The following interview was conducted with Catherine Elder in spring of 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. Cathie has had a varied career in language testing, including work at universities in Australia and New Zealand and at the Language Testing Resource Center in Melbourne. In this interview, Cathie shares some highlights of her somewhat…

This article explores policy enactment processes in relation to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), particularly its emphasis upon ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. Specifically, as part of SDG4 in Laos, the research reveals how medium-of-instruction policy was enacted in relation to ethnic minorities,…

This research presents a review of the literature around meeting students' learning needs in Australian schools. It is referenced to one group of students with refugee experience who have been in Australian schools for over 15 years; students with a background of oracy from Southern Sudan. The development of psychological health and literacy…

In his examination of successful innovation and change in education in many settings, Fullan (2001) identifies the three broad options for effecting change that public authorities have at their disposal. They can seek to bring about change through imposing accountability (system-wide or targeted), or through providing incentives (either…

The history of the role of assessment in policy-making for languages education in Australia over the past 20 years is characterised by a complex and shifting interface between language policy, curriculum and assessment. Three phases can be identified during which significant changes occur. These highlight an ongoing struggle for legitimacy for…

Discusses the extent to which the Australian language policy "White Paper" meets the real needs of the Australian people, and the quality of Australia's on-going performance in and commitment to well-articulated language and language education policymaking relating to languages other than English. (GLR)

Focuses on three themes in language education policy: (1) the historical and legal foundations of second language education policies in British Columbia and international settings; (2) implications of language education policy development for teacher education; and (3) the knowledge bases and resources needed for coherent policy development and…

Identifies the stages in the development of language policy in Australia and notes that language issues are no longer considered central to a multicultural society. Argues that the underlying rationale for language policy has moved to the economic sphere and that policymakers must understand the nature of language learning. (19 references)…

Describes the changing social context of Asian language teaching in Australian universities and considers the increasing salience of the economic argument for Asian languages found in major reports on languages in education. Reviews major criticisms of this economic argument. (five references) (Author/CK)

Although language policy in New Zealand is emerging piecemeal, without any clear central planning and without much of the data needed for sound policy development, political pressure from indigenous, community, and other language interest groups is interacting positively with government values and may still lead to a coherent national policy. (39…

Focuses on the difficulties involved in keeping abreast of changes in Australian language policy and in attempting to guess the next trend in language teacher education. The number of publications indicates strong government support for the concept of language education, a support backed by millions of dollars allocated for this area. There is a…

This chapter uses the insights of Dorothy Smith and Anna Yeatman, both feminist scholars, to explore the nature of policy formation through two examples from Australia. Smith and Yeatman argue that all description is both biased and interested. The article documents how the values of pluralism and equity were not served well by Australian policy…

While much attention has been given to the language problems of newly developing nations and to the various phases of planned language development such as graphization, standardization and modernization, not enough attention has been given to language planning that would serve the needs of minority groups in nations such as Australia where the…

Discusses language policy matters and the management of cultural and linguistic diversity in the area of education, with particular reference to Eritrea in East Africa and its application to Australia's language situation. The article presents examples of the impact of the tyrannical imposition of language usage, including the long-term…

This document contains a total of 57 welcoming speeches, theme addresses, seminar and workshop papers, and poster sessions that were presented at a conference on technological education and national development. The papers explore the ways technology and technological advances have both necessitated and enabled changes in the way education is…