Chinese Language Teacher’s Assistant Programme
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE
Support the learning of Mandarin in NZ schools with local resources
In 2020, the Local Chinese Language Teacher Assistants (LTA) programme was introduced to schools as an alternative option to the MLA programme, which was suspended due to Covid border restrictions. The LTA programme recruited local personnel to support NZ Chinese language programmes in schools.
In the absence of Mandarin Language Assistants due to Covid border restrictions, the Confucius Institute in Auckland looked at ways to continue supporting Chinese language programmes in NZ schools. As an alternative and to utilise local resources, the Institute introduced the Chinese Language Teacher’s Assistant (LTA) programme to provide annual grants of up to $10,000 for the costs of a Chinese Language Assistant to support Chinese in schools.
The grants were open to CI’s network schools only, including Confucius and Chinese Classrooms, in the Auckland, Northland and Waikato regions. With the grants, the schools could recruit someone from their local community and/or contacts who they thought would be suitable. The LTA was to assist Chinese language programmes only – NOT for other school programmes eg ESOL.
Although the LTA programme was first introduced as an immediate alternative in the absence of the MLA programme, it proved to be a successful model to utilise local resources in maintaining, and even raising, the quality of Chinese language provision in NZ schools. With the MLAs now able to enter New Zealand, CI has suspended LTA grants to schools, and now offer the MLA programme only.
For Expressions of Interest for Mandarin Language Assistants 2024, visit MLA Programme for more information and online form.