Andrew Ferguson is an experienced teacher of German, English and Drama, having taught in a wide range of Victorian schools for over 25 years. He has been Head of Languages at three schools. Currently he is engaged as a sessional lecturer at a Melbourne university, lecturing in the methodology of teaching Languages (other than English) to pre-service teachers. Andrew also works as a private consultant in Languages education, designing and delivering Professional Learning for teachers, supporting schools that deliver VET Applied Language courses and facilitating reviews of school Languages programs.
Following his distinguished school teaching career, Andrew worked at the Goethe-Institut in Melbourne as the Educational Consultant 2005-6, managing various student and teacher activities and developing learning and advocacy materials. Andrew continues his work for the Goethe-Institut as a Professional Learning Facilitator, in particular to support the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: German. In 2007 Andrew was Project Manager for two projects associated with the then MCEETYA National Statement and Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 2005-8. The first project involved developing a nationally coordinated promotion of the benefits of Languages learning in schools 'Languages Open the Door'. The second was coordination of the 2007 National Seminar on Languages Education.
From 2008-2011 Andrew worked in the Professional Learning Unit at the Catholic Education Office Melbourne, as a Project Leader with special responsibilities for the Australian Government Quality Teachers Program (AGQTP) and leading projects around support of Graduate teachers and the development of a system-wide Professional Learning Framework.
Andrew has been very active for over 20 years with the Association of German Teachers of Victoria (AGTV), including seven years as president, and also with the Network of Australian Teachers of German (NATG) since its inception in 2002.
Andrew is in his ninth year as president of the Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria (MLTAV). Amongst many other projects supporting Languages teachers, the association has been involved in several major Languages advocacy campaigns in Victoria, including a dedicated section of their website. In his role as president of the MLTAV, Andrew is involved in many Languages advisory committees at a State level and has promoted close cooperation with the more than 20 Single Language Professional Teaching Associations that exist in Victoria.
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Fablice Manirakiza
Maintaining language culture is very important not just to me but to all the diversity communities as well as the wider community of Australia, English is my second language, I understand the importance of it, not just in our everyday life but also in connecting with the world politicly, economically and other aspects, but to most of us this wouldn't slow us in maintaining our main language, the world of today is about creating and sharing we should all be proud of who we are and share our cultural across the world, but it all start with your own identity of where you come from, I believe maintaining language is important to achieve all the desire of making this world a better place.