This chapter deals with public health and pandemic preparedness. It recognises the five stages of a new pandemic (detection, assessment, treatment, escalation and recovery). The chapter also deals with the issue of laboratory preparedness and the need to maintain a critical mass of laboratory and skilled staff expertise at all times in order to be able to respond rapidly and effectively to a new emerging pandemic.

Chapter 4 introduces the core of the proposal, namely the Interactional Spine Hypothesis, which provides a framework within which to analyze interactional language. The chapter begins by introducing the empirical phenomena to be addressed, namely confirmationals and response markers, and further introduces the analytical, theoretical, and methodological problems raised by these forms of interactional language. It show how the universal spine, which regulates propositional language, can be extended to incorporate the functions of interactional language, namely establishing common ground (grounding) as well as regulating turn-taking (responding). It is further shown that to understand interactional language one has to differentiate between those aspects of interaction that are regulated by grammatical means and those that come about via inferencing, which themselves are based on assumptions about the normal course of a conversation. Finally, it is shown that the study of interactional language requires a mix of methodologies in order to accommodate the role of context.

Dance – often left to specialists outside the classroom – is a means by which children can explore the world through their whole bodies. For many learners who lack the ability or the interest to pursue more academic subjects, this is where they need to be given opportunities to demonstrate their potential for success.

This chapter will focus on forms and skills of dance and movement, methods for engaging children and the theoretical knowledge behind dance, as well as practical activities to use in the early childhood and primary classrooms. Linking to other Knowledge Learning Areas, as well as to wider school and curricular issues, this chapter aims to equip both the novice and the experienced educator in dance to confidently and knowledgeably facilitate the learning and development of children. Personal and environmental health and safety issues will also be explored.