Vitally Important Forum On Language Learning To Be Held

The desperate state of language learning in New Zealand is to be put in the spotlight this week.

More than 130 people are expected to attend a forum on second language learning in Auckland on Thursday July 17 to discuss what is happening in language learning in New Zealand schools and tertiary institutions. The forum will explore ways to highlight to New Zealanders the individual, social and International benefits of language study.

The language learning forum has been organised by the New Zealand Chinese Language Week Trust, in partnership with the University of Auckland and the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT). It covers all second language learning in New Zealand.

World-renowned language education experts Professor Joe Lo Bianco and Professor Barbara Oakley are forum keynote speakers, and a wealth of knowledge will be shared by other speakers during the day. These include NZALT president Juliet Kennedy, school principals and university academic leaders, as well as leaders in business and government, such as New Zealand China Council Chair John McKinnon, who have used their foreign language skills to advance New Zealand’s place in the world.

Trust Chair Jo Coughlan says the forum is timely as the Education Ministry is reviewing the language learning curriculum.

The number of schools teaching foreign languages is falling significantly, she says.

The global COVID pandemic stopped all travel, and put pressure on the education system. Without school students coming through the system with foreign language skills, tertiary institutions were also cutting back on the number of language courses they offered.

Jo Coughlan says language skills increases brain elasticity, helping with cognitive development, numeracy and literacy outcomes. They also provide opportunities to learn about other cultures, enhancing understanding and tolerance. Without language skills, New Zealand would not be able to take its place on the world stage, in diplomacy and international trade.

The language forum is to be held in Auckland at the Pullman Hotel on Thursday July 17, starting at 8.30am and running till 5pm.

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