June 2023

The AFMLTA Executive Committee is looking forward to welcoming you to the the 24th AFMLTA International Languages Conference in Perth on 7-9 July.

Our invited speakers for the Conference include:

• Professor Kathleen Heugh (Professor of Language Education and Multilingualism at University of South Australia) will deliver the 2023 Keith Horwood Memorial Lecture at the opening reception on the evening of 7 July.
• Louka Parry (CEO and Founder of The Learning Future) has been confirmed as the speaker at the conference dinner on 8 July.
• Joanna McPake (reader in languages education at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland) will deliver a keynote presentation.
• Catherine Travis (Professor of Modern European Languages in the School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics at the Australian National University) will act as rapporteur at the close of the conference.

These speakers will provide us with stimulating and thought-provoking ideas, as well as interesting perspectives on languages education. You can read more about these presenters here.

We look forward to meeting with our state/territory Liaison Officers at our annual Assembly prior to the conference to report on the activities of the Federation in 2022/2023, and elect various office bearers for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024. 

We are pleased to be able to announce the 2023 recipient of the Patji-Dawes Teaching Award. You can read more about the award below.

Register now!

It's not too late! Registrations remain open to join us at our conference next month! Follow the link below and on Twitter #AFMLTA23

Venue: Mt Lawley Campus, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA

Program: See information about confirmed speakers, a draft program will be available soon

Partnerships: Visit our conference website for information

Queries: conference@afmlta.asn.au

Suggestions for accommodation whilst in Perth are included on our website. 

Image courtesy of the Notebooks of William Dawes, David Nathan, and the National Library of Australia

2023 Patji-Dawes Language Teaching Award

The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Association (AFMLTA) and the Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU) are pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2023 Patji Dawes Language Teaching Award is Matthew Absalom, Lecturer in Italian Studies, School of Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, The University of Melbourne.

Matthew was nominated by his student, Margaret Oravecz, who commented: “Matt’s classes catapulted me into a new world of language learning. He engendered trust in his unique approach with his enthusiasm, energy and engaging manner.” She also said, in relation to his approach: “Through storytelling, reading and reflection, I embarked on the most transformative language experience of my life.”

The Patji-Dawes award honours outstanding achievements in teaching languages other than English in Australia. The name of the award commemorates the earliest documented language education partnership in Australia’s history: that between young Indigenous woman Patyegarang (Patye or Patji, pronounced Pat-chee) and Lieutenant William Dawes.

The Patji-Dawes award was an initiative of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL), developed as part of the Outreach program, which included a commitment to improving levels of multilingualism and accomplishment of additional languages in Australia, through understanding and public debate on how we learn and teach languages effectively.

Throughout the years of CoEDL, the award was supported and sponsored by AFMLTA and LCNAU. With CoEDL now concluded, the AFMLTA and LCNAU have proudly assumed responsibility for continuing the award, to recognise teachers of languages.

The award will be conferred on Sunday, 9 July 2023 at the 24^th AFMLTA International Languages Conference to be held at Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA.