Side-by-Side

The Competition

Two students hold a conversation about any topic, using familiar language that has been explored during Languages lessons. The conversation must be filmed as one take (i.e. no pausing or editing), which can be done using a device such as a tablet/smartphone and the assistance of a tripod or an additional person filming. Props and/or pictures can be used to add interest. 

The conversation needs to be spontaneous and should sound as natural as possible. This is an opportunity for students to apply the language structures that have been practiced previously, but in a slightly different context/with a different speaker/unpredictable question order. Language fillers, error correction, survival phrases and repair strategies are allowed and tolerated in order to sustain interaction. Access to written notes is not permitted. Emphasis should be on meaning making and language fluency, rather than language accuracy. The task should be student led and teachers act only as facilitators by providing suggested scenarios/contexts. The Side-by-Side conversation should be completed at school and teachers may allocate time for students to plan scenarios and useful language during class. Suggested scenarios:

  • Two students at the park or in the garden, exchange information about their interests and leisure activities.
  • Two students are sitting at the table, eating their dinner. They exchange information about the meal and food preferences.
  • Two students are playing a board game or doing a puzzle. They interact while playing and exchange information about the game or puzzle.
  • Two students are sitting in the lounge room and about to watch TV. They discuss the program options and their viewing preferences.
  • Two students are at home and are discussing the plans for the weekend. They exchange suggestions about what they would like to do and come to an agreement for the plans – what, where and when.

Time limits for each category:

  • Years PP – 2:               30 seconds
  • Years 3 and 4:             40 seconds
  • Years 5 and 6:             60 seconds
  • Years 7 and 8:             90 seconds
  • Years 9 and 10:           2 minutes
  • Years 11 and 12:         3 minutes


Eligibility

Second language learners. Students must be attending a Western Australian school. The students’ teacher/s must be members of the MLTAWA.

Categories / Languages

Categories: Years PP-12

Language categories: Arabic, Auslan, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Aboriginal Languages and Spanish.

Teachers/schools can only submit one entry for each language and year category.

Prizes

Participating teachers conduct the competition within their school and determine one winner per year level that has undertaken the competition. Prizes will be awarded to each winner selected by the teacher.

Years 3-12 winners will be invited to attend an event on Thursday 17 October 2024 to perform their conversation live. A panel of judges will determine the medal winner for each year level. If there are more than five entries per year level across all languages, then the MLTAWA Committee will select the five finalists who will perform live. Judges’ decisions are final.

Videos of the winning submissions may be screened at future MLTAWA events and/or posted on the MLTAWA website, MLTAWA YouTube channel and the MLTAWA Facebook page.

Judging criteria

Each submission will be judged on:

  • Language deployment; i.e. spoken spontaneously and naturally
  • Sustained interaction in the target language for no longer than the allocated time limit
  • Fluency; i.e. the ability to maintain a flow, even if it requires use of repair strategies (e.g. “what I meant was”), survival phrases (e.g. “Sorry, could you repeat that?”) and fillers (e.g. “Um …”)
  • Pronunciation and intonation

Each submission is judged on the language skills of both participants.

Submission process

Teachers/schools make the submissions. Submissions must be in a .M4V, .MP4, .mov or .avi format and uploaded to the submission page. The submission page is only accessible to MLTAWA members, so please log-in to submit your entries.

Submissions must be accompanied by a scanned copy of a signed Declaration Form for each student appearing in the videos. The declaration forms can also be uploaded to the submission page.

All competition submissions are bound by the MLTAWA competition Terms and Conditions.

Key Dates

2 August 2024              Side by Side  Competition launched

23 September 2024     Side by Side Competition submissions due

7 October 2024            Winners/Finalists notified and invited to attend the MLTAWA event

17 October 2024          Teachers collect their prizes and certificates at the MLTAWA Competitions’ Awards
Ceremony. Years 3-12 winners perform a conversation at the event.