Prosecuting the case of Pedagogies for a plurilingual Australia.

Morgan, Anne-Marie

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The AFMLTA 20th National Languages Conference held in Melbourne In 2015 provided a platform to promote the reality of Australia as a plurilingual nation, and to explore how languages teaching, through explicit plurilingual and pluricultural pedagogies, can promote the aspiration to increase and validate this reality. The conference, as intended, provided a dynamic forum for the sharing of ideas, research findings and best practice approaches to languages teaching and learning In Australia and from around the world.

What was abundantly evident from the conference Is that our curricula, practice, research and thinking around the notion of plurilingualism are having an impact nationally and internationally. In many Instances we are modelling ways forward in global projects, such as those being conducted by Joseph Lo Blanco In his work with the United Nations, in pedagogical approaches that are breaking the mould of a monolingual classroom focus, In preparation of teachers to teach languages with both language specific and plurilingual perspectives, and in implementation of curricula to acknowledge and celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity, as recognised by international speakers Including Diane Larsen-Freeman, and demonstrated by the many national presenters who shared their work with us.

We know from the presenters at the conference, from the buzz at the event at The University of Melbourne Law School and from conference evaluations completed by a very large proportion of delegates, that the conference was a great success, and that the pedagogies for a plurilingual Australia theme provoked much thought, as well as uncovering considerable evidence of its presence in Australian languages classrooms, from preschool settings to tertiary contexts of learning. In addition, support from government and education departments, both at the state level and nationally, for the conference theme and for the agenda of increasing awareness of and engagement with languages and cultures was a welcome recognition that there is bipartisan support for the languages education agenda, In support of the mission of the AFMLTA, and of the work of the state and territory languages teachers associations.

Keynote speakers and panels provided a range of thought-provoking perspectives on the state of languages teaching and learning, and of the actuality and possibility of increased plurilingual acknowledgement and opportunities for learning. Diane Larsen-Freeman, of the University of Michigan, used her experience of more than four decades as an international author, speaker, university lecturer, and as a key theorist in the areas of contemporary techniques and principles for the teaching and learning of languages, grammar and the use of alternative technologies, to interrogate the possibilities for plurilingualism in Australia, through its new curricula, and to compare this with practices elsewhere in the world, and particularly in the US.

Joseph Lo Bianco, as surely Australia's leading academic promoting plurilingualism, talked on how we might confront 'impossibilising' multicultural education. Stephen Dinham, an education policies specialist from The University of Melbourne, provided an up-to-the-minute critique of the political landscape for education and educators in Australia.

John Hajek and Joseph Lo Bianco, both seasoned AFMLTA keynote speakers and leaders of languages education in Australia, of The University of Melbourne, together with Anne-Marie Morgan, of the AFMLTA and the University of New England, and Diane Larsen-Freeman, provided perspectives on what is meant by plurilingualism and why it needs exploring through innovative pedagogies.

Jane Orton, an accomplished tertiary languages educator and leading figure In the preparation of teachers of Chinese, presented the Horwood Lecture, the AFMLTA's flagship presentation honouring the memory of lifelong languages advocate Keith Horwood. She challenged thinking on what is necessary to equip contemporary teachers of languages with the critical skills, knowledge, and understanding of the diversity and complexity of learners in Australian classrooms and beyond, and how language teacher education is a critical endeavour in Australian universities for Australian society and for its future.

The speaker at the conference dinner, celebrity chef Stefano de Pieri, embodied the plurilingual theme of the conference, describing his own plurilingual and cultural heritage, and the place of migrant histories, lives and industry in Australian society.

One focus of the conference was on bilingual and immersion languages programs, including the use of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) pedagogies. A panel led by Russell Cross and Margaret Gearon, and with one of the internationally recognised founders of CLIL, David Marsh, and a number of teachers using this approach, attracted much attention and interest, as did the regular meeting of the bilingual schools network, hosted by Kylie Farmer, President of AFMLTA.

Some 100 presenters provided sessions on their research, teaching approaches and strategies, classroom activities, and thinking on languages teaching and learning, including a dozen or so international speakers. Key themes explored included the use of technologies; CLIL, subject-based languages teaching and learning; immersion programs; working with the Australian Curriculum; state and territory based policy and practice developments; challenges and successes, realising plurilingual potential and engaging with communities of users of languages; language specific sessions; cultural literacy through languages programs; task and text-based approaches; intercultural language teaching and learning; and preparing language teacher educators. The rich and stimulating academic program provided for delegates to select presentations in areas of interest to them, as well as opening up new ideas and engaging with new research and aspirational thinking.

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As Academic Chair, I was thrilled with the range of speakers and ideas canvassed in this conference; the reception, interaction and responses of delegates; and the wonderful opportunity to meet up with like-minded plurilingual colleagues, from across the nation and internationally. There Is nothing like an AFMLTA conference for reflecting the diversity, common purpose and depth of talent, skill and wisdom in our field. I commend readers to papers on the conference and from the conference in this Issue, and to looking ahead to the next AFMLTA conference, to be held at the Gold Coast, Queensland, In 2017. I'm sure it will provide further enrichment, engagement and affirmation. I have relished the opportunity to lead the academic planning and programming over two conferences, and am myself looking forward to becoming President of AFMLTA in July 2016, and to attending the next conference in 2017. Babel provides an important link in the dissemination and promotion of conference materials, and I commend this double issue to readers, with its focus on the 2015 conference.

Anne-Marie Morgan is Deputy Head of School and a member of the English, Languages and Literacies Education team in the School of Education at the University of New England, and a member of the Languages, Literacies and Literature Research Network. Her research, publication and teaching interests include Languages, English and literacy education, Indonesian and teachers' work and wellbeing. She is the President Elect of the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations, and actively involved in advocating for Languages teachers, nationally and internationally.