Career Journey
 

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 and his most recent position of responsibility in a school was that of Coordinator of Professional Development at Trinity Grammar School, Kew. Currently he is engaged as a sessional lecturer at Melbourne University, lecturing in the methodology of teaching Languages (other than English) to pre-service teachers. Andrew has a strong academic background. The research for his Master of Education (1995-8) was into the acquisition of German word-order rules.

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Andrew’s professional interests and particular areas of expertise include:

 

• Professional Learning for Languages Teachers (pre-service, Graduate and experienced)

• School Drama/Musical Productions (Direction, Set Design and Producing)

• the use of Drama and ICT in the learning of Languages

• the German language (tutoring, specialising in the VCE and adults)

• Boys’ Education

• Student Exchange

• Vocational Education and Training - Applied Language.

 

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.

 

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. 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 Asia Education Foundation worked in partnership with the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teacher Associations to carry out this project. Andrew also managed the second National Seminar on Languages Education associated with the National Plan, held in Melbourne at the end of November 2007. Andrew has also worked as a Project Director (Languages Proficiency Testing) for the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). 

Andrew has been very active for over 20 years with the Association of German Teachers of Victoria, including seven years as president, and also with the Network of Australian Teachers of German since its inception in 2002.

 

Andrew has just retired as Treasurer of the Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria, having been President and Immediate Past-President for 11 years, and one year respectively. 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 was 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 which exist in Victoria.