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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Teacher and primary students playing a learning game in community class.

Centres and institutes_

Sydney Institute for Community Languages Education

Supporting and researching linguistic diversity in Australia

Our work informs policy and evidence-based language teaching approaches. We also provide professional pathways for teachers and support community language students through the development of curriculum resources and assessments.

Professional learning for community languages teachers

In partnership with the NSW Department of Education, we offer a broad range of workshops and courses to support development of teachers working in community-languages schools.

Research

We undertake research in community languages education to support teachers, student learning, policy and program development. Explore our research here.

Resources

The greatest need reported by schools is for resources that are engaging, up-to-date and pitched at appropriate levels for learners in the Australian context. We aim to address that need with the materials below.

Teacher accreditation pathways

The 3,000 volunteer teachers in NSW community language schools represent a valuable resource for languages education. We develop pathways to accreditation for these teachers.

Our people

Professor Ken Cruickshank
Director
Phone: 9351 6313

Emily Bai Li
Manager, Curriculum Projects
Phone: 8267 9073

Karen Garlan
Manager, Professional Learning Programs
Phone: 9351 9558

Merryl Wahlin
Project Manager

Tianqi Wu
Pathways Administration Manager
Phone: 8627 8789

Call for papers

International Community/Heritage Language Education Conference
(November 2021)

Verification of Language Proficiency Test (VLPT)

Director

Professor Ken Cruickshank

Professor Ken Cruickshank

Visit Professor Cruickshank's academic profile

Featured news

21 January 2021

photo of six migrant teachers standing together in a line

Migrant teachers offered path to Australian accreditation

Teachers with overseas qualifications and years of experience can now fast-track their accreditation into Australian schools with a bridging course developed by University of Sydney.

19 February 2019

Minister Ray Williams (far right) with the first graduating cohort of volunteer teachers from NSW community language schools.

Community languages institute celebrates first graduating cohort

The Sydney Institute for Community Languages Education (SICLE) - a partnership between the University of Sydney and New South Wales Department of Education - has celebrated its first graduating cohort.

12 September 2018

Rakhi Burla speaks to the delegation at the SICLE launch

Community language teaching offers migrant women pathways to work

New research on community languages teachers in NSW has revealed the majority are university-educated migrant women looking to return to work and further study after raising families.

10 November 2017

Community languages students at the announcement of a new Sydney Institute for Community Languages Education (SICLE). Image: Bill Green/University of Sydney

Government partnership to establish community languages institute

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces a state government investment of $7.6m to create the Sydney Institute for Community Languages Education (SICLE).