creative director Sonia Pivac says NZSL is New Zealand’s third official language and it should be more common and accessible. (View this article in NZSL.)

“For various reasons a lot of Deaf people leave school with a reading age that is well below average and it means they have more difficulty finding employment. We are hoping that through Seeflow a Deaf person who has very strong sign language as a first language can use that to advance their career,” she says.

How does it work? A Deaf person emails Seeflow a document, or uploads it to the secure Seeflow website, where it is translated into NZSL video and returned to the sender.

Seeflow also offers a grammar checking and proof reading service, as well as “NZSL Letter” which enables organisations and government departments to send translations of public information, or private correspondence.  It has been developed by Deafradio, a Deaf-led company with other services including Multichannel Media who have worked on a number of large translation projects, including the NZSL Curriculum project.  Sonia says, “During our work on the larger translation projects, we realised access issues for Deaf people are mostly to do with smaller items of written material – letters from the hospital, newsletters from a club or brochures about government services.  This is a problem when your first language is NZSL.”

The Human Rights Commission contracted Seeflow to enable people to make submissions on its draft discussion paper on accessibility The Wider Journey, to do so in NZSL.

The lecture will be held on Wednesday 23 May from 6-7 pm in Building 170-1064 at Unitec.

The presentation is part of a free Chinese language and culture night that also includes the 1981 Chinese film “Narrow Street.”

Mingle with people who are also interested in Chinese language and culture with light refreshment from 5pm. Presentation will start at 6pm and film at 7.30pm, a supper will be served after film. Registration is required for catering purposes as places are limited. Please RSVP to Ellen Yang by Sunday 20 May to receive your invitation. School-age children are welcome.

Professor Brock-Utne’s presentation (followed by discussion) will assess the way in which language is used (or abused) across the many interfaces connecting politics, peace, peace education, and cultural relations.

The presentation is sponsored by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO and the National Consultative Committee on Disarmament.

The course is available to level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers, all within the discipline of Ngā Toi. The course is intended to build a network of Māori teachers able and willing to share resources to contribute to students’ engagement and practice.

The course will run from 4 to 7 July in Wellington. For more information visit the Teachers’ Refresher Course Committee website. Early bird costs are available until Thursday 18 May, after which an additional $100 charge applies. Registrations close on 1 June 2012.

International Languages Week has been run in schools around New Zealand for several years now. The idea is that each school or region takes advantage of the opportunity to showcase and promote both language and culture in their school and or community.

Visit the Wiki space of the Association of Language Teachers website for more information.

The week is promoted by the Aotearoa Tongan Teachers Association in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, other organisations and members of the Tongan community.

The goals of the week are to:

• celebrate the Tongan language and culture in New Zealand
• promote the teaching and learning of the Tongan language
• raise awareness of the Tongan language as a language spoken by a significant number of people in New Zealand
• promote initiatives to maintain and grow the recognition, learning and use of the Tongan language in the home, in education, at work, in government, in the media, in sport, in the arts, in the church and in the community.

For more information, visit the Tongan Language Week webpage or like them on Facebook.

This year, New Zealand Sign Language Week   will be celebrated from 30 April – 6 May.

NZSL Week helps promote the language as well as raise awareness about New Zealand’s Deaf community and the issues/challenges its members face each day. 

The awareness week is a chance for the Deaf Community to stand proud as Deaf and promote their language and culture.  It also provides an opportunity to advocate for Deaf rights, as defined by the UN’s Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities. NZSL Week is a chance for Deaf New Zealanders to ‘put their hands up’ and be ‘heard’

Through “Learn @ home, @ work, @ play” Deaf Aotearoa will introduce all New Zealanders to signs they can use everyday. The not-for-profit organisation will be holding free Taster NZSL classes throughout the country.  These classes are held in conjunction with workplaces, organisations and community groups throughout the country.  The Taster classes will also run at public community centres. 

To support the learning of NZSL, Deaf Aotearoa has developed three high-quality resource booklets, which feature easy to learn, everyday vocabulary.   NZSL finger spelling cards and posters are also available to help encourage learning of this great visual language.

This year, Deaf Aotearoa will take its Taster classes into schools.  Trained Deaf community tutors will visit local schools and use highly interactive worksheets to inspire students to learn NZSL and utilise the newly-launched online NZSL dictionary.

Deaf Aotearoa also offers schools:

• The NZSL Tool Kit – a comprehensive two part teaching programme, which includes easy to follow lesson plans and an interactive DVD.
• The chance to learn the National Anthem in all three official New Zealand languages with a high-quality teaching DVD
• Provide advice on other resources and information available about Deaf education.

NZSL Week will be celebrated throughout the country with a wide range of local events and activities.  To register your interest in having a Deaf tutor visit your school or workplace or to order any Deaf Aotearoa teaching resources please email nzsign@deaf.org.nz or visit www.nzsign.co.nz for taster classes and activities in your area.

This year’s theme is “O le Vāfealoa’i”  “Strong and Respectful Relationships”.

2012 is also the 50^th anniversary of Samoa Independence and separately New Zealand’s continuing relations with Samoa through the signing of the Treaty of Friendship.  Both these anniversaries will be celebrated during 2012 with particular attention on Samoa Independence Day 1 June and the signing of the Treaty of Friendship 1 August.  See the Samoa 2012 website.

Families, early childhood centres, schools and tertiary education institutions, government departments, city councils, libraries, employers and unions, media, churches and community groups are all encouraged to undertake activities in support of Samoan Language Week. You are invited to register your activity by emailing nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz so that it can be published on the website and promoted as part of the week’s activities.

Samoan Language Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Samoan language in New Zealand, to recognise the language and culture of Samoan New Zealanders, to build bridges between cultures and to ensure that the language continues to be used widely in New Zealand in the future.

For more information visit the Samoan Language Week website. Samoan Language Week also has a very active Facebook page with over 5,000 participants worldwide.

No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do, we encourage the whole nation to find a way to express how and in what ways they use, honour, speak and thereby show their love for the language.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori will be launched with an event at Te Awa, The Base in Hamilton on Monday, 23 July, at 8.30am. The launch is being celebrated by performers from local kura, retailers own promotions, give-away breakfast snacks and the week being opened by government officials and Tainui dignitaries. You are welcome to come along for a morning snack, some inspiring entertainment and to preview Māori Language Week resources.

All Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori resources for 2012 will be available to download online by 1 June 2012.

Māori Language Awards open on 1June 2012. Start thinking now what your organisation can do not only to celebrate Māori Language Week but also to enter the awards. To get some ideas visit Korero Māori online.

The forum was jointly organised by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, the Bilingual Leo Pacific Coalition, the Human Rights Commission, Auckland Council and the University of Auckland.  Rev Uesifili Unasa, chair of the Auckland Council Pacific People’s Advisory Panel, hosted the forum, which included plenary sessions from such distinguished speakers as Her Excellency, Mrs O’love Jacobsen, High Commissioner for Niue, and Pa Marie Te Ariki Upokotiri – Paramount Chief of Takitumu – Rarotonga. 

Attendees called for the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs to host a follow-up meeting and a separate youth forum so participants can follow up on conversations started on the day and can plan concrete actions in support of Pacific language use and preservation.

A wide variety of workshops gave participants an opportunity to hear about the efforts of universities, government departments and informal groups to preserve and support Pacific languages.  Participants asked searching questions, contributed their comments, and shared their own journeys of language richness, loss or rediscovery.  All those present were passionate to see their languages maintained and used to support the social, cultural, spiritual and economic wellbeing of Pacific children, families and communities.

About 300 workers and supporters of kōhanga reo attended to hear opening submissions from the Trust’s counsel, Mai Chen.

The Trust’s application for urgent hearing of claims was initially lodged in concern about the Early Childhood Education Taskforce’s report of June last year and how the Government might respond.

The Trust’s claim alleges that they have not been provided protection and autonomy by the Ministry of Education and are forced to fit within mainstream early childhood education frameworks. For example, Kōhanga Reo are required to employ qualified early childhood educators and funding is allocated on the basis of the number of qualified teachers. This conflicts with the qualifications devised by the Trust specifically to provide for the kaupapa of parents and whānau learning alongside children. The Trust also notes it has not been given sufficient priority in consultations with the Government and that their requests to participate in the research for the Taskforce report were ignored.

The Trust proposes kōhanga reo-specific legislation. It says this will allow greater whānau control and responsibility, while still being accountable for public funding and allowing the Crown to carry out its Treaty duty of active protection.

A decision is expected in April.

The Kōhanga Reo National Trust, and many kōhanga reo around the country, will mark their 30th anniversary this year.

The Growing Up in NZ study director Dr Susan Morton said this was one of the big surprises in their first post-birth interviews with parents of 9 month old babies.

Earlier interviews during pregnancy found that only 5 per cent of mothers and 3.5 per cent of fathers could hold a conversation in Māori. Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of the study’s 6846 babies were described by their mothers as Māori.

But 32 per cent of all babies had more than one ethnicity – 69 per cent were NZ European, 21.3 per cent Pacific, 16.9 per cent Asian, 2.8 per cent Middle Eastern, Latin American or African and 4 per cent other ethnicities.

Two-thirds of the mothers speaking Māori to their babies were Māori themselves, representing almost all of the 18 per cent of mothers who were Māori. But a third of those speaking te reo to their babies were not Māori.

English is still dominant. Asked which language they spoke most to the baby, 79.6 per cent of mothers said English and only 0.7 per cent said Māori.

All feedback expressed the view that more should be done to promote, support and maintain Pacific languages in New Zealand. However there was considerable diversity of opinion about how this should be done.

The Ministry has now published a summary of all the feedback they received, indicating how feedback might be integrated in the development of the Pacific Languages Framework. The summary is available at the Ministry’s website.

The manager of the school in Wellington is veteran language professional Marty Pilott.

Euroasia Director Kenneth Leong describes Euroasia’s role as “connecting people across cultures. Euroasia has a role in promoting greater cross-cultural understanding as New Zealand becomes more culturally diverse.” Language skills are crucial to connecting people across cultures.

Although there are other organisations offering foreign language teaching, a few things about Euroasia make it a little different:

• Specialisation in European and Asian languages other than English (including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese etc).
• Teachers are native speakers, and offer interesting cultural input.
• Specially designed curriculum taking into account unique requirements of New Zealanders.
• Each course is designed in consultation with the students to meet their needs.

Euroasia’s foreign language classes have been attended by over 3,000 New Zealanders in the past 5 years. Euroasia courses in Auckland and Wellington are available through evening classes, in-company tuition or online learning. Cross-cultural consulting and translation services are also offered. Euroasia’s clients include many of New Zealand’s leading corporate and government organisations.

This is a workshop suitable for those who work in a multicultural environment and will give them a great opportunity to discover the impact of cultural differences on the behaviour of people in their communication. It will also help to adjust interaction style to the needs of people at work from other cultures and manage the ambiguity of intercultural situations. For more information please contact 06-7591088 or email ssnp@xtra.co.nz.

The guest speaker will be Dr. Dongfang Wang, visiting research fellow in the China Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. Dr Wang will talk about the development of volunteer work in China.

To RSVP contact Vera Xu Ph04 589 3700 / 027 266 9283.

The group will host Chinese Game Weiqi (Go) on 28 April. All welcome. Gold coin donation.

Contact: Ellen Yang, 473-7558, 027-4756888.

International Languages Week has been run in schools around New Zealand for several years now. The idea is that each school or region takes advantage of the opportunity to showcase and promote both language and culture in their school and or community.

Visit the Wiki space of the Association of Language Teachers website for more information.

The course is available to level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers, all within the discipline of Ngā Toi. The course is intended to build a network of Māori teachers able and willing to share resources to contribute to students’ engagement and practice.

The course will run from 4 to 7 July in Wellington. For more information visit the Teachers’ Refresher Course Committee website.

The centre’s Mandarin service has now been extended to three days now from Monday to Wednesday. Cantonese service is from Thursday to Friday.

For more information visit the Disability Resource Centre website.

The study is being done by the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People (EMRIP).

The Commission says that effective promotion and protection of languages requires four components:

1. a clear strategy agreed between indigenous peoples and the State
2. indigenous community commitment and action
3. state financial support and a legislative and institutional framework; including official recognition of indigenous languages
4.  wider community acceptance and recognition of the right to language.

The Commission stresses the importance of National Human Rights Institutions promoting the right to language for indigenous people as an integral part of their general advocacy for human rights.

The Commission’s submission describes the evolution of te reo Māori, state promotion and protection, and te reo Māori today.

A draft of the Expert Mechanism’s study will be finalised in early April 2012 in preparation for the Expert Mechanism’s fifth session in July 2012. Visit the OHCHR website for further information on this study.

Visit the Human Rights Commission’s website to view the full submission.

Top four priorities set out in the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs’ briefing are Education; Youth, Skills and Employment; Enterprising Communities; and Promoting Pacific Cultures and Languages. It notes that “vibrant Pacific languages and cultures will contribute to improved social and economic outcomes, and the cultural wellbeing of Pacific people.” The use of Pacific languages in New Zealand is declining, and some are at risk of extinction. To address this challenge, the Ministry will finalise its Pacific Language Framework over the coming year. It will continue working with Pacific communities to support implementation of Community Action Plans for language regeneration and promotion.

A key component of Te Puni Kōkiri’s work programme is progressing the review of the Māori Language Strategy. Subject to decisions in that review, the work programme includes possible review of the Māori Language Act 1987.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs’ briefing notes the opportunity to encourage civic participation in the Constitutional Review, including on the language rights of ethnic groups. It notes connections with other portfolios administered by the Department of Internal Affairs -within which the Office of Ethnic Affairs is based – include the Language Line telephone interpreting service.

The Ministry of Education’s briefing includes a section on Māori language in education. It notes that the Ministry’s arrangements for Māori language, while well meaning, have been reactive and ad hoc. To address this issue, the Ministry notes a priority for the next three years to complete and implement the Māori Language in Education Strategy – Te Mai Te Reo. This will set the strategic direction including funding investment for Māori language in education from 2012-2017. The briefing sets out other priorities for Māori language in education, including work with and for iwi, whānau and national Māori organisations; research and evaluation; and capability and capacity in Māori language in education. The briefing notes that Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success and the Pasifika Education Plan both emphasise the importance of education that is responsive to the identity, language, and culture of learners.

Many community events will take place on the weekends of 17-18 March and 24-25 March, with school activities taking place from 19-23 March. Check out all the festivals and events happening near you. If you or your organisation is planning an event to celebrate, email us.

Community groups, councils, schools, workplaces, marae and places of worship are encouraged to celebrate the value of cultural diversity and the need to support harmonious race relations.

Race Relations Day is a time when you, your organisation or community can do something to celebrate, learn, discuss, plan or promote diversity, including languages. It’s an opportunity to launch new initiatives, motivate your staff, or promote existing programmes and projects.

Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust was established in 1982 and formalised as a charitable trust in 1983. The mission of the Trust is the protection of te reo, tikanga me ngā āhuatanga Māori by targeting the participation of mokopuna and whānau into the Kōhanga Reo movement. Its vision is to totally immerse kōhanga mokopuna in Te Reo, Tikanga me ngā āhuatanga Māori.

The first Kōhanga Reo, Pukeatua, was opened in 1982 near Wellington. From 1982 to 1989 Kōhanga Reo flourished in an environment of excitement and celebration. One hundred Kōhanga Reo were established in 1982 and growth continued until 1994 when there were 800 Kōhanga Reo catering for 14,000 mokopuna.

The Trust is at the Waitangi Tribunal this week for a hearing of its urgent claim concerning early childhood education.

For more information about Kōhanga Reo visit the website or Facebook page.

MyLanguage has links to millions of multilingual information resources for new and emergent Australian communities. It has links to multilingual search engines, web directories, government websites, online dictionaries, and syndicated news headlines. It also has translations of online government and community information relating to health, legal issues, settlement, education and public libraries.

Language Line’s manager, Diana Clark says she hopes the addition will help those members of the community who might otherwise be isolated. Languages are usually added when there is concerted demand or a demonstrated need from the community.

Alongside Māori, which is an official language of New Zealand, the Pacific Island languages offered are: Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Samoan, Tokelauan, Tongan, and Tuvaluan. Samoan and Tongan are most frequently requested, but even they are topped by the most used of all: Mandarin.

Language Line enjoys steady and growing support from people who don’t speak English and recently passed a milestone of more than 250,000 interpreting sessions.

Details have just been published in the NZ Journal of Primary Health Care.

“New Zealand is now very much a multicultural society, and increasingly GPs and other health professionals are managing patients who have limited or very little English,” says Dr Gray.

“If they don’t understand one another clearly, both doctor and patient are at risk in terms of best diagnosis, and meeting the requirements of the Health and Disability Code.”

 For years Dr Gray worked at the Newtown Union Health Centre in Wellington, treating patients from over 20 countries, where it was relatively common to use interpreters. But his research shows this is unusual, and too many health professionals are still trying to ‘muddle through’ in a rapidly changing cultural environment.

The comprehensive interpreter toolkit, informed by evidence-based research and Dr Gray’s wide experience in this area, has been supported by the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners. It sets out a series of flow charts, scenarios and information boxes to improve communication with limited English patients, and is available through the College.

“We’re hoping this toolkit will be the start of a cultural change, where health professionals recognise that every consultation with limited English patients requires clinical judgment on the quality of interpreting needed.”

“To facilitate the use of interpreters it is also vital that District Health Boards, as is happening in Auckland, provide some funding for interpreter use for primary care services and in areas such as Emergency Departments.”

Seeflow also offer a grammar checking and proof reading service, as well as a service called “NZSL Letter” which enables organisations and Government departments to send translations of public information, or private correspondence via a secure system.

Seeflow was developed and is run by Deafradio, a Deaf-lead company with other services including Multichannel Media who have worked on a number of large translation projects, as well as on the NZSL Curriculum project (nzsl.tki.org.nz). Partnering with Connect Interpreting, who specialise in developing specialist NZSL Interpreting services, the combination aims to make NZSL translation commonplace, resulting in a more NZSL accessible society.

Deafradio Creative Director Sonia Pivac says “during our work on the larger translation projects, we began to appreciate that access issues for Deaf people are mostly smaller items of written material – letters from the hospital, newsletters from a club or brochures about government services. Even emails from the boss can create access issues, as well as creating emails or reports when your first language is NZSL. So we decided to try and address this by developing a streamlined dedicated service for enabling access to these everyday requirements. Our hope is that when these little things are addressed, Deaf people will be able to dramatically increase their independence and participation in parts of society that matter to them”.

Seeflow, the first translation service of its kind in the world, is now live and can be seen at www.seeflow.co.nz. Registration is free, as is signing up for their newsletter, which includes public announcements.

The Sukhmani Charitable Trust began in 2008 with its Punjabi language programme.

The programme was run from the garage of a community minded and committed Indian couple living in Blockhouse Bay. The programme now includes art and music lessons to help enhance the children’s artistic inclinations. For more information about this programme please email Malvinder Pal Singh.

Newly expanded services include assisting young Indian migrants arriving in the country as international students then moving on to graduate job search permit.  In partnership with Migrant Action Trust, Sukhami Charitable Trust also runs a job search workshop on the third Friday of the month from 3 to 6pm. For more information about the job search workshop please email Narinder Grawalat or migrantaction@xtra.co.nz.

Despite having no budget, the programme managed to start with 8 children, thanks to the kindness of a Somali teacher named Hussein Fahar. The programme is now run at Wesley Community Centre where an average of 20 children comes every Sunday afternoon for a 3-hour class in the Somali language.

When the children were asked why they think there is a need for a Somali language class they provided some very mature answers, such as:

• So we can translate for our parents and grandparents who don’t speak English
• So we can speak to our friends and relatives when we go to Somalia
• Before we learn another language, we should first learn our own language.

For children of refugee families, learning their own language provides a sense of self-worth and identity. The well-being of an individual starts from knowing the self, where you belong and being accepted into the community you believe you belong.

For more information about the language programme, please email Abdikarim Hassan Mohamed, President of ONKOD Somali Youth Development Inc.

There has been a great deal of interest in the programme from the community. The launch took place on 23 February with coverage from Tagata Pasifika.

The rule changes come into effect on Sunday 25 March. Resources are now available on the NZ Transport Agency’s website in Māori, NZ Sign Language, Japanese, Korean, Tradition and Simplified Chinese, Thai, Arabic, Samoan, Tongan, Gujurati, Hini and Punjabi.

The website provides resources and information about teaching and learning in Māori-medium such as support material for each learning area, a teacher resource exchange, news, events, professional learning opportunities, and information about offline resources. The site can be navigated in English or te reo Māori. If you are a Māori medium teacher looking for resources, visit the Mātauranga Māori website today.

The purpose of the forum is to share current Pacific Language Initiatives; for a presentation and discussions on key issues facing Pacific languages; and to create partnerships.

To register your attendance contact Yara Richmond Ph (09) 265 3228 by 21 March 2012.

Presentations, workshops, and colloquia that relate to the conference theme – Emerging opportunities in new learning spaces: He akoranga hou, he huarahi hou- are especially welcome, but all topics relevant to language teaching and learning will be considered.

 The committee encourages first-time presenters, especially those from the primary and secondary sectors, and hopes to establish support from more experienced ones.  

The deadline for submissions is 2 April. For more information visit the webpage.

Attendance fees ($300 for FAGASA member $350 for non member, an extra $50 late fees after 30 March) cover food and accommodation.

The theme of this year’s fono is “Ole Gagana Samoa ole u Ta’afale”  Language is a global arrow.

For more information contact Afamasaga Pavihi.

This means that residents who have prepaid for English language tuition through Immigration New Zealand, can now use this fund to cover the cost of English Language programmes at Aoraki Polytechnic.

For details visit www.aoraki.ac.nz , email study@aoraki.ac.nz or call 0800 426 725.

Remaining sessions and topics in March:

17 March – World Consumer Rights Day (15 March) 

24 March – Qingming Festival (4 April 2012, Ancestors Day)

31 March – Chinese Tea Appreciation (An interesting and interactive demonstration by Lihong Huang)

Chinese Film sessions will begin with “Farewell my Concubine” on Thursday 29 March Time:  7.00pm – 9:30pm at Wellington City Council buildings, 101 Wakefield Street.

Entrance to Mandarin Corner or Chinese Film is by gold coin donation. Contact Ellen Yang Ph (04) 473-7558.

The review looks at efforts by organisations to develop strategies and frameworks to guide government policy and partnership with language communities on language promotion. The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 was reviewed, with a high level of feedback from the Deaf community. There was a growth in language weeks in 2011 that will continue in 2012, with interest for further language weeks for Pacific languages, Chinese and Indian. The Christchurch earthquake provided evidence of the importance of being able to communicate with diverse communities during and after a civil emergency.

The review highlights two priorities for 2012:

• Adopt and implement the Pacific Languages Framework and decide on the future strategy for te reo Māori
• Develop central and local government capability to communicate with culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the Canterbury earthquake recovery, and in the event of future civil emergencies elsewhere.

The full race relations report will be released in early March to promote discussion in advance of Race Relations Day, 21 March. The report will be launched at a ceremony at the Auckland Town Hall, 9-10 am on 8 March with Mayor Len Brown and Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres. Please RSVP by 24 February to Josie Maskell DDI (09) 306 2655.

To view the review, and reviews of other areas released to date, visit the Commission’s website.

Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson said, “Parliament has a moral duty to show leadership in ensuring fair and equal access to and participation in the political process.”

He said elected representatives needed to both participate in Parliament and to be able to engage with and speak on behalf of their constituencies. This applied equally to all members of Parliament.

As yet the Commission has not received a complaint about the issue from Ms Mathers. Any such complaint would be assessed against the anti-discrimination provisions of the Human Rights Act. If the Commission accepted the complaint, it would offer to attempt to resolve the dispute.

Mathers gave her maiden speech in Parliament on Wednesday 15 February. New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters were in the House interpreting all the new Green MP’s speeches. The last time an NZSL interpreter was in the House was for the readings of the NZSL Bill in 2005 – 2006.

The Human Rights Commission and UNESCO supported the initiative.

The poster features a map of New Zealand formed with the words: “Aotearoa, we all belong”, translated into 30 languages. The design includes Burmese, Hindi, Samoan, Chinese, NZ Sign and Te Reo Maori. There is also space for people to write the phrase in their own language – if it isn’t on the poster.

The 2006 Census identified New Zealanders as increasingly multilingual. A reported 671,658 people are able to speak two or more languages: an increase of 19.5 % on the 2001 Census. The country’s growing diversity was also signalled through the 10.4 % of people who now identify with more than one ethnic group.

“There are so many ethnicities in our country today; together we all make up the unique place that is our New Zealand,” said Nicola Sutton, Chief Executive of ELPNZ. “The map’s different written forms represent us as a nation in a creative and colourful way.”

Sunita Narayan, President of CLANZ said: “It’s exciting to think our country has grown so much in its diversity over recent years. We all have a place here. Today’s Kiwis speak a myriad of languages and enjoy and share the variety of cultural celebrations and international cuisine.”

To celebrate the day the Human Rights Commission will host a roundtable and launch its annual review of language diversity. Attendees will be asked to offer their thoughts on How should we promote New Zealand’s languages. The roundtable will be held at the Commission’s Wellington office at the Vector Building, 44 The Terrace, Wellington from 3-4.30pm on Tuesday 21 February. RSVP to Catriona Scannell.

The theme of the lecture series was ‘Waitangi and the Nation Looking Toward 2040’. Ms Laban, an Associate Professor at Victoria University and former Labour MP, gave a Pacific perspective on the Treaty and our nation.

Laban spoke about Tokelau, Niue and the Cook Islands as part of the New Zealand realm. Their people are New Zealand citizens and all have the majority of their population living in New Zealand. Language retention in New Zealand is vital to the survival of their languages. After English, Samoan is the most daily spoken language in New Zealand.

“The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has made some heroic attempts to promote the languages of the Realm and the region. But they have had very limited resources and no legislative support. More needs to be done, and civil society needs to participate more in language revitalisation”.

To view the full speech, visit the Waitangi Rua Rautau website.

Published by the Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (Inc), the Translation Kit comes with general and pharmacy related phrases and is designed to help pharmacists and their staff communicate more effectively with non-English speakers.

The Guild published the first Translation Kit in 2008 in Māori, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Samoan and Tongan. The new Translation Kit has added Arabic, French, Spanish and Thai. It contains over 80 words and phrases that include basic greetings, questions about medical history, information about prescriptions, instructions for using medicines and explanations about what medicines are for.

Guild President, Karen Crisp, says the kit has been an important tool for example when patients do not want a family member translating. “The Translation Kit is an increasingly relevant communications tool for helping patients know how and when to take their medicines. Simple, consistent messages make a big difference to patients’ health and the Translation Kit makes sure that language barriers are no obstacle to getting the right messages across.

“Many of our member pharmacies serve an increasingly diverse range of patients, many of whom are new migrants or international students. But it has been pointed out that this is also useful for communicating with tourists seeking healthcare advice.”

Ms Crisp says it is important to provide the necessary support to pharmacies to enable them to ensure the best possible outcomes. “The Guild has taken great care to ensure the accuracy of the content. Where possible, we also asked ‘mother tongue’ speakers to review the final versions and made more amendments based on their feedback.”

The Pharmacy Translation Kit has been distributed to all Guild member pharmacies and is available for sale to non member pharmacies and DHBs.

CLING hopes the brochure will be useful to members of language communities in Christchurch and that those people receive a warm and helpful response when requesting an interpreter. Members of language communities will be able to present the ‘card’ included on the brochure.

CLING wishes to acknowledge the three key providers of interpreters in Christchurch, Interpreting Canterbury, Language Line (Office of Ethnic Affairs) and i-Sign

The brochure is available from the Christchurch City Council or contact Jenni Marr, Metropolitan Community Advisor at Christchurch City Council on 03 941 8097.

The books were released by Kotahi Mano Kaiko to say thank you to those who continue to support the revitalisation of te reo and the Kāi Tahu language strategy Kotahi Mano Kāika, Kotahi Mano Wawata. All four books are available online.

There has been a great deal of interest in the programme from the community. The launch will take place on Thursday 23 February from 5.30 pm at Whiti Te Ra (school hall), Porirua College.

To RSVP contact Ruth Avery 04 237 5465.

Arohatia te Reo, as a brand, means to cherish the language and through using this brand the intention is to provide a means by which people of all walks of life can demonstrate their love and regard for the language.

The Māori language and culture belongs to everyone. Arohatia te Reo signifies the core Māori values of inclusiveness, shared responsibility and working together as a collective. The intention is to provide a broad theme as a platform for diverse and varied interpretation, all the while maintaining a core notion of love for the language.

Te Taura Whiri will encourage everyone to find a way to express how and in what ways they use, honour, speak and thereby show their love for the language.

The Confucius Institute of New Zealand is a public non-profit organisation that promotes Chinese language and culture study through educational programs, exams, events and scholarships.

A record crowd of more than a quarter of a million people attended the annual Lantern Festival, held to mark the Chinese New Year.

Dainty cakes, traditional Chinese snacks and four varieties of Chinese tea were available to purchase at the Tea House, which was crowded for the tea ceremony held regularly over the three evenings of the festival.

The Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island stages will begin their speech competition from 12.30p.m on 14 March, continuing on 15 March from 8.30am. The Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Niuean stages will start their songs and dance competitions on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 finishing with Prize giving on Saturday afternoon.

Competition on the Māori Stage will begin after the pōwhiri and continue until prize giving on the Saturday. The Diversity Stage will host Indian, Chinese, Filipino, and other Asian groups on Wednesday after the pōwhiri.

For more information visit the Polyfest website.

The 11-day trips have been greatly enjoyed by principals and deputy principals who have had a taste of Chinese culture and seen first-hand China’s amazing economic transformation.

The programme includes school visits, seminars on Chinese culture, meetings with Chinese government officials, sightseeing in Shanghai, Beijing and the surrounding rural areas.

Principals and Deputy Principals from New Zealand schools currently offering, or planning to offer, Chinese language in the school curriculum are eligible to apply.

All expenses in China will be covered by Hanban. International airfares, visa, travel insurance and any NZ internal travel expenses to and from Auckland will be the responsibility of the applicant’s school. Any other personal expenses during the trip will be the applicant’s responsibility. If finance is likely to be a difficulty, the Asia:NZ Foundation offers two travel grants of $1500.00 each.

Applications should be submitted by 14 May 2012. For more details visit the Confucius Institute website.

The course is available to level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers, all within the discipline of Ngā Toi. The course is intended to build a network of Māori teachers able and willing to share resources to contribute to students’ engagement and practice.

The course will run from 4 to 7 July in Wellington. For more information visit the Teachers’ Refresher Course Committee website.

Chief Executive Rachel Noble says the recent review of the 2006 NZSL Act points out nothing new and offers no solutions to how government agencies could better work with the Deaf community to address the issues.

“While there have been some advancements, overall Deaf people are no better off than they were before the Act was written,” says Ms Noble. “By offering no solutions to major issues, like accessibility to sign language interpreters, this review denies Deaf people the ability to have a voice, to act as a partner or even to have a lead role in improving their status in New Zealand society”.

The review was conducted to assess how government agencies are implementing the aims of the Act and suggest improvements that may be needed. Deaf people and groups throughout the country made submissions to the Office of Disability Issues highlighting key areas of concern, including the need for Deaf people to have a leadership role in Deaf issues, a strong NZSL infrastructure and improved access to interpreters. They called for a national sign language strategy to provide some consistency across government departments.

“In 2006, the Deaf Community of New Zealand rejoiced in the passing of the NZSL Act. We celebrated the recognition of our language and culture, the acknowledgement of the history of oppression experienced by the community and at last, held high hopes for improved access to information and services for Deaf,” says Ms Noble.

“However, the NZSL Act review fails to respond to the overwhelming call from the Deaf community to broaden the scope of the Act beyond justice to include sectors like education and health. Neither does it address the systematic barriers and inefficiencies around the provision of sign language interpreting services.”

Also of concern for the community is the blatant disrespect for Deaf people as equal citizens in New Zealand. “The key principle of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the New Zealand Disability Strategy, ‘nothing about us without us,’ is ignored. The review suggests that Government Ministers could model best practice by including a NZSL greeting at all official events, as is done in Māori, whether or not the content of the minister’s portfolio is relevant to Deaf people.”

“We Deaf are not interested in symbolic use of NZSL at the beginning of ministerial presentations, we are more interested in the content of the Minister’s portfolios and their plans to engage with the Deaf community to find effective solutions to our issues.”

Ms Noble says the Deaf community is calling for the Disability Ministerial Committee to engage with them, to understand what the submitters were saying.

Interest in having a week to celebrate and share their language next year has been expressed by the Fijian, Cook Island, Niuean, Chinese and Indian communities.  Māori Language Week is set for 23-27 July,  Samoan Language Week on 27 May – 2 June, Tokelau Language Week on 29 October-2 November and NZ Sign Language Week on 30 April to 6 May 2012. If your community is planning a language week, let us know the date and we will help you to publicise it.  Email nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz with the details.  If you want to include schools, please note that the school terms next year are Term 1,30 January-5 April, Term 2, 23 April-29 June, Term 3, 16 July-28 September and Term 4, 15 October-14 December. NCEA exams start at the end of October.

The Trusts is concerned about the Early Childhood Education Taskforce’s report of June 2011 and how the government might respond. In their Statement of Claim, the Trust say they have not been provided protection and autonomy by the Ministry of Education and are forced to fit within mainstream early childhood education frameworks. For example Kōhanga Reo are required to employ qualified early childhood educators and funding is allocated on the bases of the number of qualified teachers. This conflicts with the qualifications devised by the Trust specifically to provide for the kaupapa of parents and whānau learning alongside children.

The Statement of Claim notes the Trust has not been given sufficient priority in consultations with the government and their requests to participate in the research for the Taskforce report were ignored.

The Tribunal granted urgency to hearing the Trust’s claim on the basis that:

• The Trust Board could demonstrate it was suffering or likely to suffer significant and irreversible prejudice as a result of current or pending Crown action or policy. In particular:

1. reputational damage by the ECE Taskforce Report
2. the Trust Board was not consulted by the Minister of Education or officials
3. there is likely to be a reduction in enrolments for kohanga reo in 2012 and 2013 with long term prejudice to te reo Maori
4. there is an imminent likelihood the Crown will make, and is making, decisions on the basis of the Taskforce’s recommendations, particularly around funding in preparation for the budget rounds commencing in December 2011.

• There is no alternative remedy for the Trust and the Crown has not offered sufficient options
• The claim is very serious as it involved nearly 10,000 children and the health of te reo Māori

The hearing is expected to begin in February 2012.

The programme was launched by the newly-formed Aotearoa Fijian Teachers Association. Late last year the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs updated the Fijian community in Wellington on the Pacific Languages Framework and on a language project developed in Auckland. Inspired by what they heard, Wellington Fijian community representatives, Tina McNicholas and Jone Naikatini, started work on an action plan to pilot a language project in Wellington.

After consulting with teachers, who are part of the Wellington Fiji community network, and forming a working group, Na Vuli Vosa Vakaviti was born.

Na Vuli Vosa Vakaviti is a specially-designed ten-week language course aimed at New Zealand-born Fijian children. Classes are held over two hours every fortnight and the first class was held on 20 August with 22 children in attendance.

This initiative is directly aligned with the Pacific Languages Framework project which aims to revitalise, promote and maintain the use of Pacific languages in New Zealand. It aims to provide leadership and direction for community action plans, and also intends to improve the coordination between government and Pacific communities.

From August to early September the Ministry held fono around the country to ensure communities were consulted as widely as possible. The Ministry’s Theresa Fabricius, who’s leading the fono programme, said the meetings have been helpful especially in promoting the idea of community action plans. “We need to be absolutely sure that what we are proposing, as a way of revitalising our languages, is something that will work for communities. The Fijian language course is a perfect example of government working with Pacific communities to achieve their aspirations for language revitalisation.”

For more information visit the  Pacific Languages Framework website.

The resource, “Change, Loss and Grief” was launched on 12 October as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The resource is the result of work supported by Deaf Aotearoa and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. This is the first time the two organisations have worked together to produce a DVD in sign language and Deaf Aotearoa hopes to develop similar resources in the future.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to assist Deaf Aotearoa with the promotion and distribution of this much needed resource” says Judi Clements, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation.

Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive Rachel Noble says the need for the DVD was driven by individuals close to the Deaf community members in Christchurch.

 “This project has been a voluntary one, which has had the support and buy-in from a number of different organisations and individuals. There was a great need for a resource of this kind after a series of tragic events and it is even more pertinent now following the devastating effects of February’s earthquake in Christchurch and the resulting loss of life,” says Ms Noble.

“The DVD is designed to help the Deaf community understand in their natural language the processes of grief and how if can affect people.”

“Change, Loss and Grief” is filmed in NZSL with English subtitles. It features members of the Deaf community sharing their experiences of loss and change. Expert advice is provided by retired Deaf Counsellor Richard Townshend and Mental Health Educator Ainslee Coates.

The DVD was created by Creative Arts Director Jill Penn and film-makers Meshell Edgecombe and Sue Penman. To find out how to get a copy of the DVD please visit Deaf Aotearoa NZ online.

The symposium will be held on on Monday 28 November from  2pm – 4pm  at the Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2 Hunter Building, Gate 2 Kelburn Parade,Victoria University of Wellington.

This symposium focuses on prospects and challenges in building a multilingual New Zealand, with keynote speaker Professor Bernard Spolsky, Emeritus Professor Bar-Ilan University. It will be particularly concerned with developing habitats for the survival of Te Reo Māori, Le Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages.

As seating is limited, RSVPs are essential before Wednesday 23 November to Rochelle Nafatali, EA to the AVC (Pasifika), (04) 463 9522.

For more information visit the Victoria University of Wellington website.

The TPDL programme is a full-year Ministry of Education funded programme for new or experienced language teachers throughout NZ. It is available to teachers of Years 7-10 and enables teachers to learn / up-skill in a language and develop their teaching in ways that impact positively on student learning.

TPDL provides:

• support to develop an inquiry approach to teaching
• a university course customised for busy teachers

There are 20 places for teachers of Cook Islands Maori, Niuean, Samoan, Tokelauan, Tongan, and 60 places for teachers of Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. 

For more information go to the Ministry of Education website or contact tpdl@auckland.ac.nz.

We have recently compiled all the language sections from 2004-2010 into a single document, Language Policy and Practice in New Zealand 2004-2010. It is a useful reminder of developments over that period.  We are currently working on the review for 2011, and would welcome any suggestions as to what should be included. Please email to Catriona Scannell.

This will be held in Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Entry is by gold coin donation. There will be two films shown:

• 7-7:30pm- Documentary—Waterside Region South of the Yangtze River 江南水乡
• 7:30 Documentary– A Review of the Centennial Development of China’s Film Industry 百年光影 (100 minutes with English subtitles)

Open to all ages, all levels (gold coin donation). One to one or small groups. Often we have a topic or a theme to make it more interesting.

19 November – Chopsticks 筷子

26 November – Chinese Silk  中国织绸

(Topics may vary subject to availability)

The review was conducted from January 2011. There was a high level of interest, with 18 community meetings attended by over 177 people and 41 written or video submissions made. In summary, during the review people said that more hearing people now know about New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). However, Government has not used as much NZSL as expected and accessing Government services, including Courts, is not always easy. The review states that “while the NZSL Act is not functioning as well as it might, this may be the result of poor practice rather than being attributable to the NZSL Act itself”.

The Minister for Disability Issues has considered suggestions – like more promotion of NZSL, improved access to interpreters in the wider justice system and more NZSL in broadcasting – and decided there is no need for change to the NZSL Act. She considers the changes suggested can be achieved without changes to the Act. The review suggests changes to implement the Act more effectively:

1. Ministers could promote the use of NZSL by signing a greeting at the start of speeches, in a similar way to how Māori greetings are used.
2. Ministers in charge of Crown entities that provide services could remind them that they should not discriminate or treat people badly just because they can’t hear.
3. Government departments should make sure they use NZSL in public events they organise; have more information about their services in NZSL; know when and how to use an interpreter; ensure their service providers are trained in how to communicate with Deaf people; and report to the Office for Disability Issues annually about how many meetings with Deaf people they had and whether NZSL interpreters were used.
4. The Ministry of Justice should increase the training of court staff so that Deaf people find it easier to use NZSL in courts.
5. The Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Economic Development will work on how a video remote interpreting service for government departments could be set up, as a way to cope with the shortage of NZSL interpreters.

The Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues will be responsible for implementing changes. Reports on progress in implementing changes will be included in the Minister for Disability Issues annual report to Parliament.

The question has sparked debate on Facebook recently. Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori, Glenis Phillip-Barbara, Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres and several others have added their thoughts.

How can social media best connect Māori language programmes in New Zealand and Australia? Should funding to revitalise te reo be extended to support programmes that operate in Australia? To have your say, visit the Facebook page.

It is estimated that as many as one in six Māori now live in Australia. A factsheet from Te Puni Kōkiri shows the number of Māori living in Australia has risen rapidly: in 1986 26,035 identified as Māori, 72,956 by 2001 and 92,912 by 2006. A range of formal opportunities exist for learning te reo in Australia, from preschool to adults, but skilled teachers are scarce. Many Māori in Australia feel the need to learn te reo more than they ever did in New Zealand. However, interviews and census results suggest that use and knowledge of te reo Māori in Australia has been steadily declining.

CLANZ would like to thank those who sent in feedback. Based on that feedback, CLANZ will now develop a Community Languages Framework to promote Community Languages in New Zealand.

Feedback came from a range of organisations who are involved in community language activities and work with different ethnic groups; early childhood centres; and other members of CLANZ and the CLANZ network. Feedback identified what is needed to promote community languages:

• formal recognition for community based schools guidelines
• material and public support to assist those communities who want to set up community language learning programmes within or outside established education facilities
• professional development and qualifications for teachers and administrators in community language schools.

These needs could be addressed through:

• formal acknowledgement by the government using certification, honorariums, or salaries for the services provided by the established schools or CL schools

• some form of formal learning structure

• official recognition of this “Scope and Sequence” which includes the generic unit standards that will lead to actual Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 qualifications.

Festivities were centred around the theme of revitalising language: e akaaraara it e reo o toku ui tupuna ei kai naku it e po e tea o (awaken the languages of my ancestors to sustain me night and day and the purpose is to revitalize our language and promote the usage in all areas of our lives); taku ipukarea (my homeland); taku ngutuare tangata (my household); taku oire (my village).

Festivities included activities in schools in the Porirua area, in churches, with Mato Metua Kuki Airani organisation for the elderly and Kuki Airani events at Te Papa. Teremoana Hodges, one of the week’s organisers, said a highlight was to “showcase the involvement of our young people in our language and culture”.

Cook Islands Maori Language Classes will begin at Porirua College in March 2012 for those who have left school. Over 100 people have enrolled so far, but more are welcome.

Visit the Tuatua Mai website for Cook Islands Maori resources.

Over August and September the Ministry held 17 consultation fono in main centres around New Zealand, including consultation with youth, community and church leaders, key Pacific advisory groups and with a forum at the NZ Diversity Forum.

The consultation fono have now concluded. Overall Pacific communities are very supportive of a Framework and contributed many ideas about the development and implementation of the Framework.

The Ministry is now collating all the feedback it has received about the Framework. Once completed, a summary report will be published on the Ministry’s website. The feedback will inform the next version of the Framework.

MPIA would like to thank and acknowledge Pacific communities for their support and the positive and valuable feedback received.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner – who works to promote a culture in which personal information is protected and respected – has joined Language Line, the telephone interpreting service.

Should you have concerns about your personal information, whether it is about your finances, health or any other issue, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in any of the 42 languages on offer.  This means that any language difficulties people may face does not need to form a barrier to block them from this service.

The Office of Privacy Commissioner has also released information cards to help people protect themselves from crimes of the digital era. The cards offer suggestions on protecting personal information, avoiding scams, identity theft and other online information safe.

The Hindi Language & Culture Trust of New Zealand is drafting a proposal for the Ministry of Education, New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and other government agencies.

Trust President Satya Dutt said that Māori, Cook Islands, Samoan, Tongan, Tokelauan, French, Spanish and German were a part of the school curriculum in New Zealand, where as Hindi remains outside the scope of teaching and learning in the education system.

Mr Dutt said the Trust aims to facilitate development of a Hindi curriculum document to make provisions of teaching Hindi in New Zealand schools. Mr Dutt commended schools such as Papatoetoe High School in South Auckland, who have taken the initiative to offer Hindi as a second language to Year 9 and 10 students.

The call was made at Hindi Day celebrations in South Auckland and Hamilton. Mr Dutt said “the core focus of the celebration is to make an impact and create awareness among our communities on the importance of the language.” The event, held under the theme ‘Hindi Hamari Pahechaan (Hindi is our Identity) is expected to gain momentum in 2012. Of the South Auckland event Mr Dutt said participants “decided to mark a weeklong celebration next year, highlighting the importance of learning and teaching Hindi and promoting it as an important language of communication.”

The submission supports a petition presented to parliament in August. The petition, with over 5000 signatures, asked parliament to:

“That the House urge the Government to introduce and fully fund Pacific languages literacy and English literacy development through bilingual education programmes for Pacific students in order to: raise students academic achievement, maintain and revive Pacific languages, and make the programmes readily available on an optional basis to Pacific families and communities in English and the five main Pacific languages of New Zealand; Cook Island Maori, Vagahau Niue, Tokelau, Samoan, Tongan.”

The Coalition’s submission to select committee calls on government to take steps to recognise “pasifika bilingualism as a key to successful learning”. Other people and organisations have sent in supporting submissions. Submitters have asked select committee to allow them to present evidence and appear before the committee in support of the petition. The submissions will be placed before the incoming select committee, after November’s election.

Ursula, who is Deaf, comes from a background in teaching, science and Deaf education, and science research. She will lead Deaf Aotearoa’s youth services, “Stepping Ahead” and “Project Energise”.

Stepping Ahead is a free programme designed to help Deaf and hearing impaired students transition successfully from school into further education, training or work.

“Stepping Ahead has been developed by a team of Deaf New Zealanders, and it contains all the information that they wished they could have accessed when making the transition from school,” says Ursula.

“We want our Deaf youth to be confident, independent and successful when they step out into the world.”

The programme is developed for 16 – 21 year olds and designed to inform on all the external services available and how to access them, plus how to organise a New Zealand Sign Language Interpreter, access Deaf Aotearoa resources and effective strategies for communication.

The other half of Ursula’s role is the development of “Project Energise”, a youth programme which is presently based in Auckland but hoped to be rolled out nationally soon.

The Project follows on from research and focus groups with young Deaf New Zealanders into what support, services and activities they wanted. From the research three key themes emerged – the difficulties associated with being Deaf, Issues and Access and an interest in deaf awareness and leadership courses.

Ursula is working on a number of these recommendations, including creating a youth newsletter and developing stronger partnerships between all Deaf/Hearing Impaired related organisations to support Deaf/Hearing Impaired youth and their families.

“We are also looking at ways to increase social interaction and empowerment between Deaf/Hearing Impaired youth through social events, camps and leadership courses.”

For more information about Project Energise and Stepping Ahead please contact Ursula on Ursula.Thynne@deaf.org.nz or visit www.deaf.org.nz.

Not only can they cheer on their favourite team but they can also watch the national anthem being performed in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).

“God Defend New Zealand” will be sung at every All Blacks match in all three of the country’s official languages – English, Te Reo Maori and NZSL.

Deaf Aotearoa and the Rugby World Cup 2011 organisers worked together to ensure that NZSL sign singers would be part of the choir performing at the All Black’s matches.

Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive Rachel Noble says it is great to see NZSL being publicly acknowledged as an official language of New Zealand alongside English and Te Reo Maori.

“Deaf New Zealanders want to be part of this fantastic event and to fully support the All Blacks. To see our first language being performed in such a public arena will be so amazing for both Deaf New Zealanders and for the global Deaf audience watching around the world,” says Ms Noble.

“Selection of the Deaf sign singers for the choirs was a rigorous search and Deaf Aotearoa congratulates those selected.”

Earlier this year Deaf Aotearoa released a DVD resource which teaches the national anthem sung in all three of New Zealand’s official languages. It was sent to all schools throughout the country and is available to order through or learn online at www.deaf.org.nz.

Deaf Aotearoa is the national association of the Deaf in New Zealand. The organisation promotes the awareness of, access to and advancement of NZSL – to help strengthen the rights of Deaf people and their confidence and ensure they are an active part of society.

]]> http://www.hrc.co.nz/newsletters/diversity-action-programme/te-waka-reo/2011/10/sign-singers-performing-national-anthem-2/feed/ 0 http://www.hrc.co.nz/newsletters/diversity-action-programme/te-waka-reo/2011/10/refugee-education-conference-aut-2011-2/ http://www.hrc.co.nz/newsletters/diversity-action-programme/te-waka-reo/2011/10/refugee-education-conference-aut-2011-2/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:22:58 +0000 sharone http://www.hrc.co.nz/newsletters/?p=12359 Places are still available for the Refugee Education Conference AUT 2011, 28 and 29 November in Auckland. See the draft programme and register on-line at AUT’s webpage.

Keynote speakers are Richard Towle, UNHCR Regional Representative to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific – to speak on “The Role of Resettlement in the Global Protection of Refugees” – and Dr Melika Yassin Sheikh-Eldin, Manager of the Settlement Delivery Support Service for AMES in Melbourne, Australia – on “Involving Refugee Voices in Settlement”.

Presentations and workshops will be offered in four streams with emphasis on education, but also with some workshops in health and wellbeing, settlement, and community.

One session will highlight the launch of the book’ Refugee Stories’ with readings of their own contribution to the book by 3 former refugees.

The series will be presented by Dr Tan Bee Tin, who currently teaches in the Department of Applied Language Studies and Linguistics at the University of Auckland. Her research interests are in the areas of materials development, academic discourse, the role of creativity and interest in language teaching and language teacher education.

Date : Monday, 31 October

Time : 6 – 7 pm (come early for refreshments)

Venue : Department of Language Studies Room 1064, Building 170 Gate 3, Carrington Road Mt Albert, Auckland

Please contact Fiona Riches (ext 7375) to RSVP or for more information.

This includes, but is not limited to Niuean, Cook Islands Maori, Tokelauan, Samoan, Tongan and Fijiian.

The course is held at CPIT Christchurch Polytechnic every Thursday starting 22 September from 6-8pm.

This is a non-assessed course in an interactive and practical learning style. For more information contact:

Siale Faitotonu 0272221118

Earl Simpson 03 940 8317

Peni Latavao 03 9408359

The meeting will be held at Western Springs Garden Community Hall, 956 Great North Road, Western Springs. The agenda includes:

• A National Overview of interpreting, translating and multilingual information services from Robyn Pask (Interpreting New Zealand) and Rachel Noble (Deaf Aotearoa).
• Focus on Good practice with Charles Cui (Waitemata District Health Board), Etutu Bowden “Voice of an interpreter” and Dr Shirley Julich “Interpreting in refugee settings – issues for interpreters, trainers and professionals”.
• Mini information expo and group discussions
• Lunch and networking

To RSVP and for more information contact Anna Fyfe, Auckland Regional Migrant Services, phone 09 625 3099

29 October – Er Hu 二胡 (Chinese violin)

5 November – Zisha Teapots 紫砂壶

12 November – Suzhou Gardens 苏州园林

19 November – Chinese Silk  中国织绸

(Topics may vary subject to availability)

Contact: Ellen Yang 027-4756888.

CHINESE FILM 中国电影

Wednesday 26 October, 7.00pm – 9:30pm at Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Gold Coin Donation Entry.

7-7:30pm- Documentary—Waterside Region South of the Yangtze River江南水乡

7:30 Documentary– A Review of the Centennial Development of China’s Film Industry 百年光影 [100 minutes with English subtitles]

In a letter dated 10 August, he has sought answers to the following questions:

 1. What particular steps has your organisation has taken to communicate with diverse communities in Christchurch following the earthquakes?2. Do you have specific liaison people for Pacific and ethnic communities in Christchurch on the staff of your organisation?
3. Do you have designated advisors from the various ethnic communities, and if so, which communities?
4. Do you have any information available in languages other than English that has been specifically created since the earthquakes dealing with services relevant to the earthquakes?
5. Do you have any information relevant to the earthquakes in languages other than English on your website?
6. Do you use translation and interpreting services to communicate with culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and if so, how often?7. Do you have a policy on communicating with culturally and linguistically diverse communities?

The letter was sent to the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Agency, the Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury, the Electoral Commission, the Canterbury District Health Board, the Earthquake Commission, the Ministry of Social Development, the Police and the Department of Internal Affairs. Three responses have been received and the remainder are expected shortly pursuant to the Official Information Act.

CESCR has asked the Government to “provide information on steps taken to apply the recommendations of the Waitangi Tribunal (Waitangi Tribunal Report 262) as regards the State party’s strategy for the promotion of Māori language”. The question is one in a list of issues to be taken up by the Government. The Government’s response is due by 15 January 2012.

The Waitangi Tribunal examined the state of te reo Māori in a chapter of its Wai 262 report on indigenous flora and fauna and cultural intellectual property. The chapter was released in September 2010 in advance of the full report’s release in July 2011. The chapter was release early to inform an expert panel on te reo Māori. The panel released their report, with recommendations, in April 2011.

The Government has to report every five years on New Zealand’s compliance with CERD. The next report is due in February 2012, and the Ministry of Justice is seeking public comment on the draft.

The draft report includes information about the Government’s role in safeguarding language rights and language promotion. That includes through its telephone interpreting service Language Line; interpreting available in Court proceedings; use of te reo Māori in rehabilitating offenders; te reo Māori and Pacific languages in education; English as a Second Language and Refugee Services; te reo Māori on television; and Māori, Pacific and ethnic radio.

Feedback on the draft report can be emailed to humanrights@justice.govt.nz or nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz by 30 September.  More background on CERD can be found at the Ministry of Justice webpage or the  Human Rights Commission webpage.

You can also have your say through “shadow reports” direct to the CERD Committee. For more information on that process email humanrights@justice.govt.nz.

The Pacific Languages Framework addresses this issue. It provides a broad framework to guide government policy, as well as flexibility for communities around New Zealand to adopt their own action plan to suit their needs.

The Pacific Languages Framework was the focus of a forum at the NZ Diversity Forum in Hamilton on 22 August. At the forum the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs presented the proposed Framework and posed questions for the audience. Vaioleli Lui of the Tokelau Wellington Leadership Group spoke from personal experience about speaking Tokelauan in NZ and the importance of inter-generational language transfer.

Attendees discussed the importance of festivals to increasing interest in language learning and development. Culture and language are intertwined and that is reflected in festivals. Revitalisation in the household is the most important aspect of language regeneration, but school and church language initiatives are also important. A feature of Pacific communities in NZ is that they are web-savvy: the Samoan Language Week Facebook page has over 5000 fans.

The Pacific population is youthful and the Pacific Languages Framework must be effective for youth. It was positive to hear insightful comments from youth representatives at the forum.

Since the forum the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has continued consultation through fono around the country. Submissions on the Framework can be sent to plffeedback@mpia.govt.nz or by post to PLF Feedback MPIA, PO Box 833, Wellington 6140.

The poster lists ten rights, presented in NZ Sign Language:

• Respect – to be treated with respect
• Fair treatment – to be treated fairly without pressure
• Dignity and independence – to respect your dignity and independence
• Proper standards – service delivered with care and skill
• Effective communication – to have full access to communication
• Information – to have full information and questions answered
• It’s your decision – you can say no or change your mind at any time
• Support – Family/whānau or friends to help you and support you
• During teaching and research – all 10 rights apply
• Complaints taken seriously – It’s OK to complain. You can have help from a health and disability advocate.

To view the poster, visit the Health and Disability Commissioner website. Copies can be ordered from the advocacy service (0800 555 050).

The Inaugural Essay Competition will be an ongoing event in honour of past Board Commissioners who have spent a lifetime studying, writing and/or documenting the Māori language.

“It is also a means by which we can elicit feedback directly from some of our most important stakeholders, learners, speakers, supporters, teachers, experts, about the language; what motivates them to pursue the language; what prevents them from doing more.  These are all critical issues”, says Chief Executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara.

“We expect the essay competition will provide insights in these areas and assist in progressing our lead role in the redevelopment of the Māori language strategy”.

The competition is open to Students (13 – 18 years) and Adults (19+). It is not open to professional writers, those paid for their writing, or have had their work published by a commercial publisher or sold commercially.

Essays may be submitted in Māori and/or English with a recommended word count of 600-1500 for Students and 1,000-3,000 word count for Adults.

Winners of each section will receive $1,000 (Student section) and $5,000 (Adult section).  There are also prizes for second and third place-getters in each section.  There will also be a prize awarded to the school that contributes most to the competition, not necessarily in the amount of essays, but the quality of the essays and originality of topics.  Winners will be announced in December 2011.

All entries must be received by 5pm Wednesday 2 November 2011.  Entries can be sent electronically or in hard copy but must be signed.  For more information on the essay topic, criteria and prizes please refer to Te Taura Whiti i te Reo Māori.

Language Line’s telephone interpreting service is now available to staff based in New Zealand’s three ambulance call centres.

The interpreting service will enable call centre works to more accurately ensure the details of help required by the callers to 111. Good communication in these circumstances can not only make a life or death difference, but also result in a more efficient use of ambulances. Language Line provides an interpreter and offers 42 different languages, making such communication much easier.

People who speak little or no English and who wish to get an ambulance should call 111 and when the operator answers request the ambulance service. When they get through to the ambulance they should say “Language Line” followed by the name of the language they want for example “Language Line Mandarin” or “Language Line Samoan.”

Applications for funding in 2011 and 2012 are now due. The call for applications closes on Friday 7 October 2011 at 5pm.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori administers the fund on behalf of the government, distributing $1.8 million annually in the form of conditional grants to iwi, hapū, whānau, Māori organisations and individuals. The funding for projects contributes directly to intergenerational transmission of the Māori language and is an important part of te reo Māori regeneration, according to the Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri it te Reo Māori, Glenis Philip-Barbara.

It is hoped that even more locally led projects will apply this year and Glenis Philip-Barbara adds that, “we encourage iwi, hapū and other community providers to collaborate and work together in the development of their applications.  This will ensure strategic and targeted distribution of funding across regions“.

For information, guidelines and to apply visit the Mā Te Reo website  or contact the team on 0800 MĀ TE REO.  Applications can be made online or sent in a hard copy, although on-line applications are encouraged.

At the Diversity Forum in August, the Commission congratulated Deaf Aotearoa for actively seeking to help break down communication barriers and allow deaf people the chance to be an active part of the community.

Their work this year has involved running NZSL Week in May, where 57 local NZSL events were organised and more than 10,000 people got a “taste” of NZSL by taking part in demonstration classes. Every Primary and Secondary school was also sent a DVD with the New Zealand National Anthem in all three of New Zealand’s official languages; NZSL, Te Reo Māori and English. Deaf Aotearoa has also been involved in developing the NZSL online dictionary.

Currently, as a part of Deaf Aotearoa’s move to create a wider understanding of Deaf culture and promoting NZSL, Deaf Aotearoa is running classes called “Think.Sign.Connect“. Weekly classes run from the 7 September in Christchurch and Auckland and the 5 October in Wellington.

He yelled at the family to “shut up” because he was angry that they were speaking “a foreign language”. The scared migrants hid themselves in their house and watched the man use the machete to damage their cars, causing $407 damage to one and marking every panel of the other. The man told police that he had wanted to scare them with the machete and “get across the message in a way they would understand”.

Judge Allan Roberts was disgusted at the offer of $20 repayment per week through his lawyer, Susan Hurley. The man had a history of intimidation, the judge said, and warned him to watch his step in future. The Judge ordered for the destruction of the machete.

The Hindi Language and Culture Trust of New Zealand held a programme of events with 400-500 guests and Labour Leader Phil Goff as keynote speaker.

Hindi Day marks the day in 1949 that Hindi was adopted as the official language of the constituent assembly of India. Today, English and Hindi are used by the assembly.

Worldwide it is the mother tongue of 180 million people and the second language of 300 million people. In New Zealand the 2006 Census showed a marked increase in people who speak Hindi. Between 2001 and 2006 the numbers of people able to have a conversation about everyday things in Hindi almost doubled, from 22,749 to 44,589.

However, two studies just published by the University of Otago, Wellington, highlight the need for more use of interpreters in healthcare. Of consumers surveyed on the Auckland pilot, 97% of said they were more likely to go to the doctor when unwell if an interpreter was available. All groups in this survey commented that using a trained interpreter resulted in improved communication and understanding between patients and clinicians. General Practitioners said they have much more confidence in the accuracy of their diagnoses when using an interpreter.

The two studies by the University of Otago, Wellington show that the use of trained interpreters by doctors and health professionals in New Zealand is inadequate, and needs more funding.

The first study, published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, examined a week of interpreter use at the Newtown Union Health Service in Wellington. This group practice has 25% of its patients from a refugee background, many with limited English proficiency, and has been a national leader in the use of trained interpreters in primary care for nearly two decades. The one-week study showed an interpreter was used for 14% or 53 consultations over the week (total 378), and for a further 4% of patients an interpreter was needed but not used.

The second study appears in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal. It surveyed health professionals in Hutt Valley, Wellington and Kenepuru hospitals. The survey showed that when seeing limited English proficiency patients only 14% of doctors reported always using an interpreter, even though they had a high awareness of how to access them. In the field study of LEP patients none of the 20 clinicians used a professional interpreter to assist diagnosis.

Lead author of the survey reports, Dr Ben Gray, says the main constraint against the use of trained interpreters in primary care is the cost. There is little funding available and this means that most clinics will think twice before using professionals, and make do with family members and friends. 

“This limited study in Wellington hospitals on patients with limited English proficiency suggests that despite the clinical risks of impaired communication, professional interpreters are not widely used by doctors and other health professionals,” says Dr Gray.

For more information contact Dr Ben Gray, Department of Primary Care and General Practice University of Otago, Wellington, Tel 64 4 918 5166 or 64 4 380 2020.

The tutor will assist with pre-literate classes that include teaching for Deaf students. Applications close Friday 16 September. For more information contact Joanna Kuta.

The classes were featured in a recent edition of English Language Partners magazine, Connecting Cultures.  English Language Partners’ Manager, Joanna Biss says the pre-literate classes, of which the deaf group make up a small part, are a partnership between English Language Partners, Christchurch Resettlement Services and CCS Disability Action. The ‘Living Well in Christchurch’ programme opened up to deaf learners in 2006. “These learners are some of the most marginalized and invisible groups in New Zealand society,” says English Language Partners’ Manager, Joanna Biss.

“They have no access to mainstream New Zealand Sign Language classes as they cannot read or write in any language, and while deaf community workers support the learners, they are not funded to teach New Zealand Sign Language” says Joanna.

Particularly for the Deaf students in the class the classes have changed their lives and allowed them to share in the freedoms New Zealand offers. “I can go places and meet people,” says 30-year-old Somali refugee Qali Abdille, through our bilingual tutor and interpreter for the morning, Indira Bhandari. “I can text Sheree and go places with friends. I can meet other people and I’m on a cloud when they come,” she smiles.

Feedback on the discussion paper is important, as it will inform development of a Community Languages Framework. CLANZ will develop and submit a Community Languages Framework to the Minister for Education, Director of Office of Ethnic Affairs and Minister for Culture and Heritage.

Feedback on the discussion paper is welcomed by 16 September.

The selection of talks to choose from:

• Reading Helps Prisoners: Discussing the reading levels of inmates and how to increase it. Date: Wednesday October 26, 2011 at 4pm
• How Children Learn to Read: The role of language development and some of the problems young children face when learning to read. Date: Monday October 31, 2011 at 4pm
• Helping Stroke Victims Learn to read Again: What can be done to facilitate learning reading again and how it will improve their lives. Date: Tuesday November 1, 2011 at 12pm
• How Cultural Literacy enriches lives: Māori Cultural Literacy and what can be achieved using cultural knowledge with contemporary mediums. Date: Wednesday November 2, 2011 at 12pm
• How Reading helps Second or Other Speakers of English: Insights into some of the challenges faced in gaining literacy in English as an additional language and Practical Strategies in assisting these learners. Date: Thursday November 3, 2011 at 4pm
• Assisting refugees’ and migrants’ reading ability: Discussing the challenges and ways that the library can help refugees and migrants start their life in a new environment, culture and employment language. Date: Friday November 4, 2011 at 12pm

For more information call the Central Library (06) 351 4100.

The Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology CPIT has spaces still available in 2011, especially for beginners or for full or part-time students interested in English lessons. There is funding available for permanent residents with Refugee Status, or for migrants who have a tertiary qualification that is linked to an occupation on the New Zealand Immigration Services Skills Shortages List (immediate term and long term).

Pasifika Education and Employment Training Organisation (PEETO) offers 6 courses and 72 training places over 4 terms. All students are given the opportunity to develop foundation level computer literacy skills covering such areas as basic application of file management techniques, use of common Microsoft Office products, using the internet to retrieve information and managing email correspondence. Courses are free for Pasifika, refugee and migrant people who are registered with Work and Income and are at Risk of Long Term Unemployment.

Wilkinson’s Workplace Literacy Services  offer evening classes in English For work. The classes are free for migrants wishing to improve their English skills and are held on Monday and Thursday nights from 6pm to 8.30pm. Registration is available for the course running from 20 October – 19 December. For more information contact Pennie Oguro (03) 351 7152 or.

The week was promoted by the Aotearoa Tongan Teachers Association in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, other organizations and members of the Tongan community.

The week was timed to coincide with the Rugby World Cup opening game between New Zealand and Tonga on 9 September. It was launched with a major church service for the wider Auckland community at the Lotofale’ia Methodist Church. It continued with events in schools universities and tertiary institutes, libraries and churches and public sector offices around the country.

Parliament supported the week. It passed a motion, moved by MP Su’a William Sio, to recognise the inaugural Tongan Language Week “to celebrate the Tongan language and culture in New Zealand by promoting the teaching and learning of the language, raising awareness of the language, and promoting and supporting initiatives to use the Tongan language in the home, at work, in Government, in the media, in sport, in the arts, at church, and in the wider community.”

To view photos and for more information about Tongan Language Week 2011, visit the Facebook page. Keep in touch to get involved with your own Tongan Language Week event next year.

The ‘CLING’ Group – Community Language Information Network Group, a subgroup of the Interagency Group – includes representatives from the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Interpreting Canterbury, Partnership Health Canterbury, Plains FM, Community and Public Health and Christchurch City Council. The group has recently published factsheets about accessing interpreters (including for assessments of earthquake damage to homes and businesses) and guidelines for communicating with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. For a copy of the guidelines, email Jenni Marr.

The group remains concerned that migrant communities are not receiving current information when they need it, for example about applications and deadlines for financial assistance, consultation on the earthquake recovery strategy, and about decisions concerning the red, orange, green and white zones.

Settling In, Christchurch Migrants Centre, the Canterbury Refugee Council and Partnership Health Canterbury will be presenting a forum on “After the Christchurch Earthquakes: Communicating with Diverse Communities” at the New Zealand Diversity Forum in Hamilton from 3.30pm -5.00pm on Monday 22 August, with lessons learnt from Christchurch that will apply equally to other regions of New Zealand.

The Ministry is about to start a round of consultation on a Pacific Languages Framework, which it hopes to finalise and get Government endorsement for soon. The Framework will revitalise, promote and maintain the use of Pacific languages in New Zealand and aims to provide leadership and direction.  It also intends to improve the coordination between government and Pacific communities.

The Pacific Languages Framework will be presented at the annual Te Waka Reo Language Policy Forum in Hamilton from 11.00am – 12.30pm on Monday 22 August, as part of the NZ Diversity Forum. A panel of community representatives will give their views on key issues for Pacific language revitalisation. The Ministry will then present the proposed Pacific Languages Framework and invite discussion amongst attendees. The forum will take place from 11 am – 12.30 pm on Monday 22 August at Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton. To view the full programme of forums at the NZ Diversity forum, and to register, visit the NZ Diversity Forum webpages.

The Ministry has also organised a series of fono in August. Venues will be Whangarei, Central Auckland, Otara, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier, Porirua, the Hutt Valley, Newtown, Christchurch and Dunedin. For fono dates and venues visit the MPIA webpage.

Submissions on the Pacific Languages Framework can be sent to plffeedback@mpia.govt.nz or by post to PLF Feedback MPIA, PO Box 833, Wellington 6140.

There will be a major church service to start the week in Auckland, and events at the Taranaki Street Wesley Centre on the same day. The week will also be supported by Tongan media, other Tongan parishes, and schools with a significant number of Tongan students both in Auckland and Wellington. The aims of the week are to promote the learning and use of the Tongan language by Tongan communities in New Zealand, and to promote the Tongan language to the wider New Zealand community.

You can read more about Tongan Language Week on the Tongan Language Week website and the Tongan Language Week Facebook page.

The original language week was Māori Language Week, which in recent years has been promoted as a partnership project between Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission), Te Puni Kōkiri and the Human Rights Commission. It has been highly successful in raising the profile and status of te reo and seeing it used more widely in the public domain. The Deaf community have begun to achieve similar results with New Zealand Sign Language Week each May. For the past two years, the Association of Samoan Teachers in Aotearoa has worked with the Human Rights Commission, the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO and others to promote Samoan Language Week in May/June. It is also now well established with Samoan media, churches, libraries and schools. International Languages Week will take place from 14 – 20 August this year, with co-ordination from the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (see article below).

The Commission has been approached by the Chinese community to support a Chinese Language Week in 2012, and other Pacific communities have also expressed an interest. There is plenty of room for more, if the focus is first and foremost on those communities themselves and on those schools and local communities where there are significant numbers of community members. The scale of such weeks will vary, but they will all serve the purpose of celebrating the cultural diversity of New Zealand.

It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of celebrating and acknowledging speakers of all languages represented in our communities, be they local residents, students or tourists.  This year the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT) hosts the International Languages Week website. It is a place to share ideas and events. A new wikispace has also been created to facilitate discussions.

NZALT is holding professional learning days (LangSems) for language teachers around the country. Visit the NZALT website to register. The Massey LangSem will include the AGM for NZALT, hosted by Frances Douglas Memorial College, Tukapa St, New Plymouth on 13th August from 12:45-1:55 pm.

Ms Ormsby received the NZSL Māori Signs Champion Award for her commitment and dedication to promoting the progress of Māori signs within NZSL.

Organised annually by Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand, the NZSL in Action Awards are designed to honour organisations and individuals throughout the country who strive to make life easier for the Deaf community.

Ms Ormsby has been actively involved in a number of projects that have significantly contributed to the awareness and development of Māori signs within NZSL and helped to inspire and motivate other Māori.

She took a key role in a comprehensive project which developed Māori signs for place names throughout Waikato.  Ms Ormsby led the project, assisting with research and educating others about the endeavour.  The complete work was recorded onto DVD and made available to Deaf community members nationwide.

Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive Rachel Noble says the awards are an excellent opportunity for Deaf Aotearoa to thank a wide range of people and organisations that have embraced NZSL and ensured Deaf people are an active part of New Zealand society.

“Throughout the country there are people and organisations that actively seek to support Deaf people and ensure that the Deaf feel a full and active part of society,” says Ms Noble.

“NZSL has been an official language in New Zealand since 2006, however we need to see more action behind the promotion of this unique form of communication.  These awards are a way to acknowledge those who are helping us to achieve this goal.”

The 2011 NZSL in Action Award winners were:

• Tiaho Trust (Whangarei) – NZSL Accessible Award
• New Zealand Fire Service – NZSL Public Service Award
• Lee-Ann Rose (Auckland) – NZSL Champion Award
• Titahi Bay School (Porirua,WGTN)– NZSL In Schools Award
• Kay Hunia (Hastings) – NZSL in Teaching Award
• Jeremy Borland and Evelyn Pateman (Christchurch) – Interpreter of the Year Award
• Bonnie Ormsby (Waikato) – Māori Signs Champion Award

The competition, held on 18 July at  Te Akapuanga Cook Island Hall in Cannons Creek, had 33 competitors from secondary and intermediate schools across Wellington. Judges were impressed by the high level of pronunciation clarity and confidence shown by all competitors, and the high level of research done by some. First place winners were Tracey Etuale (year 7, Bishop Viard College), Gillian Luamanu (year 8, Evans Bay Intermediate), Elizabeth Fuiava (year 9, Porirua College), Gabrielle Godinet (year 11, Bishop Viard College), Rosalote Tanoi (year 12, Bishop Viard College) and Ruby Ng Lam (year 13, Porirua College).

Principal of Epsom Girls’ Grammar School Madeline Gunn says: “With 108 international students and a culturally-diverse roll at our school, I am looking forward to a first-hand understanding of the Chinese view of education.”

On both a personal and professional level, Mrs Gunn believes the delegation will help her understand how it feels to be immersed in a culture that is not her own. She says it will help her school assist Chinese students who are new to New Zealand and face that same challenge.

The delegates agree it is also becoming increasingly important for New Zealand children to learn more about Chinese language and culture.

Nora Yao, Director of the Confucius Institute, who is leading the delegation, says: “These schools are opening an important window for their students. People who learn about a foreign language and culture become more confident about their own.”

The Confucius Institute in Auckland organises the Principals’ Delegation to China each year as part of its programme to encourage and help New Zealand schools that want to teach Chinese.  The Institute also organises teacher workshops, resources, Chinese assistants, exams, scholarships and camps.

Language and Culture classes for the general public, University of Auckland staff and businesspeople are also taught at the Institute. View the Confucius Institute website for more information.

“Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori has secured funding to support two further funding rounds, the first of these will open at the end of this month“, says Glenis Philip-Barbara, Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

Mā te Reo is a community based  funding programme established by government in 2001 to support projects, programmes and activites that contribute to local level Māori language regeneration.

The fund is administered on behalf of government by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, who distributes $1.8 million annually in the form of conditional grants to iwi, hapū, whānau, Māori organisations and individuals.

The 2011 funding round opens on Monday 29 August 2011, and closes on Friday 7 October 2011.

“We encourage iwi and hapū as well as other providers and organisations to collaborate and work together in the development of their applications.  This will ensure strategic and targeted distribution of funding across regions“, says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

For more information visit the Mā te Reo website or contact the Mā te Reo team on 0800 MA TE REO.

ILEP provide national coordination of advisory support and professional learning opportunities for learning languages teachers and students in primary and secondary schools. This includes the management of National Language Advisers for French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and German. ILEP programmes also include the coordination and placement of foreign language assistants in New Zealand schools and the management of various exchange and scholarship programmes to target language countries.

Funding for the ILEP programmes is provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Education with substantial support provided by international donor government institutions from China, France, Germany, Japan and Spain.

For more information on the programme offered visit the ILEP website.

The presentation was marked with ceremony on the steps of Parliament. The petition asks parliamentarians to urge the Government “to introduce and fully fund Pacific languages and literacy and English literacy development through Bilingual Education programmes for Pacific students”. It asks this in order to “raise students’ academic achievement, maintain and revive Pacific languages, and make the programmes readily available on an optional basis to Pacific families and communities in English and the five main Pacific languages of New Zealand; Cook Island Māori, Vagahau Niue, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga.

Feedback on the discussion paper is important, as it will inform development of a Community Languages Framework. CLANZ will develop and submit a Community Languages Framework to the Minister for Education, Director of Office of Ethnic Affairs and Minister for Culture and Heritage.

Feedback on the discussion paper is welcomed by 9 September.

Dr Nicola Daly from the Faculty of Education has just launched a website that she hopes will be used as a teaching resource in New Zealand schools. The website is based on a similar European project based at the University of Roehampton in the UK.

As well as developing the collection, Dr Daly has worked with Waikato postgraduate student and primary teacher Marion McKoy to develop activities that teachers can use in the classroom.

Dr Daly says she first became interested the power of children’s picture books while reading picture books with her own daughter.  “One day my four-year-old daughter asked me if someone was hapū [pregnant].  I was surprised she knew the word. Then I realised she’d learnt it in a picture book.”

That sent Dr Daly researching; first she studied picture books published by Huia between 1995 and 2005, then, with the help of a summer research scholarship recipient, she looked at 500 New Zealand picture books printed over the same period. The Huia publications had an average of 57 loan words per 1000 words of text.  The more extensive collection had average 13/1000 loan words.  Dr Daly’s collection of 22 books has an average of 45/1000.

“It’s the language in these books that is going to influence New Zealand English in years to come,” says Dr Daly.  She also found, in discussion with parents, that they too were learning new words through reading to their children.

Next she gathered together a group of children’s literature experts who met regularly over a three month period to negotiate a list of titles they felt should be included.  The collection includes three Patricia Grace titles, single works from leading authors Joy Cowley, Margaret Mahy and Lynley Dodd and two from author illustrator Gavin Bishop. 

“My collection isn’t finite,” says Dr Daly. “I’ll be reviewing it every few years and I’m certain people will have their own ideas about what should and shouldn’t be there. We’ve provided an avenue for feedback on the books and activities on the site.  My only wish is that it gets used and is useful.”

Hosted by the Centre for Refugee Education and the School of Languages AUT University, the conference aims:

• To provide the opportunity for better understanding, education and professional development for people working to support the process of refugee settlement in NZ
• To share and explore rights and strengths based approaches in a refugee learning context
• To provide a forum for practitioners, former refugees, and leaders in a wide range of areas of resettlement to present recent research or models of working

For more information about the conference and call for papers visit the AUT website.

Te Wiki o te reo Māori is a joint project of NZDAP participants Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission), Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) and Te Kahui Tika Tangata (Human Rights Commission).

The theme for this year was “Manaakitanga”. This theme was evident at events around the county that celebrated te wiki. The launch event was held at Te Wharewaka-o-Pōneke on the Wellington waterfront. At the launch, students from six local schools shared their version of a “Manaakitanga Moment” in two minutes each on stage, all in te reo Māori. The Minister of Māori Affairs gave the keynote speech in te reo Māori.  The  Gisborne Herald also hosted an event to celebrate manaakitanga and the people who uphold community spirit and goodwill. At the event, Te Taura Whiri Chief Executive Glenis Philip Barbara implored people to use the Maori language “like your life depended on it” for the survival of te reo.

The Māori Language Commission said it was delighted about the success of Māori Language week /Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and said it gained its highest profile ever across the media, from TV and radio to internet sites and newspapers. 

A Commission spokesperson, Debra Jensen, says this year the Māori language has been used in high profile public situations. Supermarket giant Progressive Enterprises was the most visible supporter with its Countdown TV ads focusing on Māori words.  Chef Richard Till did several recipe ads in prime time using te Reo Māori terms and in supermarkets throughout the country many tickets and posters were bilingual.  Ms Jensen said all of the 165 stores also had free Māori language booklets on display. Countdown also launch the first ever te reo supermarket in Tokoroa. Ms Jensen said “TVNZ supported it and many presenters were bilingual, but this year TV3 has fallen away which is a surprise as a few years ago it won the Supreme award for promotion of Te Reo Māori two years running”.  Wellington City Council put out flags across the city saying ‘I Love Te Reo’, and schools also embraced the language.  

To keep up to date with news about te reo Māori visit the Māori Language Week Facebook page or www.koreromaori.co.nz.

Destination Reo is an online mapping tool powered by Google Maps, allowing users to quickly find te reo Māori services, learning opportunities and events nationwide, even worldwide.

It will help provide answers to those everyday questions about te reo, like:

• My baby is sick. I want to go to a doctor who can pronounce her name.  Where are all the reo Māori speaking doctors?
• I have just moved to this town and want to keep up my reo Māori studies.  What’s available?
• I am a hairdresser learning te reo Māori.  I would love to practice at work.  How do I let people know where I am?

The tool splits services into 3 categories AKO, HOKO and KŌRERO or LEARN, SHOP and ENJOY. (If you would like to add your service to the Destination Reo map follow the instructions below.)

It’s easy to add your services to the Destination Reo map. Simply go to www.destinationreo.com and fill in the online form for service providers. Choose the best category that your organisation or group fits under, LEARN, SHOP or ENJOY. Fill in your details and information pertaining to what reo Māori service you provide. Add in links to your Facebook, Twitter or Website. Upload photos of your logo or team to personalise your look – and send it through to them.

For more information about the website and the tool contact destinationreo@gmail.com or call 0800 KAITAHU.

Within the first week of it being live, the site had over 3,000 visits from 42 countries.

The dictionary, produced by Victoria University’s Deaf Studies Research Unit, has  about 4,000 NZSL signs accompanied by line drawings and video clips to show how to produce each sign and how the signs are used in context. The dictionary is a resource for deaf people, their families, professionals, learners and teachers of NZSL.

It will be available as a reference tool to a wide range of people in New Zealand and overseas. “This is a unique national resource that enables public access to New Zealand’s third official language,” says Dr David McKee, Director of the Deaf Studies Research Unit at Victoria. “The development of an online, bilingual dictionary raises the public profile and accessibility of NZSL for all New Zealanders.”

The website was launched by the Governor General His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Penny Boumelha says the online dictionary continues a tradition of Victoria leading the way in championing NZSL.  “Since the mid 1980s, Victoria University has led research and documentation of NZSL. This work has made a significant contribution to achieving recognition of NZSL as an official language in 2006, and to improving societal understanding of the NZSL community.”

“As we have seen in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, sign language has provided crucial assistance to New Zealand’s deaf community during press conferences. Access to information becomes a precious commodity in times of civil emergency, making this new website an invaluable resource.”

The new online dictionary builds on the pioneering work of Professor Graeme Kennedy who edited the first dictionary of NZSL in 1997 and also founded the Deaf Studies Research Unit. “Since the first Dictionary of NZSL was produced, sign language dictionary making has moved towards an electronic medium, which is ideally suited to the dynamic nature of sign language,” says Dr McKee.

Partner organisations in the project are the Auckland University of Technology School of Languages and Social Sciences, Kelston and van Asch Deaf Education Centres, and Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand.

The project is funded by the Tertiary Education Commission Encouraging Innovation Fund.

The translation is entitled Bahá’u’lláh me te Wā Hōu. Bahá’u’lláh me te Wā Hōu was recently presented to King Tūheitia at Pōhara Marae, in the Waipā District, in recognition of the long-standing relationship between the Kīngitanga and the New Zealand Bahá’í community. This was established in 1958 when Bahá’í dignitary, Enoch Olinga from Uganda visited Tūrangawaewae during the time of King Korokī.

The presentation to King Tūheitia was made by a Bahá’í delegation including Dame Robin White, chairperson of the Bahá’í National Assembly of New Zealand.

From Māori Language week onwards, copies of the book will be presented to various individuals, groups and institutions.

The translation was done by Waikato University Senior Lecturer, Tom Roa (Ngāti Maniapoto), who began work in 2004. It is one of a growing number of Bahá’í publications in Te Reo Māori.

The original manuscript of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, written during World War I, was revised over many years until its initial publication in 1937. This latest translation into Māori means the book is now available in more than 60 languages worldwide.

The NZSL interpreter booking agency, with access to more than 70 interpreters nationwide, is currently trialling Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) in Auckland and Kaikohe.

Using a videophone, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) allows an off-site interpreter to interpret a face-to-face conversation between a Deaf and hearing person.  The technology enables the interpreter to be “virtually” present in the room, so they can see the Deaf person signing and hear the hearing person.

The introduction of VRI aims to increase Deaf access to a range of services, eventually catering to “walk in” situations at locations including medical practices, emergency services, government agencies and Police. 

Following the testing phase, one of the major benefits of VRI is that it will eventually be available in geographical areas which presently have no local interpreters.

iSign General Manager James Widgery will work closely with Deaf community members, interpreters and hearing organisations over the next few months to increase VRI availability and understanding of the technology.

James says that it is important to remember that VRI is intended to complement, not replace, face-to-face interpreting.

“There are many meetings and situations where VRI will not be appropriate, and face-to-face interpreting will still be important”.

Visit www.isign.co.nz  to learn more about this new service.

The books trace the journey between 1972 and 2008 to revitalise the Māori language. They outline the determined struggle to bring the Māori language back from the brink, provide interviews with two dozen people who were active in the fight for the Māori language and include photographs of key events and people.

The history explores the reasons for the decline of the language and charts its resurgence over the last four decades through initiatives such as Waitangi Tribunal claims, the petition and march for the Māori language and the development of the Rākau method of learning, and the establishment of institutions such as kōhanga reo, the Māori Broadcasting Authority and Māori Television.

The first issue of Password came out in April 1977 and it has been published regularly ever since. It had its beginnings when a group of English language teachers decided there was a need for a newspaper/magazine in New Zealand like those they had seen while they were teaching overseas.

Password is published four times a year, each issue contains articles, exercises and discussion topics devoted to a particular theme. Themes vary widely but have as their basis, living and life in New Zealand.

Articles are graded and cater for new English readers from beginner level (below IELTS 3) to advanced level (IELTS 5+). The magazine contains a Readers Page and readers are encouraged to submit letters, stories and poems for publication.  In addition there is a ‘Password Teachers Centrepage’ with sample lesson plans and an article about an aspect of teaching and learning a language.

Over the years some of the best articles have been gathered together and published in a Best of Password booklet. Seven volumes have been published.

Writers for Password are voluntary and come from all over New Zealand although most are based in Auckland. They include many experienced and dedicated teachers of ESOL/ESL. Illustrations are done by art students and recent graduates and make a valuable contribution to the magazine. 

Password now has a distribution of about 2000 copies. It goes all over NZ and overseas. In 2009 a Password website was also established. It contains sample articles, teachers’ resources and additional articles for members of the site. There are also sections where readers can email the magazine or send in their writing, the best of which will be published in the Readers Page of Password. A current list of organisations throughout New Zealand that provide classes or individual tuition for those wishing to learn English is also on the site

A subscription form for Password can be found on their website. Teachers of English at AUT find Password extremely useful in the classroom. Articles are suitable for a range of reading proficiency levels and because of their local content are interesting and relevant to new New Zealanders. Students who have submitted to the Readers Page and had their writing published have been motivated to read and write more in English.

According to Patrick Geddes, Manager of The Translation Service, the European standard EN15038 is the most robust and appropriate international standard for translation service providers worldwide.

“There are other standards out there e.g. ISO9001, ASTM (American Translation Standard) and a Chinese standard, but in my opinion EN15038 is by far the most relevant for the sector”.

The purpose of this European standard is to establish and define the requirements for the provision of quality services by translation service providers. It encompasses the core translation process and all other related aspects involved in providing the service, including quality assurance and traceability.

It requires regular on-site audits by the certification body, and if any discrepancy is found, the certification is revoked. Ongoing refinement of services is encouraged and The Translation Service will have to submit to another review in two years time in order to maintain it.

For more information about the international standard, visit the Wikipedia information page.

The interpreting fact sheet explains the difference between trained interpreters and untrained professionals.  It can also be used as a practical tool to ask for an interpreter when needed – print the fact sheet, and use the statement in English and the other language to show to the English speaker: “I speak [language]. I need an interpreter”.  Interpreting New Zealand thanks Settlement Support NZ Manawatu for their support in producing this resource.

Language Line’s manager Diana Clark says “reports indicate there has been a steadily growing demand for this language, fuelled by both migrant workers and their families who come to join them.”

Language Line is available Monday to Friday at 9am to 6pm and on Saturdays 9am to 2pm. There is more information about the service at www.languageline.govt.nz.

Professor Richards is an international scholar with a long-standing relationship with Victoria where he taught in the 1960s. In 2011 he was made an honorary professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Sydney, Australia. The honorary degree of Doctor of Literature will be conferred by Victoria University in 2011 in recognition of his contributions to English language teaching and the arts. He will take up the Ian Gordon Fellowship – which was created to support and promote the study of English Language and Linguistics at Victoria – in August.

All lectures will be in Maclaurin Lecture Theatre 102. Lectures will be held 6 – 7 pm on Tuesday 2 August (English in the world), Thursday 4 August (The world of English language teaching) and Tuesday 9 August (The language teacher’s world).

The expo features four time slots with great speakers including keynote speaker, Rosemary Erlam on the subject “Making research accessible to teachers”. There will also be information on primary, secondary and tertiary teaching, as well as refreshments and book displays. For more information visit the AKTESOL website (view flyer halfway down page).

Life Show is directed by Huo Jianqi 霍建起, starring Tao Hong, Tao Zeru (主演: 陶红 / 陶泽如 / 潘粤明), running time 105 minutes.  Adapted from a famous novel written by novelist Chi Li, Life Show tells the story of Lai Shuang Yang, who runs a restaurant in a  Chongqing night market, with a real-life-touching story and filming techniques.  It praises and successfully portrays the resilience of a Chinese woman Lai who lives in revolutionary China.

For information contact Ellen Yang.

The factsheets show Mā Te Reo is having a significant impact on community driven language revitalisation efforts in the regions. The factsheets are based on regional statistics accumulated over a 10 year period.  The Mā Te Reo fund was established in 2001 to provide financial support to projects that contribute to community based Māori language revitalisation. Mā Te Reo places responsibility on iwi, hapū, whānau, Māori communities and Māori organisations to create and develop innovative solutions to what is a national crisis. These factsheets show Māori have responded to that challenge.

“The fact sheets tell the story of the impact of that investment on language revitalisation”, says Chief Executive, Glenis Philip Barbara.

The factsheets show the impact of Mā Te Reo funding through language revitalisation projects in Te Waipounamu, Te Tai Tokerau, Waiariki, Te Upoko-o-Te-Ika, Waikato-Hauraki and Tāmakimakaurau.     

“Perhaps the most powerful insight gleaned from the information contained across all regional factsheets is that the funding made available by Mā Te Reo has enabled initiatives and projects that are driven by Māori. The ability to be able to not just diagnose language concerns but also resolve them at a local level is a clearly articulated ambition and evidently one that Mā Te Reo meets”

“The net result of this activity – language gain and cultural strength which are the cornerstones for successful Māori development,” says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

The Aotearoa Tongan Teachers Association is leading organisation of the week, in partnership with the Human Rights Commission and with members of the Tongan community.  

The week is timed to coincide with the Rugby World Cup opening game between New Zealand and Tonga on 9 September. People will be encouraged to get involved and plan celebrations in your own area. To launch the week, there will be a major church service for the wider Auckland community.  For further updates listen to 531 PI radio on Wednesday nights, read Kaniva On Line and visit the Tongan Language Week Facebook page. 

Some background on Tongan people in New Zealand:

At the time of the last census (2006), there were 50,000 Tongans in New Zealand. They were the third largest Pacific group, after Samoans (131,000) and Cook Islanders (58,000), and the fastest growing group since the previous census. Tongans born in New Zealand account for 56% of the total Tongan population. Around 80% of Tongans live in Auckland. Just over 60% speak the Tongan language, but only 40% of those born in New Zealand do so.

For more information visit the Diversity Forum webpage.

Attendance on Sunday and for individual forum is free. If you are attending for half a day or more the registration fee is $50. Register online now.

It has also positively influenced the concept of Kiwi hospitality, and links nicely with the Rugby World Cup 2011 and New Zealand’s role as host.

“Our key message is about promoting Māori language use in communities and homes. In keeping with our recent choices for Māori language week themes, we’ve selected another activity-based concept to further emphasise this message”, says Glenis Philip-Barbara. “Here is a golden opportunity to think of all the ways you can act positively in your community and utilise the language and practice of manaakitanga to do so”.

With school term dates being adjusted to accommodate the Rugby World Cup 2011, Māori Language Week will take place earlier than in previous years, from 4 – 10 July.

 Fairfax Media NIE is celebrating Māori Language with special resources produced for use by schools. The following resources will be published:

• The Treaty of Waitangi (News Links,  published 7 June)
• Matariki (Go Zone, to be published 14 June)
• Ngā Ingoa Māori o te Whenua (I Site, to be published 28 June)

NZ Diversity Action Programme participants are encouraged to register their Māori Language Week events with the Human Rights Commission, by emailing nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz.

Visit the NZ History Online website to find out more about the history of te reo Māori and its regeneration, as well as the landmark Treaty of Waitangi claim on te reo. The Human Rights Commission also has a webpage with rauemi/resources in te reo Māori.

For more information on Māori Language Week you can contact Betty Hauraki on 04 471 6042, or refer to the website www.koreromaori.co.nz.

Samoan Language Week USA included everything from hot hula at the Mormon church in Sacramento to motorcades, shopping discounts and language resources. It has given a real boost to the Samoan community in NZ to see this energetic global participation.

The theme for 2011 was Samoa Ola – Samoa Active, focusing on language, sport and healthy living. In NZ, the week’s events included festivities in schools across the country and a workshop on Fa’asamoa – the Samoan way at the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.

Dr Melenaite Taumoefolau, Senior Lecturer in Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland published an article in English and Samoan titled “Linguistic Imperialism of English”.  An abridged version of the article was published in The Dominion Post during Samoan Language Week.

The Samoan Language Champions 2011 were announced at a special event hosted by Rotorua’s Samoan community on Saturday 4 June:

-         Manu Samoa – National Samoan Rugby union team

-         Nigel Vagana – retired rugby league legend and current Education and Welfare Officer for Australian Rugby League (ARL)

-         David Tua – professional heavyweight boxer

-         Troy Polamalu – Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety, United States National Football League (NFL)

The week saw the Facebook page for Samoan Language Week reach 5000 ‘likes’. New videos were also added to the You Tube channel.

ESOL funding has faced cuts in previous budgets, as described in the March edition of Te Waka Reo. Cuts to Tertiary, ACE in Schools and Training Opportunities programmes are estimated to have effectively reducing ESOL funding by $418,000 in the Wellington region alone. Budget 2011 includes $17.5 million over four years to provide places for up to 400 refugees to study towards ESOL qualifications, as well as 70 additional intensive ESOL place for refugees and migrants with low levels of English.

Budget 2011 also saw new funding for Māori education initiatives:

• $9 million over four years to support iwi to develop school and community-based language initiatives.
• $3 million over three years to support Te Runanganui o nga Kura Kaupapa Māori to develop a curriculum and associated resources based on the philosophy of Te Aho Matua.
• $8 million over four years to realign Kura transport assistance – which has been capped since 1995 – with mainstream schools.

Funding was also reprioritised to the following areas:

• $60 million over four years to build new kura kaupapa Māori and upgrade existing school buildings.
• $6.5 million to expand family-based literacy programmes to all decile one two and three schools, building on the current Reading Together programme.
• $17 million over four years to allow an additional 20 schools to participate in the Te Kotahitanga teacher training programme.

The Minister of Māori Affairs welcomed the new funding as a means to follow through with the recommendations of the Māori language sector review report, Te Reo Mauriora. “These initiatives help teachers to engage with whanau to improve Māori achievement at school through better support for students’ identity, language and culture – ingredients for educational success which are often missing,” the Minister said.

The Māori Youth Council was established by the Minister in September 2010. One of their key recommendations is that the Government reconsiders how teachers are trained in order to improve Māori youth’s success in the education system. Piloting te reo courses for teachers over the next five to 10 years is identified as part of reconsidering teacher training.

The report says that there is a strong base of programmes in place to reduce inequalities in education outcomes for Māori. These programmes include Te Kotahitanga, He Kākano, Ka Hikitia – Managing for success, and Kura Kaupapa Māori. Nontheless, inequalities persist and there is still work to be done to improve educational outcomes for Māori. The report notes concern that at times NZ’s education system lacks acknowledgment of, sensitivity and sensibilities towards cultural backgrounds and values of Māori students.

The report proposes that greater consideration and use of Māori language in the classroom will strengthen the existing programmes outlined and help realise their objectives.

The Minister of Māori Affairs welcomed the report. The recommendations about professional development for teachers align with a programme called ‘Tataiako’ that the Minister will introduce soon. Tataiako relates to cultural competencies for teachers of Māori students. It will be phased in, in consultation with the sector, and subject to review.

“’Tataiako’ extends the principle behind the very successful ‘Kotahitanga’ programme, which helps teachers to engage better with Māori students and their whanau and communities, to make their teaching more effective. Instead of ongoing in-service training, Tataiako aims to see that basic teacher training equips all teachers to teach Māori learners effectively,” the Minister said.

A series of sector meetings were held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch during November 2010 to outline a proposal for the development. Work has now started on developing NZ qualifications in ESOL. For further information please visit the NZQA webpage and access the feedback form. 

Feedback is invited on draft strategic purpose and graduate profiles for the proposed NZ ESOL qualifications, and proposed replacement information for existing qualifications. The feedback received will inform the Application to Develop a Qualification as part of the mandatory review of qualifications process.

The feedback will be considered by the ESOL Project Advisory Group and the Development Panel in order to confirm the final versions of the applications.

Once approval to develop the qualifications has been granted, NZQA will complete development of the full qualifications. NZQA plans to consult on these in September 2011.

Dr Tania Ka’ai and her colleague Dr John Moorfield from Te Ipukarea, the National Māori Language Institute at AUT University, presented the digital teaching platform at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City in May.

The online language learning system uses a range of technology including iPads and iPhones to deliver lessons allowing students to learn in a dynamic and interactive way. It also includes an encyclopaedic dictionary.

Although developed for teaching te reo Māori, AUT is talking with indigenous communities in the USA about how they could use the technology for teaching in their own languages. 

AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack, part of a delegation from AUT to attend the Forum, said “presenting at the Forum is a first for a NZ university reflecting our commitment to being the university of choice for Māori”.

The Forum coincided with the launch of the International Centre for Language Revitalisation, a centre developed in response to endangered indigenous languages around the world. The United Nations estimates 50 percent of the world’s 6500 spoken languages are in some sort of risk of disappearing.

The resource adopts a communicative approach to teaching and learning te reo Māori, where students are encouraged to do language tasks that are practical and meaningful. It also supports teachers to build their confidence and capability to teach te reo Māori.

The resource includes:

• printed teacher notes featuring 8 units with suggested teaching/learning tasks, learning intentions, success criteria and assessment rubrics.
• ‘reomations’ i.e. short cartoons in te reo Māori that will engage all audiences.
• video clips featuring teachers and children using the resource – as well as some information about aspects of tikanga. 

The resource was developed by CWA and Huia who took great care to consult educators, to ensure the resource can be flexible to meet different classrooms’ needs. Flexibility means a wide range of language learning exercises are available to choose from, and the resource is easy to use. So far feedback on the resource has been positive.

The resource leads students continue to learn Māori at year 7-8 level using the multimedia resource Ka Mau te Wehi.

Practical one-day workshops on He Reo Tupu He Reo Ora will be held in different regions. The free workshops will help teachers to understand how the resource works, how to implement task-based lessons and how to use the resource to plan a te reo Māori programme.

Because the resource has been developed for Year 1-6 teachers, they are the priority audience for these workshops. However all applications will be considered. There is a limit of 30 teachers per workshop.

Please visit the Education Centre’s website to register for a workshop.

Relationship Services has been offering free counseling for people affected by February’s earthquake, and in June it’s teaming up with Language Line to offer this support to those with little or no English.

The focus is on providing emotional support to people who are facing difficulties in the aftermath of the earthquake.

In welcoming the move, Language Line’s manager Diana Clark said Language Line is “another part of a Government-wide response to people who need help following the earthquake and we’re delighted to be able to offer this telephone interpreting assistance to Relationship Services.”

Language Line carries 41 languages and is used by more than 80 agencies.

People in Christchurch needing language help to receive counseling can ring Relationship Services, on 03 366 8804 or 0800 735 283 and ask for Language Line and state the language they need. They can be confident that the interpretations will be neutral, accurate and completely confidential.

As part of the earthquake recovery strategy, CPIT has increased this finding for semester two 2011.

If you are interested, please contact the ESOL enrolment administrator Louise Flintoff at Louise.flintoff@cpit.ac.nz or 0800 940 8000.

For example, 313 Burmese learners worked with English language Partners in 2010, by far the largest refugee ethnic group learning English through the organisation.

The booklet is a supplement to English Language Partners Annual Report. To access the booklet online or request hardcopies, visit the English Language Partner’s NZ Website.

English Language Partners is also about to publish its “Position Statements on Accessing English Language Provision”. Watch this space to access the published report.

From 2002 to 2007 she took the helm as Chair of English Language Partners’ national Board. Ms Sutton joined the national office as Operations Manager in 2008, before becoming Deputy Chief Executive in 2010.

Ms Sutton took up the Chief Executive position on 6 June. She succeeded Claire Szabó who has left to study at Harvard University.

Date    :           Saturday 09 July
Time   :           10am-1pm
Venue :           Whakarewarewa Village (Tryon Street entrance).
Cost    :           $15.

Please arrive by 9:45am. The Village Tour will start 10am followed by a Cultural Show 11:15am and Hangi at 12 noon.

The event is organised by Multicultural Rotorua, in cooperation with Whakarewa.

For information contact Alexis LewGor (President) on 027 449 4417. To register contact  Susana So on 021 1593601.

In Winter 2011, the Confucius Institute will join forces with its two current organisers (NZ Chinese Friendship Society and NZ Chinese Language Association) to revamp Mandarin Corner with improved programme support.

Mandarin Corner currently meets Saturdays (excluding school holidays), 3.15-4.30 pm at the Seminar Room, 20 Kelburn Parade, Victoria University of Wellington. All welcome.

There are two more sessions in June 2011:

18 June – Collection (收藏）
25 June - Chinese Paper Cutting (中国剪纸）

Chinese Film 中国电影

Date:           Thursday 23 June
Time:           7.00pm – 9:30pm
Venue:         Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street (please note the venue and date change, moved back to Wellington City Council meeting room. Gold coin donation.)

7.00pm – 24 City  二十四城记  [107 minutes]
Director: Jia Zhang Ke 贾樟柯. 
 
24 City (Chinese: 二十四城记/二十四城記) literally: The Story of 24 City) is a 2008 film directed and co-written by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke. The film follows three generations of characters in Chengdu (in the 1950s, the 1970s and the present day) as a state-owned factory gives way to a modern apartment complex. The film was also known as The Story of 24 City during the production.

For more information, contact Ellen Yang at mandarin.corner@gmail.com.

The aims of Samoan Language Week 2011 are to:

• Celebrate the Samoan language and culture in New Zealand and globally
• Promote the teaching and learning of the Samoan language
• Raise awareness of the Samoan language as one of the most widely spoken languages in New Zealand
• Promote the use of the Samoan language in association with Manu Samoa’s participation in the Rugby World Cup 2011
• Promote initiatives to maintain and grow the recognition, learning and use of the Samoan language everywhere.

Start thinking about opportunities and events to promote the active use of the Samoan language. Register your activities with the Human Rights Commission by sending an email with your activity to nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz. Samoan Language Week also has a busy Facebook page and You Tube channel, now with shout-outs from Team USA.

For more information about the history and purpose of the week, including information in Samoan, visit the Commission’s Samoan Language Week webpage.

At this forum we will pose the question, who should take responsibility for providing for the learning and use of community languages? Should providing for community languages – including te reo Māori, Pacific and other community languages – be the responsibility of the Government, communities, or shared between the two? If responsibility is to be shared between the Government and communities, what form should shared responsibility take?

The languages forum will be hosted by the Human Rights Commission in Hamilton on Monday 22 August.

To register interest of provide early feedback on the forum topic, please email nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz. Checkout NZ  Diversity Forum for updates.

Language Line is available to all those who ring a wide-variety of government and welfare telephone help-lines Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm and Saturday 9am – 2pm.

To access Language Line call the agency you need to contact, ask for Language Line, and state the language needed.

Events around the country included expos, displays, art auctions and award ceremonies. Free one-hour taster classes in NZSL were in high demand. The week began with the launch of a DVD showing the national anthem in NZSL with English and Māori subtitles, shot against a picturesque NZ landscape background. The DVD is available to purchase, or a short version can be viewed, at Deaf Aotearoa’s webpage.

The week also saw the release of posters and booklets each with 25 key signs to learn ‘@ home, @ work, @ play’.

NZSL week initiatives received coverage from a range of news media. To view news items, visit Deaf Aotearoa media webpage.

During the week the NZ Fire Service aired its new ad in NZSL, to promote its new 111 text service to the deaf and hearing-impaired community. “The text initiative has been a major event for the deaf, and incredibly empowering,” said Deaf Aotearoa CEO Rachel Noble. “We are thrilled that the Fire Service has developed this commercial in our language.” To view the ad visit You Tube.

The Federation of Family Budgeting Services also presented a video in NZSL for the first time during NZSL Week and is available to view on their website. The NZSL video will be used by the Federation as a steppingstone to creating more resources in languages other than English (including te reo Māori in the next few months).

 “’Manaakitanga’ is a very important tenet of Māori custom and identity, that has, I believe, positively influenced notions of good old ‘Kiwi’ hospitality. At its core manaakitanga is about how we make people feel welcome when they are in our company, and how we give regard to and care for others when hosting visitors”, says Te Taura Whiri Chief Executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara. 

It also links nicely to the Rugby World Cup 2011. “The Rugby World Cup 2011 is an excellent opportunity to use Māori language to host our visitors”, says Glenis Philip-Barbara “from cities to rural towns, hotels to homes, all modes of public transport and on our streets. Everyone who has Māori language knowledge, great or small, is encouraged to use it as often as they can during this exciting time as New Zealand showcases itself on the world stage”.

With school term dates being adjusted to accommodate the Rugby World Cup 2011, Māori Language Week will take place earlier than in previous years. This year is during the second to last week of Term Two, 4 July – 10 July 2011.

Resources for the week will be ready early June and by registering your event (registrations will be open early June) you will receive a start up pack. 

For more information please contact Betty Hauraki on (04) 471 6042, or refer to the Kōrero Māori website.

Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori is promoted by a longstanding tripartite partnership of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Te Puni Kōkiri and Te Kahui Tika Tangata (the Human Rights Commission).

In a Māori Party press release Te Ururoa Flavell said there would be “questions about the practical effect the recommendations, if adopted, might have on various bureaucracies but we have every confidence in those experts who wrote the report because they all live and breathe the language. Today the Government has received the best advice from the best people and we urge it to take on board the recommendations.

Finance Minister Bill English told the NZ Herald the report reflected “a big step forward in how particularly Māori see their responsibility for the retention of the language”. He said any changes in the Māori language sector would have to be made within the current budget.

In a media statement Te Taura Whir i te Reo Māori (the Māori language Commission) said it was pleased to see a focus on language in homes emerge from the Ministerial Review Panel in their report released yesterday. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori believes that the success of language revitalisation in homes is contingent upon the successful coordination of a raft of initiatives across a range of sectors, combined with expert advice and wise investment.  This is the current focus of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and combines language aspirations for homes, communities, schools, broadcasting and the public sector. While somewhat surprised by the recommendation to establish a new infrastructure with a six hundred million dollar budget, Board Chair Erima Henare is confident about the future of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori going forward.

The Government will consider the report carefully and is likely to make an initial statement on the whole of Government response during Māori Language Week, 4 – 10 July 2011. This will be followed by further work to develop a new Māori Language Strategy, for confirmation in early 2012.

Privacy was the topic of a seminar Language Line held recently in Auckland. Addressing the issue from their different viewpoints were the Privacy Commissioner, Marie Shroff, a professional interpreter in Sign Language Daniel Hanks and AUT lecturer Camille Nakhid.

Lively debate followed, especially from audience members from the health sector. All learned that generalisations and assumptions are not helpful and sometimes risky. Debate continued long after the workshop finished. 

More information on the issue can be found on the website of the  Privacy Commissioner and Office of Ethnic Affairs.

Due to the success of the workshop and enthusiastic feedback from guests, Language Line has decided to run similar sessions in Wellington and Christchurch. Watch this space for details or email language.line@dia.govt.nz to book your place.

Contact: Ellen Yang 027-4756888 mandarin.corner@gmail.com.

Chinese Film 中国电影

Date:           Wednesday 25 May 2011
Time:           7.00pm – 9.30pm
Venue:        Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street 
(please note the venue change, moved back to Wellington City Council meeting room.)

7.00pm – Chinese Documentary: I wish I knew  海上传奇（hai shang chuan qi) [2010]

Focuses on the people, their stories and architecture spanning from the mid-1800s, when Shanghai was opened as a trading port, to the present day. 

Director: Jia Zhang Ke贾樟柯. Starring: Hsiao-hsien Hou, Tao Zhao, Hsin-i Chang. DVD 116 minutes, English subtitle. Gold coin donation.

Find out more information about the documentary,  I wish I knew  海上传奇.

The panel’s review was informed by the pre-released Waitangi Tribunal chapter on the state of te reo Māori. The panel also travelled the country to hear from experts and examine Government spending.

Despite significant progress in the last 25 years, the panel found that as a minority language Māori is still in the critical stage. The report focussed on how to ensure the sustainability of te reo Māori; that Māori have sovereignty over te reo Māori and revitalisation initiatives; and the Government’s obligation to ensure te reo is spoken in homes but also to assist in raising its status publicly. The review poses the objective that by 2050, 80% of Māori homes are Māori language homes.

In summary, the report recommends: 

• That a Minister for the Māori language be established with powers to determine all matters pertaining to the Māori language
• That the principal recommendation for revitalisation is re-establishing te reo in homes. The role of the public sector is to support Māori to achieve this objective
• That priority funding and focus be given to initiatives geared to meet the objective of 80% of Māori homes as Māori language homes by 2050
• That a “Rūnanga ā-Reo” be established in nine regions to plan programmes, expenditure and evaluation
• Current initiatives should collaborate towards the principal goal at a national level and through Rūnanga a-Reo. Continue and expand other initiatives such as embracing te reo Māori in the private sector.
• That the future implementation of the revitalisation strategy be led by iwi. The panel notes that this was an emphatic call heard throughout the region
• That a board known as “Te Mātāwai” for te reo Māori be established, comprising language experts representing the seven dialectial regions
• Establish iwi Wānanga to strengthen dialects, teaching, broadcasting, publishing skills and Māori tribal history and identity.

The week is a chance to raise awareness about issues faced by New Zealand’s Deaf community but also for the Deaf community to stand proud as Deaf, and promote their language and culture.  It is a chance to break down barriers, fears and misconceptions.

NZSL 2011 is about encouraging all New Zealanders to learn NZSL – @ Home – @ Work – @ Play. To support these themes, Deaf Aotearoa has created three high quality resource booklets with easy to learn, everyday vocabulary.   To encourage further learning, there will be ongoing NZSL features on You Tube and NZSL finger spelling cards and posters. Please contact nzsign@deaf.org.nz to order your resources.

The @ home, @ work and @ play vocabulary will be featured in the NZSL Week’s free Taster Sign Language classes, to be held in workplaces and organisations and with community groups throughout the country.  Email nzsign@deaf.org.nz or contact your local Deaf Aotearoa office to book your free taster class.

The week will be celebrated throughout the country with a wide range of events and activities, including expos, displays, art auctions and award ceremonies.  Visit www.nzsign.co.nz for activities in your area.

Deaf Aotearoa also offers early childhood education services and schools the chance to teach NZSL. The NZSL Tool Kit was designed by Deaf Aotearoa and Kelston Deaf Education Centre.  It is a comprehensive two part teaching programme, with easy to follow lesson plans and an interactive DVD.  To order your kit or for more information email nzsign@deaf.org.nz.

Each year a series of four, week long Kura Reo, aimed at intermediate to fluent speakers of te reo Māori, are held at four key locations across the country.  These locations include Rotorua, Heretaunga (Hastings), Waipukurau, and Christchurch.  The Kura Reo are held in the first week of each school holiday break and are funded by Mā Te Reo.  Any given Kura Reo can attract up to 100+ students.

Up to 40 registrations had been received for Te Kura Reo ki Te Waipounamu before the February earthquake. These registrations are still on a hard drive within the Christchurch CBD and for the most part irretrievable.  People who made those registrations are encouraged to contact Pakake Winiata at Te Wānanga o Raukawa as soon as possible to arrange the transfer of their registration.

For further information and to register visit the website.

The Commission’s submission is a response to questions asked by the review document on the impact of the Act. It includes information from public approaches to the Commission and community engagement.

The submission states there have been issues for Deaf people accessing translators for legal proceedings and issues with the quality of translators. The Commission suggests Diplomas in Sign Language could be endorsed for legal interpreters. This would be similar to the competency certification in te reo Māori issued by the Māori Language Commission.

The Commission says the Act does not list the Mental Health Review Tribunal as somewhere NZSL can be used. Research has shown 10 per cent of Deaf people are affected by mental illness in a severe way, compared to only three per cent of the mainstream population.

The Commission also highlighted the omission of certain government agencies listed in the Act to promote NZSL. The Privacy Commission, the Health and Disability Services Commissioner, the Office of the Ombudsmen and the Human Rights Commission are not included. These agencies have a great deal of contact with the Deaf community and provide information to the public.

In its conclusion, the Commission says urgent attention is needed to promote and develop NZSL. Critical elements are:

• strong leadership and co-ordination for implementation of the NZSL Act
• sufficient resources for adequate implementation of the NZSL Act
• commitment from Government departments and improved reporting accountabilities
• extension to relevant state agencies
• addressing problems relating to the availability and quality of NZSL interpreters
• urgent attention to the provision of competent NZSL interpreters in high stakes situations.

Read the Commission’s submission on the Review of the NZSL Act: PDF (290KB) or HTML (32MB).

The University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori, Professor Linda Smith, says Te Kōtihitihi has been established by a group of emerging researchers at Waikato who were looking for opportunities to publish in te reo.

Guided by a four-strong editorial team from Waikato’s School of Māori and Pacific Development and Faculty of Education, Te Kōtihitihi aims to attract original research on a wide range of topics. They aim to publish twice yearly – including academic papers, opinion pieces, book reviews and creative work – all in te reo.

The first issue has six academic papers written especially for Te Kōtihitihi. Topics range from language revitalisation, Māori history, tikanga and mātauranga Māori. It also as an original haka composition performed at Te Matatini.

Te Kōtihitihi is supported by funding from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the National Institute of Research Excellence for Māori Development and Advancement.

She says 38 out the 50 kura kaupapa and bilingual units in Tamaki Makaurau will take part in the programme in Term 3.

She is hoping to use the kura kaupapa in activities like airport welcomes.

The Ministry is looking at what specific government agencies and various Pacific Island groups are doing in New Zealand that protects and promotes Pacific languages.

They also want to know what community groups are doing that relates or contributes to protecting and promoting Pacific languages. This could be involvement in but not limited to:

• producing a resource in a Pacific language
• comment on a local council policy or guidelines/best practice for Pacific communities
• providing translation services in a Pacific language
• research/evaluation project that has all/some part focused on Pacific language promotion
• a local Pacific community production/event(s)
• a service for Pacific communities elderly/children/youth
• a community or agency programme/resource/initiative/working group.

The Ministry wants to know:

1. What are you doing in your community to protect and promote Pacific languages?
2. What is the name of your initiative/event?
3. What is the name of your group/organisation and your contact details?

Send the Ministry your feedback by Thursday 21 April. Your input will benefit and add value to the work of the strategy. You can send your feedback by email to theresa.fabricius@mpia.govt.nz or by post to:

Theresa Fabricius
Pacific Languages Strategy
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
PO Box 833
Wellington 6140

For further information please telephone Theresa Fabricius on (04) 495 0028.

The Commission sees key issues to be discussed at the forum as being response to the review of the Māori language sector; ongoing development of a Pacific Languages Strategy; and starting work on a Community Languages Strategy.

Do you agree? Please let us know your thoughts by emailing nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz. For updates on the Diversity Forum, visit the webpage.

The 2011 theme is Samoa Ola – Samoa Active, focusing on language, sport and healthy living and linking to the visit of Manu Samoa to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup.

For future updates visit the Facebook page.

A Concise Dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language edited by Graeme Kennedy and People of the Eye by Rachel McKee, both published by Bridget Williams Books, will be donated to all New Zealand secondary school libraries by the Stout Trust (supported by Deaf Aotearoa ) and the Deaf Development Fund (of the J.R.Mackenzie Trust).

For further information about the school visits or the books, please contact publicist Angela Radford, 09 5797351 or 0275 401104, e: angelaradford@xtra.co.nz.

Visit the Facebook page for future updates.

Joris de Bres presented information on Pacific language study trends:

• The number of schools teaching Pacific languages as a subject has increased slightly over the last two years, from 33 to 35.
• The number of students learning Pacific languages as a subject at secondary school decreased in the last year, but overall it has increased since 2005. The most popular Pacific language to study is Samoan, although the proportion of students of Samoan Language has declined since 2007, from 84.5% of all enrolments to 70.9% in 2010.
• Overall, the number of schools using Pacific languages as a medium of instruction has increased since 2003, from 22 to 31 schools. However, there has been a decrease since 2007 when the number of schools reached a peak of 36 schools.
• the number of students enrolled in Pacific-medium education has fluctuated since the 2003 rate of 1735. Overall the number has increased to 1935 students in 2010.

What sets Te Awa apart is its commitment to te reo Māori, with bilingual signage throughout the complex and extending to the road outside and the carpark areas. The first two stages of Te Awa were completed last year, and the third, including a new food and entertainment precinct, is due to open this month. Te Awa exceeds the commitment to te reo seen in public buildings and has taken private sector use of the language to a whole new level.

This year’s annual review of race relations, Tūi Tūi Tuituiā: Race Relations in 2010  notes that business in general is now much more comfortable with te reo Māori, citing supermarket chain Progressive Enterprises’ participation in Māori Language Week last year and other examples, including Te Awa.  This year’s Māori Language Week, with the theme of Manaakitanga, will take place earlier than usual from 4-10 July.

Le Va is pleased to announce they have now added the Fijian, Niuean and Tokelauan languages to the suite. Visit www.leva.co.nz for more information.

Other events included presentations from a French writer, on Māori music, and an Argentinean Evening titled “a return to Buenos Aires”.

Monday 16 May 2011 Kohia Teachers’ Centre Faculty of Education (University of Auckland) Epsom Avenue Mount Eden.

For more information view AKTESOL’s April newsletter.

The conference is to be held 23-26 November 2011 in the Owen Glenn Building, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Timetable for Call for Papers:

• The deadline for abstract submission is 28 February 2011
• Confirmation of Acceptance will be no later than 1 April 2011
• Presenters will need to have registered for LED 2011 by no later than 1 June 2011 in order to guarantee a place in the conference programme.

For more information visit the website.

• For level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers to discuss te reo o Te Marautanga o Aotearoa with a selection of curriculum writers and developers.
• To expand knowledge and understanding about how language has adapted to meet developing needs.
• To exchange ideas and strategies about te reo Māori learning and teaching.
• Ki te kōtuitui i a tātou anō i runga i te kaupapa reo kei mua i te aroaro.

Venue: The Coachman Hotel/Chancellor Motor Lodge, Palmerston North
Dates: Sunday 24th – Wednesday 27th July, 2011
Course Leaders: Deanne Thomas and Wharehoka Wano
Costs: (if paid by Early bird Date 10th June, 11, if paid after an additional $100 applies)
Live out: $225 Live in Share: $420 Live in Single

For more information and to register online please visit www.trcc.org.nz call 0800 872 211 or email info@trcc.org.nz

Chinese Film and Mandarin Corner – New venue with combined activities

Date:            Friday 15 April 2011
Time:           6.00pm – 8.30pm
Venue:         Mezzanine Meeting Room, Wellington Central Library

Activities:    
6.00pm - Mandarin Corner 汉语角
7.00pm - Documentaries: Dunhuang Flying Apsaras 敦煌飞天，Yangshuo – the global Village of China 阳朔 – 中国的地球村，Black Elves 黑精灵. (English version in total 81 minutes 英文版共81分钟）  

Date:            Friday 29 April 2011
Time:           6.00pm – 8.30pm
Venue:         Mezzanine Meeting Room, Wellington Central Library

Activities: 
6.00pm - Mandarin Corner 汉语角
6.50pm – Chinese feature film: A Bright Moon 一轮明月

Tea and biscuits provided. Gold Coin Donations.

Contact: Ellen Yang 杨川 027-4756888 mandarin.corner@gmail.com.

The Human Rights Commission’s annual review of race relations, Race Relations in 2010, was published on 11 March. The review included a chapter on language.

To view the chapter and full report visit the Commission’s website.

Grants have been cut for English language programmes to prepare people from refugee backgrounds for further study, or skilled migrants for employment in their professions.  Funding has also been cut for assessment and advice services that helped migrants and refugees enrol in the right support or training programmes for their needs. Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce explained the rationale for the cuts to the Dominion Post.  “A number of small funds were disestablished which had relatively high compliance or administrative costs and provided outcomes that could be achieved elsewhere” he said.

Further budget cuts to the Tertiary, ACE in Schools and Training Opportunities programmes have had the effect in the Wellington region alone of reducing ESOL funding by approximately $418,000. The remaining Training Opportunities ESOL programmes are the only full-time, fully subsidised programme of study available.  

Further changes in the 2010 budget effectively include “transition” programmes of study in the 200 week life-long maximum allocation per person for the student allowance. Some students funded by a student allowance who study English before enrolling in Tertiary education, may now find their allocated quota for the student allowance runs out half-way through tertiary education.

Many ESOL students are now learning English through the Training Opportunities programme. The purpose of the programme is to ready students’ English for work through short-term, local industry-focused courses. The objective is to have students ready for employment or further training within 26 weeks. That may be achievable to prepare native speakers for further technical training or employment. However, Secretary of TESOLANZ, Marty Pilott, says that is too short for non-English speaking refugees. “Refugees often arrive here in a state of shock” Mr Pilott said. “Many have no education and must first learn how to learn”.

Judi McCallum, of the ESOL Assessment and Access Specialist Service, has submitted a paper to the Ministry of Education seeking to inform their ESOL policy work. The paper does not request additional funding for the ESOL sector, given the current economic climate, but instead suggests that ESOL programme funding should be ring-fenced. It suggests that some funding be tagged for ESOL programmes designed by ESOL specialists, taught by specifically trained teachers of ESOL and delivered to ESOL students only.

For those with a refugee background who have completed ESOL courses, there is more likelihood of confidence and self-belief as they take on further study. The Multicultural Learning and Support Services Centre magazine, MCLaSS News, has featured several stories about students who now have the capability to be community leaders: see ‘Building on a solid foundation’, ‘Taking on a new challenge’ and ‘Mohammad’s story’.

Interpreting NZ

For volunteers, former refugees and service providers in the Christchurch area, Interpreting New Zealand offers free telephone interpreting services for quake-related issues. The service is available in 70 languages on Interpreting NZ’s toll free line 0508 468 377, press option 1. When calling, provide your name, the non-English speaker’s name and his/her language, and let the operator know that it is an emergency response call.

Language Line

The Office of Ethnic Affairs’ telephone interpretation service, Language Line extended its hours to help those affected by the Christchurch earthquake. Language Line helps people with little or no English to access help and advice over the telephone.

People needing help with interpretation can ring the help-lines, request the use of Language Line and ask for the language they need.

Radio broadcasts

Radio stations have been broadcasting earthquake help messages in 10 languages. Five key messages have been translated to 10 languages for broadcast around the country.

The messages focus on how to access financial advice, social services and counselling support and the availability of Language Line. “Access Radio is at the heart of many migrant communities, and this project has certainly allowed us to play to our strengths”, said Community Radio Hamilton’s general manager Phil Grey. “Our Christchurch colleagues Plains FM have sadly been unable to play what we know would have been a huge part in the recovery so far, but if we can help get these messages to those in need, in their own first language, we’ve succeeded”.

The messages can be heard at Access Radio’s website or on Te Upoko Radio (1161 AM); Wellington Access Radio (783AM); Tahu FM (90.5 FM); Planet Audio FM (104.6FM); Radio Kidnappers (1431 AM & 104.7FM); Access Radio Taranaki (104.4FM); Access Manawatu (999AM); Access Radio Kapiti (104.7FM); Arrow FM (92.7FM).

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) on TV

NZSL interpreters, Evelyn Pateman and Jeremy Borland, have translated Civil Defence announcements at press conferences in Christchurch. Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive Rachel Noble says “the response from the Deaf Community has been wonderful. They are receiving so much information, they feel more connected and more involved – it gives them a lot of reassurance.”  Ms Noble says Jeremy and Evelyn are both using a dialect of sign language specific to Deaf Christchurch residents.

The Facebook page for “Jeremy ‘the sign language guy’ Borland” has received over 25,000 ‘likes’.

Admittance to the Centre’s showroom is free to the public and enquiries can be made in Cantonese or Mandarin on Mondays and Tuesday from 8.30am – 5pm. For further details see their website.

In Gore, a diverse group of newcomers to the district gathered for a shared lunch, organised by the Eastern Southland Newcomers Network.

In Wellington, the Human Rights Commission hosted the Bring Your Own Mother Language forum, with attendees from Te Taura Whiri (the Māori Language Commission), the NZ Chinese Language Association and NZ China Friendship Association, Deaf Aotearoa NZ, Interpreting NZ, Accent Learning and the National Refugee Network. Attendees discussed the importance of keeping the essential link between language and culture.

In Auckland, the Bangladesh Association NZ Inc hosted an event on 27 February to mark Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day. In the wake of the Christchurch earthquake, planned proceedings were changed and the group held a discussion session with a special prayer for the victims of the earthquake in Christchurch, the martyrs of language movement and all other martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Bangladesh.

The DVD has been produced as a teaching resource to enable all New Zealanders to learn, access and enjoy the national anthem in NZ’s three official languages. The translation aims to be true to the meaning behind the Māori and English lyrics.

To view details of the full line up of events, visit the events webpage.

The book explores the world-wide way our traditionally monolingual school systems are being challenged by students from diverse language backgrounds, forcing educationalists to question entrenched ideologies of language and challenging teachers

Dr Ute Walker of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University has contributed a chapter title ‘Deconstructing the Myth of Monolingualism, Perspectives on Identities, Ideologies and Politics: Linguistic Diversity as a Bridge to Adjustment: Making the Case for Bi/multilingualism as a Settlement Outcome in New Zealand’.

To order a copy, visit the Multilingual matters website.

Kōrero Kōrero presents an opportunity:

• For level 1 and 2 Māori Medium teachers to discuss te reo o Te Marautanga o Aotearoa with a selection of curriculum writers and developers.
• To expand knowledge and understanding about how language has adapted to meet developing needs.
• To exchange ideas and strategies about te reo Māori learning and teaching.
• Ki te kōtuitui i a tātou anō i runga i te kaupapa reo kei mua i te aroaro.

Course Leaders: Deanne Thomas and Wharehoka Wano

Costs: (if paid by Early bird Date 10th June, 11, if paid after an additional $100 applies)

Live out: $225 Live in Share: $420 Live in Single

For more information and to register online please visit www.trcc.org.nz call 0800 872 211 or email info@trcc.org.nz

This will be held on Monday 21 February at the Human Rights Commission office in Wellington. The event will also include the launch of the Commission’s Annual Review of Language Diversity.

To RSVP contact Naomi Taylor 04 4716756 or email naomit@hrc.co.nz. Please let us know if you need a sign language interpreter by Thursday 17 February.

People of different nationalities will be at the booths to speak and chat to anyone who wants to come in and converse. The best Foreign Language film of 2010 will be shown throughout the day; 2.15, 6pm and 8.30. – THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES.

For information contact Maura Dakin at 03 208 8480, 027 600 1800 or email maura.sfgore@cnt.org.nz.

They will be available in community locations and in schools and workplaces throughout New Zealand. For more information on this initiative or to request posters or bookmarks, visit the English Language Partners website.

The theme for Race Relations Day 2011 is ‘People in Harmony.

It features the first verse of the New Zealand National anthem in five languages projected over the faces of five people from various communities.

High numbers of Filipinos live in Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Hamilton in particular. Some have been in New Zealand for years; others have arrived recently including those who arrive on migrant work schemes to the health and rural sector.

Language Line’s manager Diana Clark urged people to tell their Filipino friends about the service. She said the move comes “in response to requests from people who work with this community who told us they are finding more people who face language barriers than was the experience in the past, when many Filipinos who came here already spoke English. We hope Language Line will contribute to their settling happily into their new home.’

More than 70 agencies including hospitals, government agencies and non-Government groups like the Human Rights Commission already belong to Language Line. More information can be found at the Language Line website.

When the Act was passed in 2006 it provided for a review to be undertaken after three years. The review will look at how well the Act has been operating and whether there need to be any changes to the Act.

The review is being led by the Office for Disability Issues. They are seeking feedback from the public, until the end of February. Submissions are welcomed from Deaf people, their families or whānau, as well as organisations and providers.

For more information about the review and making a submission, or attending one of the many meetings to be held around the country, visit the Office for Disability Issues website, Deaf Aotearoa website, or New Zealand Disability Support Network website.

The Waitangi Trust worked with the Tiaho Trust in Whangarei to help ensure Waitangi Day 2011 could be accessible to New Zealanders with hearing impairments.

Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia acknowledged the importance of tri-lingual celebrations. She said language is “important for any culture and to be able to see and hear your language on such a significant day for all new Zealanders is something that we should all feel proud about.”

The Human Rights Commission also welcomed the move and issued a press statement at its website. Chief Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan said “we look forward to tri-lingual interpretation being a permanent feature of Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi and indeed throughout the country in the years ahead.”

Until now, patients’ family members or friends were commonly used as translators at doctor’s surgeries. Although well-meaning, this can create problems as the visits are no longer private and important medical information can be withheld or miscommunicated. Effective, accurate communication is a legal right in New Zealand. It is important that people support this initiative and take advantage of the service.

Patients can now ask general practice staff to provide an interpreter (gender specific if required) at their appointments. When making an appointment, patients should specify the language required, rather than their country of origin, to avoid any misunderstandings. Interpreters are available for a wide range of languages from Amharic to Vietnamese. For an up to date list, visit the Interpreting New Zealand website.

Partnership Health Canterbury is a Primary Health Organisations (PHO) with 98 General Practices, covering most of the wider Christchurch area, including the Lyttelton and Selwyn Districts. For further information about this service contact Wayne Reid, Ethnic Liaison for Partnership Health Canterbury, on 375 7136 or wayne@partnershiphealth.org.nz

The project is a response to limited relief teacher numbers in schools and a lack of language specialists. It uses video podcasts, online support and in-school facilitation to advance Maori language and language acquisition amongst teachers. The project has so far been implemented in three rural regions. The ubiquitous nature of this technology means it is an effective training tool rural schools who may otherwise struggle to access professional development.

Project coordinator Tabitha McKenzie says the technology enables access to training anytime, anywhere. “We know that teachers are very busy. The use of iPods means they don’t have to leave their school for six months for intensive training. They can now learn and implement new approaches to teaching on a daily basis.”

The project is funded by the Ministry of Education, and is part of a Teacher Professional Development project called Whakapiki i te Reo.

An English and Māori helpline will operate from 15 February to 29 April on 0800 CENSUS. Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Hindi, Samoan and Tongan will also be available between 15 February and 1 April. A fax help-line is also available on 0800 FAX2011 between 15 February and 1 April.

The census is undertaken by Statistics New Zealand to gather information on the make-up of New Zealand society. The census is held every five years and by law everyone in New Zealand must complete it.

Chief Executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara says ”‘Manaakitanga’ is a very important tenet of Māori custom and identity, that has, I believe, positively influenced notions of good old ‘Kiwi’ hospitality. At its core manaakitanga is about how we make people feel welcome when they are in our company, and how we give regard to and care for others when hosting visitors.”

The theme links nicely to New Zealand’s role as host of the Rugby World Cup 2011. People will be encouraged to use what knowledge of te reo they have during the hosting of the Rugby World Cup. 

With school term dates being adjusted to accommodate the Rugby World Cup 2011, Māori Language Week will take place earlier than in previous years. Schools and teachers are asked to note Māori Language Week 2011 is during the second to last week of Term Two, 4 July – 10 July 2011.

For more information on Māori Language Week you can contact Betty Hauraki on 471 6042, or refer to the Māori Language Week  website.

The resources support the use of Pacific languages in the home and community. The resources include audio tools to practice pronunciation. New words and phrases are added all the time. To view the resources and register, visit the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs website.

The programme is held at EIT (Eastern Institute of Technology), organised by Police iwi liaison officer Rob Rutene and designed by EIT’s Faculty of Maori Studies, Te Manga Maori.

Area Commander Kevin Kalff and three senior sergeants were part of the group, as well as officers from a range of ethnicities working in areas such as road safety, Criminal Investigation Branch, at-risk youth programmes and community policing. Mr Kalff praised the programme for improving his skills and building links across the community.

EIT tutor Kare Tipa Rogers said that while the main focus of the classes was to assist officers to communicate effectively with pronunciation, they were also given some insight into customary concepts, Maori values and treaty issues. “Getting the pronunciation of people’s names, street names, community organisations right, helps break down barriers between different cultures within a community,” she said.

The meeting concerns Pacific languages and literacy in the New Zealand Education curriculum, and in particular the paused production of the Tupu and Folauga learning resources. A petition is also being circulated, urging the Government to “introduce and fully fund Pacific languages literacy and English development through bilingual education programmes for Pacific students”.

The fono is to be held at Nga Tapuwae Community Centre, 252 Buckland Rd, Māngere. For further information visit the Pacific Island Education website.

The sessions are open to all ages and levels, in one to one or small groups. For information contact Ellen Yang Ph 4737558 or email mandarin.corner@gmail.com.

The conference is to be held 23-26 November 2011 in the Owen Glenn Building, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Timetable for Call for Papers:

• The deadline for abstract submission is 28 February 2011
• Confirmation of Acceptance will be no later than 1 April 2011
• Presenters will need to have registered for LED 2011 by no later than 1 June 2011 in order to guarantee a place in the conference programme.

For more information go to the website of Language, Education and Diversity Conference

The conference will be hosted by the University of Canberra and the Australian National University. The conference theme is Applied Linguistics as a Meeting Place. The conference will focus on intersections between Applied Linguistics and other disciplines and areas of practice.

Plenary speakers are: Diana Eades (University of New England); Andy Fitzpatrick (Hong Kong Institute of Education/Griffith University); Janet Holmes (Victoria University Wellington); Tim McNamara (University of Melbourne); Merrill Swain (University of Toronto).

 Conference strands include: Language and Education; Language and Indigenous Issues; Language and Literacy; Language and Social Interaction; Language and Society; Language and the Arts; Language and the Law; Language and Technology; Issues in Assessment, Testing and Applied Linguistics (organised by the newly formed Association for Language Testing and Assessment of Australia and New Zealand(ALTAANZ)); Issues in Language Development; and Issues in Interpreting and Translation.

Proposals for papers, colloquia, workshops, panel discussions, roundtables, posters or other innovative session formats are invited. Abstracts are to be submitted online. For more information go to the ALAA  website or ALANZ website.

The final date for submission of abstracts is Monday 30 May 2011. Notification of the acceptance/rejection of abstracts will be made by Friday 15 July 2011.

For more information visit the Raukawa website.

Cash prizes are available for all categories, including cash prizes and books for schools in the Secondary School category.

Entries are due by 5pm, 15 April 2011. To view entry requirements and for more information visit the Huia website.

LANGUAGE

What happened in 2010?

• There was a call for the establishment of a national languages commission and the development of a national languages policy
• The Government initiated a review of Māori language strategy and spending
• A Waitangi Tribunal report called for urgent action on te reo Māori
• Te reo Māori loses ground in Australia
• Business support for te reo Māori increased
• Samoan Language Week used social media to increase participation
• The Ministry of Education announced a pause in the production of Pacific language educational resources
• A tri-lingual Pacific kindergarten opened in Porirua
• The Government’s Language Line extended its reach

Call for a national languages commission

A call was made at a Human Rights Commission forum in August to establish a national languages commission to advocate for improved provision of language teaching and language services other than te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. The forum was held during International Languages Week in response to a call from the Prime Minister following a visit to China for more schools to teach Mandarin because learning the language was essential for a good business relationship with China. It was felt that separate provision should continue to be made for te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages of New Zealand, but that without a central advocacy body for other languages and interpreting services progress in moving towards a multilingual society would be slow and insufficient. In December, the Commission’s five yearly review of human rights identified developing and implementing a national languages policy as a priority area for action.

Review of Māori language strategy and spending

In July, the Minister of Māori Affairs announced a comprehensive review of the strategy and infrastructure for the Māori language sector. He said the purpose of the review was to ensure that programmes and expenditure across the whole of government were responsive to Iwi/Māori aspiration. “I am asking the review group to consider whether responsibilities, programmes, services and expenditure are coordinated and whether or not they are located with the right agencies or Māori stakeholders. By restructuring and consolidating the sector we can only achieve better results. A revised Māori Language Strategy will bring together all our efforts to promote and revitalise our language – a strategy that will be based on partnership between the Crown and Iwi/Māori.

The Minister appointed a group of seven language experts to carry out the review. The group is chaired by Professor Tamati Reedy, with Toni Waho, Hana O’Regan, Cathy Dewes, Te Kahautu Maxwell (replacing Pem Bird when he became President of the Māori  Party), Pania Papa and Rahera Shortland as members. Areas under the spotlight include the Māori education sector, Māori broadcasting, and funding for hapū and iwi.

The review group held hui with Māori around the country and met with representatives of government agencies and other interested parties. Its report is due in early 2011.

Waitangi Tribunal calls for action to avert crisis for te reo Māori

The Waitangi Tribunal released a report on te reo Māori in October. The report is part of a wider inquiry into the WAI 262 claim on flora and fauna and cultural intellectual property, but was released early to inform the Ministerial review into the Māori language sector.

The Tribunal found that te reo Māori was approaching a crisis point. Diminishing proportions of younger speakers meant that older native speakers passing away were not being replaced. Since 1993, the proportion of Māori children in early childhood education attending kōhanga reo had dropped from just under half to under a quarter. At school, the proportion of Māori children participating in Māori-medium education had dropped from a high point of 18.6 per cent in 1999 to 15.2 per cent in 2009. The total number of schoolchildren in Māori-medium learning had dropped each successive year since 2004. If the peak proportions of the 1990s had been maintained there would today be 9,600 more Māori children attending kōhanga reo and an extra 5,700 Māori schoolchildren learning via the medium of te reo. At the 2006 census there were 8,000 fewer Māori conversational speakers of te reo than there would have been had the 2001 proportion been maintained.

The Tribunal said it had identified a number of shortcomings when assessing the Crown’s performance in regard to te reo Māori over the last 25 years:

• They saw no evidence of true partnership between Māori and the Crown. The 2003 Māori Language Strategy was a well-meaning but essentially standard and pre-consulted Crown policy that did nothing to motivate Māori at the grassroots.

• Not enough had been done to implement the 1986 Tribunal recommendation that speakers be enabled to use te reo in any dealings with the courts, government departments and other public bodies.

• There had been repeated failures of policy. The most profound was the failure to train enough teachers to meet the predictable demand for Māori-medium education demonstrated by the surge in kōhanga reo enrolments in the 1980s.

• The Māori Language Strategy was another failure of policy. It was too abstract and was constructed within the parameters of a bureaucratic comfort zone. There had also been genuine problems with its implementation due to a lack of leadership and commitment amongst the responsible Crown agencies.

• Given the failures of policy, it followed that the resources made available to te reo had been inadequate.

The Tribunal made four fundamental recommendations:

• Te Taura Whiri (the Māori Language Commission) should become the lead Māori language sector agency. This would address the problems caused by the lack of ownership and leadership.

• Te Taura Whiri should function as a Crown-Māori partnership through the equal appointment of Crown and Māori appointees to its board. This reflected the concern that te reo revival will not work if responsibility for setting the direction is not shared with Māori.

• Te Taura Whiri should be given increased powers. This would ensure that public bodies are compelled to contribute to te reo’s revival and key agencies are held properly accountable for the strategies they adopt. For instance, targets for the training of te reo teachers must be met, education curricula involving te reo must be approved, and public bodies in districts with a sufficient number and/or proportion of te reo speakers and schools with a certain proportion of Māori students must submit Māori language plans for approval.

• Regional public bodies and schools should consult iwi in the preparation of their plans. In this way, iwi would come to have a central role in the revitalisation of te reo in their own areas. This should encourage efforts to promote the language at the grassroots.

Te reo Māori in Australia

The large number of Māori living in Australia face losing their native language, in part because they assimilate so easily, according to findings by Victoria University researcher Paul Hamer released in August.

One in six Māori live in Australia but Hamer’s research indicates that only six percent have retained the Māori language while living there. Māori are considered to be more at risk of losing their language than other migrant groups because many are not fluent to begin with, their English skills mean they fit easily into many Australian workplaces and communities and their intermarriage rates are high.

In November, New Zealand and Australian federal and state human rights commissioners agreed at the Australia New Zealand Race Relations Roundtable to work together to promote the protection of the Indigenous languages of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, as well as those of other cultural communities.  It was noted that over 125,000 Māori and 40,000 Samoans now live in Australia.

Business more comfortable with te reo Māori

An outstanding feature of Māori Language Week in July was evidence the business sector is now comfortable with te reo Māori.  In earlier years, the Human Rights Commission acknowledged small businesses, such as the Four Square in Tokomaru Bay and the BP Service Station in Kaikohe, for having bilingual signage.  Their stories were given prominence in the national media because of their novelty.

Suggestions that Māori brand names would give New Zealand products a marketing edge were met with a degree of derision.  Today, whether it is wine, cheese, tea, instant dinners or organic foods, te reo is a common sight on supermarket shelves. Newspapers, radio and television have increasingly embraced Māori Language Week, and Māori  words are in everyday use in their stories, programmes and greetings.

Two years ago, the focus of Māori Language Week was on tourism, and many tourism operators increased their use of the language. But never before 2010 had a business the size of Progressive Enterprises, owner of 152 Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown supermarkets all over New Zealand, with 2.4 million customers a week, made such a large investment in Māori Language Week. This included bilingual signage, advertising, mailers, posters and staff wearing stickers in support of the week. While state and private sector media initially received many complaints when they introduced te reo, Progressive Enterprises reported a positive public and staff response.

Other innovations in 2010 included the introduction of a Māori language option on Bank of New Zealand ATM’s in March, the opening of New Zealand’s largest shopping mall, Te Awa, in Hamilton, with bilingual signage in July, and the launch of domain names using macrons for Māori language addresses on the internet by the Domain Names Commission in July.

Newspapers have taken increasingly bold steps for Māori Language Week, including bilingual editorials and stories and Māori language mastheads, without significant audience protest. That has been the instinctive judgment of editors, programmers, marketers and business owners, but it is borne out by the results of Te Puni Kokiri’s three-yearly survey of public attitudes to the Māori language, also released in Māori Language Week.

The survey found a major shift in attitudes of non-Māori between 2000 and 2009. Respect for people who speak Māori fluently has increased from 74 per cent to 87 per cent. The number of people who believe it’s a good thing for Māori to be spoken in public places, such as the street or supermarket, has almost doubled from 40 per cent to 77 per cent. And 64 per cent of non-Māori respondents consider some Māori language education should be compulsory in schools for all children.

Public approval of government funding for Māori radio stations has risen from 73 per cent to 85 per cent, while 64 per cent agree that the Government should encourage the use of Māori  in everyday situations.

Support for the use of bilingual street signage has risen from 48 per cent to 59 per cent. From 2006-09, the number of non-Māori who often or very often watch Māori Television has increased from 10 per cent to 26 per cent.

The theme for Māori Language week in 2010 was Te Mahi Kai, the Language of Food, which prompted many imaginative food related activities throughout the country.

Calls for all children to learn te reo Māori at school

Alongside the release of the Waitangi Tribunal report, there have been increasing calls for te reo Māori to become a core subject in the New Zealand curriculum, including from the primary teachers’ union, the New Zealand Educational Insitute. NZEI Māori Manager Laures Park said the Education Ministry had never tried to tackle the shortage of te reo teachers needed to meet demand. This issue must be addressed if compulsory te reo classes were to be achieved.

In September, Te Ataarangi teaching group chair Rahera Shortland, a veteran teacher of te reo Māori, said the time was right for the change, and that developments such as Māori language week had paved the way for wider acceptance.

A survey of 500 people by Research New Zealand published in August found that 38 per cent of New Zealanders support the idea of teaching te reo Māori in schools becoming compulsory. The support for compulsory teaching of te reo Māori in schools is highest among those in the 15-34 year age group at 50 per cent, and lowest among those in the age group 55 years and over, at 24 per cent.

More females than males support the idea (42 per cent as against 35 per cent). Only four per cent of respondents answered ‘don’t know’.

Support for compulsory teaching of te reo Māori in schools was highest among Māori and Pacific People at 71 percent, compared with 32 per cent for New Zealand Europeans.

Auckland private school King’s College introduced Māori as a core subject for all third formers in 2010, although only eight per cent of students are of Māori/Polynesian descent. At the end of the year, headmaster Bradley Fenner said the response to the programme from students and parents had been positive.

Local Government moves

When the website for the new amalgamated Auckland Council went public in July, the Race Relations Commissioner expressed his disappointment that it was totally monolingual and failed to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Auckland region.  This was particularly significant as the constituency of the new council was the most diverse in New Zealand: 45% of the population was of Māori, Pacific, Asian and other non-European ethnicity, and 37% of the population was born overseas.  He urged the new council to ensure that its services both reflected and were accessible to its diverse peoples, which should include the use of te reo Māori and other languages spoken by major population groups. The Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) responded by saying that they had moved to incorporate a number of ethnic greetings and te reo.  It noted that “over time the new Council may well include translation of key information and documents, but that is a policy decision for that organisation, not the Transition Agency.”

In contrast, Environment Canterbury Commissioners formally endorsed the dual use of Māori place names with their European equivalent in August. Commissioner Donald Couch said that “the use of Māori names enables Environment Canterbury to meet its requirements as agreed in the Ngāi Tahu Deed of Settlement (1997) and the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act (1998) and recognises the value of Environment Canterbury’s relationship with Ngāi Tahu as tangata whenua.”

“These Māori place names are a symbol of Ngāi Tahu’s relationship with the landscape. It serves as a daily reminder of our history in Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) as tangata whenua.”

The Kāpiti Coast District Council decided to add macrons to some of its place names. Council chief executive Pat Dougherty said that following a meeting in 2009 with the Council’s iwi partner, Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti, it was decided that macrons would be added to Ōtaki, Paekākāriki, and Kāpiti, to aid pronunciation. Macrons would be added to council signs, buildings, cars and documents over a period of time. It would happen “very, very slowly” and there would be no cost to ratepayers.

Many councils had extensive programmes for Māori Language Week. Auckland Museum, Wellington City Council, Auckland City Council and Dunedin Public Libraries were finalists in the Māori Language Awards, with Auckland taking out the prize.

Christchurch City Council launched its revised “New to Christchurch” guide for migrants on Race Relations Day in March. The new guide was published in Thai and Nepali for the first time – in recognition of the number of new residents from Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal coming to Christchurch – as well as in Arabic, Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean.

North Shore City Council published a trilingual booklet, Improving Your Property, in Korean, Chinese and English explaining the legal requirements and rules for building and developing properties.

Samoan Language Week uses social media

The innovative use of social media was a feature of the highly successful Samoan Language Week in May. A Facebook page, which by year’s end had attracted over 4000 fans in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and elsewhere, was one of the highlights of the week, and provided frequent updates and reactions to events and issues. It also prompted participation from Samoan groups in Sydney and Brisbane and support from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian National Footbal League (AFL) and the Australian National Rugby League (NRL). Samoan AFL and NRL players were amongst those who contributed shout-outs on Youtube to encourage young people to participate.

Principal partners in Samoan Language Week were the New Zealand Association of Samoan Language Teachers, the Human Rights Commission and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. Other participants included Samoan community organisations, media, education providers, libraries, churches, and government departments.  Parliament expressed its support for the week on the motion of Samoan MP Su’a William Sio.

A competition sponsored by Air New Zealand for the best activity posted on Facebook attracted many entries, and was won by Woodstock School in Hamilton, where the entire school participated in the week even though it has only a small number of Samoan students.

Five people who pioneered the teaching and promotion of the Samoan language in New Zealand over the past four decades were honoured as the inaugural “Samoan Language Champions: Tautai o le gagana Samoa”. The focus was on those who worked in education. Champions from early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary and community education were selected. They were:

• Early childhood: Fereni Pepe Ete (Wellington)
• Primary: Janice Taouma (Auckland)
• Secondary: Toesulu Brown ONZM (Auckland)
• Tertiary: Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin (Wellington)
• Community: Tofaeono Tanuvasa Tavale (Auckland).

The awards were announced at the 21^st anniversary celebrations for Samoan Studies at Victoria University in Wellington.

Cuts to Pacific educational resources

The Ministry of Education announced in September that it was going to “pause” the production of the Tupu Pasifika languages series and Fōlauga, the Samoan school journal, from the end of 2010. The Tupu series were published in Samoan, Tokelauan, Tongan, Niuean and Cook Islands Māori. One book per language was published per year and was supported by teacher support materials.

The brief for the series was “to raise the achievement of Pasifika children and all New Zealand children who have an interest in a Pasifika language and to help teachers support students in learning the languages, making connections with other languages, and developing a love of reading”. However, the Ministry’s decision was made on the grounds that the series does not fit with the Government’s priorities of “numeracy and literacy”.

The decision was widely condemned by Pacific communities, and a petition seeking to reverse the decision gained several thousand signatures. The Human Rights Commission received a number of complaints that the decision was discriminatory, and initiated a process of mediation between the complainants and the Ministry.

The Association of Samoan Teachers said that “this planned action by the Ministry of Education is being read to mean that New Zealand’s education system is using English literacy as an excuse for cutting funding for Pacific languages when our children can have both. Taking away family languages does not make any sense at all, for a so-called multicultural society. It will contribute to the earlier deaths of Pacific languages in New Zealand as it will prevent our children learning to read and write in our own language which research shows is a key element in becoming successfully literate in English as well.”

Trilingual kindergarten opens in Porirua

Toru Fetū, the first purpose-built Pacific Island kindergarten in the country, was opened in June. It was born out of the common goals of three existing playgroups based in Porirua East: Niue Aoga Tama Ikiiki, Te Punanga Reo Kuki Airani Porirua and Akoga Tuvalu. The name ‘Toru Fetū’ means ‘three stars’ and represents the three groups: Tuvalu, Niue and the Cook Islands.

The vision for the new centre is to provide quality early childhood education for the local community based on nurturing and promoting the Niue, Cook Island and Tuvalu languages and cultures. The aim is to increase the number of children from Pasifika backgrounds participating in high-quality early childhood education. Each group has its own cultural space with an emphasis on coming together for shared play and meal times.

Language Line extends its reach

The government’s telephone interpreting service was made available to emergency phone lines in Christchurch following September’s earthquake in the city. Other new partners in 2010 were the Plunket Society which supports parents of newborn children, and St John’s Emergency Communications Limited (StJECL) and Central Emergency Communications Ltd (CECL). Together, StJCEL and CECL provide ambulance communication and coordination services throughout New Zealand. The Office of Ethnic Affairs is broadening Language Line’s reach through State Owned Enterprises, with Genesis Energy signing up in October 2010.  It is the first State Owned Enterprise to use Language Line.  In December 2010, Filipino was added to the existing 40 languages provided by Language Line.

2010 Human Rights Review: Areas for action

The Human Rights Commission’s five yearly review of human rights, Human Rights in New Zealand 2010 / Nga Tika Tangata O Aotearoa identified the following areas for action in relation to languages:

Language policy

Developing and implementing a national languages policy and dedicated strategies for Māori, Pacific and community languages and interpreting and translation services.

New Zealand Sign Language

Developing a mechanism to promote the maintenance and development of NZSL, including competency standards for interpreters and educators and promoting respect for NZSL to all New Zealanders.

The two organisations are creating a poster and a bookmark to feature greetings in 28 languages, including Māori and English. The resources will be available in schools and workplaces around New Zealand.

The colourful bookmark is also a teaching resource. Students are encouraged to use their mother tongue and teach classmates to say ‘hello’ in another language.

Inspiring the partnership was the desire by both community organisations to acknowledge the growing number of languages Kiwis can converse in these days.

While these languages are most often spoken in the home, International Mother Language Day showcases New Zealand’s increasing cultural diversity. It also highlights the growing opportunity Kiwis have to expand the country’s social and economic connections globally.

The initiative is receiving support from a number of agencies and organisations, including the Human Rights Commission.

CLANZ works with communities throughout the country to maintain community languages – running language classes, developing initiatives to support teaching practices and participating in events to share intercultural information. English Language Partners New Zealand supports migrants and refugees by delivering a number of English-language programmes from 22 centres who work with professional and volunteer tutors. Programmes are designed to improve English language skills in the community and in the workplace.

For copies of the new resources and more information contact: sundev@paradise.net.nz orgrace.bassett@englishlanguage.org.nz

Websites: CLANZ | English Language Partners

The critical situation of Indigenous languages in Australia has been highlighted by the 2009 Aboriginal Social Justice Report, the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples and the UN CERD Committee, which called for a national inquiry into Indigenous languages.  Commissioners called on federal, state and territory governments to urgently address the endangered state of Indigenous languages, including in education and in the development of the new school curriculum, and the provision of professional interpreting services.  They also agreed to work together to promote the protection of the Indigenous languages of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, as well as those of other cultural communities.

For a full report on the Race Relations Roundtable, visit the New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s website.

iSign’s vision is to help Deaf community members communicate through NZ Sign Language in as many interactions with individuals and organisations as possible. NZ Sign Language is one of the official languages of New Zealand.

Users are set up with a secure account that allows them to make requests for interpreters and receive confirmations via the internet. iSign also takes bookings for sign language interpreters through telephone, fax, text, videophone, relay call, online and face to face meetings.

iSign puts all of its margins back into helping the Deaf community, paying for interpreting where it would otherwise be unfunded.

The newsletter will be an important tool to inform the Deaf community about iSign services. iSign also has a newsletter for interpreters. To subscribe to these newsletter or for more information, contact iSign at Ph 09 950 3606; Mob 021 245 7580; Fax 0800 438 474 or email info@isign.co.nz.

King’s College headmaster Bradley Fenner says the response to the programme from students and parents have been positive. He sees the programme as an important part of the schools curriculum.

The report can be viewed online at the NZ Herald website.

Iria Whiu, the chair of Te Wharekura o Mauao’s board, says it’s great news and should help bolster local understanding and respect for cultures.

Construction will start early in the new year to be ready to open for the start of the 2012 school year.

The conference, held in Auckland in July 2009, brought together people with a common goal: ensuring the strength of Pasifika languages.

AlterNative Volume 6, Issue 2 Special Supplement Issue Ngaahi Lea ‘a e Kakai Pasifiki: Endangered Pacific Languages and Cultures’ can be found online at the AlterNative website.

Japanese Downunder looks at the differences between kiwi and Japanese cultures. Sometimes hilarious, always interesting and often surprising. Naoko Kudo brings her unique look at what it’s like to be a Japanese in New Zealand. This programme is podcasted!

For more information go to Plains FM website.

Interpreting New Zealand’s mission is to provide access to affordable interpreting services to ensure all members of the community who are not native speakers of English are able to clearly understand information presented to them and are able to be understood.

The AGM is open to anyone interested in supporting Interpreting New Zealand’s work.

Date    :           Wednesday 17 November
Time   :           5:30 pm
Venue :           Level 1 Multicultural Services Centre 39 Webb Street, Wellington.

Drinks and nibbles will be available from 5:30 pm, and the formal part of the evening will start at 6:00 pm.

You’ll find detailed information about Interpreting New Zealand at their website.

Guest speakers include Brian Brooks, a former Dean of the Victoria University Law School who is a specialist on ethics and Dr Ben Gray, a GP who also lectures at the Otago Medical School on General Practice.

Language Line manager Diana Clark said “we held a similar seminar in Auckland when we launched our book ‘Interpreting in New Zealand – the Pathway Forward’ on interpreting and the feedback was so positive we thought we would run a similar event in Wellington and perhaps further afield next year.”

Date    :           Thursday 18 November
Time    :           8:45am – 12:30pm (Followed by lunch)
Venue: Level 1, TSB Building 46 Waring Taylor Street, Wellington

People who work in interpreting and are interested in attending should RSVP by Monday 15 November.  Send an email to Kate or phone 04 495 9448.

Date    :           Monday 22 November
Time   :           10am – 12pm (Morning tea will be provided)
Venue :           Level 4 Christchurch Community House 141 Hereford St., Christchurch
Cost    :           Free

 Get answers to questions such as: 

• Why not just struggle along without an interpreter?
• What are the risks of using an untrained interpreter?
• How do I know if an interpreter is needed?
• How do I work with an interpreter?
• How do I monitor an interpreter’s performance?

The session will be interactive and there will be time for questions and comments. Consider your own experiences with trained or untrained interpreters or other situations where communication has been difficult, and bring your ideas to the workshop.

The workshop will be delivered by Daniel Cheng, Training Manager at Interpreting New Zealand, and a very experienced and highly-qualified interpreter and trainer.  He has been interpreting between Cantonese, Mandarin and English for over 16 years in a wide range of settings, and besides conducting sessions for professional bodies on the use of interpreters, regularly trains new and practising interpreters.

For more details visit Interpreting New Zealand online.

For catering purposes and because space is limited, RSVP by Wednesday 16 November to Atena Hensch, Coordinator of Interpreting Canterbury Ph (03) 372 9311.

The first of its kind, the Forum brings together employers, industry training organisations, migrant organisations and others working with English language skills in the workplace.

Keynote speakers are:

• Michael Barnett, CE, Auckland Chamber of Commerce
• Peter Conway, Secretary, CTU
• Dr Judy McGregor, EEO Commissioner, Human Rights Commission
• Alison Sutton, Strategic Analyst, COMET

Don’t miss this groundbreaking event!

Date    :           Friday 3 December
Time   :           9:15am – 4:30pm
Venue :           Limelight Lounge, Aotea Centre, Auckland
Cost    :           $165.00 GST excl

To register and for more information visit English Language Partners NZ. Registrations close Friday 26 November.

Sponsored by Ako Aotearoa.

The Human Rights Commission has agreed to encourage and facilitate public input to the report, and is asking you to let us know what you think. The Commission will pass the information on the Ministry of Justice and use it to inform the annual Race Relations Report, which will be published in March 2011.

For more information, visit the Human Rights Commission website.

The Tribunal stressed that Māori themselves had an important role to play, but placed the blame for decline squarely with government. The Tribunal recommends:

• Te Taura Whiri (Māori Language Commission) becomes the lead Māori language sector agency.
• Te Taura Whiri function as a Crown-Māori partnership, with government and Māori appointees equally represented on its board, with increased powers to hold agencies to account over their Māori language strategies.
• Te Taura Whiri set targets for training te reo teachers that have to be met, and have approval power over te reo education curricula and language plans.
• Regional public bodies and schools consult iwi in the preparation of their language plans to ensure grassroots engagement and support.

The Tribunal did not go as far as to recommend Māori be a compulsory subject in schools, nor that all official documents be published in both English and Māori, “for we think it more profitable to promote the language than to impose it”.

The Tribunal found there has been a drop in the proportion of Māori able to speak te reo and enrolment at Māori-medium education such as Kohanga Reo. These findings have sparked debate over the running of Kohanga Reo, with some Māori leaders calling for a shakeup of the National Kohanga Reo Trust. They have called for a share of the Trust’s funding to be devolved to regional level, as well as the setting of enrolment targets for regional operators, to make funding more effective and targeted to the main centres of Māori population.

The education union of the New Zealand Education Institute responded to the Tribunal’s findings with a call to make te reo compulsory in schools. NZEI Māori Manager Laures Park says the Education Ministry has never tried to tackle the shortage of te reo teachers needed to meet demand. This issue must be addressed if compulsory te reo classes are to be achieved.

Both Government and non-Government Ministers have commented saying the Tribunal report clarifies the need for change to increase use of te reo. A Ministerial Panel review of the Māori Language Strategy is due to be completed in mid 2011.

Te Waka Reo covered this news in its October issue. The TUPU series is written to foster literacy, through books in five Pasifika languages, chosen for their appeal to Pasifika children. Fōlauga is a journal series with articles, stories, poems, fagogo, and plays in Samoan. TESOLANZ, the national organisation for teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, value the resources highly. “International evidence shows that children learn literacy best in their first language, and that this then leads to better learning of English” says TESOLANZ president Hilary Smith.  However, the Ministry claims the series do not fit with the Ministry’s priorities of “numeracy and literacy”.

The Ministry’s claim does not sit well with President of the education union NZEI, Frances Nelson. Ms Nelson says “it is ironic that the government is removing a resource which can actually make a difference to student learning while it continues to spend millions on a flawed and unproven system of National Standards which schools and parents know will do nothing to lift the achievement of Pasifika children”.

The FAGASA organisation, an organisation of teachers and parents supporting the teaching of Samoan in New Zealand, see the move as “shortsighted and linguistically dangerous”.

Well known international linguist Bernard Spolsky, (currently Professor Emeritus of English at Bar-Ilan University and Senior Associate at the National Foreign Language Centre in Washington, DC) was involved in the development of the Samoan syllabus in New Zealand. He has written on the bilingual aotearoa website that: “It is just over 20 years since I wrote a report for the Ministry on the Samoan language in New Zealand and saw the beginning of efforts to strengthen the teaching of Pasifika languages; I was also fortunate enough to attend the meeting at which the Samoan syllabus was developed. I am therefore deeply distressed at the recent developments and negativity of the Government, and want to express my strongest support for your efforts to restore the programs.”  

The bilingual aotearoa website is a wiki page that has been established to oppose the decision to pause the publications.

One such effort is a petition distributed by Su’a William Sio, MP for Mangere. To get a copy of the petition email sua.william.sio@parliament.govt.nz referring to the ‘Pacific languages and literacy petition’.

The Human Rights Commission has received a number of complaints about the issue and is seeking to resolve the matter through its mediation process.

Up to 60 places are available for teachers of Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish and up to 20 places for teachers of Cook Islands Maori, Niuean, Samoan, Tongan and Tokelauan. Native speakers of the language they are teaching may learn another language. More than one teacher per school may apply.  Applications for 2011 are due on 30 November 2010.

For enquiries and applications contact: TPDL Project Director Wendy Thomson or 09 623 8899 ext 46310.

Read about TPDL and download the brochure.

The awards night initiative stems directly from major goals within the Raukawa Iwi Māori Language Revitalisation Strategy ‘Whakareia te Kakara o te Hinu Raukawa’ particularly aimed at increasing the value and awareness of the language.

Major awards were presented to Tokoroa High School for Māori Language Week, Soccer 3000 for their long term efforts throughout the year and Ihapera Bella Roycroft for her life time commitment, guidance and support of the multitudes in the Raukawa rohe.  Ngā mihi nui ki ngā kaiwhiwhi taonga katoa o te pō!

Date    :           18 -24 October
Venue :           Fletcher Challenge Foyer, Michael Fowler Centre

Date    :           27-28 November
Venue :           Te Aro Campus oVictoria University, Wellington

Registrations will be accepted until 31 October. The registration form is available on the website.

For more information visit their website or send NZSLTA an email.

In 2011, the week will run from Sunday 1-7 June to again coincide with Samoan Independence Day on 1 June.

According to Learning Media, the publisher of the Tupu series, Tupu means “grow” in all the Pasifika languages. “The Tupu series enriches the teaching of Pasifika languages and cultures. It’s published in five languages and contains a variety of genres including stories, non-fiction material, poems, and plays.

The brief is “to raise the achievement of Pasifika children and all New Zealand children who have an interest in a Pasifika language and to help teachers support students in learning the languages, making connections with other languages, and developing a love of reading”.

Ironically, the Ministry bases its decision on the fact that the series does not fit with the Ministry’s priorities of “numeracy and literacy”. 

The Human Rights Commission has received a number of complaints about the decision, and is taking the matter up with the Ministry of Education on behalf of the complainants.

FAGASA comments as follows:

“While media and public attention has focussed on the planned cessation of publishing the TUPU series, Fōlauga, the Samoan school journal has escaped attention. It too will not be published should plans to cease it go ahead, which is very bad news for Samoan, New Zealand’s third most spoken language. It is so disappointing as this action will damage all the hard work and progress under way  to keep Pacific languages alive in New Zealand.

“This planned action by the Ministry of Education  is being read to mean that New Zealand’s education system is using English literacy as an excuse for cutting funding for Pacific languages when our children can have both. Taking away family  languages does not make any sense at all, for a so-called multicultural society. It will contribute to the earlier deaths of Pacific languages in New Zealand as it will prevent our children learning to read and write in our own language which research shows is a key element in becoming successfully literate in English as well.

“The plan to cut these two important and much needed literacy resources is shortsighted and a linguistically dangerous decision by the Minister. It goes against UNESCO  plans and efforts to retain and revitalise the worlds endangered minority  languages, many of which are Pacific languages, with three whose majorities are now centred  only in New Zealand.

“FAGASA is calling on the Prime Minister, Minister of Education and Minster of Pacific Islands Affairs to continue with the publication of Folauga readers, together with the TUPU series to show the government’s support and committment for Pacific peoples aspirations in New Zealand.”

Their research showed that fewer than five percent of New Zealand born Cook Islanders and fewer than 11 percent of New Zealand born Niueans can speak their indigenous languages. McCaffery predicts that these languages will disappear from use in NZ within a generation. He says that because the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau were protectorates and part of the official ”realm” of New Zealand, the languages were official languages of the state, and that NZ has obligations to protect those languages. However Minister of Education Anne Tolley does not agree with this, and says that the curriculum already supports the teaching of five Pasifika languages (Cook Islands Maori, vagahau Niue, gagana Tokelau, Tongan and gagana Samoa) as “additional languages for learning.”

During his research Mr McCaffery said he came across groups preparing to lodge challenges with the Human Rights Commission or courts to demand similar protection for their languages as Maori had.

Raukawa Charitable Trust from Tokoroa and Massey University were joint Supreme award winners receiving Te Tohu Huia Te Reo for 2010.

This is the third time that Raukawa Charitable Trust has won the Supreme award, which is testament to the enduring commitment they have to revitalising the language. Their leadership in this area is exemplary and we are happy to continue acknowledging their efforts”, says Chief Executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara.

Massey University impressed the judges with their innovative yet simple concept of promoting the language through the purchase of coffee. Sometimes it’s the simplicity and ease of an idea that cuts through and makes the most impact. Massey University’s ‘hoko kawhe’ is an example of this clear cut and inspirational kind of thinking”, says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira, co-founder of the Te Ataarangi programme which has been responsible for creating many successful adult language speakers, is the winner of the Taku Toa Takimano award, given in recognition of an individual’s efforts to the language.

“There is no denying the significant contribution that Katerina has made to the revitalisation of the language over the last twenty to thirty years. As a teacher, an author, and language leader, she is the personification of language excellence and passion. It’s fitting therefore for her to be honoured in this way”, says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

Whakatupuranga Rua Mano – a 25-year tri-partite iwi development strategy between Te Ati Awa, Ngati Raukawa ki-te-Tonga and Ngati Toarangatira received Te Tira Aumangea award, given to a group or organisation in recognition of their efforts towards language revitalisation.

“The need to plan for the language cannot be understated. At Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori we believe planning and foresight is at the heart of successful and well coordinated initiatives. We also believe that Whakatupuranga Rua Mano is perhaps the only example of an iwi based strategy that has been successfully implemented in terms of not only creating wider welfare and development for their respective iwi, but also in terms of regenerating language speakers. It has long stood as an exemplar for other iwi, hapu, whanau and community groups, and like Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira, overdue in terms of national recognition,” says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

Other category winners include:

Private Sector: Te Kotuku Rerenga Tahi (Gisborne); Community: Raukawa Charitable Trust (Tokoroa); Local Government: Auckland City Council; Government: Inland Revenue Department; Broadcasting – Mainstream: TVNZ; Broadcasting – Maori Media: Turanga FM (Gisborne); Print: The Gisborne Herald; IT and Telecommunications: Awawhenua Ltd (Rotorua); Education – Mainstream: Kaiti Primary School (Gisborne); Education – Maori Medium: Petone Central School (Lower Hutt); Tertiary: Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology; Maori Language Week: Inland Revenue Department and Massey University.

Courses are full- time (9-12 and 12:40-2:30 pm). The classes are available from now until the end of the year for those aged 18 years and over.  The classes comprise the introductory course for the ETC Certificate in English for Living New Zealand, a programme which covers knowledge of New Zealand life and the English needed for further study in New Zealand.

For further information contact Marty Pilott or call 04 385 0066

The aim of the proposed research project is to develop improved protocols for interpreters that will help improve the interpreter-assisted experience for both refugees and interpreters as well as for professionals working these individuals. The aim is also to investigate support possibilities for interpreters who themselves have experienced or are experiencing PTSD as a result of their refugee backgrounds.

If you are interested in participating you can go to the AUT website to complete the online questionnaire anonymously. The online questionnaire will be up for a period of 4 weeks starting from 20 September 2010 (this period may be extended).

AUTEC Ethics approval number: 10/48

For any questions please contact Dr Ineke Crezee.

Take a look at the Interpreting NZ website to see a list of all the languages on offer, and to find out how to book an interpreter: 

Interpreting NZ’s services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Phone Wellington (04) 384 2849 or Christchurch 0508 468 377.

You can fill in this short survey online.

For more information visit www.wds.org.nz/nzslta or email conference@nzslta.org.nz . Registrations will be accepted until 31 October. The registration form is available on the website.

In 2010, the Māori Language Expo will take place from 8-9 October at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua. Huia Te Reo will have a particular emphasis on improved and sustainable reo Māori usage. The event will include a one-day symposium, one-day expo and an awards dinner.

For information updates, visit the www.korero.maori.nz website.

Registrations have now closed but you can find out more by emailing info@trcc.org.nz.

The Community Languages and English for Speakers of Other Languages (CLESOL) 2010 conference will be held 1-4 October 2010 at King’s High School in Dunedin. The theme of the conference is Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning, Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo.

For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries email: clesol@paardekooper.co.nz or visit www.clesol.org.nz

• Why do we need grammar?
• How do you teach it without turning students right off?
• What teacher knowledge do you need and how would you use it?
• As language keeps changing, is grammar a form of gatekeeping?

The evening will begin at 6.00 pm with refreshments, and the workshop will begin at 6.30 pm. The venue is Kohia Teachers’ Centre, Faculty of Education, University of Auckland (Epsom Avenue, Gate 2). The event is free for AKTESOL members, and $10 for non-members. For catering purposes, please RSVP to m.jeurissen@auckland.ac.nz

Read the September issue of the AKTESOL newsletter here.

Teacher Professional Development Languages Years 7 to 10 (TPDL) is a year-long programme funded by the Ministry of Education. TPDL assists both existing and new teachers of languages improve their language and culture knowledge and apply pedagogy that has a real and positive impact on student learning. Teachers can gain internationally recognised language qualifications as well as accreditation in language teaching through this programme.

Up to 60 places are available for teachers of Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish and up to 20 places for teachers of Cook Islands Maori, Niuean, Samoan, Tongan and Tokelauan. More than one teacher per school may apply. Applications for 2011 are due on 30 November 2010.

For enquiries and applications contact: TPDL Project Director Wendy Thomson w.thomson@auckland.ac.nz or 09 623 8899 ext 46310.

Download a brochure about TPDL here.

In a speech on 1 September to a national language conference at the Beehive, delivered entirely in te reo Māori, Dr Sharples said the most successful programmes for revitalising te reo Māori, such as kohanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori, had come from the people themselves. However, he said, once they became accountable to government, people complained that some of the strength of the programmes was lost.

In kaupapa Māori education, he said, staff were burdened down with regulatory requirements, there were not enough fluent and trained staff, and teacher training programmes saw kaupapa Māori schools as simply translating a mainstream curriculum into English.

Dr Sharples said these were the reasons he initiated a review of the whole Māori language strategy and sector: to ensure that the money spent on language promotion was getting the best possible outcomes for the language.

He said he had told the review panel to leave no stone unturned in their search for the best ways to ensure the survival of Māori language. And he urged everyone involved in Māori language revitalisation to talk to the review panel on the issues they saw, and the solutions they proposed.

Dr Sharples told the hui the Cabinet supported the review, because Ministers are aware of the difficult decisions that must be made when kaupapa Māori are accountable for government funding. He said he looked forward to taking the review report back to Cabinet with recommendations from Māori people about how the future of te reo Māori can be secured.

Canterbury College is offering free places for those wanting to learn English or improve their reading and writing skills. These places are open for those who have permanent residency or New Zealand citizenship. There are full-time and part-time courses available (full- time is 9-12 and 1-3pm /part-time is either mornings or afternoons). The classes are available from now until the end of the year for those aged 16 years and over. These classes would suit recent arrivals or those who want to improve their reading and writing. For further information contact Terisa Tagicakibau at Terisa.Tagicakibau@mpia.govt.nz

The Korean Society of Christchurch has published a New Zealand South Island Guidebook in the Korean language which includes settlement information and a business directory. Contact the Korean Society if your community group or organisation would like a free copy to pass on to Korean migrants or visitors.

Please phone the Korean Society on 03 348 2766 or email your organisation’s name, phone number and postal address to chchkorean@gmail.com.

Environment Canterbury Commissioners formally endorsed the dual use of Māori place names with their European equivalent by the regional council at their public meeting in August.

“The use of Māori names enables Environment Canterbury to meet its requirements as agreed in the Ngāi Tahu Deed of Settlement (1997) and the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act (1998) and recognises the value of Environment Canterbury’s relationship with Ngāi Tahu as tangata whenua,” said Commissioner Donald Couch.

“These Māori place names are a symbol of Ngāi Tahu’s relationship with the landscape. It serves as a daily reminder of our history in Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) as tangata whenua,” he said.

Environment Canterbury has used dual Māori/European place names for many years, but had not formally endorsed its agreement to do so at council level. Read the full article including the list of dual names here.

“I think there’s more tolerance towards the language (now),” says Ms Shortland. “The main barrier to rolling out compulsory Māori would be finding enough teachers.”

A survey of 500 people by Research New Zealand has found that 38 per cent of New Zealanders support the idea of teaching te reo Māori in schools becoming compulsory. The support for compulsory teaching of te reo Māori in schools is highest among those in the 15-34 year age group at 50 per cent, and lowest among those in the age group 55 years and over, at 24 per cent.

More females than males support the idea (42 per cent as against 35 per cent). Only four per cent of respondents could not make up their minds and answered ‘don’t know’.

Not surprisingly, the support for compulsory teaching of te reo Māori in schools was highest among Māori and Pacific People at 71 percent, compared with 32 per cent for New Zealand Europeans.

There was no difference of note by area, which shows that the support for the compulsory teaching of te reo Māori in schools is national rather than regional. Read the results of the survey and accompanying media release here.

Missed out on the Diversity Forum, but are interested in the topics discussed? View or download the Forum presentations here.

For example, the presentation from the Interpreting in the Health Sector session is available at http://www.slideshare.net/nzhumanrights/interpreting-in-the-health-sector.

People who want more information about the languages and agencies of Language Line can go to www.languageline.govt.nz

• Government Help Line 0800 779 997 for issues involving any Government department including those around Work and Income and Child, Youth and Family
• The Christchurch City Council public information helpline 03 941 8999 or 03 941 7373. Language Line was made available on these numbers following the earthquake for any enquiries.

The event will include a one-day symposium, one-day expo and an awards dinner. For information updates, visit the website.

The theme of the two-day conference is “Challenges in Sign Language Teaching” and will feature both international and New Zealand presenters, a wine and cheese evening and an NZSL Storyfest event.

For more information visit the website or email NZSLTA. Early bird registration is available until 31 August and standard registrations will be accepted until 31 October. The registration form is available on the website.

An integral part of the Games, the three-day human rights conference will be a safe place for advocates to explore current human rights issues, including language, culture and tradition, in the region.

Expressions of interest are sought from people who have proposals to contribute to the conference. This could include showcasing work, organising a presentation, or being part of a panel discussion. Proposals are due by 30 September 2010. For more information, go to the Asia Pacific OutGames website.

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission is supporting the conference and will be participating and running a forum on making human rights a reality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, takatāpui, fa’afafine, trans and intersex people. This forum is based on the Yogyakarta Principles, a universal guide to sexual orientation and gender identity human rights.

To register for the forum, first register for the conference and then contact Naomi Taylor at the Human Rights Commission saying you are interested in the Commission’s forum. You can also register for OutGames email updates on the Conference website.

This is a unique opportunity to meet people working in human rights and sexual orientation and gender identity in the Asia Pacific region. Come along and take part! We hope to see you there.

The course provides an opportunity for level 1 and level 2 reo Māori teachers, classes and kura to iron out the wrinkles before final implementation in 2011. The course will discuss Graduate Profiles, whānau engagement strategies and successes, share questions, findings and issues about both Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Ngā Whanaketanga, and engage with regional facilitators and resource teachers.

Early bird prices (if paid by 20 August 2010, if paid after this date an additional $100 applies) are:

• live out: $171
• live in: $321 (share facilities with 4, twin share bedroom)
• live in: $360 (twin share)
• live in: $546.00 (single).

Registrations close 3 September 2010. TRCC assists most teachers with travel costs. To find out more about the course visit the website or email TRCC.

The Young Executive of the Year award recognises leaders, innovators, team builders and high achievers aged 35 and under for making a positive impact on the growth, productivity, and morale of their organisation. Later this year Claire will be joined by Northern and Southern winners at the Deloitte/Management Top 200 Awards at Skycity, Auckland to compete for the NZIM/Eagle Technology’s Young Executive of the Year supreme award.

Find out more at at the English Language Partners website.

Teacher Professional Development Languages Years 7 to 10 (TPDL) is a year-long programme funded by the Ministry of Education. TPDL assists existing and new teachers of languages improve their language and culture knowledge and apply pedagogy that has a real and positive impact on student learning.

Native speakers of the language they are teaching may learn another language. More than one teacher per school may apply. Applications for 2011 are due by 30 November 2010.

Read about TPDL and download the brochure online.

There are two more sessions in August where you can become immersed in Chinese culture, interact with other speakers and enjoy the Mandarin language.

Dates: Saturday 21 and 28 August
Time: 3.15pm – 4.30pm
Cost: Gold coin donation
Venue: Seminar Room, Victoria University of Wellington, 20 Kelburn Parade, Wellington.

For more information contact Ellen Yang (Ph: 04 473 7558).

The sessions will be bilingual and are open to all, although if you contact the library they can arrange visits to suit particular language needs. Participants will be shown resources in their own language as well ESOL resources, quick reads, downloadable media, talking books, and online newspapers in their language.

There is one session per day from Monday 30 August to Friday 3 September, and they include taster story-times, library tours and computer classes for e-resources. All start at 1.00pm.

Bookings are essential for library tours and computer classes. For more information, contact Abigael Vogt.

The Ian Gordon Fellowship was established through an endowed gift of $500,000 made by the late Professor Ian Gordon to the Victoria University Foundation in 2003.

Professor Kate Burridge is Chair of Linguistics in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at Monash University, Melbourne.

• Tuesday 7 September – Frequent Coarse Language: Swearing and taboo language in antipodean English.
• Thursday 9 September – The French influence on English: How different would it be if William had lost at the Battle of Hastings?
• Tuesday 14 September – Blooming English -’in forme of speche is chaunge’.

All three lectures will be held in the Memorial Theatre in the VUW Student Union Building from 6pm to 7pm.

The theme of the conference is “Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning”, “Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo”.

For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries email CLESOL or visit the website.

Dr Sharples commented on the need for a more coordinated approach and also said “We need a strategy that will empower Iwi/Māori to take control of the Māori language. I am asking the review group to consider whether responsibilities, programmes, services and expenditure are coordinated and whether or not they are located with the right agencies or Māori stakeholders. By restructuring and consolidating the sector we can only achieve better results.”

A Ministerial group of seven language experts will carry out this review. Professor Tamati Reedy will chair the group, with Toni Waho, Hana O’Regan, Cathy Dewes, Pem Bird, Pania Papa and Rahera Shortland as members. Areas under the spotlight include the Māori education sector, Māori broadcasting, and funding for hapū and iwi.

In total $225 million is spent on te reo Māori: $50m Te Mangai Paho; $40m Māori Television; $10m Māori radio; $3.2 Māori Language Commission; $1m TPK; and $145m in general education. The review committee has six months to report back on a strategy.

One in six Māori live in Australia but Hamer’s research indicates that only six percent have retained the Māori language while living there. Māori are considered to be more at risk of losing their language than other migrant groups because many are not fluent to begin with, their English skills mean they fit easily into many Australian workplaces and communities and their intermarriage rates are high.

To find out more about the study, read the article “Maori in Australia speedily losing language”.

The study, “The impact on te reo Māori of trans-Tasman migration”, can be viewed online.

Entries close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 18 August 2010. For further information or to submit an entry email Tangiwai Amopiu (Ph:07 885 0260) or send mail c/o Tangiwai Amopiu, Raukawa Reo, Private Bag 8 Tokoroa 3420.

The awards ceremony will be held at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Tokoroa at 3.00pm on Saturday 25 September 2010.

Police said the 30-minute programme on Radio Samoa in Auckland was reaching Samoan parents who had little idea of what their children were doing.

Programme announcer Constable Papaloa Talosaga said in the latest issue of Police News magazine, “When we were out in the community we were finding a lot of the parents of the youth we were dealing with had very little knowledge about what was happening with their children. We thought it would be a good way to educate and inform parents about the dangers of youth gangs as well as other matters.”

The show had grown steadily in popularity since it began late last year, and Mr Talosaga said there was now a move to extend it to an hour. You can listen to Radio Samoa online.

The LMC has been designed and compiled to provide evidence of the use of Māori terms for Western legal concepts. It was designed as a large lexicographic corpus (approximately 8 million words of legal Māori texts) to provide information to underpin the writing of entries for the Legal Māori Dictionary.

The LML is a substantial wordlist of Māori language legal terms with English glosses that has been gathered alongside the final phase of the collation of the Legal Māori Corpus. The major task of the Legal Māori Project is to produce a dictionary of Legal Māori terms, and the LML is an important tool for the achievement of the forthcoming dictionary.

Both the LMC and LML are now available on the Victoria University website.

The Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) has since responded to thank the Commissioner for his feedback, and said that they have moved to incorporate a number of ethnic greetings and te reo. The ATA noted that “over time the new Council may well include translation of key information and documents, but that is a policy decision for that organisation, not the Transition Agency.”

The ATA did point out that electoral information will be made available in Māori, Chinese and Korean. They noted, however, that they had been advised by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs that “simple, plain English would suffice for [Pacific] communities”.

Finally, the ATA said that they were making extensive use of ethnic media, both radio and press, to provide information about changes to the council and how to vote.

The website now contains the greeting ‘Kia ora!’

In May 2010 concerns were raised about Pacific Island children struggling to keep up with work while they were learning English, and also about the problems associated with limited English being spoken in some homes, resulting in homework help not being available for the children.

Ireen Manuel, a qualified teacher from the Pacific Island community, volunteered her time to help the children but they had nowhere to go and no resources to help them. New Coasters approached Cobden School on their behalf, and the result was the use of a classroom for the group to meet. New Coasters provided the resources with the help of Take Note in Greymouth and the homework club began on 31 May.

Since then West Rural Education and Activities Programme (REAP) have also provided more resources and professional support. More than 20 children attend the group and enjoy it so much they continually ask for more time or another day.

For more information about either the homework group or New Coasters, email Mel Kaye.

A workshop that will be of particular interest to language practitioners is “Interpreting in the Health Sector: Are we meeting the needs of non-English speaking people?”, hosted by Partnership Health Canterbury.

The full programme for the forum is online. There is no charge for weekend workshops or single forums; however attendance on Monday 23 August is $50 for the day. Register NOW.

Celebrating teaching, learning and use of all languages, ILW is an opportunity for schools to highlight and value the diversity of languages spoken in their schools and the wider community. For ideas on how to engage positively with ILW, with a focus on the five key international languages taught in schools throughout New Zealand – Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish - visit the ILW website.

One exciting project to promote ILW was initiated via the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT). Earlier this year, Te Hurinui Bryan Clarke, School of Māori, Social and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury, composed a waiata ‘Ngā reo o te ao’ for NZALT. This waiata was recorded by the children at Room 6, Aramoho School in Whanganui and can be viewed on the NZALT website.

While the version sung by the children and on the website includes greetings from just four languages, NZALT encourages teachers to modify the phrases (other than those in te reo Māori) to suit the languages and occasion where it is to be used. NZALT would love to have more versions on YouTube.

You can find further information on International Languages Week online.

Date: Wednesday 18 August
Time: 3.30pm – 5.00pm
Cost: FREE
Venue: Human Rights Commission, Level 1, 44 The Terrace, Wellington
RSVP: Naomi Taylor (Ph: 04 471 6756).

A related newspaper article “Speaking in tongues” can be viewed online.

Progressive Enterprises’ 152 supermarkets featured Māori words and phrases in promotional posters and special ticketing. Their regular mailer, which reaches 1.4 million households, also featured bilingual components.

Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), Glenis Philip-Barbara, said “Around 2.5 million people pass through Progressive Enterprises supermarkets each week, so the increased visibility of the language achieved through this significant initiative will help tremendously to normalise the language in our communities and is an awesome way to kick off Māori Language Week.” She noted that “this is by far the single most significant effort by a corporate entity in recent times to celebrate Māori Language Week … Progressive Enterprises should be congratulated for their bravery and foresight in using the language.”

You can read Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres’ related opinion piece ‘Business gives te reo a big boost’ online.

The awards will take place on the evening of 9 October as part of Huia Te Reo, the National Māori Language Conference at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

As with last year, the awards recognise projects and initiatives which seek longer term commitments to te reo Māori. The award categories include:

• private sector
• community
• local government
• government
• broadcasting -mainstream
• broadcasting – Māori media
• print
• IT and Telecommunications
• education – mainstream
• education – Māori medium
• tertiary
• Māori Language Week.

The closing date for entries has been extended to 20 August 2010. Tickets for the Māori Language Awards will be available for purchase from the end of August.

For further information email Catherine (Ph:0800 6283 736) or visit the website.

There have been significant gains in positive attitudes towards the Māori language over the last decade, according to the Māori Affairs Minister, Hon Dr Pita Sharples.

“Language thrives on positive reinforcement and this is something we have all played a part in,” says Dr Sharples. “Non-Māori acceptance and support for Māori people speaking Māori in public places has almost doubled since 2000, from 40% to 77%. Māori support for the Māori language has remained consistently high over the decade.”

A summary of the report can be accessed online on the Te Puni Kōkiri website, and the full report is expected to be released shortly.

During his recent visit to China, the Prime Minister said he would be pushing for more schools to teach Mandarin because learning the language was essential for a good business relationship with China. China is now New Zealand’s second largest trading partner and is predicted to eclipse Australia in the near future.

The Confucius Institute held a meeting on 14 July to discuss ways to train local teachers to teach Mandarin. The meeting included representatives from the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Chinese Language Association and a principal from a primary school offering Mandarin classes.

Read the full article online.

The pilot programme is believed to be the only one in the Wellington region teaching Mandarin to children as young as five, acting Principal Pat Sambrooke says.

Flora Cheung, originally from Hong Kong, is teaching Mandarin to every class for half an hour a week throughout the year. For the past four months, Dongyan Zhang from Shanghai has been assisting her. They hope a taste of the language will whet the children’s appetite to study it at school or university.

Read the full article online.

A team at the newly formed New Zealand Institute of Language at Canterbury University has done a pilot study comparing facial expression, gesture and posture by both Māori and Pākehā, and wants government funding for a larger study. It is hoped the research findings will give greater insight and help combat prejudice.

Read the full article online.

Following the success of this short film, Tusi is now looking to direct his first feature film at the end of 2010. Once again he plans to shoot the film in Samoa, and all in the Samoan language.

The film will be screened at the following locations:

Auckland
Homegrown: Dramatic Digital Shorts
Academy Cinema
Friday 16 July 6:00pm, Saturday 17 July 11:15am, Monday 19 July 11:15am

Wellington
Homegrown: Dramatic Digital Shorts
Film Archive
Thursday 22 July 6:15pm, Sunday 25 July 4.00pm

Dunedin and Christchurch and the NZFF circuit
Homegrown: Dramatic Digital Shorts

Teacher Professional Development Languages years seven to 10 (TPDL) is a year-long programme funded by the Ministry of Education. TPDL assists existing and new teachers of languages improve their language and culture knowledge and apply pedagogy that has a real and positive impact on student learning.

Native speakers of the language they are teaching may learn another language. More than one teacher per school may apply. Applications for 2011 are due by 30 November 2010.

Read about TPDL and download the brochure online.

For enquiries and applications contact TPDL Project Director Wendy Thomson (Ph: 09 623 8899 ext 46310).

Three recent examples include:

• Kia Mau offers students an insight into a unique aspect of Māori culture, through the waiata and haka associated with the various companies of the Māori Battalion. A bilingual, multimedia resource, themes of spirituality, social justice, leadership and bereavement are explored in a way that allows learners of te reo Māori, among others, to gain insight into the trials and triumphs of the battalion during World War Two.
• Hoatu – Hōmai is a bilingual resource that allows schools and kura to share resources. It is expected that Hoatu – Hōmai will prove particularly useful in the Learning Languages area. Many language resources produced over the years are now out of print. Using Hoatu – Hōmai, schools that need these resources can find out where they are and ask for copies of otherwise unavailable, out-of-print resources.
• The Ministry of Education’s Learning Languages Series (LLS) gives teachers of years seven and eight students the tools they need to teach second languages at curriculum level one and level two. Innovations include a communicative, rather than grammar-based, approach; inquiry learning; and a transformative combination of digital, DVD, CD, and print resources. Working with Te Kauri Research, Lift Education, and South Pacific Press, CWA has just developed “Haia! An Introduction to Vagahau Niue” and “Faufaua! An Introduction to Tongan”. “Thumbs Up! An Introduction to New Zealand Sign Language”, which will be delivered online in a unique support for the teaching and learning of NZSL, is also in development with the assistance of multichannel.media.

“This approval is a significant change for Chinese language users worldwide,” ICANN president and CEO Rod Beckstrom said in a statement. “One fifth of the world speaks Chinese and that means we just increased the potential online accessibility for roughly a billion people.”

Read the full article online.

• Mātāriki: The Māori New Year, celebrated in June and July (i Site – Level three)
• Ngā Toi Me Ngā Hakinakina: Māori arts and recreation/sports, e.g. waka ama, kapa haka, kite flying, flax weaving, etc. (Newslinks – Level four)
• Te Wā: Time, seasons, months and numbers (Go Zone – Level two)
• Kaitiakitanga o Ngā Wai Māori: Preservation of fresh water (Zoned In – Level five)

Each order of a class set of 30 NiE mini newspapers will also receive complimentary Teacher Notes with curriculum links, activities and information to save planning time, and a class set (30) of your local newspaper.

Two further resources are available:

• Te Marae Resource (cost $20). Te Marae takes students through the process of going to a marae, the protocol, people, artwork and taonga using colour A4 photos backed with relevant information and activities. It includes a look at the marae at Te Papa and will provide students with all the information they need to confidently understand the workings of a marae.
• NiE also offer the He kórero mó te kai poster (cost $2.50) which outlines Māori words for common types of food.

Email NiE for more information or to place an order.

The scholarship covers the costs for a full year’s tuition fees, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend. It is a great opportunity to experience life in China; learning the language and all about the culture.

The deadline for applications is Friday 30 July 2010. For more details and application forms visit the website or email the Confucius Institute.

The theme of the conference is “Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning”, “Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo”. For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries email CLESOL or visit the website.

The course provides an opportunity for level one and level two reo Māori teachers, classes and kura to iron out the wrinkles before final implementation in 2011. The course will discuss Graduate Profiles, whānau engagement strategies and successes; share questions, findings and issues about both Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Ngā Whanaketanga; and engage with regional facilitators and resource teachers.

Early bird prices (if paid by 20 August, 2010, if paid after this date an additional $100 applies) are:

• live out: $171,
• live in: $321 (share facilities with 4, twin share bedroom)
• live in: $360 (twin share)
• live in: $546.00 (single).

Registrations close 3 September 2010. TRCC assists most teachers with travel costs. To find out more about the course visit the website or email TRCC.

The event will include a one-day symposium, one-day expo and an awards dinner. For information updates, visit the website.

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 Aston University website for further information.

This is particularly significant as the constituency of the new council is the most diverse in New Zealand: 45% of the population are of Māori, Pacific, Asian and other non-European ethnicity, and 37% of the population were born overseas.

The Race Relations Commissioner urged the new council to ensure that its services both reflect and are accessible to its diverse peoples, which should include the use of te reo Māori and other languages spoken by major population groups.

A good example of such accessibility is the electoral website.

There will be waiata and other entertainment, and volunteers will be handing out resources and samples of food. Bring the whole family, or come during your work day and support Māori Language Week.

Visit the Māori Language Week facebook page for more details and updates.

Also during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, the Human Rights Commission and the NZ National Commission for UNESCO will host a forum exploring the relationship between Māori and Pacific languages. The forum is aimed particularly at Tangata Whenua and the Pacific Community and it will focus on the preservation of these languages in Aotearoa. A panel of guest speakers will start the discussion.

Date: Thursday 29 July
Time: 4.15pm – 6.15pm
Venue: Human Rights Commission, Level 1, 44 The Terrace, Wellington.

Video Conference facilities are available from Auckland and Christchurch on request. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Naomi Taylor (Ph: 04 471 6756).

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2010 takes place from 26 July to 1 August 2010. The theme this year is ‘Te Mahi Kai – The Language of Food’ and the key message is to encourage the use of Māori in communities.

Te Taura Whiri has some helpful suggestions for both whānau and organisations to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

You can also sign up to receive a Māori word a day from He Kupu o te Rā, and weekly Korero Māori tips that direct you to events, activities and information to help you learn Māori.

For more information on Māori Language Week, (including resources) visit the website or contact Catherine Sinclair on 04 4716 730.

The theme of the forum this year is “It’s About Us”, carried forward from Race Relations Day 2010, and you can find more information on the HRC website. There is no charge for weekend workshops or single forums; however attendance on Monday 23 August is $50 for the day. Register NOW.

The NZSL Tool Kits come in two parts. Part One costs $25.00, and Part Two costs $75.00, both prices are inclusive of GST and postage to anywhere in New Zealand. Each kit comes with comprehensive, easy-to-follow lesson plans; fingerspelling cards; an interactive DVD; educational resources and fun games.

Whilst the Tool Kits were designed for years five to six (ages 9-11), they are more than suitable for people of any age. Learn more about what the kits include and the subject material or register for a kit today.

For more information, to order the NZSL Tool Kits, or for general enquiries, please email Catherine Greenwood or visit the NZSL Week website.

To mark the anniversary, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu hosted a two-day language symposium in June. The event brought together a number of New Zealand’s most passionate and proficient te reo Māori speakers, many of whom have been instrumental in the development of the KMK strategy.

During the symposium, the first ever Ngāi Tahu Reo Māori Awards were held at Ngā Hau e Whā Marae. The awards honoured the achievements and contributions that have been made to the revitalistation of te reo Māori in Te Waipounamu since the implementation of the strategy 10 years ago.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu’s Manager, Toitū Te Kura, Charisma Rangipunga says, “It hasn’t been easy – the challenges in implementing KMK have been enormous. But thanks to the hard work, commitment and sacrifice of some very passionate people we have come so far. When we started out te reo was a dying language among Kāī Tahu. Now 10 years down the track we are holding our inaugural reo Māori awards. What a great achievement!”

Read more online and visit the dedicated KMK website for more information and resources.

The research, conducted by Massey University across New Zealand’s seven main Pacific communities, was identified as a priority in Creative New Zealand’s strategic plan for 2007-2010.

“Heritage arts – whether dance, music or weaving – provide a way for Pacific people to express the values, perspectives and attitudes that make their communities unique,” says Ms Walker. “They also underpin and influence contemporary art. Artists have urged us to consider how we can support the preservation and even development of heritage art forms so they are not lost.”

The research will be used by Creative New Zealand to develop a three-year heritage arts strategy as part of its aim to ensure that Pacific communities are supported to strengthen and pass on customary artistic practice.

The report “Health of Pacific Heritage Arts 2009″ is available at Pacific Heritage Arts research. For further information contact Helen Isbister, Communications Manager, Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, on 04 473 0880.

Speakers from the USA, Australia and New Zealand will present a variety of generic plenary and specific language sessions for Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. Sessions will also be of great interest to the teaching and learning of Samoan and Te Reo Māori as a second language. The conference programme will interest primary, secondary and tertiary teachers and educators. Refer to the NZALT website or email Jan Robertson, the Organiser & Convenor, for more information.

The theme of the conference is related to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, including the global economic recession and increased competition. If you have any queries or would like to discuss your requirements with someone, please contact Peter Tuffley (ph 03 332 7951). Further details, including those about registration, are available on the NZSTI website.

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; and interact with current classroom practitioners.

For more information visit the TRCC website, email them, or phone 0800 872 211.

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, sociocultural, and sociolinguistic aspects of public service or community interpreting. Visit the website for Aston University for further information.

No reira pena he Kupu tawhito kei a koe, pena kā hiahia koe ki te homai mō te Pukapuka nei, me tuku mai i tāku imera na kaati ra mō tēnei wā, kia ora huihui mai ano tātou katoa.

A project has begun to compile a Māori Dictionary for Te Wharetapu o Ngāpuhi in Whangarei. The project team is based at Te Wananga o Te Tai Tokerau (Northec) in Whangarei. They are seeking people who have some knowledge of the Ngāpuhi dialect (including knowledge of old traditional words) to send them in for inclusion via email to Bryan Pou.

For this reason Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori/the Māori Language Commission have deliberately chosen an activity-based theme to promote and widen spoken language in communities. They are encouraging a very liberal interpretation of the theme for this year because ‘te mahi kai’ meant not just partaking in a meal, but included all the activity undertaken to create that meal, traditional as well as contemporary.

Resources including posters, stickers, t-shirts and phrasebooks are currently being finalised and will be available soon. In the phrase book there will be recipes for paraoa rewana and rewana bug, boil up and creamed paua.

Some sample phrases from the phrase book include:

• “Mama, kei te pirangi ahau i tēnei tiakareti?” – Mum, can I have some chocolate?
• “Kua puta taku pito” – I’m full (my belly button is popping out)
• “Kaua e nui rawa te kai” – Don’t eat too much
• “He kapu tī māu?” – Would you like a cup of tea?

For more information on Māori Language Week (including resources), contact Catherine Sinclair on 4716 730, visit the Kōrero Māori website, the HRC webpage, or visit the Māori Language Week Facebook page.

A confirmed forum workshop to date that will be of particular interest to language practitioners is ‘Interpreting in the Health’ sector hosted by Partnership Health Canterbury.

For more information visit the Diversity Forum webpage.

There is no charge for single workshops. Attendance on Monday 23 August is $50 for the day. Register online now.

The addition of macrons to the .nz domain name space means that names can be registered using the characters ā, ē, ī, ō and ū, enabling, for instance, Te Reo Māori words to be correctly represented online.

Domain Name Commissioner Debbie Monahan says “The sunrise period gives existing name holders the exclusive right to apply to register macron versions of their names”.

“Name holders should take full advantage of the sunrise period before general registrations allowing the use of macrons to start during Māori Language Week on 26 July 2010.”

“When the sunrise closes names will be available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis, so I encourage those interested to apply now to avoid disappointment.”

Sunrise applications can be made on the Domain Name Commission website.

For more information on the sunrise registration process visit the DNC website.

For further information contact Debbie Monahan, Domain Name Commissioner or Paul McKitrick, Manager, Compliance & Security, Domain Name Commission (ph 04 495 2338).

The awards were presented by the Human Rights Commission, the NZ National Commission for UNESCO and FAGASA (Fa’alāpotopotoga mo le A’oa’oina o le Gagana Sāmoa i Aotearoa), as part of Samoan Language Week 2010.

Judges identified a number of people who had made significant contributions in a wide range of sectors and said making the final decisions was not easy. This year’s focus is on those who have worked in education. Champions from early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary and community education were selected. The champions were:

• Early childhood: Fereni Pepe Ete (Wellington)
• Primary education: Janice Taouma (Auckland)
• Secondary education: Toesulu Brown ONZM (Auckland)
• Tertiary education: Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin (Wellington)
• Community education: Tofaeono Tanuvasa Tavale (Auckland).

The awards were presented to some of the recipients at the 21st Anniversary Celebrations for Samoan Studies at Victoria University in Wellington.

To see photos and read about the range of events that took place, or download Samoan language resources, visit the Commission’s website. Or check out Samoan Language Week on Facebook.

Robyn replaces Christine Goodman who has resigned to accompany her partner on a posting to Samoa. Robyn currently working as Training and Resource Advisor in the Settlement Division of the Department of Labour. Robyn has a strong background in refugee and migrant issues and a genuine interest in language and the knowledge to manage the business and personnel aspects of the role. She will take up her role from 21 June 2010.

For more information visit Interpreting New Zealand’s website.

Teachers of Samoan language (and also of Dance) say their subjects should be included in the list. Samoan Language Teachers Association president Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin says Samoan is the third most-spoken language in New Zealand and scholarship exams would give it higher status.

Natasha Urale-Baker says although the awards are good, it’s important not to forget the different styles of music that exist in the islands. Pacific Media Network broadcaster Jae’D Victor agrees. He says there needs to be equal balance to distinguish between Pacific artists’ music in different languages and it needs to be in separate categories.

Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua, chairperson of the Pacific Music Awards, says one of the initial goals was a Pacific language category. The Pacific Music Awards envisage that in later years categories will branch out to include best Samoan, best Tongan, and so on. “That has always been our intention and commitment”.

Read the full article online.

The following titles are available from NiE:

i Site – Level 3

• Mātāriki
• The Māori New Year, celebrated in June and July.
• Published: June 1
• LA: Te Reo Māori, Social Studies, Science

Newslinks – Level 4

• Ngā Toi Me Ngā Hakinakina
• Māori arts and recreation/sports, e.g. waka ama, kapa haka, kite flying, flax weaving
• Published: June 8
• Social Studies Strand: Identity, Culture and Organisation
• Learning Languages Strands: Communication; Language Knowledge; Cultural Knowledge
• Te Reo Māori Strand: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

Go Zone – Level 2

• Te Wā
• Time, seasons, months and numbers
• Published: June 15
• LA: Te Reo Māori
• Level 1.2: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

Zoned In – Level 5

• Kaitiakitanga o Ngā Wai Māori
• Preservation of fresh water
• Published: June 22
• Social Studies Strands: Place and Environment; Identity, Culture and Organisation; The Economic World
• Science Strands: Nature of Science; Living World; Planet Earth and Beyond
• Learning Languages Strands: Communication; Language Knowledge; Cultural Knowledge
• Te Reo Māori Strand: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

Each order of a class set of 30 NiE mini newspapers will also receive complimentary Teacher Notes with curriculum links, activities and information to save planning time, and a class set (30) of your local newspaper.

Two further resources are available. The first is the Te Marae Resource (cost $20). Te Marae takes teachers and students through the process of going on to a marae, the protocol, people, artwork and taonga using stunning colour A4 photos backed with relevant information and activities. It includes a look at the marae at Te Papa and will provide your students with all the information they need to confidently understand the workings of a marae. NiE also offer the He kōrero mō te kai poster (cost $2.50), which outlines Māori words for common types of food.

Contact NiE for more information or to place an order.

The Scholarship covers the costs for a full year’s tuition fees, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend. It’s a great opportunity to experience life in China; learning the language and all about the culture. The deadline for applications is Friday 30 July 2010. For more details and application forms visit the Confucius Institute’s website or send them an email.

The primary workshop on assessing English Language Learners in primary schools will be led by Annette Tate and Louise Pyne. The secondary workshop will be led by Denise McKay and Breda Matthews who will facilitate discussion on the current round of assessment changes and the implications for English Language Learners. In the tertiary workshop, Janet von Randow will present a paper called ‘One step at a time: Embedding the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment at The University of Auckland’. For more information about the content of the workshops, read the latest issue of the AKTESOL newsletter online.

There is no charge for members, and the charge for non-members is $10 (or join TESOLANZ at the door). If you intend to come, please RSVP to Maree Jeurissen stating which workshop you want to attend.

The theme of the conference is Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning, Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo. For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries visit the CLESOL website or email them.

Huia Te Reo will have a particular emphasis on improved and sustainable reo Māori usage. The event will include a one-day symposium, one-day expo and an awards dinner. For information updates, visit the korero Māori website.

The theme of the conference is Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning, Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo. For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries email them or visit the CLESOL website.

Nazli Effendi, who wrote and teaches the course, says there are several aspects of the way New Zealanders speak and interact that are confusing to new migrants. “One of the things that migrants identify as being difficult is the speed at which New Zealanders speak. The way New Zealanders pronounce their vowel sounds is also very different.” Ms Effendi says the course also focuses on language that could be confusing to anyone coming to the country, not just non-English speakers.

The course also deals with workplace culture. “In other cultures the workplace is very formal,” says Ms Effendi, “but in New Zealand it is less so. We look at particular work situations and talk about what is appropriate.” The 10-hour course, which runs over five weeks, costs $195 per person. Trust director Mary Dawson says it is aimed at highly skilled migrants “to ensure they obtain employment relevant to their skills”.

For more information visit the ARMS website.

Classes, which take place on Saturday afternoon, have been taking place since mid-February and are taught by two trained volunteer teachers. The weekend language school was just one of the ideas that came out of the research project, Settling In, which explored barriers faced by migrants in the Western Bay of Plenty. In the long term, the school would like to offer Chinese language classes For more information on the language classes, contact Bay of Plenty Chinese Cultural Society co-founder Candy Yan (07 578 4461).

She is currently director of business development at Gisborne’s Tairawhiti Polytechnic. As a teacher and researcher she has seen the powerful positive impact that learning te reo Māori has for Māori and the insight gained by non-Māori people who take the time to learn.

Ms Philip-Barbara says it’s her dream job. “The reason I took this job is because I love the Māori language strategy and I like the direction Taura Whiri is moving and that’s really about taking our reo and putting it back into the homes of our people, embedding it in the framework of our nation as a normal part of our everyday lives. I mean that’s the vision that had me apply for the job in the first place. That’s where my heart is,” Ms Philip-Barbara says.

ŌRUA Matariki He Maramataka Māori embodies the principles of te ao Māori (the traditional Māori world), such as whakatauākī (proverbs), te tohu o kaupeka (earthly signs of the seasons), marama i te po (moon-nights) and kawenga kai o te rangi (heavenly food-bearers).

This resource provides in-depth knowledge of Matariki, the Māori system of time, seasons and industry throughout the year.

In 2009, Matakite developed a wānanga (workshop) for understanding and applying te mana o Matariki (the power of Matariki) as a fundamental tool for achieving success.

ŌRUA Matariki He Maramataka Māori 2010-11 are now available for purchase for this Matariki (runs from 12 June 2010-2 June 2011).

For more information contact Arnaturua Tao or visit the Matakite website.

The following titles will be available shortly from NiE:

• i Site – Level 3
• Matariki
• The Māori New Year, celebrated in June and July.
• Published: June 1
• LA: Te Reo Māori, Social Studies, Science

• Newslinks – Level 4
• Ngā Toi Me Ngā Hakinakina
• Māori arts and recreation/sports, e.g. waka ama, kapa haka, kite flying, flax weaving, etc.
• Published: June 8
• Social Studies Strand: Identity, Culture and Organisation
• Learning Languages Strands: Communication; Language Knowledge; Cultural Knowledge
• Te Reo Māori Strand: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

• Go Zone – Level 2
• Te Wā
• Time, seasons, months and numbers.
• Published: June 15
• LA: Te Reo Māori
• Level 1.2: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

• Zoned In – Level 5
• Kaitiakitanga o Ngā Wai Māori
• Preservation of fresh water.
• Published: June 22
• Social Studies Strands: Place and Environment; Identity, Culture and Organisation; The Economic World
• Science Strands: Nature of Science; Living World; Planet Earth and Beyond
• Learning Languages Strands: Communication; Language Knowledge; Cultural Knowledge
• Te Reo Māori Strand: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

Each order of a class set of 30 NiE mini newspapers will also receive complimentary Teacher Notes with curriculum links, activities and information to save planning time, and a class set (30) of your local newspaper.

Two further resources are available. The first is the Te Marae Resource (cost $20). Te Marae takes you and your students through the process of going on to a marae, the protocol, people, artwork and taonga using stunning colour A4 photos backed with relevant information and activities. It includes a look at the marae at Te Papa and will provide your students with all the information they need to confidently understand the workings of a marae. NiE also offer the He korero mo te kai poster (cost $2.50) which outlines Māori words for common types of food.

Contact NiE for more information or to place an order.

The Scholarship covers the costs for a full year tuition fees, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend. It’s a great opportunity to experience life in China; learning the language and all about the culture. The deadline for applications is 30 July 2010. For more details and application forms visit the Confucius Institute’s website or email them.

The film starts at 7.30pm and a documentary shows at 7pm. The film is in Modern Standard Chinese with English subtitles. For further information on the film screenings and other events in your area please visit the NZ China Friendship Society website. The NZ Chinese Language Association Wellington Branch apologises for the equipment breakdown at the April film evening.

Speakers from the USA, Australia and New Zealand will present a variety of generic plenary and specific language sessions for Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. Sessions will also be of great interest to the teaching and learning of Samoan and Te Reo Māori as a second language. The conference programme will interest primary, secondary and tertiary teachers and educators. Refer to the NZALT website or email Jan Robertson, organiser and convenor, for more information.

The theme of the conference is related to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, including the global economic recession and increased competition. If you have any queries or would like to discuss your requirements with someone, please contact Peter Tuffley on (03 332 7951). Further details, including those about registration, will be available on the NZSTI website shortly.

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; and 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 28 May 2010 is $510 / $435. Registrations close on 11 June 2010. For more information and to register online go to their website or contact them (0800 872 211).

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori / the Māori Language Commission is encouraging a very liberal interpretation of the theme for this year because ‘te mahi kai’ meant not just partaking in a meal, but included all the activity undertaken to create that meal, traditional as well as contemporary. Visit the korero Māori website for further information.

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 for further information.

The Race Relations Commissioner and speakers from FAGASA (the Samoan Teachers’ Association) will take part. The service will then start to bless the launch and honour Samoan Independence. A range of different choirs have been invited, and a large turn-out is expected.

Secondary schools in Wellington teaching Samoan language are coming together to celebrate the opening of Samoan Language Week on 31 May 2010 at Hutt Valley High School, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt from 9am-1.30pm. Throughout the week, schools, community libraries and other organisations have planned programmes of activities to celebrate the Samoan language.

For further updates on news and events, along with Samoan language resources, visit the Commission’s Samoan Language Week page or check out Samoan Language Week on Facebook.

Read this article in the Samoa Observer about why preserving the Samoan language (and other Pacific languages) is so important.

A panel of guest speakers will start the discussion: Dr Wayne Ngata (Acting Chief Executive, Te Taurawhiri i Te Reo Māori), Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin (Senior Lecturer and Programme Director Samoan Studies, Victoria University of Wellington) and Joris de Bres (Race Relations Commissioner, Human Rights Commission). Aimed at tangata whenua and the Samoan community, the forum will be hosted at the Human Rights Commission’s Wellington office, Level 1, 44 The Terrace. Video conference facilities are available for those based in Auckland and Christchurch on request. If you would like to attend this forum, please RSVP to Naomi Taylor, Human Rights Commission (04 471 6756).

“This is one of the few programmes to ever be broadcast in English, te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, New Zealand’s official languages,” said Mrs Turia.

“I am delighted that this wonderful programme is not only acknowledging the Deaf community as an important audience but has developed a programme that also promotes a healthy lifestyle by showing people how to grow their own kai. The makers of this programme are trail blazers and I would challenge more mainstream broadcasters and production companies to follow their lead.”

Maara Kai is broadcast on Sunday nights at 6.30pm on Māori Television with the series premiere broadcast on the eve of New Zealand Sign Language Week. Visit Māori Television’s website to watch the episodes that have screened so far.

The name ‘Toru Fetū’ means ‘three stars’ and represents the three groups: Tuvalu, Niue and the Cook Islands. The name comes from a combination of words in the three languages put together.

The vision for the new centre is to provide quality early childhood education for the local community based on nurturing and promoting the Niue, Cook Island and Tuvalu languages and cultures. The aim is to increase the number of children from Pasifika backgrounds participating in high-quality early childhood education. Each group will have its own cultural space with an emphasis on coming together for shared play and meal times.

An opening ceremony, attended by the Minister of Education and the Race Relations Commissioner, will take place on Thursday 3 June, and the first week of service begins the week commencing Tuesday 8 June.

For further information about how this initiative began, visit ‘Maraeroa Pasifika project case-study’ online. Interested parents and caregivers can call Margaret Bleasdale on 232 1658 or Caroline Mareko on 232 1748, or email the school.

It was announced in April that the fund was to end. Māori Language Commission member, Iritana Tawhiwhirangi has said staff should now go out and analyse the language advancements that this spending has supported. Final applications to the fund were made in April 2010.

Joanna Bliss, English Language Partners Christchurch manager, is hoping to secure more funding for teachers support, saying that the number of students in the class had doubled over the past six months and was likely to increase as more refugees arrived in the city.

The theme of the conference is Context and Communication: Mediating Language Learning, Te Horopaki me te Tuku: He Rongoā i te Ako Reo. For registrations of interest, sponsorship and other enquiries email CLESOL or visit their website.

Huia Te Reo will have a particular emphasis on improved and sustainable reo Māori usage. The event will include a one-day symposium, one-day expo and an awards dinner. For information updates, visit the Korero Māori website.

The Scholarship covers the costs for a full year tuition fees, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend. It’s a great opportunity to experience life in China; learning the language and all about the culture. The deadline for applications is Friday 30 July 2010. For more details and application forms visit the Confucius Institute’s website or email them.

The translation was done by Mr Shakil Ahmad Monir, an Ahmadi Muslim scholar from Pakistan. The project involved extensive consultation with the Māori Language Commission and kaumatua to ensure the translation was accurate; it was worked on for two decades. You can read an interview with Shakil Monir online.

The official launch will be held this Saturday, 17 April in Epsom, Auckland. Contact Eqbal Khan to find out more.

The film starts at 7.30 pm and entry is by gold coin donation. The film is in Modern Standard Chinese with English subtitles. For further information on the film screenings and other events in your area visit the NZ China Society’s website.

Their offices throughout the country will organise local events and promotions. Please contact Kathryn Heard at for more information about how to get involved and how to learn NZSL. Further information about the NZSL Week is also available online.

The theme for 2010 is ‘O le Tātou gagana Sāmoa I Niu Sila – Our Samoan language in New Zealand’. If you have any suggestions for Samoan Language Week 2010, please contact Galumalemana Afeleti Hunkin of F.A.G.A.S.A Inc at or email the Commission.

The theme of the conference is related to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, including the global economic recession and increased competition. If you have any queries or would like to discuss your requirements with someone, please contact Peter Tuffley (03-332-7951). Further details, including those about registration, will be available on the NZSTI website shortly.

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; and 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 28 May 2010 is $510 / $435. Registrations close on 11 June 2010.

For more information and to register online go to the TRCC website, email or phone them 0800 872 211.

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 for further information.

NZSL week is organised by Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand, a Deaf-led, not-for-profit organisation, which works with government and other organisations to provide information and resources on life for Deaf New Zealanders, Deaf culture and NZSL. Deaf Aotearoa also represents New Zealand Deaf internationally through the World Federation of the Deaf.

Throughout NZSL Week Deaf Aotearoa is organising numerous events nationwide, including a range of Fun Days, school-based educational activities, free sign language classes and regional/national business awards.

There are a number of opportunities to get involved in the 2010 NZSL Week, including:

• Think. Sign. Learn NZSL – join a free taster NZSL class. Visit www.nzsign.co.nz for information about a class near you.
• Think. Sign. Volunteer – Help Deaf Aotearoa by volunteering your time to promote NZSL Week in your community.
• Think. Sign. Get Involved – NZSL Family Fun Days will be held throughout the country. Visit www.nzsign.co.nz for more information.
• Think. Sign. Teach Someone – the NZSL school education resource tool kit is now available. This comprehensive teaching programme is aimed at students in years 5-6, but also suitable for learners of all ages.

Workplaces are also encouraged to Think. Sign with free NZSL Taster workshops on offer. A Deaf Aotearoa tutor will visit a workplace or organisation and teach the NZSL alphabet, some basic words and phrases and explain the best way to communicate with a Deaf person. Visit the NZSL website for more information or email nzsign.

Last year more than 3000 New Zealanders nationwide attended a free NZSL class. Deaf Aotearoa encourages all New Zealanders to Think. Sign in 2010 and be involved in promoting this unique and official language.

For further details on how you can celebrate NZSL Week, visit nzsign.co.nz/Calendar or contact Kirsty Thomas for more information.

Some other useful resources are:

• A guide on effective communication with Deaf people is available on the Office for Disability Issues website.
• The report on Deaf People and Human Rights is available on the World Federation of the Deaf website.
• NZSL online dictionary.

NZSL seeks to make this unique diverse language an active part of everyday communication. If your organisation has plans to celebrate NZSL week, email us at nzdiversity and we will register your project with the NZ Diversity Action Programme (NZDAP) and promote it in our publicity. One of the aims of the NZDAP is to connect people and organisations with an interest or practical involvement in language issues.

Samoan Language Week starts on 30 May and Māori Language Week on 26 July. Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres told the Samoan Teachers’ Association annual conference in Wellington on 8 April that he had received a message to this effect from Māori Language Commission Acting Chief Executive, Dr Wayne Ngata. Dr Ngata said that Te Taura Whiri was “supportive of Samoan Language Week and of mutual support for Polynesian languages in Aotearoa and the Pacific”.

Māori and Samoan are the two most commonly spoken languages in New Zealand after English, and Māori and Samoans are New Zealand’s second and fourth largest ethnic groups respectively.

Mr de Bres welcomed Dr Ngata’s support, and hoped that the Māori Language Commission, Māori media, kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa will provide Māori-Samoan translations in Samoan Language Week, and Samoan media and schools will do the same in Māori Language Week.

“That would promote both languages and also the close relationship between them. A precursor to this has been the support of the Pacific Radio Network for Māori Language Week,” he said.

Other confirmed partners in Samoan Language Week include the Human Rights Commission, the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, the Samoan Advisory Council, Victoria University, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Samoa Capital Radio, Radio Samoa, Television New Zealand, and the National Pacific Radio Network.

Find out more about Samoan Language Week.

Check out Samoan Language Week on Facebook.

“Our key message for the language this year is encouraging use in communities, so we have deliberately chosen an activity-based theme to promote and widen spoken language in communities,” said acting chief executive Dr Wayne Ngata.

“It was universally acknowledged that food as a culture and all the customs around it created its own sense of community. It’s an appropriate means for disseminating a message about language, therefore, and certainly from a Māori point of view, our own food culture, more particularly food gathering and preparation, is a very central part of our identity,” Dr Ngata said.

He said the commission was encouraging a very liberal interpretation of the theme for this year because “te mahi kai” meant not just partaking in a meal, but included all the activity undertaken to create that meal, traditional as well as contemporary. “This can include hunting, diving, fishing, foraging, as well as shopping, through to food preparation in the kitchen.”

Māori Language Week 2010 takes place from July 26 to August 1.

The posters are available in English, Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Simplified Chinese and Hindi. They aim to communicate the simple key messages that discrimination is not OK and, if it occurs, that the Commission can help (the Commission’s services are both free and confidential).

If you would like a poster, they are available free from the Commission or you can download them.

This service has been established because Language Line and St John’s Emergency Communications Limited (StJECL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement also includes Central Emergency Communications Ltd (CECL). Together, StJCEL and CECL provide ambulance communication and coordination services on behalf of the ambulance sector.

The agreement effectively means ambulances throughout the country can access Language Line during working hours to offer forty languages. They do this via their three communication centres based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Language Line’s manager Diana Clark said “It is pleasing to think that those in an emergency will be getting immediate help to at least have clarity of communication on how things stand and what will happen next.”

Launched in 2005, the Programme aims to give persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities – particularly young minority women and men – an opportunity to gain knowledge on the United Nations system and mechanisms dealing with international human rights and minority rights. The Fellowship Programme is intended to assist organisations and communities in protecting and promoting the rights of minorities to which the fellows belong.

The Fellowship Programme is held annually and currently has two linguistic versions: the English programme and the Arabic programme. The English programme has been running since 2005 and lasts on average 3 months. The Arabic programme started in 2007 and has been gradually expanding from 2 to 4 weeks.

The Fellows are based at the OHCHR in Geneva, Switzerland. The programme is interactive and consists of briefings on several topics as well as individual and group assignments.

Fellows are entitled to the following: a return ticket (economy class) from the country of residence to Geneva; basic health insurance for the duration of the Programme; and a grant to cover modest accommodation in Geneva for the duration of the Programme and other living expenses.

Applications for the English Programme close on 3 May 2010. The 2010 Arabic Fellowship Programme will take place from 22 November to 17 December 2010. The deadline to receive applications for the 2010 Arabic programme is 30 July 2010.

For more information on the fellowship and how to apply please visit the OHCHR website.

The following titles will be available shortly from NiE:

• i Site – Level 3
• Matariki
• The Māori New Year, celebrated in June and July.
• Published: June 1
• LA: Te Reo Māori, Social Studies, Science

• Newslinks – Level 4
• Ngā Toi Ne Ngā Hakinakina
• Māori arts and recreation/sports, e.g. waka ama, kapa haka, kite flying, flax weaving, etc.
• Published: June 8
• Social Studies Strand: Identity, Culture and Organisation
• Learning Languages Strands: Communication; Language Knowledge; Cultural Knowledge
• Te Reo Māori Strand: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

• Go Zone – Level 2
• Te Wā
• Time, seasons, months and numbers.
• Published: June 15
• LA: Te Reo Māori
• Level 1.2: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

• Zoned In – Level 5
• Kaitiakitanga o Ngā Wai Māori
• Preservation of fresh water.
• Published: June 22
• Social Studies Strands: Place and Environment; Identity, Culture and Organisation; The Economic World
• Science Strands: Nature of Science; Living World; Planet Earth and Beyond
• Learning Languages Strands: Communication; Language Knowledge; Cultural Knowledge
• Te Reo Māori Strand: Beginning to use Te Reo Māori

Each order of a class set of 30 NiE mini newspapers will also receive complimentary Teacher Notes with curriculum links, activities and information to save planning time, and a class set (30) of your local newspaper.

Two further resources are available. The first is the Te Marae Resource (cost $20)Te Marae takes you and your students through the process of going on to a marae, the protocol, people, artwork and taonga using stunning colour A4 photos backed with relevant information and activities. It includes a look at the marae at Te Papa and will provide your students with all the information they need to confidently understand the workings of a marae. NiE also offer the He korero mo te kai poster (cost $2.50) which outlines Māori words for common types of food.

Contact NiE for more information or to place an order.

In particular, Sudanese and Somali refugees are eager to retain and develop the understanding of the language they acquired while in camps in Kenya, both for their children and themselves. They intend for the classes to be open to the general public, and expect them to provide an enjoyable forum for intercultural sociability as well as serving their educational purpose. The project is still in the planning stages, but you can contact Wanjiku to express your interest or find out more.

The course aims to introduce learners to everyday basic conversational experiences, including greetings, introductions, and everyday vocabulary. The course is facilitated by Shyam Agrawal (assisted by Sunita Narayan) and will be held at the Arlington Community Centre, 312 Taranaki Street. The cost is $65. The dates the course will run are yet to be confirmed.

You can register your interest by emailing the school.

For further information, please contact Sunita Narayan 04 9728465.

CLANZ’s mission is to ensure that all those who want to teach or learn a language have access to appropriate resources. The responses to a short survey will help give a clearer picture of language maintenance and development work in New Zealand. It is hoped that this, in turn, may lead to more efficient use of resources, networking and a unified voice for those seeking support in keeping our languages alive. Language Line, the telephone interpreting service from the Office of Ethnic Affairs is assisting in establishing the database.

Teachers, principals, or coordinators who are willing to provide information about the language teaching they are currently engaged in can visit the CLANZ website to complete the online survey. Alternatively, you can directly contact Mary Roberts or Sunita Narayan for a questionnaire or more information.

The event also coincided with the school’s 20th anniversary. The cultural event marked the beginning of the traditional new year in Sri Lanka falling on 14th April (or “Aluth Avurudda”). Between 40 and 50 students along with their families, volunteer teachers, past students, friends and well wishers participated. The day’s proceedings began with singing the National anthem of Sri Lanka followed by the lighting of the traditional oil lamp.

Sunita Narayan (President of Community Languages Association of NZ and Coordinator of Wellington Hindi School) was the chief guest. In her address to the audience she mentioned the importance of learning the mother tongue and how unique it is to be able to communicate in 2 languages, and acknowledged the commitment and efforts of the volunteer teachers and parents.

For further information, visit the school website.

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.

Tangatarua Marae is located at Waiaraiki Polytechnic, Rotorua. Registrations close on 11 June 2010. For more information and to register online, email them or phone 0800 872 211.

The BNZ ATM machines also ‘remember’ your card so that you will be given a Māori menu, every time you use a machine. The inclusion of te reo options brings the available languages on BNZ ATMs to eight (English, Māori, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, and German).

The Scholarship covers the costs for a full year tuition fees, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly stipend. It’s a great opportunity to experience life in China; learning the language and all about the culture. The deadline for applications is Friday 30 July 2010. For more details and application forms visit their website or email the Confucius Institute.

Speech competitions in Niuean, Samoan, Tongan and Cook Islands Māori will be held on the Samoan, Tongan, Niue, and Cook Island stages on 17 and 18 March. The event will be held at the Manukau Sports Bowl, Manukau City.

Further information about the speech topics and conditions of entry is available from the festival website.

This kura reo is for those with medium to high level Māori language ability – those who have sufficient reo ability to function in a total immersion environment for the entire 5 days. One of the focus points of this kura is Raukawa/ Tainui kupu, phrases & knowledge. Those from other iwi or ethnic groups are most welcome to attend. The cost is $250 for adults, $150 for 13-18 year olds and $50 for 5-12 year olds.

Visit their website for further information.

This event marks the beginning of the traditional new year in Sri Lanka falling on 14 April (or “Aluth Avurudda”). Between 40 and 50 students along with their families, volunteer teachers, past students, friends and well-wishers are expected to participate. Sunita Narayan (President of Community Languages Association of NZ and Co-ordinator of Wellington Hindi School) will be a guest speaker at this function.

The event will commence at 10.30am at Tawa Intermediate Hall, Ranui Terrace, Tawa. For further information, visit the school’s website.

Their offices throughout the country will organise local events and promotions and they always need help with the large 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. Further information about the NZSL Week is also available on their website.

Planning is already underway to make this week even bigger and better than last year. If you have any suggestions for Samoan Language Week 2010, please contact Galumalemana Afeleti Hunkin of F.A.G.A.S.A Inc or email the Commission.

The theme of the conference is related to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, including the global economic recession and increased competition. Proposals are now invited for presentations, either in the form of papers or of workshops, that are related to this theme. For further details, please refer to the attached call for papers.

Interested speakers are invited to send an abstract to the Organising Committee (approximately 300 words) by Monday 15 March 2010. The abstract should detail their proposed presentation, together with some biographical details, (with ‘CONFERENCE PROPOSAL’ in the subject line). Selected presenters will be notified by 8 April 2010 and will be asked to confirm their participation by 30 April 2010.

If you have any queries or would like to discuss your requirements with someone, please contact Peter Tuffley on 03-332-7951. Further details, including those about registration, will be available on the NZSTI website shortly.

A job description is available on the Commission’s website (applications close April 2).

CLANZ’s mission is to ensure that all those who want to teach or learn a language have access to appropriate resources. The responses to a short survey will help give a clearer picture of language maintenance and development work in New Zealand. It is hoped that this, in turn, may lead to more efficient use of resources, networking and a unified voice for those seeking support in keeping our languages alive. Language Line, the telephone interpreting service from the Office of Ethnic Affairs is assisting in establishing the database.

Teachers, principals, or coordinators who are willing to provide information about the language teaching they are currently engaged in can visit the CLANZ website to complete the online survey, which will be available shortly. Alternatively, they can directly contact Mary Roberts or Sunita Narayan for a questionnaire or more information.

Council chief executive Pat Dougherty said that at a meeting last year between Kapiti Coast District Council and its iwi partner, Te Whakaminenga o Kapiti, it was decided that macrons would be added to the ‘o’ in Otaki, the ‘a’s’ in Paekakariki, and the ‘a’ in Kapiti, to aid pronunciation.

A macron, which is a horizontal line above a vowel, indicates the vowel pronunciation should be lengthened. Mr Dougherty said during the next 20 years, macrons would be added to council signs, buildings, cars and documents. It would happen “very, very slowly” and there would be no cost to ratepayers, he said. Macrons on council documents were introduced six months ago.

Read the full article online.

Learning a language well requires practice in listening, speaking, reading and writing. It also requires knowledge of the culture behind the language. This is why Mandarin Corner has been helping people practise Chinese (Mandarin) and learn Chinese culture with native speakers since 1995.