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Who & What is the AFMLTA?
The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA Inc.) is the national professional body representing teachers of all languages in Australia.
The term ‘modern’ is used for historical reasons and is not intended to exclude any language. The AFMLTA believes that there is value in all language learning and is accordingly interested in promoting the teaching and learning of any language (ancient, modern, ‘community’, Aboriginal, traditional, international, European, Asian or other).
Role and FunctionsThe role of the AFMLTA is to promote language learning in Australia. This role will be realised through the following functions of the AFMLTA.
- To provide a national voice on language learning and language teaching
- To compile and distribute information on languages, language learning and language teaching
- To develop the professional consciousness of language teachers
Main Activities
- Provides professional leadership and advisory services at the national level
- Tries to influence decisions made at the national level by lobbying, advising, and preparing submissions to politicians, committees of inquiry, government departments, industry and commerce, and wherever else appropriate
- Encourages the professional development of language teachers through national conferences and workshops, especially the Biennial National Languages Conference
- Publishes the national language teaching journal Babel .
ProceduresThe AFMLTA Constitution indicates that its role and functions are carried out in the following way:
Provide a national voice
- By making relevant public statements in letters and statements to the press and media and by personal representation
- By responding to public statements and actions of politicians, education authorities and others when language learning and language teaching are directly or indirectly at issue
- By initiating or seeking to initiate public debate or the consideration by relevant authorities of issues pertinent to language learning and language teaching By preparing or sponsoring the preparation of submissions on language learning and language teaching to appropriate authorities
- By distributing such statements as referred to above as widely as possible
Compile And Distribute Information
- By maintaining a directory of ‘contact’ people and their areas of expertise
- By referring people seeking assistance or information to relevant contact persons
- By keeping the members informed about AFMLTA Inc. activities
- By collating items of national interest and distributing them through the AFMLTA Inc. website
- By maintaining files of information on language learning and language teaching
Develop Professional Consciousness
- By encouraging teachers’ awareness of current developments in language teaching and the language sciences
- By encouraging teachers’ awareness of their profession, its worldwide nature, its worth and status, and their sense of belonging to it
- By encouraging teachers to increase their knowledge and expertise and their facility in successful classroom techniques
- By sponsoring research of practical significance
- By encouraging scholarships and awards to be offered to language teachers and by assisting in selecting suitable applicants
The AFMLTA's operations are also guided by a collection of Working Rules. |
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 AFMLTA NEWS
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News In Brief Vol. 10 No. 1
The regular newsletter of the AFMLTA is now available. Check to see what has been happening in languages in Australia.
Babel Out now - February 2010
The latest edition of the Federation's journal, Babel, is out now. For more details see the Journal page.
Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence - 2009 Award Winners
The Minister for Education, the Hon Julia Gillard, recently announced winners of the Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence at a ceremony in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra. Special congratulations to the 2 language teachers who received these prestigious awards - Melissa Gould-Drakeley and Christiane Conesa-Bostock. For more details please see the Teaching Australia website. |
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