LETTER: Speaking in tongues | Auckland Opinion | Local Voices from Auckland, New Zealand

I enjoyed Joanna Davies' article Speaking in Tongues and commend her for the variety of voices represented in it.
She is also to be applauded for spending time in an active primary language classroom and seeing  the success that Señora Vincent and her students are having as they learn Spanish through meaningful contexts throughout the year.
It is a pity, however, that the blurb under the heading might mislead readers. Professor Rod Ellis is quoted as saying  the "taster variety" of courses are a waste of time. This should not be interpreted as saying  primary school-age students and teachers are wasting their time in learning/teaching languages. 
My current research on the teaching and learning of languages at pre-secondary school level shows that well over half the teachers in these settings have completed some university study in the language they are teaching, a third have had in-country experiences and almost all have accessed a range of support in professional learning.
NZALT supports the endeavours of the Ministry of Education in the  opportunities it offers teachers of languages. [It also] seeks to ensure that its members have choice in the provisions on offer and that it is consulted over key  decisions around the teaching and learning of languages in the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.
Adèle Scott
President
NZ Association of Language Teachers