title: Secondary literacy across the curriculum: Challenges and possibilities

authors: May, Stephen

subjects: school language policies

abstract: This paper discusses the challenges and possibilities attendant upon successfully implementing literacy across the curriculum initiatives – or ‘school language policies’ as they have come to be known - particularly at the secondary or high school level. It provides a theoretical background to these issues, exploring previous academic discussions of school language policies, and highlights key areas of concern as well as opportunity with respect to school implementation of such policies. As such, it provides a necessary conceptual background to the subsequent papers in this special issue, which focus upon the Secondary Schools’ Literacy Initiative (SSLI) – a New Zealand funded programme that aims to establish cross-curricular language and literacy policies in secondary schools.

text: Secondary literacy across the curriculum: Challenges and possibilities This paper discusses the challenges and possibilities attendant upon successfully implementing literacy across the curriculum initiatives – or ‘school language policies’ as they have come to be known - particularly at the secondary or high school level. It provides a theoretical background to these issues, exploring previous academic discussions of school language policies, and highlights key areas of concern as well as opportunity with respect to school implementation of such policies. As such, it provides a necessary conceptual background to the subsequent papers in this special issue, which focus upon the Secondary Schools’ Literacy Initiative (SSLI) – a New Zealand funded programme that aims to establish cross-curricular language and literacy policies in secondary schools.

year: 2007

title: Incorporating Company and Learner Goals in Workplace Training Programmes

authors: Eaddy, Julie Anne

subjects: workplace education

abstract: There has been an increased awareness and focus on workplace training in recent years. The rapid growth in digital technology and the globalisation of business and trade is often cited as the reason for this increase because they are seen to impact on business production, policies and communication. As in much educational research, there are questions about how positive workplace learning outcomes can be encouraged. 

Although attention is generally given to skills improvement, goals are important in workplace training for a number of reasons. They assist the learning process, give direction to a course or programme, help us measure success and give information about stakeholders’ expectations. However, in workplaces, there can be disparate goals. Companies often aim to align workplace training with business objectives. Employees, as learners, may have individual goals, and as part of the context, tutors and government funders may have additional goals. 

While the four stakeholders in this research are: the government, the company, training staff and learners, the focus is on the companies’ and learners’ goals. It explores learners’ goals for workplace training and how they relate to company goals. 

In order to investigate this research question, I engaged with five workplace training programmes, used interviews, observations and documentation with a qualitative approach to gather data. I interviewed company managers at the beginning and end of the data collection, and I interviewed tutors and learners at different points in their training programme, I observed a training session when possible and collected relevant training and company documents. 

Three factors seemed to contribute to positive learner response to workplace training programmes. These three factors were the tutors’ teaching approach, NZQA qualifications offered in the training, and employees increased sense of belonging in the company and being valued in the company. These three factors also contributed to aligning learners goals to the company goals. This study suggests workplace training programmes can be beneficial to both the company and learner/employees and may be useful, therefore, for people involved in implementing training in the workplace.

text: Incorporating Company and Learner Goals in Workplace Training Programmes There has been an increased awareness and focus on workplace training in recent years. The rapid growth in digital technology and the globalisation of business and trade is often cited as the reason for this increase because they are seen to impact on business production, policies and communication. As in much educational research, there are questions about how positive workplace learning outcomes can be encouraged. 

Although attention is generally given to skills improvement, goals are important in workplace training for a number of reasons. They assist the learning process, give direction to a course or programme, help us measure success and give information about stakeholders’ expectations. However, in workplaces, there can be disparate goals. Companies often aim to align workplace training with business objectives. Employees, as learners, may have individual goals, and as part of the context, tutors and government funders may have additional goals. 

While the four stakeholders in this research are: the government, the company, training staff and learners, the focus is on the companies’ and learners’ goals. It explores learners’ goals for workplace training and how they relate to company goals. 

In order to investigate this research question, I engaged with five workplace training programmes, used interviews, observations and documentation with a qualitative approach to gather data. I interviewed company managers at the beginning and end of the data collection, and I interviewed tutors and learners at different points in their training programme, I observed a training session when possible and collected relevant training and company documents. 

Three factors seemed to contribute to positive learner response to workplace training programmes. These three factors were the tutors’ teaching approach, NZQA qualifications offered in the training, and employees increased sense of belonging in the company and being valued in the company. These three factors also contributed to aligning learners goals to the company goals. This study suggests workplace training programmes can be beneficial to both the company and learner/employees and may be useful, therefore, for people involved in implementing training in the workplace.

year: 2013

title: Mā te hangarau te oranga o te reo Māori e tautoko ai? Can technology support the long-term health of the Māori language?

authors: Mato, Paora James

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: Can contemporary technologies be used to support the ongoing health of an endangered language? Since the late twentieth century unprecedented and substantial social changes have been propelled by advances in contemporary technologies. Continuous connectivity harnessing digital communication, mass media and social networking has enabled instant diffusions of ideas, viewpoints and values. Unrestrained broadcasting and publishing by the general populace and the absence of the traditional media gatekeepers has been linked to the weakening of traditional cultural and linguistic ties as the private, more intimate oral domains inherent to minority indigenous cultures are being opened up to more public modes of consumption. Additionally, significant numbers of minority language speakers switch from the use of their own languages in digital environments to a language that is globally more recognisable. This type of digital language switching emulates the historical occurrence of language shift as minority language speakers opt to use a language that they perceive to be of more benefit to themselves and to their children.

Ironically, language revitalisation initiatives are embracing the ubiquitous attributes of digital technology. A joint venture between the Microsoft Corporation and the University of Waikato resulted in Māori-language interfaces for Microsoft Office and Windows. These and similar interfaces for a range of other applications were investigated. The testing groups were largely unaware the translated interfaces existed and expressed pleasure and pride to see te reo Māori within the various technologies. Following engagement the feedback was less positive. New words, unfamiliar uses of words and poor translations were cited as significant difficulties. Ensuing navigation was often hesitant and uncertain. Were the translations unsuitable? Is te reo Māori unusable within these technologies? The high incidence of task completion suggests difficulties may have arisen from a previous competence with the technologies in another language - English in this case. Future initiatives would do well to consider that perceived difficulties might arise from factors other than the design of the interfaces themselves.

 
Te reo Māori is being used on Twitter. Particular events significantly impacted the use of tweeting in te reo. During Māori Language Week the number of tweeters increased. During the Matatini Festival the volume of tweets increased. While creating an online Māori-language community, a range of strategies became necessary to maintain and prolong some conversations. At times, bilingual tweets extended faltering conversations. Sometimes forwarding tweets drew success. Furthermore, a significant number of people preferred to watch without engaging directly – perhaps a target area for future strategies.

Te reo Māori is a viable option within various technologies as evidenced by the increasing use of the language on a range of contemporary platforms. Translated interfaces provide opportunities for language promotion and extensive language visibility. The development of an online language forum has shown that conversations in te reo Māori can be successfully fostered using social media. Understanding the differences between the static visibility of translated interfaces and the dynamic nature of online conversations can be a huge asset for language strategies once issues of awareness, perception and extended engagement are successfully addressed.

text: Mā te hangarau te oranga o te reo Māori e tautoko ai? Can technology support the long-term health of the Māori language? Can contemporary technologies be used to support the ongoing health of an endangered language? Since the late twentieth century unprecedented and substantial social changes have been propelled by advances in contemporary technologies. Continuous connectivity harnessing digital communication, mass media and social networking has enabled instant diffusions of ideas, viewpoints and values. Unrestrained broadcasting and publishing by the general populace and the absence of the traditional media gatekeepers has been linked to the weakening of traditional cultural and linguistic ties as the private, more intimate oral domains inherent to minority indigenous cultures are being opened up to more public modes of consumption. Additionally, significant numbers of minority language speakers switch from the use of their own languages in digital environments to a language that is globally more recognisable. This type of digital language switching emulates the historical occurrence of language shift as minority language speakers opt to use a language that they perceive to be of more benefit to themselves and to their children.

Ironically, language revitalisation initiatives are embracing the ubiquitous attributes of digital technology. A joint venture between the Microsoft Corporation and the University of Waikato resulted in Māori-language interfaces for Microsoft Office and Windows. These and similar interfaces for a range of other applications were investigated. The testing groups were largely unaware the translated interfaces existed and expressed pleasure and pride to see te reo Māori within the various technologies. Following engagement the feedback was less positive. New words, unfamiliar uses of words and poor translations were cited as significant difficulties. Ensuing navigation was often hesitant and uncertain. Were the translations unsuitable? Is te reo Māori unusable within these technologies? The high incidence of task completion suggests difficulties may have arisen from a previous competence with the technologies in another language - English in this case. Future initiatives would do well to consider that perceived difficulties might arise from factors other than the design of the interfaces themselves.

 
Te reo Māori is being used on Twitter. Particular events significantly impacted the use of tweeting in te reo. During Māori Language Week the number of tweeters increased. During the Matatini Festival the volume of tweets increased. While creating an online Māori-language community, a range of strategies became necessary to maintain and prolong some conversations. At times, bilingual tweets extended faltering conversations. Sometimes forwarding tweets drew success. Furthermore, a significant number of people preferred to watch without engaging directly – perhaps a target area for future strategies.

Te reo Māori is a viable option within various technologies as evidenced by the increasing use of the language on a range of contemporary platforms. Translated interfaces provide opportunities for language promotion and extensive language visibility. The development of an online language forum has shown that conversations in te reo Māori can be successfully fostered using social media. Understanding the differences between the static visibility of translated interfaces and the dynamic nature of online conversations can be a huge asset for language strategies once issues of awareness, perception and extended engagement are successfully addressed.

year: 2018