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If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.

If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.

1. Listening for main ideas

First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?

2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:

1. What is the goal of Chinese Language Week?





2. When was the first Chinese Language Week held in New Zealand?





3. What Chinese Language Week events does the speaker mention?





4. According to the text, how many secondary school students in 2024 studied (i) Chinese, (ii) Japanese, (iii) French, and (iv) Spanish?





5. What does a recent report recommend?





6. According to Juliet Kennedy, what three skills does language learning boost?





7. Is the following statement true or false? Languages are the only learning area in the school curriculum that are not compulsory.





8. According to the Ministry of Education, what should all schools be working towards?

Text

This week, 31 August to 6 September, is Chinese Language Week in New Zealand. The goal of the week is to increase the learning of Chinese language here and to share Chinese culture.

New Zealand was the first Western country to hold a Chinese Language Week, in 2014, and since then it has become popular. There are many events around the country for people to try learning some Chinese and to find out more about China’s culture. For example, there are bilingual story time sessions at libraries in several centres, where children can listen to stories and sing songs in Chinese and English. There are screenings of a Chinese film in Wellington and Dunedin on Friday and in Christchurch and Auckland on Saturday. Also on Saturday afternoon there is a Chinese Tea Tasting with Folk Dance in Tauranga and a Chinese Language Week Celebration in Blenheim, with calligraphy, cultural displays, and performances in Chinese. For further information about events, check the New Zealand Chinese Language Week website.

Chinese is taught at more secondary schools now than in the past, when the focus was on European languages. According to the data from the Ministry of Education, Chinese was the second most popular Asian language taught in high school in 2024, with 5415 students learning it. In comparison, 12,257 students learnt Japanese. French and Spanish were the most popular European languages, with 12,323 and 12,856 students learning these languages respectively.

A report released today is calling for second-language courses to become compulsory from intermediate school. The report, called ‘Language Learning for New Zealand’s Future’, recommends that students in years 7-10 (aged around 11 to 14) be required to learn a second language. It found that fewer students are studying languages now than in the 1930s. The New Zealand Association of Language Teachers president, Juliet Kennedy, argues that language learning boosts literacy, problem-solving, and academic performance. She says it is important for New Zealand’s ability to succeed in global trade, diplomacy, and business. However, languages are the only one of eight learning areas in the curriculum that are not a core requirement. In 2018 there was a proposal to make second language learning compulsory in primary and intermediate schools, which was supported by National, ACT, Labour, and the Greens, but it did not pass into law. Now the Ministry of Education says that there are no plans to make second language learning compulsory but that all schools should be working towards offering students in years 7-10 opportunities to learn a second language.

Vocabulary

bilingual – written or spoken in two languages

session – a period of time used for a particular activity, especially by a group of people

screening – the showing of a film

celebration – an occasion when you celebrate something/ show that something is special

calligraphy – the art of producing beautiful writing using special pens or brushes

compulsory – if something is compulsory, you must do it because of a law or rule

boost – to increase or improve something

literacy – the ability to read and write

diplomacy – the job or activity of managing relationships between countries

curriculum – the subjects that are taught in schools

Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer

a. What is the goal of Chinese Language Week?

To increase the learning of Chinese language here and to share Chinese culture

b. When was the first Chinese Language Week held in New Zealand?

2014

c. What Chinese Language Week events does the speaker mention?

Bilingual story time sessions at libraries; screenings of a Chinese film; a Chinese Tea Tasting with Folk Dance; a Chinese Language Week Celebration with calligraphy, cultural displays, and performances in Chinese

d. According to the text, how many secondary school students in 2024 studied (i) Chinese, (ii) Japanese, (iii) French, and (iv) Spanish?

(i) 5415; (ii) 12,257; (iii) 12,323; (iv) 12,856

e. What does a recent report recommend?

Students in years 7-10 (aged around 11 to 14) should be required to learn a second language

f. According to Juliet Kennedy, what three skills does language learning boost?

Literacy, problem-solving, and academic performance

g. Is the following statement true or false? Languages are the only learning area in the school curriculum that are not compulsory.

True

h. According to the Ministry of Education, what should all schools be working towards?

They should be working towards offering students in years 7-10 opportunities to learn a second language.