Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Professional learning for community languages teachers

High-quality programs for community languages schools

The Sydney Institute for Community Languages Education (SICLE) offers a range of programs for teachers working in community languages schools, in partnership with the NSW Department of Education

Courses

The Community Languages Teaching – Foundation program is a 60-hour professional-learning program for teachers working in NSW Government-funded Community Languages Schools. Applications for the Semester Two 2024 course (lessons commencing mid-July) close on Sunday, June 9.

The program will help you to:

  • understand how children learn and develop languages and how to teach them
  • engage and interest students in maintaining and extending their language and cultural abilities
  • plan lessons and assess student learning
  • develop resources and teaching activities that work with a range of students

All delivery modes of the Foundation Program include a visit to a mainstream school to observe teaching. This experience is interactive and practical, giving you confidence and new ideas in working with young children, teenagers and adults. A NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) is a mandatory requirement for this component of the program. Information about applying for WWCCs is available online at Service NSW. Applying for a WWCC can be completed online at the Office of the Children's Guardian at wwccheck.ocg.nsw.gov.au/Apply.  

Students undertaking the Foundation Program are assessed on their practical skills, including developing resources, behaviour-management strategies and classroom activities.

The advanced program is a 60-hour program for community languages schools teachers in NSW and those who have completed the Community Languages Teaching Program – Foundation (see above) or equivalent. Applications for the Semester Two 2024 course (lessons commencing early September) close on Sunday, August 4.

The program will help you to:

  • plan units of work
  • develop advanced teaching skills
  • use technology in the classroom 
  • mentor other teachers.

For the assessment, you will research a topic of interest such as developing a school program or designing materials and resources that you will then present to other teachers in the program.

The Community Languages School Governance and Management Program is a 24-contact-hour program for community language school principals, aspiring principals and members of school management committees. Applications for the Governance and Management Semester Two 2024 program (lessons commencing early August) close on Sunday, July 28.

You will learn about the role of a principal in a community language school, planning and policy-making, employing and managing staff, legal and financial management and how to promote your community language school.

For the assessment task, you will need to develop a school profile and prepare for a school financial audit. To assist in this, experienced principals of community language schools will mentor groups of participants.

Apply to enrol in the Governance and Management Semester Two 2024 program