Research participants: A Spanish speaking senior and a student of Spanish

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, the Hon. Nicholas Kotsiras officially launched a research project DVD on Friday 23 November at Clayton Campus.

This occasion marked a milestone of the highly successful ARC Linkage project ‘Connecting younger second language learners and older bilinguals’.

For the past three years a team of researchers from the Faculty of Arts (Dr Marisa Cordella and Dr Hui Huang from the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics) and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (Professor Colette Browning from the School of Primary Health Care), have been investigating the effects of regular meetings between Year 11 and Year 12 language learners and older migrant seniors.

This project has been an example of cross-faculty collaboration and cross-fertilisation of knowledge, where medical and linguistic approaches have been utilised to provide a comprehensive understanding of intergenerational and intercultural encounters.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Professor Adam Shoemaker and the Deans of both Faculties (Professor Rae Frances and Professor Christina Mitchell) were invited to present the benefits of such an interdisciplinary research and to celebrate with participants, partners and supporters as well as the research team.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Professor Adam Shoemaker; the cross-faculty research team and school principals from research sites

“The project is a successful example of how to implement the aims set out in the Federal Government’s White paper on Asia as well as the State Government’s Vision for Citizenship in a Multicultural Victoria, in relation to languages education, volunteer and senior engagement and multicultural education, to foster social inclusion in a diverse multicultural community.” Dr Cordella said.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, The Hon. Nicholas Kotsiras launches the project DVD

The DVD completes a package of resources developed on the basis of research outcomes. These resources (the DVD, an interactive project website, a brochure and a KIT) have been designed to assist educators in the implementation of future similar initiatives in the wider community. A series of workshops are being offered to teachers in Victoria and other States to train them as future facilitators.

Research participants: Chinese and Spanish speaking senior volunteers with the research team

All resources, including the DVD, are available on the:

•  Intergenerational, intercultural encounters & second language development website

The celebration was held in memory of the mastermind of this project, the late Professor Michael Clyne.

ARC Linkage Project: Connecting younger second language learners and older bilinguals: Intergenerational, intercultural encounters and second language development.

February 2012

The language team introduces the latest results at two conference presentations ‘Interactions with Second Language and Culture: An Intergenerational Intercultural Experience’ in February 2012.

• Fourth Annual Roundtable of Language and Society Centre
  Teaching and Learning Languages for International/Intercultural Communication, Monash University, Thursday 16, Friday 17, Feb, 2012

• RUMACCC 10th anniversary Colloquium and Michael Clyne Lecture (pdf)
  Challenging the monolingual mindset, Melbourne University, Thursday 23rd February, 2012

ARC Linkage Project: Connecting younger second language learners and older bilinguals: Intergenerational, intercultural encounters and second language development.

December 2011

Between September 2011 and December 2011 the research group presented papers at the following conferences:

- ALAA-ALANZ Canberra Langfest 2011  (27 November – 9 December)

- 7th Symposium on Discourse Analysis, which was held at Monash University in Clayton on 18 November 2011

- LCNAU Colloquium, which was held in Melbourne, from September 26 to September 28 2011. Powerpoint presentation (pdf).

June 2011

Dr Hui Huang presented a paper at the International Symposium on Bilingualism which was held in Oslo, Norway, from June 15 to June 18 2011. More information and paper abstract.

She also presented at the 3rd Annual conference of the Chinese teaching association of the Asian-Pacific region, which was held in Singapore, from June 22 to June 25 2011.

The Intergenerational Language Project is now connected to the ‘Age platform Europe’, which promotes the European Year on Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity 2012.

Follow the link to find out more.

Teachers from Glen Waverley Secondary Collage organised an excursion to the Museum of Australian Chinese history in Melbourne’s Chinatown on 5th April 2011.

Here is an article written for the LCL newsletter in June about the excursion.

Here are some pictures of the excursion.