Awardee Profiles
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Kate Reitzenstein During her ten-year career teaching Indonesian to secondary students, Kate Reitzenstein has strived in every lesson to provide an intercultural language experience. She believes that learners respond most positively when teaching materials match their own interests and highlight the similarities between Australian and Indonesian youth. After returning from the ELTF program in Darwin, Kate's Indonesian friends commented on her dramatically improved fluency in Indonesian. This increased fluency has enabled Kate to use Indonesian in and beyond the classroom more confidently and effectively, and to develop new resources and activities for her curriculum. These include video texts about Yolngu-Makassan links and illegal fishing in the Arafura sea, CD's of contemporary pop music in Indonesia, and a bilingual weblog in partnership with a Balinese sister school. As a result of the ELTF Program, Kate feels confident about teaching higher order language skills as her school undergoes plans to implement Indonesian in Years 11 and 12 for the first time, and to bring new depth to the sister-school relationship. She has also felt more confident to take on leadership roles within her school, professional associations, and the wider LOTE community, and was selected as the Support Leader for the 2008 ELTF Bahasa Indonesia program in Darwin. Kate has continued her own learning, and is currently undertaking a Master of Education (Research), with the goal to conduct a case study on a cross-cultural study tour and its effects on attitudes and motivation towards LOTE learning in a secondary context. |
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Robert Pegolo 2007 ELTF Italy Practising Teacher Despite his Italian heritage, Robert Pegolo finds that chances to engage in the Italian language are sometimes limited. The opportunity to participate in the ELTF Program enabled him to fully immerse himself in Italian life, language and culture. Robert feels he is now able to teach linguistic and cultural ideas with greater authority, confidence and enjoyment. He has recently commenced teaching senior year levels, and believes that he is able to develop high quality curriculum and confidently deliver classes in Italian grammar. With his new understanding of the inter-regional linguistic, cultural and geographical differences of Italy, Robert has introduced a component into his curriculum based on regional gastronomy. The students prepare menus for a given regional restaurant, which allows them to study how climate and different geographic regions shape the diverse range of food and dishes available in Italy. After participating in the ELTF program, Robert later returned to Italy by leading a school study tour. He found that his ELTF experience enhanced his leadership of the study tour, through his improved language proficiency and knowledge of Italian culture and geography. Robert continues to enjoy secondary teaching and is constantly searching for innovative ways to enhance his Italian language classes. |
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Priscilla Corbell Being a trainee teacher, Priscilla Corbell found the ELTF experience a fantastic opportunity to learn from other Chinese language teachers as well as to improve her Chinese language skills and cultural knowledge. Through networking with other professionals, she feels her confidence as a Chinese language teacher has been increased. The opportunity to travel and experience Chinese culture first-hand during the ELTF program also helped Priscilla expand her knowledge and understanding of contemporary and historical Chinese society. Now she is teaching, Priscilla feels this enhanced intercultural understanding is particularly reflected in her language lessons and the delivery methods that she uses. Intercultural learning for Priscilla is a key focus for her in the development of her student assessment tasks, and the knowledge gained from the ELTF experience has helped her shape a range of activities which help her students make comparisons and connections between English and Australian culture, and Mandarin-Chinese and Chinese culture. She feels the benefit of this is that students are much more attentive, engaged and reflective, as well as more prepared to share their ideas and work with others in the class. Developing this focused intercultural language learning approach has been the greatest lasting impact for Priscilla professionally from her participation in the ELTF Program. |
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Bernadette Divola Working in a regional secondary school, Bernadette Divola had limited opportunities to practice and improve her French language skills. She also thought it essential to bring real French cultural experiences to the classroom to benefit the students and the wider school community. It was these needs that prompted her to apply for an ELTF Award. Bernadette's participation in the ELTF Program in France resulted in enhanced language proficiency and renewed confidence, and she returned to her teaching feeling much better equipped as a language teacher. Her professional success from the ELTF Program has allowed her to teach at higher year levels. Bernadette also brought back up-to-date knowledge of French society and culture that has not only enthralled her students but has also inspired her to continue her professional learning. She aspires to deliver innovative techniques in her teaching and has incorporated her ELTF experience into her classroom activities. While in France, for example, Bernadette photographed a doll in various locations and situations during the ELTF Program. On her return to Australia, she created a 'Myspace' page for 'Amélie Araignée' (the doll) and has set up many work tasks around this fictional character. The students are motivated and respond positively to this method and successfully communicate entirely in French when engaging with 'Amélie' and related tasks. Bernadette continues to utilize her new skills and resources as a teacher, and her renewed passion for France and teaching the French language has resulted in greater engagement by her students in their language learning. |
