Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

To be eligible for an ELTF Award an applicant must:

• be an Australian citizen or have permanent resident status in Australia;
  
• be of good character and conduct;
  
• be currently employed as a teacher in an Australian primary or secondary school for the year, in an ongoing part-time or full-time position and is teaching the language of the nominated study program;
  
• have the written support of his/her school principal;
  
• provide certified documentary evidence of his/her Australian citizenship or permanent resident status in Australia; and
  
• not have participated in an ELTF program previously.

The 2009 ELTF Awards will be offered to practising language teachers of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Indonesian.

To submit an application for the 2009 ELTF Awards, complete the application form and forward the signed original of the completed application together with four copies, each with supporting documentation, to the ELTF Coordinator in your State/Territory.  Applications must include you school principal’s endorsement.

Application forms and ELTF Coordinator contact details are contained in the Application Pack.    (1.6 MB)

The deadline for applications is 5.00 pm Friday 6 June 2008 in each State/Territory. Applications that are not received at the offices of the State/Territory ELTF Coordinator by this deadline may not be accepted.

Each overseas in-country study program will include costs of international return air travel (economy class), mid-range twin-share accommodation and/or home stays, some meals (as advised in briefing materials), language tuition fees and field trip costs. 

The onshore Bahasa Indonesia study program in Darwin will include costs of return domestic air travel (economy class), mid-range twin-share accommodation or equivalent, some meals, language study program fees and field trip costs.

Domestic travel will be covered for awardees who are residing 250km or more from a major (capital city) airport.

Awardees will be responsible for the costs of some meals and tips, their own out-of-pocket expenses such as laundry, telephone and Internet, travel and medical insurance, health checks and inoculations, visa fees and other incidentals (as advised in pre-departure briefings).

It is a requirement that all ELTF awardees have valid comprehensive insurance for the entire duration of the study program, covering expenses that may arise in connection with injury or illness (including any pre-existing medical condition), emergency repatriation costs, personal liability, loss of or damage to personal effects, cancellation, and additional expenses incurred that relate to any of the above risks.

The awardees will be teachers of the target language of the nominated ELTF study program, and will come from a mix of education sectors and primary and secondary schools across Australia.  For programs to China, Japan, Jordan, Korea and the Bahasa Indonesia Program in Darwin, the awardees will also include trainee language teachers from universities across Australia.

Each study program will be assigned a group leader who will accompany and work with awardees to support and extend their learning, thereby ensuring that awardees gain the most from their experience. Group leaders will also assist in managing program logistics, finances, liaison with program deliverers and travel providers, to assist in the smooth running of the program.

Family members and partners are not permitted to accompany awardees on the program.

No.  Awardees will be provided with a schedule of activities by November 2008. The ELTF study programs are designed to maximise opportunities for awardees to improve their language skills and cultural knowledge, and group activities are a feature.

Awardees will have limited time off between language classes and organised group activities.

The language study component of the overseas in-country study programs will focus primarily on improving awardees’ proficiency in the language, not on teaching methodologies.  The language study programs will be conducted at language training institutions with experience in delivering similar programs to language teachers from Australia or other countries.

The Bahasa Indonesia program will focus on strengthening language proficiency with opportunity to explore teaching methodology for Indonesian language programs in Australian schools.  Indonesian language specialists, including Indonesian native speakers, will be integral to the program and awardees will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language through day-to-day interactions in a range of activities. 

Awardees will be provided with a full briefing prior to commencement of the program. Awardees are expected to read all information on the itinerary, program organisation and country background provided, and participate in comprehensive briefings and opportunities to network with other awardees via e-mail discussion groups and a teleconference.

Due to ongoing difficulties with travelling to Indonesia, the Bahasa Indonesia immersion program is held in Darwin.  Awardees in this Bahasa Indonesia program held in Australia will be allowed to apply in the future should an overseas in-country ELTF Indonesian Language study program be offered.

It is anticipated successful applicants will be announced in September 2008.

Detailed information on the ELTF Awards is contained in the Application Pack    (1.6 MB). For further information please contact the ELTF Coordinator in your state or

territory: