The proficiency strands understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning are an integral part of mathematics content across the three content strands: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability. The proficiencies reinforce the significance of working mathematically within the content and describe how the content is explored or developed. They provide the language to build in the developmental aspects of the learning of mathematics. The achievement standards reflect the content and encompass the proficiencies.

At this year level:

• understanding includes connecting number representations with number sequences, partitioning and combining numbers flexibly, representing unit fractions, using appropriate language to communicate times, and identifying environmental symmetry;
• fluency includes recalling multiplication facts, using familiar metric units to order and compare objects, identifying and describing outcomes of chance experiments, interpreting maps and communicating positions;
• problem-solving includes formulating and modelling authentic situations involving planning methods of data collection and representation, making models of three-dimensional objects and using number properties to continue number patterns;
• reasoning includes using generalising from number properties and results of calculations, comparing angles and creating and interpreting variations in the results of data collections and data displays.

Number and place value

Investigate the conditions required for a number to be odd or even and identify odd and even numbers.

Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 10 000,

Apply place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to at least 10 000 to assist calculations and solve problems.

Recognise and explain the connection between addition and subtraction.

Recall addition facts for single-digit numbers and related subtraction facts to develop increasingly efficient mental strategies for computation.

Recall multiplication facts of two, three, five and ten and related division facts.

Represent and solve problems involving multiplication using efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital technologies.

Fractions and decimals

Model and represent unit fractions including 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 and their multiples to a complete whole.

Money and financial mathematics

Represent money values in multiple ways and count the change required for simple transactions to the nearest five cents.

Patterns and algebra

Describe, continue, and create number patterns resulting from performing addition or subtraction.

Using units of measurement

Measure, order and compare objects using familiar metric units of length, mass and capacity.

Tell time to the minute and investigate the relationship between units of time.

Shape

Make models of three-dimensional objects and describe key features.

Location and transformation

Create and interpret simple grid maps to show position and pathways.

Identify symmetry in the environment.

Geometric reasoning

Identify angles as measures of turn and compare angle sizes in everyday situations.

Chance

Conduct chance experiments, identify and describe possible outcomes and recognise variation in results.

Data representation and interpretation

Identify questions or issues for categorical variables. Identify data sources and plan methods of data collection and recording.

Collect data, organise into categories and create displays using lists, tables, picture graphs and simple column graphs, with and without the use of digital technologies.

Interpret and compare data displays.

By the end of Year 3, students recognise the connection between addition and subtraction and solve problems using efficient strategies for multiplication. They model and represent unit fractions. They represent money values in various ways. Students identify symmetry in the environment. They match positions on maps with given information. Students recognise angles in real situations. They interpret and compare data displays.

Students count to and from 10 000. They classify numbers as either odd or even. They recall addition and multiplication facts for single-digit numbers. Students correctly count out change from financial transactions. They continue number patterns involving addition and subtraction. Students use metric units for length, mass and capacity. They tell time to the nearest minute. Students make models of three-dimensional objects. Students conduct chance experiments and list possible outcomes. They conduct simple data investigations for categorical variables.

The science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour strands are described across a two-year band. In their planning, schools and teachers refer to the expectations outlined in the achievement standard and also to the content of the science understanding strand for the relevant year level to ensure that these two strands are addressed over the two-year period. The three strands of the curriculum are interrelated and their content is taught in an integrated way. The order and detail in which the content descriptions are organised into teaching and learning programs are decisions to be made by the teacher.

Incorporating the key ideas of science

Over Years 3 to 6, students develop their understanding of a range of systems operating at different time and geographic scales.

In Year 3, students observe heat and its effects on solids and liquids and begin to develop an understanding of energy flows through simple systems. In observing day and night, they develop an appreciation of regular and predictable cycles. Students order their observations by grouping and classifying; in classifying things as living or non-living they begin to recognise that classifications are not always easy to define or apply. They begin to quantify their observations to enable comparison, and learn more sophisticated ways of identifying and representing relationships, including the use of tables and graphs to identify trends. They use their understanding of relationships between components of simple systems to make predictions.

Biological sciences

Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things.

Chemical sciences

A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat.

Earth and space sciences

Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day.

Physical sciences

Heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one object to another.

Nature and development of science

Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships.

Use and influence of science

Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions.

Questioning and predicting

With guidance, identify questions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge.

Planning and conducting

With guidance, plan and conduct scientific investigations to find answers to questions, considering the safe use of appropriate materials and equipment.

Consider the elements of fair tests and use formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate, to make and record observations accurately.

Processing and analysing data and information

Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends.

Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings.

Evaluating

Reflect on investigations, including whether a test was fair or not.

Communicating

Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings using formal and informal representations.

By the end of Year 3, students use their understanding of the movement of Earth, materials and the behaviour of heat to suggest explanations for everyday observations. They group living things based on observable features and distinguish them from non-living things. They describe how they can use science investigations to respond to questions.

Students use their experiences to identify questions and make predictions about scientific investigations. They follow procedures to collect and record observations and suggest possible reasons for their findings, based on patterns in their data. They describe how safety and fairness were considered and they use diagrams and other representations to communicate their ideas.

Diverse communities and places and the contribution people make

The Year 3 curriculum focuses on the diversity of people and places in their local community and beyond, and how people participate in their communities. Students study how places are represented geographically and how communities express themselves culturally and through civic participation. Opportunities are provided to learn about diversity within their community, including the Country/Place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and about other communities in Australia and neighbouring countries. Students compare the climates, settlement patterns and population characteristics of places, and how these affect communities, past and present. Students examine how individuals and groups celebrate and contribute to communities in the past and present, through establishing and following rules, decision-making, participation and commemoration.

The content provides opportunities for students to develop humanities and social sciences understanding through key concepts including significance; continuity and change; cause and effect; place and space; interconnections; roles, rights and responsibilities; and perspectives and action. These concepts may provide a focus for inquiries and be investigated across sub-strands or within a particular sub-strand context.

The content at this year level is organised into two strands: knowledge and understanding, and inquiry and skills. The knowledge and understanding strand draws from three sub-strands: history, geography and civics and citizenship. These strands (knowledge and understanding, and inquiry and skills) are interrelated and have been developed to be taught in an integrated way, which may include integrating with content from the sub-strands and from other learning areas, and in ways that are appropriate to specific local contexts. The order and detail in which they are taught are programming decisions.

Inquiry Questions

A framework for developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills is provided by inquiry questions. The following inquiry questions allow for connections to be made across the sub-strands and may be used or adapted to suit local contexts: inquiry questions are also provided for each sub-strand that may enable connections within the humanities and social sciences learning area or across other learning areas:

• How do symbols, events, individuals and places in my community make it unique?
• How do people contribute to their communities, past and present?
• What events do different people and groups celebrate and commemorate and what does this tell us about our communities?

Questioning

Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues.

Researching

Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations.

Record, sort and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions.

Sequence information about people’s lives and events.

Analysing

Examine information to identify different points of view and distinguish facts from opinions.

Interpret data and information displayed in different formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns.

Evaluating and reflecting

Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data.

Interact with others with respect to share points of view.

Reflect on learning to propose actions in response to an issue or challenge and consider possible effects of proposed actions.

Communicating

Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms.

Concepts for developing understanding

The content in the history sub-strand provides opportunities for students to develop historical understanding through key concepts including sources, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy and significance. The Year 3 curriculum provides a study of identity and diversity in their local community and beyond, past and present. Students develop understandings about the heritage of their local area (sources, continuity and change), including the importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples (significance, perspectives, empathy), and how and why their community has changed (continuity and change, cause and effect). Students explore the historical features and diversity of their community as represented in individuals and their contributions, symbols and emblems of significance (significance) and the different celebrations and commemorations, locally and in other places around the world (significance, perspectives, empathy).

Inquiry Questions

• Who lived here first and how do we know?
• How has our community changed? What features have been lost and what features have been retained?
• What is the nature of the contribution made by different groups and individuals in the community?
• How and why do people choose to remember significant events of the past?

The importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples who belong to a local area.

How the community has changed and remained the same over time and the role that people of diverse backgrounds have played in the development and character of the local community.

Days and weeks celebrated or commemorated in Australia (including Australia Day, Anzac Day, and National Sorry Day) and the importance of symbols and emblems.

Celebrations and commemorations in places around the world (for example, Chinese New Year in countries of the Asia region, Bastille Day in France, Independence Day in the USA), including those that are observed in Australia (for example, Christmas Day, Diwali, Easter, Hanukkah, the Moon Festival and Ramadan).

Concepts for developing understanding

The content in the geography sub-strand provides opportunities to develop students’ understanding of place, space, environment and interconnection. Students develop an understanding of the similarities and differences between places within and outside Australia through a study of their environmental and human characteristics (place). They examine climate (environment) and the types of settlements (space) in Australia, the Country/Place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and Australia’s neighbouring countries (place). Students come to understand how people feel about and care for places (place, environment, interconnection). Students’ mental maps further develop through learning about the representation of Australia and the location of Australia’s neighbouring countries (place).

Inquiry Questions

• What are the main natural and human features of Australia?
• How and why are places similar and different?
• What would it be like to live in a neighbouring country?

The representation of Australia as states and territories and as Countries/Places of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples; and major places in Australia, both natural and human.

The location of Australia’s neighbouring countries and the diverse characteristics of their places.

The main climate types of the world and the similarities and differences between the climates of different places.

The similarities and differences between places in terms of their type of settlement, demographic characteristics and the lives of the people who live there, and people’s perceptions of these places.

History Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 3, students identify individuals, events and aspects of the past that have significance in the present. They identify and describe aspects of their community that have changed and remained the same over time. They identify the importance of different celebrations and commemorations for different groups.

Students sequence information about events and the lives of individuals in chronological order. They pose questions about the past and locate and collect information from sources (written, physical, visual, oral) to answer these questions. They analyse information to identify a point of view. Students develop texts, including narrative accounts, using terms denoting time.

Geography Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 3, students describe the location of the states and territories of Australia, the location of selected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Countries/Places and selected countries neighbouring Australia. They describe the characteristics of different places at local scales and identify and describe similarities and differences between the characteristics of these places. They identify connections between people and the characteristics of places and recognise that people have different perceptions of places.

Students pose geographical questions and locate and collect information from different sources to answer these questions. They record and represent data in tables and simple graphs and the location of places and their characteristics on labelled maps that use the cartographic conventions of legend, title and north point. They describe the location of places and their features using simple grid references and cardinal compass points. Students interpret geographical data to identify and describe distributions and draw conclusions. They present findings using simple geographical terminology in a range of texts. They reflect on their learning to suggest individual action in response to a geographical challenge.

In the Australian Curriculum, The Arts is a learning area that draws together related but distinct art forms. While these art forms have close relationships and are often used in interrelated ways, each involves different approaches to arts practices and critical and creative thinking that reflect distinct bodies of knowledge, understanding and skills. The curriculum examines past, current and emerging arts practices in each art form across a range of cultures and places.

The Australian Curriculum: The Arts comprises five subjects:
• Dance • Drama • Media Arts • Music • Visual Arts.

The arts have the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich all students, exciting the imagination and encouraging them to reach their creative and expressive potential. The five arts subjects in the Australian Curriculum provide opportunities for students to learn how to create, design, represent, communicate and share their imagined and conceptual ideas, emotions, observations and experiences.

Rich in tradition, the arts play a major role in the development and expression of cultures and communities, locally, nationally and globally. Students communicate ideas in current, traditional and emerging forms and use arts knowledge and understanding to make sense of their world. The Australian Curriculum: The Arts values, respects and explores the significant contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Australia’s arts heritage and contemporary arts practices through their distinctive ways of representing and communicating knowledge, traditions and experience. In The Arts, students learn as artists and audience through the intellectual, emotional and sensory experiences of the arts. They acquire knowledge, skills and understanding specific to The Arts subjects and develop critical understanding that informs decision-making and aesthetic choices. Through The Arts, students learn to express their ideas, thoughts and opinions as they discover and interpret the world. They learn that designing, producing and resolving their work is as essential to learning in the arts as is creating a finished artwork. Students develop their arts knowledge and aesthetic understanding through a growing comprehension of the distinct and related languages, symbols, techniques, processes and skills of the arts subjects. Arts learning provides students with opportunities to engage with creative industries and arts professionals.

The arts entertain, challenge, provoke responses and enrich our knowledge of self, communities, world cultures and histories. The Arts contribute to the development of confident and creative individuals, nurturing and challenging active and informed citizens. Learning in The Arts is based on cognitive, affective and sensory/kinaesthetic response to arts practices as students revisit increasingly complex content, skills and processes with developing confidence and sophistication across their years of learning.

This rationale is extended and complemented by the specific rationale for each arts subject.

The Australian Curriculum: The Arts aims to develop students’:

• creativity, critical thinking, aesthetic knowledge and understanding about arts practices, through making and responding to artworks with increasing self-confidence;
• arts knowledge and skills to communicate ideas; they value and share their arts and life experiences by representing, expressing and communicating ideas, imagination and observations about their individual and collective worlds to others in meaningful ways;
• use of innovative arts practices with available and emerging technologies, to express and represent ideas, while displaying empathy for multiple viewpoints;
• understanding of Australia’s histories and traditions through the arts, engaging with the artworks and practices, both traditional and contemporary, of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples;
• understanding of local, regional and global cultures, and their arts histories and traditions, through engaging with the worlds of artists, artworks, audiences and arts professions.

These aims are extended and complemented by specific aims for each arts subject.

Year 3 and 4

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Dance, students:

• extend their awareness of the body as they incorporate actions using different body parts, body zones and bases;
• explore and experiment with directions, time, dynamics and relationships using groupings, objects and props;
• extend their fundamental movement skills by adding and combining more complex movements;
• use technical skills including accuracy and awareness of body alignment;
• explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms including shapes and sequences of dances as they make and respond to dance;
• use expressive skills including projection and focus when performing dance for themselves and others.

Skills

Improvise and structure movement ideas for dance sequences using the elements of dance and choreographic devices.

Practise technical skills safely in fundamental movements.

Perform dances using expressive skills to communicate ideas, including telling cultural or community stories.

Identify how the elements of dance and production elements express ideas in dance they make, perform and experience as audience, including exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between dances they make, perform and view. They discuss how they and others organise the elements of dance in dances depending on the purpose.

Students structure movements into dance sequences and use the elements of dance and choreographic devices to represent a story or mood. They collaborate to make dances and perform with control, accuracy, projection and focus.

Years 3 and 4

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Drama, students:

• extend their understanding of role and situation as they offer, accept and extend their ideas in improvisation;
• vary voice and movement to create role when devising drama;
• learn about focus, tension, space and time in their own and others’ drama;
• explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements including voice, movement, situation, time and place, and tension as they make and respond to drama;
• use language and ideas to shape dramatic action;
• use story structures to shape drama for audiences.

Skills

Explore ideas and narrative structures through roles and situations and use empathy in their own improvisations and devised drama.

Use voice, body, movement and language to sustain role and relationships and create dramatic action with a sense of time and place.

Shape and perform dramatic action using narrative structures and tension in devised and scripted drama, including exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drama.

Identify intended purposes and meaning of drama, starting with Australian drama, including drama of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, using the elements of drama to make comparisons.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between drama they make, perform and view. They discuss how they and others organise the elements of drama in their drama.

Students use relationships, tension, time and place and narrative structure when improvising and performing devised and scripted drama. They collaborate to plan, make and perform drama that communicates ideas.

Years 3 and 4

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Media Arts, students:

• extend their understanding of structure, intent, character and settings;
• use composition, sound and technologies;
• consider themselves as audiences and explore other audience groups;
• explore institutions (individuals, communities and organisations) to understand purpose and process when producing media artworks;
• explore meaning and interpretation, and forms and elements including structure, intent, character, settings, composition, time, space and sound as they make and respond to media artworks;
• discuss the ethical behaviour of individuals when producing media artworks for a variety of audiences;
• recognise appropriate and inappropriate use of other people’s images and work in the making of media artworks.

Skills

Investigate and devise representations of people in their community, including themselves, through settings, ideas and story structure in images, sounds and text.

Use media technologies to create time and space through the manipulation of images, sounds and text to tell stories.

Plan, create and present media artworks for specific purposes with awareness of responsible media practice.

Identify intended purposes and meanings of media artworks, using media arts key concepts, starting with media artworks in Australia including media artworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between media artworks they make and view. They discuss how and why they and others use images, sound and text to make and present media artworks.

Students collaborate to use story principles, time, space and technologies to make and share media artworks that communicate ideas to an audience.

Years 3 and 4

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Music, students:

• extend their understanding of the elements of music as they develop their aural skills;
• match pitch and show the direction of a tune with gesture or drawings;
• recognise difference between notes moving by step and by leap;
• recognise and discriminate between rhythm and beat;
• explore meaning and interpretation, forms, and elements including rhythm, pitch, dynamics and expression, form and structure, timbre and texture as they make and respond to music;
• learn to listen as performers and as audience, extending their awareness of themselves and others as performers and as audience.

Skills

Develop aural skills by exploring, imitating and recognising elements of music including dynamics, pitch and rhythm patterns.

Practise singing, playing instruments and improvising music, using elements of music including rhythm, pitch, dynamics and form in a range of pieces, including in music from the local community.

Create, perform and record compositions by selecting and organising sounds, silence, tempo and volume.

Identify intended purposes and meanings as they listen to music using the elements of music to make comparisons, starting with Australian music, including music of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between music they listen to, compose and perform. They discuss how they and others use the elements of music in performance and composition.

Students collaborate to improvise, compose and arrange sound, silence, tempo and volume in music that communicates ideas. They demonstrate aural skills by singing and playing instruments with accurate pitch, rhythm and expression.

Years 3 and 4

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Visual Arts, students:

• extend their awareness of visual conventions, and observe closely visual detail as they use materials, techniques and technologies and processes in visual arts forms;
• explore and experiment with visual conventions such as line, shape, colour and texture to develop an individual approach to a theme or subject matter;
• explore, observe and identify ideas and symbols used and adapted by artists in their artworks as they make and respond to visual arts;
• consider how and why artists, craftspeople and designers realise their ideas through different visual representations, practices, processes and viewpoints.

Skills

Explore ideas and artworks from different cultures and times, including artwork by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to use as inspiration for their own representations.

Use materials, techniques and processes to explore visual conventions when making artworks.

Present artworks and describe how they have used visual conventions to represent their ideas.

Identify intended purposes and meanings of artworks using visual arts terminology to compare artworks, starting with visual artworks in Australia including visual artworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between artworks they make, present and view. They discuss how they and others use visual conventions in artworks.

Students collaborate to plan and make artworks that are inspired by artworks they experience. They use visual conventions, techniques and processes to communicate their ideas.

The Australian Curriculum: Technologies describes two distinct but related subjects:

• Design and Technologies, in which students use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities;
• Digital Technologies, in which students use computational thinking and information systems to define, design and implement digital solutions.

Technologies enrich and impact on the lives of people and societies globally. Australia needs enterprising individuals who can make discerning decisions about the development and use of technologies and who can independently and collaboratively develop solutions to complex challenges and contribute to sustainable patterns of living. Technologies can play an important role in transforming, restoring and sustaining societies and natural, managed and constructed environments.

The Australian Curriculum: Technologies ensures that all students benefit from learning about and working with traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies that shape the world in which we live. By applying their knowledge and practical skills and processes when using technologies and other resources to create innovative solutions, independently and collaboratively, they develop knowledge, understanding and skills to respond creatively to current and future needs.

The practical nature of the Technologies learning area engages students in critical and creative thinking, including understanding interrelationships in systems when solving complex problems. A systematic approach to experimentation, problem-solving, prototyping and evaluation instils in students the value of planning and reviewing processes to realise ideas.

All young Australians should develop capacity for action and a critical appreciation of the processes through which technologies are developed and how technologies can contribute to societies. Students need opportunities to consider the use and impact of technological solutions on equity, ethics, and personal and social values. In creating solutions, as well as responding to the designed world, students consider desirable sustainable patterns of living, and contribute to preferred futures for themselves and others.

This rationale is extended and complemented by specific rationales for each Technologies subject.

The Australian Curriculum: Technologies aims to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:

• investigate, design, plan, manage, create and evaluate solutions;
• are creative, innovative and enterprising when using traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies, and understand how technologies have developed over time;
• make informed and ethical decisions about the role, impact and use of technologies in the economy, environment and society for a sustainable future;
• engage confidently with and responsibly select and manipulate appropriate technologies − materials, data, systems, components, tools and equipment − when designing and creating solutions;
• critique, analyse and evaluate problems, needs or opportunities to identify and create solutions.

These aims are extended and complemented by specific aims for each Technologies subject.

Years 3 and 4

Learning in Design and Technologies builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit, strengthen and extend these as needed.

By the end of Year 4 students will have had the opportunity to create designed solutions at least once in the following technologies contexts: Engineering principles and systems; Food and fibre production and Food specialisations; and Materials and technologies specialisations. Students should have opportunities to experience designing and producing products, services and environments.

In Year 3 and 4 students develop a sense of self and ownership of their ideas and thinking about their peers and communities and as consumers. Students explore and learn to harness their creative, innovative and imaginative ideas and approaches to achieve designed products, services and environments. They do this through planning and awareness of the characteristics and properties of materials and the use of tools and equipment. They learn to reflect on their actions to refine their working and develop their decision-making skills. Students examine social and environmental sustainability implications of existing products and processes to raise awareness of their place in the world. They compare their predicted implications with real-world case studies including those from the Asia region, and recognise that designs and technologies can affect people and their environments. They become aware of the role of those working in design and technologies occupations and how they think about the way a product might change in the future.

Using a range of technologies including a variety of graphical representation techniques to communicate, students clarify and present ideas, for example by drawing annotated diagrams; modelling objects as three-dimensional images from different views by visualising rotating images and using materials. Students recognise techniques for documenting design and production ideas such as basic drawing symbols, and use simple flow diagrams.

Students become aware of the appropriate ways to manage their time and focus. With teacher guidance, they identify and list criteria for success including in relation to preferred futures and the major steps needed to complete a design task. They show an understanding of the importance of planning when designing solutions, in particular when collaborating. Students identify safety issues and learn to follow simple safety rules when producing designed solutions.

Knowledge and Understanding

Recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore factors, including sustainability that impact on the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs.

Investigate how forces and the properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or system.

Investigate food and fibre production and food technologies used in modern and traditional societies.

Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes.

Processes and Production Skills

Critique needs or opportunities for designing and explore and test a variety of materials, components, tools and equipment and the techniques needed to produce designed solutions.

Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques.

Select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and use safe work practices to make designed solutions.

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment.

Plan a sequence of production steps when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students explain how products, services and environments are designed to best meet needs of communities and their environments. They describe contributions of people in design and technologies occupations. Students describe how the features of technologies can be used to produce designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts.

Students create designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts. They explain needs or opportunities and evaluate ideas and designed solutions against identified criteria for success, including environmental sustainability considerations. They develop and expand design ideas and communicate these using models and drawings including annotations and symbols. Students plan and sequence major steps in design and production. They identify appropriate technologies and techniques and demonstrate safe work practices when producing designed solutions.

Years 3 and 4

Learning in Digital Technologies focuses on further developing understanding and skills in computational thinking, such as categorising and outlining procedures; and developing an increasing awareness of how digital systems are used and could be used at home, in school and the local community.

By the end of Year 4, students will have had opportunities to create a range of digital solutions, such as interactive adventures that involve user choice, modelling simplified real world systems and simple guessing games.

In Year 3 and 4, students explore digital systems in terms of their components, and peripheral devices such as digital microscopes, cameras and interactive whiteboards. They collect, manipulate and interpret data, developing an understanding of the characteristics of data and their representation.

Using the concept of abstraction, students define simple problems using techniques such as summarising facts to deduce conclusions. They record simple solutions to problems through text and diagrams and develop their designing skills from initially following prepared algorithms to describing their own that support branching (choice of options) and user input. Their solutions are implemented using appropriate software including visual programming languages that use graphical elements rather than text instructions. They explain, in general terms, how their solutions meet specific needs and consider how society may use digital systems to meet needs in environmentally sustainable ways.

With teacher guidance, students identify and list the major steps needed to complete a task or project. When sharing ideas and communicating in online environments they develop an understanding of why it is important to consider the feelings of their audiences and apply safe practices and social protocols agreed by the class that demonstrate respectful behaviour.

Knowledge and Understanding

Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data.

Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways.

Processes and Production Skills

Collect, access and present different types of data using simple software to create information and solve problems.

Define simple problems, and describe and follow a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve them.

Implement simple digital solutions as visual programs with algorithms involving branching (decisions) and user input.

Explain how student solutions and existing information systems meet common personal, school or community needs.

Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social protocols.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 4, students describe how a range of digital systems (hardware and software) and their peripheral devices can be used for different purposes. They explain how the same data sets can be represented in different ways.

Students define simple problems, design and implement digital solutions using algorithms that involve decision-making and user input. They explain how the solutions meet their purposes. They collect and manipulate different data when creating information and digital solutions. They safely use and manage information systems for identified needs using agreed protocols and describe how information systems are used.

Years 3 and 4

The Year 3 and 4 curriculum further develops students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to their health, wellbeing, safety and participation in physical activity. In these years, students begin to explore personal and social factors that support and contribute to their identities and emotional responses in varying situations. They also develop a further understanding of how their bodies grow and change as they get older.

The content explores knowledge, understanding and skills that supports students to build and maintain respectful relationships, make health-enhancing and safe decisions, and interpret health messages from different sources to take action to enhance their own health and wellbeing.

The curriculum in Years 3 and 4 builds on previous learning in movement to help students develop greater proficiency across the range of fundamental movement skills. Students combine movements to create more complicated movement patterns and sequences. Through participation in a variety of physical activities, students further develop their knowledge about movement and how the body moves. They do this as they explore the features of activities that meet their needs and interests and learn about the benefits of regular physical activity.

The Year 3 and 4 curriculum also gives students opportunities to develop through movement personal and social skills such as leadership, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, persistence and decision-making.

Focus areas to be addressed in Years 3 and 4 include:

• alcohol and other drugs (AD);
• food and nutrition (FN);
• health benefits of physical activity (HBPA);
• mental health and wellbeing (MH);
• relationships and sexuality (RS);
• safety (S);
• active play and minor games (AP);
• challenge and adventure activities (CA);
• fundamental movement skills (FMS);
• games and sports (GS);
• lifelong physical activities (LLPA);
• rhythmic and expressive movement activities (RE).

Being healthy, safe and active

Explore how success, challenge and failure strengthen identities.

Explore strategies to manage physical, social and emotional change.

Describe and apply strategies that can be used in situations that make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Identify and practise strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing.

Communicating and interacting for health and wellbeing

Describe how respect, empathy and valuing diversity can positively influence relationships.

Investigate how emotional responses vary in depth and strength.

Discuss and interpret health information and messages in the media and internet.

Contributing to healthy and active communities

Describe strategies to make the classroom and playground healthy, safe and active spaces.

Participate in outdoor games and activities to examine how participation promotes a connection between the community, natural and built environments, and health and wellbeing.

Research own heritage and cultural identities, and explore strategies to respect and value diversity.

Moving our body

Practise and refine fundamental movement skills in a variety of movement sequences and situations.

Practise and apply movement concepts and strategies with and without equipment.

Understanding movement

Examine the benefits of physical activity to health and wellbeing.

Combine elements of effort, space, time, objects and people when performing movement sequences.

Participate in physical activities from their own and other cultures.

Learning through movement

Adopt inclusive practices when participating in physical activities.

Apply innovative and creative thinking in solving movement challenges.

Apply basic rules and scoring systems, and demonstrate fair play when participating in physical activities.

By the end of Year 4, students recognise strategies for managing change. They identify influences that strengthen identities. They investigate how emotional responses vary and understand how to interact positively with others in a variety of situations. Students interpret health messages and discuss the influences on healthy and safe choices. They understand the benefits of being healthy and physically active. They describe the connections they have to their community and identify local resources to support their health, wellbeing, safety and physical activity.

Students apply strategies for working cooperatively and apply rules fairly. They use decision-making and problem-solving skills to select and demonstrate strategies that help them stay safe, healthy and active. They refine fundamental movement skills and apply movement concepts and strategies in a variety of physical activities and to solve movement challenges. They create and perform movement sequences using fundamental movement skills and the elements of movement.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages is designed to enable all students to engage in learning a language in addition to English. The design of the Australian Curriculum: Languages recognises the features that languages share as well as the distinctiveness of specific languages.

There are aspects of the curriculum that pertain to all languages. The key concepts of language, culture and learning, as described in the Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages, underpin the learning area. They also provide the basis for a common rationale and set of aims for all languages.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages includes language–specific curricula for world languages and a Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages.

Language specificity

The curriculum content and achievement standards are different for each specific language because of inherent differences in the languages themselves.

Each language has its own distinctive structure, systems, conventions for use, related culture(s), place in the Australian and international communities, as well as its own history in Australian education.

Diversity of language learners

Understanding who learners are, as language learners and as young people, is the starting point for developing their language learning. An increasingly varied range of students now study languages in Australian classrooms. The changing pattern of migration to Australia is extending the range of languages students bring with them to school. Education systems seek to provide for this diversity of language background and for the fact that languages classrooms include students with varying degrees of experience of and proficiency in the language being learnt, as well as their particular affiliations with additional languages.

Learners come to learning languages with diverse linguistic, cultural and personal profiles, bringing distinctive biographies which include individual histories; biographies; previous experiences of and relationships with the target language and particular motivations, expectations, and aspirations.

As unique, social and cultural beings, students interpret the world and make sense of their experiences through their own social and cultural traditions, understanding and values.

Learners of languages in Australia comprise three major groups:

• second language learners
• background language learners
• first language learners.

Second language learners are those who are introduced to learning the target language at school as an additional, new language. The first language used before they start school and/or the language they use at home is not the language being learnt.

Background language learners are those who may use the language at home, not necessarily exclusively, and have varying degrees of knowledge of and proficiency in the language being learnt. These learners have a base for literacy development in the language.

First language learners are users of the language being learnt who have undertaken at least primary schooling in the target language. They have had their primary socialisation as well as initial literacy development in that language and use the target language at home. For Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages, first language learners are learners whose primary socialisation is in the language being learnt and who may or may not have yet developed initial literacy.

Within each of these groups, there are differences in proficiency in the language being learnt. It is acknowledged that the span of language experiences of background learners is particularly wide, and learners in this group are likely to have quite diverse affiliations with the target language. Nevertheless, for pragmatic reasons, it is not feasible to identify further groupings.

A framework is being developed for Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages that caters for different learner pathways that also take into account the state of the particular language involved.

Through learning languages, students acquire:

• communication skills in the language being learnt;
• an intercultural capability, and an understanding of the role of language and culture in communication;
• a capability for reflection on language use and language learning.

Language learning provides the opportunity for students to engage with the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world and its peoples, to reflect on their understanding of experience in various aspects of social life, and on their own participation and ways of being in the world.

Learning languages broadens students’ horizons in relation to the personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities that an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world presents. The interdependence of countries and communities means people in all spheres of life are required to negotiate experiences and meanings across languages and cultures. Despite its status as a world language, a capability in English only is no longer sufficient. A bilingual or plurilingual capability is the norm in most parts of the world.

Learning languages:

• extends the capability to communicate and extends literacy repertoires;
• strengthens understanding of the nature of language, of culture, and of the processes of communication;
• develops intercultural capability;
• develops understanding of and respect for diversity and difference, and an openness to different experiences and perspectives;
• develops understanding of how culture shapes worldviews and extends learners’ understanding of themselves, their own heritage, values, culture and identity;
• strengthens intellectual, analytical and reflective capabilities, and enhances creative and critical thinking.

Learning languages also contributes to strengthening the community’s social, economic and international development capabilities. Language capabilities represent linguistic and cultural resources through which the community can engage socially, culturally and economically, in domains which include business, trade, science, law, education, tourism, diplomacy, international relations, health and communications.

Learning Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages meets the needs and rights of young people to learn their own languages and recognises their significance in the language ecology of Australia. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, learning their own languages is crucial to overall learning and achievements, to developing a sense of identity and recognition and understanding of language, culture, Country and Place. For all students, learning Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages provides a distinctive means of understanding the country in which they live, including the relationship between land, the environment and people. The ongoing and necessary reclamation and revitalisation of these languages also contribute to reconciliation.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages aims to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure students:

• communicate in the target language;
• understand language, culture, and learning and their relationship, and thereby develop an intercultural capability in communication;
• understand themselves as communicators.

These three aims are interrelated and provide the basis for the two organising strands: Communicating and Understanding. The three aims are common to all languages.

Language and culture

The interrelationship of language, culture and learning provides the foundation for the Australian Curriculum: Languages.

In the languages learning area the focus is on both language and culture, as students learn to communicate meaningfully across linguistic and cultural systems, and different contexts. This process involves reflection and analysis, as students move between the new language being learnt and their own existing language(s). It is a reciprocal and dynamic process which develops language use within intercultural dimensions of learning experiences. It is not a ‘one plus one’ relationship between two languages and cultures, where each language and culture stay separate and self-contained. Comparison and referencing between (at least) two languages and cultures build understanding of how languages ‘work’, how they relate to each other and how language and culture shape and reflect experience; that is, the experience of language using and language learning. The experience of being in two worlds at once involves noticing, questioning and developing awareness of how language and culture shape identity.

Learner background and time-on-task are two major variables that influence language learning and they provide the basis for the structure of the Australian Curriculum: Languages. These variables are addressed through the specification of content and the description of achievement standards according to pathways and learning sequences respectively.

Pathways

In the Australian Curriculum: Languages, pathways for second language learners, background language learners and first language learners have been developed as appropriate to cater for the dominant group(s) of students learning each specific language within the current Australian context. For the majority of languages, one curriculum pathway has been developed for Years F–10, catering for the dominant cohort of learners for that language in the current Australian context. For Chinese, pathways have been developed for three learner groups: first language learners, background language learners and second language learners.

The Framework for Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages includes three learner pathways:

• first language learner pathway;
• revival language learner pathway;
• second language learner pathway.

Sequences of learning

The design of the Australian Curriculum: Languages takes account of different entry points into language learning across Foundation – Year 10, which reflects current practice in languages.

For the second language learner pathway and the background language learner pathway, there are two learning sequences:

• Foundation–Year 10 sequence;
• Years 7–10 (Year 7 Entry) sequence.

For the first language learner pathway, there is one learning sequence:

• Years 7–10 (Year 7 Entry) sequence.

Content and achievement standards are described initially in a three-year band for Foundation–Year 2 followed by two-year bands of learning: Years 3–4; Years 5–6, Years 7–8 and Years 9–10.

The Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages is written in the bands Foundation – Year 2, Years 3–6 and Years 7–10. In the absence of pedagogical evidence across the country for all these languages, the broader band distinctions provide maximum local flexibility in curriculum development.

Content structure

The content of the Australian Curriculum: Languages is organised through two interrelated strands which realise the three aims. The two strands are:

• Communicating: using language for communicative purposes in interpreting, creating and exchanging meaning;
• Understanding: analysing language and culture as a resource for interpreting and creating meaning.

The strands reflect three important aspects of language learning:

1) communication.

2) analysis of aspects of language and culture.

3) reflection that involves:

1. reflection on the experience of communicating;

2. reflection on comparative dimensions of the languages available in students’ repertoires (for example, the first language in relation to second language and self in relation to others).

Strands and sub-strands

A set of sub-strands has been identified within each strand, which reflects dimensions of language use and the related content to be taught and learned. The strands and sub-strands do not operate in isolation but are integrated in relation to language use for different purposes in different contexts. The relative contribution of each sub-strand differs for described languages, pathways and bands of learning. The sub-strands are further differentiated according to a set of ‘threads’ that support the internal organisation of content in each sub-strand. These ‘threads’ are designed to capture (1) range and variety in the scope of learning and (2) a means for expressing the progression of content across the learning sequences.

Communicating:

Using language for communicative purposes in interpreting, creating and exchanging meaning:

1.1 Socialising
Interacting orally and in writing to exchange, ideas, opinions, experiences, thoughts and feelings; and participating in planning, negotiating, deciding and taking action.

1.2 Informing
Obtaining, processing, interpreting and conveying information through a range of oral, written and multimodal texts; developing and applying knowledge.

1.3 Creating
Engaging with imaginative experience by participating in, responding to and creating a range of texts, such as stories, songs, drama and music.

1.4 Translating
Moving between languages and cultures orally and in writing, recognising different interpretations and explaining these to others.

1.5 Reflecting
Participating in intercultural exchange, questioning reactions and assumptions; and considering how interaction shapes communication and identity.

Understanding:
Analysing and understanding language and culture as resources for interpreting and shaping meaning in intercultural exchange:

2.1 Systems of language
Understanding language as a system, including sound, writing, grammatical and textual conventions.

2.2 Language variation and change
Understanding how languages vary in use (register, style, standard and non-standard varieties) and change over time and place.

2.3 The role of language and culture
Analysing and understanding the role of language and culture in the exchange of meaning.

ACARA is committed to the development of a high-quality curriculum that promotes excellence and equity in education for all Australian students.

All students are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning programs drawn from the Australian Curriculum: Languages. Teachers take account of the range of their students’ current levels of learning, strengths, goals and interests and make adjustments where necessary. The three-dimensional design of the Australian Curriculum, comprising learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities, provides teachers with flexibility to cater for the diverse needs of students across Australia and to personalise their learning.

More detailed advice for schools and teachers on using the Australian Curriculum to meet diverse learning needs is available under Student Diversity on the Australian Curriculum website.

Students with disability

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require education and training service providers to support the rights of students with disability to access the curriculum on the same basis as students without disability.

Many students with disability are able to achieve educational standards commensurate with their peers, as long as the necessary adjustments are made to the way in which they are taught and to the means through which they demonstrate their learning.

In some cases curriculum adjustments are necessary to provide equitable opportunities for students to access age-equivalent content in the Australian Curriculum: Languages. Teachers can draw from content at different levels along the Foundation to Year 10 sequence. Teachers can also use the extended general capabilities learning continua in Literacy, Numeracy and Personal and social capability to adjust the focus of learning according to individual student need.

English as an additional language or dialect

Languages play a crucial role in the educational experience of students and in the curriculum as a whole. Given the diversity of students in Australian education, it is important to recognise that a range of languages is used either as part of the formal curriculum or as part of learners’ socialisation within and outside the school.

Learners bring their first language or languages as the one(s) they use for their initial socialisation in their family or community. For the majority, this is English. For many, it can be a range of different languages. Learners also encounter the language or languages of instruction at school. For most in Australia, this is English. For many students in Australia, the language of instruction is not the same as their first language. These students may learn through English as an additional language/dialect (EALD) programs.

In contemporary understandings of language acquisition, development and learning all the languages learners experience in their socialisation and education form part of learners’ distinctive linguistic and cultural repertoires. These are variously developed by both the experience of schooling and broader social community experience. These repertoires are an integral part of learners’ identities and what they bring to the learning of additional languages as part of the languages learning area within the school curriculum.

While the curriculum for languages primarily addresses the learning of languages, this learning cannot be separated from the development of learners’ more general communicative repertoires. It is through such a relational and holistic approach to languages education that learners develop their capabilities in knowing and using multiple languages. Learners extend their communicative and conceptual development, learning and identity formation.

In various kinds of bilingual programs, students are afforded an opportunity to learn through the medium of English and another language (learners’ first or additional language). These programs are of particular value in ensuring learners continue to develop at least two languages that are of value to them. They are of value to both their conceptual development and learning and to their identity formation.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities recognise the importance of literacy to their children. They support literacy education programs that are founded on establishing literacy in their children’s first language. These are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages their communities use. Literacy in English is regarded as concomitant on first establishing students’ literacy in their first language. Although most bilingual programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are designed to help students’ transition into learning in English, their fundamental value is in the development of bilingual literacy. Strengthening the bilingual literacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can significantly contribute to improving their overall academic achievement and success.

A national English as an Additional Language or Dialect: Teacher Resource has been developed to support teachers in making the Australian Curriculum: Foundation – Year 10 in each learning area accessible to EALD students.

Gifted and talented students

Teachers can use the Australian Curriculum: Languages flexibly to meet the individual learning needs of gifted and talented students.

Teachers can enrich learning by providing students with opportunities to work with learning area content in more depth or breadth; emphasising specific aspects of the general capabilities learning continua (for example, the higher order cognitive skills of the Critical and creative thinking capability); and/or focusing on cross-curriculum priorities. Teachers can also accelerate student learning by drawing on content from later levels in the Australian Curriculum: Languages and/or from local state and territory teaching and learning materials.

In the Australian Curriculum, general capabilities encompass knowledge, skills, behaviours, and dispositions that, together with curriculum content in each learning area and the cross-curriculum priorities, will enable students to live and work successfully in the 21st century.

There are seven general capabilities:

• literacy;
• numeracy;
• information and communication technology (ICT) capability;
• critical and creative thinking;
• personal and social capability;
• ethical understanding;
• intercultural understanding.

In the Australian Curriculum: Languages, general capabilities are identified wherever they are developed or applied in content descriptions.

They are also identified where they offer opportunities to add depth and richness to student learning through content elaborations. Icons indicate where general capabilities have been identified in languages content. Teachers may find further opportunities to incorporate explicit teaching of the capabilities, depending on their choice of activities.

Literacy

Learning languages develops overall literacy. It is in this sense ‘value added’, strengthening literacy-related capabilities that are transferable across languages, both the language being learnt and all other languages that are part of the learner’s repertoire. Languages learning also strengthens literacy-related capabilities across domains of use, such as the academic domain and the domains of home language use, and across learning areas.

Literacy development involves conscious attention and focused learning. It involves skills and knowledge that need guidance, time and support to develop. These skills include the:

• ability to decode and encode from sound to written systems;
• the learning of grammatical, orthographic and textual conventions;
• development of semantic, pragmatic and interpretative, critical and reflective literacy skills.

Literacy development for second language learners is cognitively demanding. It involves these same elements but often without the powerful support of a surrounding oral culture and context. The strangeness of the additional language requires scaffolding. In the language classroom, analysis is prioritised alongside experience. Explicit, explanatory and exploratory talk around language and literacy is a core element. Learners are supported to develop their own meta–awareness, to be able to think and talk about how the language works and about how they learn to use it. Similarly, for first language learners, literacy development that extends to additional domains and contexts of use requires comparative analysis that extends literacy development in their first language and English.

Numeracy

Learning languages affords opportunities for learners to use the target language to develop skills in numeracy, to understand, analyse, categorise, critically respond to and use mathematics in different contexts. This includes processes such as using and understanding patterns, order and relationships to reinforce concepts such as number, time or space in their own and in others’ cultural and linguistic systems.

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

Learning languages is enhanced through the use of multimodal resources, digital environments and technologies in the target language. Accessing live target language environments and texts via digital media contributes to the development of information technology capabilities as well as linguistic and cultural knowledge. Accessing different real-time contexts extends the boundaries of the classroom.

Critical and creative thinking

In learning a language, students interact with people and ideas from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which enhances critical thinking, reflection and encourages creative, divergent and imaginative thinking. By learning to notice, connect, compare and analyse aspects of the target language, students develop critical, analytic and problem-solving skills.

Personal and social capability

Interacting effectively in an additional language and with people of diverse language backgrounds involves negotiating and interpreting meaning in a range of social and cultural situations. This involves understanding and empathising, which are important elements of social and intercultural competence. Being open-minded and recognising that people view and experience the world in different ways, and learning to interact in a collaborative and respectful manner are key elements of personal and social competence.

Ethical understanding

When learning another language, students are taught explicitly to acknowledge and value difference in their interactions with others and to develop respect for diverse ways of perceiving and acting in the world. Opportunities are provided to monitor and to adjust their own ethical points of view. In learning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, students should consider appropriate ethical behaviour in terms of engaging with the owners and custodians of the languages. Similar consideration is required when interpreting and translating or when collecting and analysing primary research data.

Intercultural understanding

The development of intercultural understanding is a central aim of learning languages, as it is integral to communicating in the context of diversity, the development of global citizenship and lifelong learning. Students bring to their learning various preconceptions, assumptions and orientations shaped by their existing language(s) culture(s) to their learning that can be challenged by the new language experience. Learning to move between the existing and new languages and cultures is integral to language learning and is the key to the development of students’ intercultural capability. By learning a new language, or learning to use an existing language in new domains and contexts, students are able to notice, compare and reflect on things previously taken for granted; to explore their own linguistic, social and cultural practices as well as those associated with the target language. They begin to see the complexity, variability and sometimes the contradictions involved in using language.

Learning a new language does not require forsaking the first language. It is an enriching and cumulative process, which broadens the learners’ communicative repertoire, providing additional resources for interpreting and making meaning. Learners come to realise that interactions between different people through the use of different languages also involves interactions between the different kinds of knowledge, understanding and values that are articulated through language(s) and culture(s). They realise that successful intercultural communication is not only determined by what they do or say, but also by what members of the other language and culture understand from what they say or do.

The Australian Curriculum gives special attention to three cross-curriculum priorities:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures;
• Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia;
• sustainability.

The cross-curriculum priorities are embedded in the curriculum and will have a strong but varying presence depending on their relevance to each of the learning areas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are strong, rich and diverse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is central to this priority. It is intrinsically linked to living and learning in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, deep knowledge of traditions and holistic world view.

A conceptual framework based on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique sense of identity has been developed as a tool for embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures within the Australian curriculum. This sense of identity is approached through the interconnected concepts of Country/Place, people and culture. Embracing these elements enhances all areas of the curriculum.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priority provides opportunities for all learners to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. This knowledge and understanding will enrich their ability to participate positively in the evolving history of Australia.

A direct way of learning about and engaging with diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is to learn an Aboriginal language and/or a Torres Strait Islander language. There is an inseparable connection between Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages and land/sea, Country/Place, the environment, fauna and flora. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures are an integral part of the learning of Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages.

In learning all languages, there is a scope for making interlinguistic and intercultural comparisons across languages, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, to develop understanding of concepts related to the linguistic landscape of Australia and to the concepts of language and culture in general.

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

In the Australian Curriculum: Languages, the cross-curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia enables the development of rich and engaging content and contexts for developing students’ capabilities to engage with the languages and cultures of Asia and of people of Asian heritage within Australia.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages enables students to learn the languages of the Asian region, learning to communicate and interact in interculturally appropriate ways, exploring concepts, experiences and perspectives from within and across Asian cultures.

In the languages learning area, students develop an appreciation for the place of Australia within the Asian region, including the interconnections of languages and cultures, peoples and communities, histories and economies. Students learn how Australia is situated within the Asian region, how our national linguistic and cultural identity is continuously evolving both locally, regionally and within an international context.

Sustainability

In the Australian Curriculum: Languages, the priority of sustainability provides a context for developing students’ capability to communicate ideas, understanding and perspectives on issues and concepts related to the environment.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages contributes to students’ capabilities to investigate, analyse and communicate concepts and understandings related to sustainability in broad contexts, and to advocate, generate and evaluate actions for sustainable futures. Within each language, students engage with a range of texts focused on concepts related to sustainability. These include:

• environment;
• conservation;
• social and political change;
• linguistic and cultural ecologies;
• change, both within the target language and culture, and across languages and cultures in general.

In this way, students develop knowledge, skills and understanding about sustainability within particular cultural contexts. This is crucial in the context of national and international concerns about, for example, climate change, food shortages and alternative ways of caring for land and agriculture. Through developing a capability to interact with others, negotiating meaning and mutual understanding respectfully and reflecting on communication, students learn to live and work in ways that are both productive and sustainable.

Learning Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages contributes to the global effort to exchange knowledge among people with varied practices in caring for the land. It also contributes to the reconciliation process in Australia and goals for language revival.

Accent

A manner of pronunciation of a language which marks speakers as belonging to identifiable categories such as geographical or ethnic origin, social class or generation.

Accent marks

Marks placed on a letter to indicate pronunciation, stress or intonation, or to indicate a different meaning or different grammatical usage for the word within which they appear. For example, résumé, piñata, ou/où.

Accuracy

Production of structurally correct forms of the target language.

Adjective

A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. For example, astonishing in an astonishing discovery.

Adverb

A word class that may modify or qualify a verb, an adjective or another adverb. For example, beautifully in she sings beautifully; really in he is really interesting; very and slowly in she walks very slowly.

Adverbial

A word or group of words that functions as an adverb.

Aesthetic

Relates to a sense of beauty or appreciation of artistic expression.

Alliteration

A recurrence of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close succession (for example, ripe, red raspberry)

Audience

Intended readers, listeners or viewers.

Authentic (texts/materials)

Texts or materials produced for ‘real-life’ purposes and contexts as opposed to being created specifically for learning tasks or language practice.

Author

A composer or originator of a work (for example, a novel, film, website, speech, essay, autobiography).

Bilingualism

An ability to use two or more languages.

Biography

A detailed account of an individual’s life; a text genre that lends itself to different modes of expression and construction. In the context of intercultural language learning, the concept of biography can be considered in relation to identity, to the formation of identity over time, and to the understanding that language is involved in the shaping and expressing of identity.

Character components

Individual elements of a written character which have a separate linguistic identity.

Characters

(i) graphic symbols used in writing in some languages
(ii) assumed roles in dramatic performance

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains a subject and a predicate (verb) and expresses the complete proposition.

CLIL

Content and language integrated learning. An approach to learning content through an additional language.

Code-switching

A use of more than one language in a single utterance. For example, Papa, can you buy me a panini, please? A common feature of bilingual and multilingual language use.

Cognates

Similar or identical words which have shared origins. For example, father (English), Vater (German) and pater (Latin) have a shared origin. Gratitude (English) and gratitud (Spanish) are both derived from gratitudo (Latin). English ship and skiff share the same Germanic origin.

Cohesion

Grammatical or lexical relationships that bind different parts of a text together and give it unity. Cohesion is achieved through various devices such as connectives, ellipses and word associations. These associations include synonyms, antonyms (for example, study/laze about, ugly/beautiful), repetition (for example, work, work, work – that’s all we do!) and collocation (for example, friend and pal in, My friend did me a big favour last week. She’s been a real pal.)

Collocation

Words that typically occur in close association and in particular sequence. For example, salt and pepper rather than pepper and salt and ladies and gentlemen rather than gentlemen and ladies.

Communication

A mutual and reciprocal exchange of meaning.

Communicative competence

An acquired capability to understand and interact in context using the target language (TL). Defined by the use of appropriate phonological, lexical, grammatical, sociolinguistic and intercultural elements.

Complex sentence

A sentence with more than one clause. In the following examples, the subordinate clauses are indicated by square brackets: I took my umbrella [because it was raining]; The man [who came to dinner] is my brother.

Complexity

A degree to which language use is complex as opposed to simple. Elements of language complexity include:

Composing

A process of producing written, spoken, graphic, visual or multi-modal texts. It includes:
It also includes applying knowledge and control of language forms, features and structures required to complete the task.

Compound sentence

A sentence with two or more main clauses of equal grammatical status, usually marked by a coordinating conjunction such as or, and, but. In the following examples, the main clauses are indicated by square brackets: [Alice came home this morning] [but she didn’t stay long]. [Kim is an actor], [Pat is a teacher], [and Sam is an architect].

Comprehension strategies

Strategies and processes used by listeners, readers and viewers of text to understand and make meaning. These include:
making hypotheses based on illustrations or text layout:

• drawing on language knowledge and experience (for example, gender forms);
• listening for intonation or expression cues;
• interpreting grapho-phonic, semantic and syntactic cues.

Comprehension/comprehending

An active process of making/constructing/deciphering meaning of language input through listening, reading, viewing, touching (as in braille) and combinations of these modes. It involves different elements: decoding, working out meaning, evaluating and imagining. The process draws upon the learner’s existing knowledge and understanding, text–processing strategies and capabilities; for example, inferencing or applying knowledge of text types and social and cultural resources.

Concrete language

A language used to refer to the perceptible and material world and to particular persons, places and objects. For example, school, girl; as opposed to abstract language, used to refer to ideas or concepts removed from the material world such as peace, kindness, beauty.

Conjunction

A part of speech that signals relationships between people, things, events, ideas. For example, Sophie and her mother might come and visit, or they might stay at home. The conjunction and links the two participants, while or links alternative options.

Content

A subject matter used as a vehicle for language learning.

Context

An environment and circumstances in which a text is created or interpreted. Context can include the general social, historical and cultural conditions in which a text exists or the specific features of its immediate environment, such as participants, roles, relationships and setting. The term is also used to refer to the wording surrounding an unfamiliar word that a reader or listener uses to understand its meaning.

Convention

An accepted language or communicative practice that has developed and become established over time. For example, use of punctuation or directionality.

Create

Develop and/or produce spoken, written or multimodal texts in print or digital forms.

Cues

Sources of information used to facilitate comprehension of language, that may be visual, grammatical, gestural or contextual.

Culture

In earlier models of language teaching and learning, culture was represented as a combination of literary and historical resources, and visible, functional aspects of a community group’s way of life such as food, celebrations and folklore. While these elements of culture are parts of cultural experience and organisation, current orientations to language teaching and learning employ a less static model of culture. Culture is understood as a framework in which things come to be seen as having meaning. It involves the lens through which:

• people see, think, interpret the world and experience;
• make assumptions about self and others;
• understand and represent individual and community identity.

Culture involves understandings about ‘norms’ and expectations, which shape perspectives and attitudes. It can be defined as social practices, patterns of behaviour, and organisational processes and perspectives associated with the values, beliefs and understandings shared by members of a community or cultural group. Language, culture and identity are understood to be closely interrelated and involved in the shaping and expression of each other. The intercultural orientation to language teaching and learning is informed by this understanding.

De-centre

A capacity to step outside familiar frames of reference, to consider alternative views, experiences and perspectives and to look critically and objectively at one’s own linguistic and cultural behaviour.

Decode

A process of working out the meaning of a text. Decoding strategies involve readers/listeners/viewers drawing on contextual, lexical, alphabetic, grammatical and phonic knowledge to decipher meaning. Readers who decode effectively combine these forms of knowledge fluently and automatically, using meaning to recognise when they make an error and to self-correct.

Dialect

A variant of a language that is characteristic of a region or social group.

Diaspora

A scattered population with a common origin in a smaller geographical area.

Digital media

Various platforms via which people communicate electronically.

Digital texts

Audio, visual or multimodal texts produced through digital or electronic technology. They may be interactive and include animations or hyperlinks. Examples of digital texts include DVDs, websites and e-literature.

Digraph

Two letters that represent a single sound:

• vowel digraphs have two vowels (for example, ‘oo’, ‘ea’);
• consonant digraphs have two consonants (for example, ‘sh’, ‘th’).

Dipthongs

Two vowel sounds pronounced in a single syllable with the individual vowel sounds distinguished. (For example, hour)

Directionality

A direction in which writing/script occurs, for example, from left to right, right to left.

Encode

A process of changing spoken language into symbols of written/digital language.

Enunciation

A clear and distinct pronunciation of language.

Face

A ‘socio-dynamic’ term which concerns self-delineated worth that comes from knowing one’s status. Relates to concepts such as reputation, self-respect, honour and prestige. A key element of social relations in Chinese, Japanese and many other cultures.

Filler

A sound or word used in spoken conversation to signal a pause, hesitation or unfinished contribution. For example, I went to the station…er… then I caught a train… Frequent use of fillers characterises early stages of second language (L2) development, but proficient speakers and first language (L1) speakers also use them as an opportunity to reflect or recast.

Fluency

An ability to produce spoken or written language with appropriate phrasing, rhythm and pace. It involves the smooth flow of language, lack of hesitation or undue pausing and characterises the largely accurate use and automation of the target language.

Form-focused learning activities

Activities designed to rehearse, practise, control and demonstrate particular language structures, forms or features. For example, drills, rehearsed role plays/dialogues, games and songs, set sequences of language patterns.

Formulaic language

Words or expressions which are commonly used in fixed patterns and learned as such without grammatical analysis. For example, Once upon a time (story-starter); G’day, how are you going?(greeting in Australian English).

Framing

A way in which elements of text are arranged to create a specific interpretation of the whole.

Genre

A category used to classify text types and language use; characterised by distinguishing features such as subject matter, form, function and intended audience. Examples of genres typically used in early language learning include greetings, classroom instructions and apologies. More advanced language proficiency includes the ability to use genres such as narrative or persuasive text, creative performance and debates.

The language we use and the description of language as a system. In describing language, attention is paid to both structure (form) and meaning (function) at the level of the word, the sentence and the text.

Grapho-phonic knowledge

Knowledge of how letters in printed language relate to the sounds of the language and of how symbols (letters, characters) represent spoken language.

Homophone

A word identical in pronunciation with another but different in meaning (for example, bare and bear, air and heir).

Honorific

A grammatical form, typically a word or affix, that has at least part of its meaning the relative social status of the speaker in relation to the addressee, other participant or context. Parts of speech which signify respect, politeness and emphasize social distance or status.

Hybrid texts

Composite texts resulting from a mixing of elements from different sources or genres. For example, email, which combines the immediacy of talk and the expectation of a reply with the permanence of print.

Hypermedia

A multimedia system in which related items and forms of information, such as data, texts, graphics, video and audio, are linked and can be presented together by a hypertext program.

Hypertext

A text which contains links to other texts.

Identity

A person’s conception and expression of individuality or group affiliation, self-concept and self-representation. Identity is closely connected to both culture and language. Thinking and talking about the self is influenced by the cultural frames, which are offered by different languages and cultural systems. Identity is not fixed. Second language learners’ experience with different linguistic and cultural systems introduces them to alternative ways of considering the nature and the possibilities associated with identity.

Ideograph

A graphic character that indicates meanings without reference to the sounds used to pronounce the word.

Idiomatic expressions

A group of (more or less) fixed words having a meaning not deducible from the individual words. Idioms are typically informal expressions used by particular social groups and need to be explained as one unit (for example, I am over the moon, on thin ice, a fish out of water, fed up to the back teeth).

Indicative hours

An indication for the purposes of curriculum development of the assumption about learning time on task.

Infinitive

A base form of a verb.

Input

Direct contact with and experience of the target language; the stimulus required for language acquisition and learning. Input can take multiple forms and be received through different modes.

Intensifiers

Words that are usually used with adjectives to emphasise their meaning and are expressed by means of an adverb (for example, very interesting, awfully boring)

Intercultural capability

An ability to understand and to engage in the relationship between language, culture and people from diverse backgrounds and experience. This involves understanding the dynamic and interdependent nature of both language and culture, that communicating and interacting in different languages involves interacting with values, beliefs and experiences as well as with words and grammars. An intercultural capability involves being open to different perspectives, being flexible and curious, responsive and reflective; being able to decentre, to look objectively at one’s own cultural ways of thinking and behaving, and at how these affect attitudes to others, shade assumptions and shape behaviours. Characteristics of an intercultural capability include cognitive and communicative flexibility and an orientation and ability to act in ways that are inclusive and ethical in relation to diversity and difference.

Intercultural language teaching and learning

An orientation to language teaching and learning that informs current curriculum design; framed by the understanding that language and culture are dynamic, interconnected systems of meaning-making; that proficiency in an additional language involves cultural and intercultural as well as linguistic capabilities. The focus is on developing communicative proficiency and on moving between language–culture systems. It includes the reflexive and reciprocal dimension of attention to learners’ own language(s) and cultural frame(s).

Interpret

In the context of L2 learning, interpret refers to two distinct processes:

• the act of translation from one language to another;
• the process of understanding and explaining; the ability to conceive significance and construct meaning, and to explain to self or others.

Intonation

A key component of communication, involving patterns of pitch and melody of spoken language that can be used like punctuation; for example, to express surprise or suggest a question, to shade, accentuate or diminish emphasis or meaning, and to regulate turn-taking in conversations.

Language

A human cognitive and communicative capability which makes it possible to communicate, to create and comprehend meaning, to build and sustain relationships, to represent and shape knowledge, and to imagine, analyse, express and evaluate.

Language is described and employed:

• as code – comprising systems, rules, a fixed body of knowledge; for example, grammar and vocabulary, sound and writing systems
  as social practice – used to do things, create relationships, interact with others, represent the world and the self; to organise social systems and practices in dynamic, variable, and changing ways;
• as cultural and intercultural practice – means by which communities construct and express their experience, values, beliefs and aspirations;
• as cognitive process – means by which ideas are shaped, knowledge is constructed, and analysis and reflection are structured.

Language comprehension

A process of interpreting meaning from spoken, written, tactile and multimodal representations of language.

Language features

Features of language that support meaning; for example, sentence structure, noun group/phrase, vocabulary, punctuation, figurative language. Choices in language features and text structures together define a type of text and shape its meaning. These choices vary according to the purpose of a text, its subject matter, audience and mode or medium of production.

Language functions

Varied ways in which language is used to achieve particular purposes; for example, to persuade, to entertain, to apologise, to argue and/or to compliment.

Language patterns

Identifiable repeated or corresponding elements in a text. These include patterns of repetition or similarity, such as the repetition of imperative verb forms at the beginning of each step in a recipe, or the repetition of a chorus after each verse in a song. Patterns may alternate, as in the call and response pattern of some games, or the to-and-fro of a dialogue. Patterns may also contrast, as in opposing viewpoints in a discussion or contrasting patterns of imagery in a poem.

Language specificity

Distinguishing features of a particular language. These include lexico-grammatical and textual features, writing system(s), phonetic systems, and cultural elements which influence language use such as:

• politeness or kinship protocols;
• the nature of language communities which use the language;
• the historical and/or current relationship of a language with education in Australia;
• features of its ‘learnability’ in terms of teaching and learning in the context of Australian schooling.

Language systems

Elements that organise how a language works, including the systems of signs and rules (phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic) that underpin language use. These systems have to be internalised for effective communication and comprehension.

Learning trajectory

A conceptualised developmental sequence of learning, including learning goals, learning activities, knowledge and skills to be developed at progressive levels.

Level statements

Descriptions in broad terms of the developmental characteristics of students and their language learning at particular phases along the Foundation–Year 12 continuum.

Lexical cohesion

A use of word associations to create links in texts. Links can be made through the use of repetition of words, synonyms, antonyms and words that are related, such as by class and subclass.

Literacy resources

Individual resources and capabilities which learners bring to their learning experience; these include text knowledge, grammatical and vocabulary knowledge, knowledge of phonetic and writing systems. They also include critical, reflective and intercultural capabilities that support new literacy experience in a different language.

Macro skills

Four major language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Media texts

Spoken, print, graphic, or electronic communications created for a public audience. They often involve numerous people in their construction and are usually shaped by the technology used in their production. Media texts studied in different languages can be found in newspapers, magazines and on television, film, radio, computer software and the internet.

Mediate

To move between different linguistic and cultural systems, referencing own first language(s)/culture(s) while learning to use and to understand those of the target language. This movement involves:

• noticing, interpreting, responding sensitively and flexibly;
• conveying culturally-shaped ideas, values, experience to others;
• exploring how ideas and experiences are represented and conveyed in different languages and cultures;
• considering similarities, overlaps, collisions and adjustments;
• developing the capacity to communicate and represent different perspectives and interpretations.

Mediating operates in two distinctive ways:

• in practices such as interpreting and translating, with attention to what can happen in these processes in terms of ‘losing’ or ‘gaining’ meaning;
• as the element of the learning experience, which involves noticing, responding, comparing and explaining differences in expression and perspective.

Medium

Resources used in the production and transmission of texts, including tools and materials used (for example, digital text and the computer, writing and the pen or the keyboard).

Metalanguage

A vocabulary used to discuss language conventions and use ( for example, language used to talk about grammatical terms such as sentence, clause, conjunction; or about the social and cultural nature of language, such as face, reciprocating, register.)

Mnemonic

Memorising information by use of an aid such as a pattern, rhyme, acronym, visual image.

Modal verb

A verb attached to another verb to express a degree of probability (for example, I might come home) or a degree of obligation (for example, You must give it to me,You are to leave now).

Mode

Various processes of communication: listening, speaking, reading/viewing, signing and writing/creating. Modes are also used to refer to the semiotic (meaning making) resources associated with these communicative processes, such as sound, print, image and gesture.

Morpheme

The smallest meaningful unit in the grammar of a language. Morphemes are not necessarily the same as either words or syllables. The word cat has one morpheme while the word cats has two morphemes: cat for the animal and s to indicate that there is more than one. Similarly, like has one morpheme while dislike has two: like to describe appreciation and dis to indicate the opposite. The process of identifying morphemes assists comprehension, vocabulary building and spelling.

Morphology

Principles of word formation and inflection, especially with respect to constituent morphemes.

Multimodal text

A text which involves two or more communication modes; for example, the combining of print, image and spoken text in film or computer presentations.

Narrative

A story of events or experiences, real or imagined.

Narrative devices

Techniques used to help in the narrating of a story or reported event. For example, imagery, metaphor, allusion.

Neologism

A new word is created, for example, Smartphone, modem, AIDS or an existing word is used in a new way, for example, deadly.

Noun

A part of speech that includes all words denoting physical objects such as man, woman, boy, girl, car,window. These are concrete nouns. Abstract nouns express intangibles, such as democracy, courage,success, idea.

Oracy

An ability to express oneself in and to understand spoken language; it includes oral and aural proficiency.

Orthography

Writing words with correct letters or characters according to common usage.

Paralanguage

Additional elements of spoken communication which are integrated with vocal (voice) and verbal (words) elements, and contribute significantly to communication and meaning-making. For example, voice quality, volume and pacing, facial expressions, gestures, posture and body movement.

Paralinguistics

A study of paralanguage elements of expression.

Pedagogy

A combination of conceptual knowledge, practical skills and reflective capabilities which constitute the ‘art and science’ of teaching.

Performance

A use of the language in real situations, putting language knowledge into practice; it involves accuracy, fluency and complexity.

Phoneme

The smallest meaningful unit in the sound system of a language. For example, the word is has two phonemes: /i/ and /s/; ship has three phonemes: /sh/, /i/, /p/. A phoneme usually has several manifestations dependent on varying phonological contexts. For example, the p in pin and spin differs slightly in pronunciation but is regarded as being the same phoneme; that is, as having the same functional meaning within each word.

Phonics

A relationship between letters or characters and the sounds they make when pronounced. L2 learning involves developing phonic awareness and proficiency.

Phonological awareness

Understanding that every spoken word is composed of small units of sound, identifying relationships between letters and sounds when listening, reading and spelling. It includes understandings about words, rhyme and syllables.

Pragmatics

A study of how context affects communication; for example, in relation to the status of participants, the situation in which the communication is happening, or the intention of the speaker.

Prediction

An informed presumption about something that might happen. Predicting at text level can include working out what a text might contain by looking at the cover, or working out what might happen next in a narrative. Predicting at sentence level includes identifying what word is likely to come next in a sentence.

Prefix

A meaningful element (morpheme) added before the main part of a word to change its meaning. For example, unhappy.

Preposition

A part of speech that precede a noun, noun phrase phrase or pronoun, thereby describing relationships in a sentence in respect to:

• space/direction (below, in, on, to, under ‒ for example, she sat on the table);
• time (after, before, since ‒ for example, Í will go to the beach after lunch);
• those that do not relate to space or time (of, besides, except, despite ‒ for example, he ate all the beans except the purple ones).

Prepositions usually combine with a noun group or phrase to form a prepositional phrase. For example, in the office, besides these two articles.

Productive language use

One of the two aspects of communication through language (see receptive language) involving the ability to express, articulate and produce utterances or texts in the target language.

Pronoun

A part of speech that refers to nouns, or substituting for them, within and across sentences. For example, Ahmad chose a chocolate cake. He ate it that evening (where he and it are personal pronouns; and that is a demonstrative pronoun).

Pronunciation

A manner in which a syllable is uttered.

Prosody

Patterns of rhythm, tempo, stress, pitch and intonation used in language; for example, in poetry or public speaking.

Proxemics

A use of space, posture and touch as elements of non-verbal communication.

Purposeful learning

Learning which results from authentic language experiences that involve real purpose and achievable outcomes.

Question

A commonly employed prompt to elicit language use. A key element of scaffolding to support learners’ use of language and to encourage further contributions. Different types of questions provide different prompts:

• closed questions are questions for which there are predictable answers. For example, What time is it? These are typically used as prompts for short answers, as a framework for testing comprehension or reviewing facts, and for routinized interactions. They are frequently used to scaffold early language development;
• open questions are questions with unknown and unpredictable answers that invite and support more elaborated and extended contributions from learners. For example, How do you feel about that?What do you think might happen next? They are used as stimulus to discussion, reflection and investigation.

Questions are an important element of intercultural language teaching and learning. The quality of questions determines the quality and substance of the learning experience. Effective questions relating to the nature of language, culture and identity and the processes involved in language learning and intercultural experience guide the processes of investigating, interpreting and reflecting which support new understanding and knowledge development.

Read

Process visual or tactile symbols (for example, braille), words or actions in order to derive and/or construct meaning. Reading includes elements of decoding (of sounds and symbols), interpreting, critically analysing and reflecting upon meaning in a wide range of written, visual, print and non-print texts.

Receptive language

One of the two components of communication through language (see productive language): the ‘receiving’ aspect of language input, the gathering of information and making of meaning via listening, reading, viewing processes.

Reciprocating

An integrating element of intercultural communication that involves movement and relationship, interpreting and creating meaning, and understanding the process of doing so. It involves not only the exchange of words but also an exchange of understanding between the people involved. It comes into play when the learner ‘self’ encounters and interacts with the ‘other’ (the target language speaker, the target language itself as text or experience); when the existing language code and cultural frame encounters a different code and frame. This experience impacts on the learner’s perspective and sense of identity and on their usual ways of communicating. Reciprocating involves conscious attention to the process: attention to the self (intraculturality) and to the likely impact of the self on the other person involved (interculturality). Things previously taken for granted are noticed in reference to new or different ways. Key elements of reciprocating include conscious attention, comparison, reflection and analysis:

• recognition that both partners in an exchange are involved in the ‘effort of meaning’;
• willingness to work out what the other person means, the cultural and social context they are speaking from and the perspectives, which frame what they are saying;
• making necessary adjustments to own and each other’s input, orientation and stance that will help the exchange to be successful.

Register

A variety of language used for a particular purpose or in a particular situation, the variation being defined by use as well as user. For example, informal register or academic register.

Romanisation

A transcription from a differently scripted language, such as Chinese or Japanese, into the Latin alphabet.

Root of a word

A word/word element that cannot be reduced to a smaller unit and from which other words are formed. For example, plant in replanting.

Scaffolding

Support provided to assist the learning process or to complete a learning task. Scaffolded language support involves using the target language at a level slightly beyond learners’ current level of performance, and involves incremental increasing and decreasing of assistance. Task support provides assistance to perform just beyond what learners can currently do unassisted, to progress to being able to do it independently. Scaffolding includes modelling and structuring input in ways that provide additional cues or interactive questioning to activate existing knowledge, probe existing conceptions or cue noticing and reflecting.

Scanning

A text processing strategy adopted to search for specific words, ideas or information in a text without reading every word. For example, looking for a word in the dictionary or a name in a phone directory. Scanning involves moving the eyes quickly down the text looking for specific words and phrases to gain a quick overall impression/to get the gist.

Script

A writing system in which characters or symbols represent components of language (letters, syllables, words).

Semantic knowledge

Knowledge gained at a meaning rather than a decoding level. This involves understanding the relationship between signifiers (words, phrases, symbols, signs) and the meanings they represent. Semantic information is supported through reference to prior knowledge, cultural connotations and contextual considerations.

Skimming

A text processing strategy aimed at gaining information quickly without focusing on every word.

Speak

Convey meaning and communicate with purpose. Some students participate in speaking activities using communication systems and assistive technologies to communicate wants, and needs, and to comment about the world

Stereotype

A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing

Stress

An emphasis in pronunciation that is placed on a particular syllable of a word; for example, she will conduct the orchestra; her conduct is exemplary.

Suffix

A meaningful element added after the root of a word to change its meaning (for example, to show its tense : –ed in passed. Common suffixes in English include –ing; –ed; ness; –less; –able).

Synchronous

Occurring or existing at the same time.

Syntax

An ordering of sentence elements such as words, group/phrases and clauses. In some education settings, the terms syntax and grammar are used interchangeably.

Talk

Convey meaning and communicate with purpose. Some students participate in speaking activities using communication systems and assistive technologies to communicate wants, and needs, and to comment about the world

Task

An integrated experience and use of language, set in a context, accomplishing a purpose, focused on meaning. A task provides an organising structure and context for meaning-focused language learning. Unlike form-focused language activities and exercises, task-based learning involves the achievement of a goal or authentic outcome. Learners draw from existing language resources and seek out unfamiliar resources as needed to complete the task. Scaffolding is provided by the teacher via the task cycle, which includes form-focused teaching. Examples of tasks: researching an issue, sharing ideas and then categorising and presenting results; planning and having a picnic; designing and publishing an online newsletter.

Task-based language learning (TBLL)

An orientation to language teaching and learning, which focuses on the use of the language in meaningful and ‘life-like’ tasks and activities. The completion of the task is not an end in itself, as tasks are part of the overall learning and using of the language, providing a context and purpose for developing language competence and a means of assessing and evaluating learning outcomes. Learners work independently and/or collaboratively, draw on existing language resources, generate solutions to communicative problems, seek out additional or new language and other resources needed to complete the task. Focused language work, such as grammar knowledge, vocabulary building, social and cultural competence, is integrated with task preparation and completion processes. Tasks provide opportunities to integrate the four modes of language use, to develop fluency, complexity and problem-solving capacity, as well as including work on accuracy and focus on form. A task has limits as a one-off learning event, but is used as a meaningful component of learners’ overall learning progression.

Text

An identified stretch of language, used as a means for communication or the focus of learning and investigation. Text forms and conventions have developed to support communication with a variety of audiences for a range of purposes. Texts can be written, spoken or multimodal and in print or digital/online forms. Multimodal texts combine language with other systems for communication, such as print text, visual images, soundtrack and spoken word, as in film or computer presentation media.

Text processing strategies

Strategies learners use to decode and understand text. These involve drawing on contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge in systematic ways to work out what a text says. They include predicting, recognising words and working out unknown words, monitoring comprehension, identifying and correcting errors, reading on and re-reading.

Text structure

Ways in which information is organised in different types of texts (for example, chapter headings, subheadings, tables of contents, indexes and glossaries, overviews, introductory and concluding paragraphs, sequencing, topic sentences, taxonomies, cause and effect). Choices in text structures and language features together define a text type and shape its meaning. Different languages/cultures structure texts differently in many instances.

Text types (genres)

Categories of text, classified according to the particular purposes they are designed to achieve, which influence the features the texts employ. For example, texts may be imaginative, informative or persuasive; or can belong to more than one category. Text types vary significantly in terms of structure and language features across different languages and cultural contexts. For example, a business letter in French will be more elaborated than a similar text in English; a request or an offer of hospitality will be differently expressed in Japanese or German.

Textual features/conventions

Structural components and elements that combine to construct meaning and achieve purpose, and are recognisable as characterising particular text types (see language features).

Tone

A use of pitch and contour in spoken language to nuance words and, in some languages, to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning. In Chinese, for example, the tones are distinguished by their pitch range (register), duration and contour (shape). All Chinese syllables have a set tone, which distinguishes it and its meaning from another syllable. However, in certain environments tones can change or be modified, while in rapid spoken Chinese a great many unstressed syllables carry no tone at all.

Translation

A process of translating words/text from one language into another, recognising that the process involves movement of meanings and attention to cultural context as well as the transposition of individual words.

Transliteration

Writing a letter or word using the closest corresponding letter or word from a different language or alphabet.

Verb

A part of speech which expresses existence, action, state or occurrence. For example, they watch football; she is exhausted; the day finally came.

auxiliary verb – a verb that combines with another verb in a verb phrase to form tense, mood, voice or condition. For example, they will go, I did eat lunch, she might fail the exam.

Word borrowing

A practice of incorporating words from one language into another. For example, the use of Italian words such as pianissimo, cannelloni in English and the use of English ICT terms in many languages. The increasing frequency of word-borrowing between languages reflects intercultural contact, contemporary cultural shifts and practices in a globalised world, issues of ease of communication and efficiency and technological specialisation.

Years 3 to 6

The nature of the learner, the pathway and particular language

Languages studied in the Second Language Learner Pathway (L2) are typically languages used in spoken form as the language of everyday communication by whole communities across all generations.

The second language learner pathway has been written on the assumption that learning will occur off-Country involving students who are typically not from the language community and have little or no experience of the language and culture. They are introduced to learning the language at school as an additional, new language.

The language chosen for curriculum development should have a sizeable set of resources in a variety of media, such as local documentaries, bilingual narrative and descriptive texts, and educational materials in print and digital form. Learning is enriched and authenticated by interaction with visiting Elders and community speakers, and where possible visits to Country/Place. Information and communications technologies provide additional resources to support a range of language and culture experiences.

The curriculum content and achievement standards in the Second Language Learner Pathway are generalised in order to cater for the range of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages that may be learnt as a second language. The content descriptions, content elaborations and achievement standards for the Second Language Learner pathway will need to be adapted for use with the particular language being taught and will need to be modified if the program occurs on-Country or if the learners are from the language community.

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their membership of various groups. They are widening their social networks, experiences and communicative repertoires. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them. They benefit from various forms of activity-based learning that build on their interests and capabilities, and make connections with other learning areas.

Language learning and use

Learners use formulaic phrases in the target language to participate in classroom routines, presentations and structured conversations with the teaching team, peers, visiting Elders and community speakers. They respond to teacher-generated questions about texts, participate in games, and follow instructions and procedures.

They focus on aspects of their personal worlds and are introduced to content related to the target language Country/Place and the communities where it is spoken.

The development of oral proficiency relies on rich language input. Learners engage in different types of listening and develop active-listening and comprehension skills using contextual, grammatical, phonic and non-verbal cues. They extend their oral fluency by focusing on sentence-level intonation and stress.

They participate in shared and guided reading and learn to apply their knowledge of key words and textual features to predict the meaning of unfamiliar language. Learners use modelled language to create new texts and to extend their language use through expanding and connecting sentences to express more complex ideas and situations. To support their developing knowledge of vocabulary and sentence construction, learners continue to build metalanguage for describing aspects of the target language and how it works.

Contexts of interaction

Learning occurs largely through interaction with peers and the teaching team. Learners may have some access to visiting Elders and community speakers, opportunities to communicate with peers in the target language region using technology, perhaps visit the target language region themselves, or view touring performances or art displays from there.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of visual, spoken, written and digital texts, such as photographs, maps, bush calendars, seasonal charts, posters, songs, raps, dances, stories, paintings and visual design accompanying performance, video clips and films.

Level of support

The primary support for learners is the teaching team, which provides instruction, explanation, examples of modelled language use, repetition, reinforcement and feedback on student work. Learning experiences and activities are carefully scaffolded and resourced, with sufficient time allowed for experimentation, drafting and redrafting. Learners need practice and guidance in using resources such as dictionaries, word charts, vocabulary lists and exemplars when translating and creating texts.

The role of languages

Learners use the target language for classroom routines and language learning tasks, for listening to, reading and viewing texts and in interactions with the teaching team, visiting Elders and other community speakers.

The language of response varies according to the nature and demands of the learning experience, with the target language used primarily for communicating in structured and supported tasks and English and other known languages used for open-ended, comparative tasks that develop learners’ understanding of language and culture.

Socialising

Interact with peers, the teaching team and visiting Elders/community speakers about aspects of their personal worlds, such as experiences at school, home, everyday routines and favourite pastimes, interests and activities
[Key concepts: relationship, kinship, family, experience; Key Processes: describing, sharing, responding, recounting]

Participate in guided tasks that involve following instructions, making things, cooperating with peers, planning for and conducting shared events or activities or presenting at a school performance
[Key concepts: collaboration, planning; Key processes: compiling, rehearsing, presenting, making]

Participate in everyday classroom activities and routines, such as responding to questions and requests, asking permission, requesting help, praising or complimenting one another and apologising
[Key concepts: routine, interaction; Key processes: responding, contributing, enquiring]

Informing

Gather, classify and compare information from a range of sources associated with the target language Country/Place, community and daily life.
[Key concepts: community life, leisure, environment, Indigenous knowledge, health and well-being; Key processes: identifying, researching, compiling, presenting, tabulating, categorising, giving directions]

Convey information on specific topics using formats such as oral or digital presentations, displays, diagrams, timelines and guided descriptions
[Key concepts: Country/Place, community life; Key processes: creating, presenting, profiling]

Creating

Listen to, read and view different real and imaginative texts, identifying and making simple statements about key elements, characters and events, and interpreting cultural expressions and behaviours
[Key concepts: visual design, representation, journey; Key processes: participating, describing, predicting, recalling, responding, listening, shared/guided reading; Key text types: songs, raps, dances, traditional and contemporary stories, paintings and visual design, video clips]

Create and present imaginative texts that use familiar expressions and modelled language for a range of audiences
[Key concepts: imagination, entertainment; Key processes: imagining, creating, experimenting, performing, storytelling; Key text types: raps, songs, performances, digital texts, video clips, skits, paintings and visual design]

Translating

Translate simple texts from the target language into English and vice versa, identifying elements which require interpretation rather than translation and involve cultural references
[Key concepts: equivalence, meaning; Key processes: translating, predicting, selecting, comparing]

Create bilingual texts for the classroom and the school community, such as songs, picture dictionaries, photo stories, captions for images and displays.

[Key concepts: bilingualism, expression; Key processes: performing, describing, code-mixing, captioning]

Identity

Interact with others, noticing how ways of communicating with and responding to each other shape and reflect identity
[Key concepts: identity, kinship, community, membership; Key processes: creating, representing, comparing]

Reflecting

Notice and describe some ways in which the target language and associated communicative behaviours are similar or different to their own language(s) and forms of cultural expression
[Key concepts: language, culture, values, similarity, difference, communication; Key processes: noticing, comparing, describing, explaining, questioning, reflecting]

Systems of language

Produce sounds, stress, intonation patterns of the target language, using developing phonemic awareness linked to the writing system
[Key concepts; punctuation, upper and lower case letters, diacritics, intonation, spelling; Key processes: identifying, discriminating, noticing,listening, reading]

Expand vocabulary in the target language through word-formation and building processes, and recognise and use simple structures
[Key concepts; word formation, word class, grammatical person and number, negation; Key processes: noticing, comparing, applying, understanding, modifying meaning]

Understand that texts such as stories, paintings, songs and dances have a distinct purpose and particular language features, and understand and apply text conventions
[Key concepts: purpose, genre, text features; Key processes: recognising, identifying, distinguishing, applying, linking]

Understand the core role of the kinship system in social behaviour and the relationship between Place, History and society
[Key concepts: kinship system, ways of talking, human relationships, interrelatedness; Key processes: recognising, interpreting, discussing]

Language variation and change

Understand that speakers vary language forms according to kin relationship and context of situation
[Key concepts: kinship, respect, register, silence, taboo; Key processes observing, examining, explaining, investigating; noticing, recognising]

Recognise that languages change over time
[Key concepts: regional languages, language shift, language loss, borrowing and relatedness; Key processes: identifying, recognising]

Language awareness

Explore the language situation of target language communities and the diversity of language situations in Australia
[Key concepts: language communities, language transmission, language maintenance and development, language revival, change, sign; Key processes: recognising, discussing, investigating]

Understand that the use of stories and names in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages is culturally determined
[Key concepts: cultural safety, protocol; Key processes: recognising, observing, discussing]

Role of language and culture

Explore connections between identity and cultural values and beliefs and the expression of these connections in an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander language
[Key concepts: Country/Place, cultural expression and transmission, values, beliefs, spirituality; Key processes: observing, making connections, discussing, investigating]

Role of language building

Understand ways the target language and culture can be maintained and strengthened in changing contexts
[Key concepts: language maintenance, and development ; Key processes: discussing, exploring, considering, investigating, language building]

The achievement standards for the Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages Second Language Learner Pathway are generalised in order to cater for the range of languages that may be learnt as an L2 in the school context. The achievement standards will need to be adapted for use for specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

By the end of Year 6, students share information about aspects of their personal worlds, such as their family and friends, interests, everyday routines and experiences, using familiar language and modelled sentence patterns. They interact appropriately with Elders and community speakers, and apply principles and protocols of cultural safety when engaging with cultural material such as artefacts, works of art, texts and performances. When interacting in the classroom, they ask and respond to questions, request help, repetition or clarification, and respond to requests and instructions. Students locate key points of information and messages in a range of spoken, written, visual and multi-modal sources associated with the target language region, community and culture. They demonstrate their understanding of the language region, community and culture, for example, by labelling, organising and classifying natural objects, plants and animals from the environment, identifying and describing key features and landforms, seasonal characteristics, and aspects of traditional and contemporary ways of life. Students view, read and listen to stories, songs, dances and artistic traditions, and demonstrate understanding, for example, by describing characters and events, creating timelines, explaining iconographies and identifying key messages, comparing these to messages conveyed by stories in their own cultures. They recognise that ownership of songs, stories, dances and designs is determined by kinship and other social groupings. They know that song and story carry Indigenous knowledge in the context of Country/Place and family. Students use simple and formulaic language, with the support of structured models, to create short informative and imaginative connected texts in various modes and formats. They translate a range of community texts, such as signs, notices, health charts, posters, relying on key words, and they identify and describe culture-specific concepts and expressions. They create bilingual texts for the classroom and school community that explain target language words and related cultural ideas. They identify markers of identity across cultures and recognise the importance of language, Country/Place and culture to the identity and future aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students reflect on their own cultural identity in light of their experience of learning the language, explaining how their ideas and ways of communicating are influenced by their own cultural backgrounds.

Students know that the target language has its own pronunciation, spelling and grammar, and they apply this knowledge to predict the sound, spelling and meaning of new words and expressions. They use metalanguage for language explanation, for making comparisons with English forms, and for reflecting on the experience of learning the target language and culture. They identify the distinct purpose, language features and conventions of texts such as stories, paintings, songs and dances. Students demonstrate understanding of core elements of the kinship system and its role in social behaviour, by identifying and explaining kin terms, recognising that everyone belongs to certain types of sub-groups and recognising that interactions are patterned by these structures. Students know that language use must be adjusted to suit different contexts, situations and relationships. They provide examples of how languages change over time by identifying words and phrases borrowed from English and other languages, including words that are similar to or borrowed from neighbouring Indigenous languages. Students recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are in various states of maintenance, development and revival and can give some historical reasons for this. They identify connections between identity and cultural values and beliefs, and explain the importance of maintaining and strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages for the particular community involved and for the broader Australian community. They make connections with their own experience when talking about languages and cultures.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and their membership of various groups, including the Arabic class. They are further developing literacy capabilities in both Arabic and English, as well as biliteracy capabilities. They benefit from multimodal, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Arabic language learning and use

Learners interact with family and the wider Arabic-speaking community, and at school they interact with their peers and the teacher in a variety of communicative activities. Specific language learning skills such as memory and communication strategies are developed. Learners primarily engage in a variety of listening and viewing activities, and understand familiar stories, songs and poems. They use Arabic in everyday interactions, such as giving and following instructions أرسم خطاً على الورقة؛ أكتب العنوان فوق, attracting attention and seeking help عندي فكرة رائعة!؛ ممكن أن أتكلم؟. They participate in collaborative activities such as sharing information about their routines, friendships and leisure activities. They listen to, view and read a range of print, digital and spoken texts, such as interactive stories and performances, and use their imagination to create simple texts such as dialogues, stories and cartoons. They locate and classify key points of information in spoken, written and multimodal texts, and convey information about their family, home and neighbourhood in simple texts such as diary entries, emails and short stories.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which students interact in learning and using Arabic are primarily the classroom, school and home. They have access to the wider community of Arabic speakers and resources through out-of-classroom activities and the use of virtual and digital technology. They work both independently and cooperatively, further developing their sense of personal as well as group identity, and of the cultural significance of family relationships.

Texts and resources

Learners develop biliteracy skills through interacting with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Texts such as recipes, reports and family profiles show how language is used in different ways and for different purposes.

Features of Arabic language use

Learners explore Arabic sounds, intonation and writing conventions to further develop their speaking and writing skills and initial understanding of their developing biliteracy. They use key grammatical forms and structures, such as verbs, pronouns, singular/plural forms and prepositions, to provide information in simple sentences and short texts about places جاء وليد من مصر عندما كان عمره أربع سنوات, people, actions, events and feelings, for example, عندما أعزف الموسيقى أشعر بالفرح. They begin to develop a metalanguage for understanding and discussing language features, and make connections and comparisons between Arabic and English. Comparing the structures and patterns of Arabic with those of English helps learners understand both languages, assisting in the development of their biliteracy skills.

Level of support

In the classroom, this stage of learning involves extensive support through scaffolding. Teachers model what is expected, introduce language concepts and resources needed to manage and complete tasks, and make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting, providing support for self-monitoring and reflection. Support includes a range of spoken, written, visual and interactive resources, such as poems, songs, video clips and digital games.

The role of English

Learners use Arabic in classroom routines, social interactions, learning tasks, and language experimentation and practice. Arabic and English are used for discussion, explanation and reflection. Learners explore connections between culture and language use in various Arabic-speaking communities and the wider Australian context, and reflect on their own sense of identity and their experiences as Arabic background speakers when communicating and interacting with others.

The place of the Arabic culture and language in Australia and in the world

Arabic is spoken by approximately 280 million people in 22 countries over two continents. It is the official language of the Arab world, which includes countries of the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf region, and is one of the official languages of the United Nations. The Arabic-speaking world has a long history, and the Arabic language has evolved and flourished over time, as evidenced by the richness of its literature. Arabic is comprised of a number of dialects that reflect the cultural diversity of Arabic-speaking countries, regions and communities.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, large communities of Arabic speakers have migrated to countries such as the United States, Europe and Australia. More than 370,000 Australians are of Arab descent, living predominantly in Sydney and Melbourne. Australia has strong relationships with countries in the Middle East, North Africa, the Gulf and the wider Arabic-speaking world through family ties, trade and education.

Arabic-speaking communities in Australia comprise diverse groups, differing in ancestral origins, religious backgrounds and histories. They hold a heritage that shares common linguistic and cultural traditions, and these are the ties that bind. Arabic language and culture represent an important part of the linguistic and cultural diversity of Australia. The Arabic-speaking community has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the development and enrichment of Australian society, in areas such as commerce, agriculture, industry, health, education, journalism, hospitality, tourism and international relations.

The place of the Arabic language in Australian education

The study of Arabic provides background students with the opportunity to connect with their family heritage and to communicate with speakers of Arabic in Australia and around the world. Following the early settlement of Arabic speakers in Australia, the teaching of Arabic was established for children of Arabic-speaking migrants in after-hours school settings. Since the 1980s, Arabic has been taught in primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions across Australia as well as in after-hours schools run by community organisations. This reflected the growing Arabic-speaking community in Australia, as well as government policies of the time supporting multiculturalism. The demand for Arabic language education in Australia has increased due to the geopolitical importance of the Arabic-speaking world and greater awareness of business opportunities.

The nature of Arabic language learning

Arabic is a Semitic language, and shares linguistic and phonological similarities with other Semitic languages such as Syriac, Aramaic and Hebrew. Classical Arabic and its successor, Modern Standard Arabic, have been and continue to be the language of religious texts as well as the basis for a rich heritage of classical poetry and literary prose. Today, speakers of Arabic come from a variety of social, cultural and religious backgrounds. Their views, cultures and beliefs are manifested in the language they use formally and informally in every aspect of their private lives and public affairs. Language is an inseparable part of their identity and the way they view themselves and the world around them.

The Arabic language has two forms: Modern Standard Arabic ( اللغة العربية الفصحى ) and colloquial Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is the official language taught worldwide and used in formal situations, such as at school and university and in mosques, churches and official media. Colloquial Arabic is used in everyday situations, such as at home and in the marketplace, the street, restaurants, cafés, and popular and social media. Modern Standard Arabic is common to all countries of the Arabic-speaking world, while colloquial Arabic varies according to geographical location. For example, two individuals from Iraq and Morocco speaking in dialects would not easily understand each other unless they injected elements of Modern Standard Arabic into the conversation.

Arabic is a scripted language and is written from right to left. There are 28 letters, which are all consonants with short and long vowels. These vowels are represented in the forms of letters and marks called diacritic symbols which identify how words and letters are pronounced. Arabic is a highly inflectional language, with words formed according to a root system. Various vowels, prefixes and suffixes are used with root letters to create the desired inflection of meaning.

The diversity of learners of Arabic

The Australian Curriculum: Languages – Arabic is pitched to background language learners, the dominant cohort of learners in the Australian context.

The background language learner pathway has been developed for students who have exposure to Arabic language and culture, and who may engage in active but predominantly receptive use of Arabic at home. The range of learners within the Arabic background language learner pathway is diverse, defined for the most part by different waves of migration, and their use of Arabic may extend beyond the home to everyday interactions with Arabic-speaking friends and involvement in community organisations and events. Other learners may have been born in an Arabic-speaking country, where they may have completed some education.

A key dimension of the Australian Curriculum: Languages – Arabic involves understanding the interrelationship between language and culture. The curriculum is designed with an intercultural language learning orientation to enable students to participate meaningfully in language and cultural experiences, to develop new ways of seeing and being in the world from a bilingual perspective, and to understand more about themselves in the process.

Socialising

Socialise and build relationships with the teacher, family and friends through the exchange of personal information relating to home and school environment, such as everyday routines
[Key concepts: friendship, experiences, routine, time; Key processes: describing, expressing, sharing]

Participate in collaborative tasks and shared experiences that involve planning and simple transactional exchanges, such as playing games, role-playing dialogues, and preparing and presenting group work
[Key concepts: participation, cooperation, collaboration; Key processes: sharing, negotiating]

Participate in everyday classroom activities, such as giving and following instructions, attracting the teacher’s attention and asking for repetition
[Key concepts: respect, politeness; Key processes: participating, requesting, responding]

Informing

Locate and classify information relating to familiar contexts, routines and interests from spoken, written and visual texts
[Key concepts: time (routines), leisure; Key processes: listening, reading, viewing, selecting, sequencing]

Present information relating to home, school, neighbourhood and leisure in a range of spoken, written and digital modes
[Key concept: representation (private life); Key processes: organising, selecting, presenting]

Creating

Respond to imaginative texts, such as interactive stories and performances, identifying and describing characters, events, ideas and favourite elements
[Key concepts: character, people, places, experiences; Key processes: participating, responding, relating, reflecting]

Create and perform short imaginative texts, such as dialogues or collaborative stories based on Arabic fables, using formulaic expressions and modelled language
[Key concepts: imagination, experience; Key processes: presenting, creating, performing]

Translating

Translate and interpret words, expressions and sentences in simple English and Arabic texts, noticing similarities and differences or non-equivalence
[Key concepts: meaning, translation; Key processes: moving between languages, comparing]

Produce bilingual texts and resources, including digital and online resources such as digital picture dictionaries, posters and signs, for their class and school community
[Key concepts: similarity, difference; Key processes: selecting, describing]

Reflecting

Reflect on their experiences as Arabic background speakers when interacting in English and Arabic, observing differences in language use and behaviours
[Key concepts: culture, language, behaviour; Key processes: examining, connecting]

Explore their own sense of identity, including elements such as family, background and experiences, and ways of using language in Arabic- and English-speaking contexts
[Key concepts: communication, identity; Key processes: reflecting, adjusting]

Systems of language

Recognise and reproduce Arabic pronunciation and intonation patterns using vocalisation and features of individual syllable blocks, and understand that in Arabic script, most letters change appearance depending on their position
[Key concepts: sound and writing systems, syllables; Key processes: noticing, describing, comparing]

Understand and use key grammatical forms and structures, such as basic pronouns and possessive pronouns, singular/plural forms of regular nouns and adjectives, and prepositions
[Key concepts: number, syntax, verb forms; Key processes: sequencing, applying, relating]

Understand that familiar spoken and written Arabic texts, such as conversations and stories, have particular features and structures relating to different purposes and audiences
[Key concepts: linguistic features, genre, structure; Key processes: observing patterns, distinguishing]

Language variation and change

Understand that Arabic as a spoken language varies according to region and country and that meaning can be influenced by gestures, tone and purpose
[Key concepts: dialect, variation; Key processes: observing, explaining]

Recognise that languages change over time and influence one another
[Key concepts: language change, influence, exchange; Key processes: observing, identifying, discussing]

Role of language and culture

Compare and reflect on cultural practices relating to ways in which language is used in various Arabic-speaking communities and in the wider Australian context
[Key concepts: difference, expression, practices; Key processes: identifying, distinguishing, relating, comparing]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with the teacher and peers to share personal information about aspects of their lives, such as experiences, everyday routines and leisure activities, for example, عمري تسع سنوات؛ أنا مولود في أستراليا؛ أتيت إلى أستراليا وأنا صغير في الصباح أستيقظ باكراً؛ أنام في الساعة…؛ بعد المدرسة… في المساء… أذهب مع عائلتي إلى المتحف؛ البحر؛ الحديقة العامة؛ السوق؛ ألعب الرياضة بعد المدرسة؛ أحب كرة القدم؛ آخذ دروساً في الباليه. They use formulaic expressions when interacting, such as giving and following instructions, asking for repetition, planning shared activities and completing simple transactions, for example, من فضلك أريد المساعدة؛ أن أذهب إلى الحمام؟؛ هل أستطيع أن؛ من فضلك هل يمكن أن تعيد الكلمة؟ الجملة؟ ؛ . They use features of Arabic pronunciation and intonation when speaking and reading aloud. Students locate and classify information relating to familiar contexts and present it in modelled spoken, written and visual texts. They describe characters, events and ideas and express opinions about favourite elements in imaginative texts, and use formulaic expressions, for example, في يوم من الأيام؛ كان هناك , and modelled language to create short imaginative texts. They use vocabulary related to school, home and everyday routines, for example, الدراسة؛ التعليم؛ فروضي؛ مواد المدرسة؛ غرفة النوم؛ غرفتي/ غرفة أخي؛ المطبخ؛ الطابق العلوي أستيقظ من النوم؛ أتناول الفطور؛ أستقل الباص؛ أكمل واجبات المدرسة؛ أشاهد التلفاز؛ أقرأ الكتاب. Students use key grammatical forms and structures in simple spοken and written texts, such as word order, singular and plural forms of regular nouns and adjectives, personal and possessive pronouns, for example, كتاب/كتب؛ غرفة/غرف؛ صف/ صفوف؛ صديق/أصدقاء,أنتَ/أنتِ؛ هو/هي/هم؛ كتابي/ كتبي؛ غرفتي/غرفة أخي؛ مدرستي؛ مدرستنا , and prepositions such as في البيت؛ إلى المدرسة؛ بين الملعب والسّاحة؛ أثناء الدرس؛ بعد العشاء؛ قبل النوم. Students translate familiar and frequently used language relating to familiar environments and create simple bilingual texts for the classroom and school community. They describe how language involves behaviours as well as words and share their own experience as background speakers as they interact with others.

Students identify and use Arabic sound and writing patterns, for example أ؛ ئـ؛ ء؛ ؤ؛ والياء؛الألف المقصورة ى , including combining letters to form words, vocalisation, and features of individual syllable blocks such as التنوين: إشترى أبي بيتاً؛رأيت كلباً؛ في بيتي غرفٌ . آكل؛ آمل؛ آسف؛ They identify the features and structure of different types of texts, for example, العنوان؛ الحبكة؛ النهاية القافية؛ فعل الأمر؛ الجمل؛ القصيرة أدوات الحوار؛ الأدوار في الحوار؛ . They identify similarities and differences between various Arabic dialects and explain how meaning can be influenced by gestures and tone. Students provide examples of how the Arabic language has changed over time and identify words and expressions in Arabic that have emerged from contact with other languages and vice versa. They compare language use and cultural practices in Arabic-speaking communities and in the wider Australian context, identifying culture-specific terms and expressions, particularly those related to special occasions, for example, كيفية الإحتفال في المناسبات؛ زيارة الأهل في الأعياد؛ الإحتفال بأعياد الميلاد

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level children are developing awareness of their social world and memberships of various groups, including of the Chinese class. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning which builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Chinese language learning and use

The systems of writing and speaking in Chinese are distinct. Because of the role of character learning and its impact on reading and writing, learners can accomplish a higher active use of spoken language than written language. As a result, engagement with Chinese language is primarily through speaking and listening. Learners practise using Chinese through participating in action-related talk, and completing tasks while relying on teacher modelling, prompts and repetition. Students respond non-verbally to spoken Chinese in the classroom, and their understanding of Chinese is dependent on context, and on teacher intonation, gestures and facial expressions. They repeat speech and sounds from frequent and consistent teacher modelling and produce texts using familiar words or phrases.

Contexts of interaction

Likely contexts of interaction focus on everyday educational experiences and students’ personal, family and social environments. These familiar contexts are represented in the classroom in structured and scaffolded situations.

Texts and resources

Key text types and contexts include short predictable texts, photo biographies, correspondence, and structured and scaffolded situations. Students engage with a variety of Chinese language texts, including short audiovisual texts, plays, fables, rhymes, songs and dance, extending their use and comprehension of Chinese language and culture. Students also produce simple oral and written texts. They are exposed to a wide range of Chinese voices and settings through the use of multimedia texts, simulations and performances.

Features of Chinese language use

Students discover the distinctive features of the spoken language and begin to use Pinyin and tone marks to practise syllables and tones they encounter in new words. They recognise that letters in Pinyin and English produce different sounds using different spelling conventions. Printed texts used in the classroom are mainly presented in Pinyin but may be glossed with characters. Students use Pinyin to write, knowing that characters represent the real form of writing in Chinese. They use a variety of communication modes, including oral communication in English and Chinese as well as mime and gesture.

Level of support

Chinese language use is scaffolded and prompted by the teacher, and teacher modelling of correct language use is the main source of oral and written language acquisition.

The role of English

English is used where it supports comprehension of and participation in Chinese interactions, and when discussing issues of comparison and contrast between languages and cultures.

The place of the Chinese language and culture in Australia and the world

China’s official language is Modern Standard Chinese, or Putonghua (the common or shared language) in Chinese. The language is also referred to as Hanyu, the spoken language of the Han people, or Zhongwen, the written language of China. In Taiwan it is more usually called Huayu (Hwayu), the spoken language of people of Chinese ethnicity. This term is also used in Singapore.

A number of dialects remain in active use. In addition, the character system has undergone significant evolution, standardisation and simplification over time. In recent times, the need to create Chinese language texts in digital format has resulted in an international effort to standardise character forms and attribute a Unicode to each form so that computer operating systems internationally can generate and reproduce Chinese texts in both simplified and traditional/full-form characters. It is not common for new characters to be created. In contemporary overseas Chinese media, texts are commonly in either simplified or traditional/full-form characters, reflecting the diverse histories and preferences of these communities.

Communities of Chinese speakers are characterised by linguistic, cultural and geographic diversity and can be found in almost every country of the world. Many of these communities have a long tradition, and they are particularly strong on the Pacific coast of Canada and the USA, and in South-East Asia, Australia and some European countries. The history of the Chinese community in Australia extends back to the mid-1800s, and patterns of migration in recent decades have seen rapid growth in Australia’s Chinese population.

Current links between Australia and China are characterised by bilateral relationships in trade and investment, as well as educational exchanges, and research and development in science and technology. The movement of people and ideas, as well as economic, cultural and educational exchange, adds to the richness and complexity of this relationship.

The place of the Chinese language in Australian education

Chinese has been taught in Australian schools since the 1950s, and experienced rapid growth in the 1980s as China undertook a policy of open-door and economic reform. Chinese has always been taught as an additional language in Australia, but schools are now catering to increasingly varied cohorts of Chinese language learners, including overseas-born Chinese speakers. The population of Chinese teachers has also changed, with growing numbers of teachers from the People’s Republic of China now teaching in Australian schools.

Chinese is recognised as an important language for young Australians to learn as Australia progresses towards a future of increased trade and engagement with Asia.

The nature of Chinese language learning

For the purposes of the Australian Curriculum: Languages, ‘Chinese’ refers to Modern Standard Chinese, Pinyin Romanisation and simplified characters. Given the ongoing use of both forms of Chinese characters (simplified and full form) in the media, in education and in environmental print (advertisements and shop signs), some knowledge or awareness of both systems is an advantage, for Chinese speakers and Chinese learners alike. Although both writing systems and the range of dialects should be recognised in any Chinese language curriculum, the priority in education is Modern Standard Chinese and simplified characters as the internationally recognised ‘official form’ of Chinese.

English and Chinese have very different grammatical and vocabulary systems. The Chinese spoken language is characterised by a high number of homophones — tone-syllables that are used to represent more than one morpheme — each of which has its own particular character. The range of syllables in Chinese, while limited in comparison to English, does include some sounds unfamiliar to English speakers. The task of learning Chinese can be best addressed by a clear separation between learning to interact orally, supported by print materials in Pinyin, and learning to read and write, supported by texts and resources in characters.

Chinese characters are logographs composed of a number of components organised into a particular sequence within a square, parts of which are likely to suggest the sound and meaning of the whole character. Each character is a morpheme-syllable — it represents a syllable of sound and a unit of meaning. There are 3500 frequently used characters which are learnt by children in primary school in China. These characters are composed of approximately 500 distinct components which are used with varying degrees of frequency, and in different locations and for different functions. Literacy development (in terms of learning to read and write, and especially to map known oral vocabulary onto the appropriate written forms) is a time-consuming and challenging task. Additional characteristics of Chinese writing are that texts in Chinese characters do not display word-level spacing and texts may be written vertically and read from right to left down the page.

The Chinese spoken language is composed of approximately 400 syllables which may be used with one of four tones to create a total of approximately 1200 tone-syllables. Different systems have been developed to reproduce the sounds of the Chinese language using the Roman alphabet to assist learners who are already familiar with the Roman alphabet. Today the Pinyin system has international recognition as the principal means of representing the sounds of Chinese in alphabetic form. This system assists students of many language backgrounds to learn the correct sounds of Putonghua, and is an efficient means of text input when creating texts in characters using digital media. It is important to note that Pinyin is not recognised as a valid alternative to written expression in characters, as its readability is limited.

The diversity of learners of Chinese

Three pathways have been developed for Chinese, to cater to the three main cohorts of learners of Chinese in Australian schools. The Second Language Learner Pathway caters for students learning Chinese as a second or additional language. The Background Language Learner Pathway has been developed for students who have exposure to Chinese language and culture, and who may engage in some active but predominantly receptive use of Chinese at home. The First Language Learner Pathway caters for students who have had their primary socialisation as well as initial literacy development and primary schooling in Chinese, and who use Chinese at home. Schools will make decisions about which pathway best serves their students’ needs, and teachers will use the pathways to cater for all learners by making any appropriate adjustments to differentiate learning experiences for their students.

Socialising

Interact with teachers and peers in social and class activities, exchanging ideas and opinions, using correct tones
[Key concepts: friendship, play, relationships; Key processes: participating, noticing, recognising, listening]

Exchange simple correspondence with teachers and peers to contribute suggestions and arrange activities
[Key concepts: family, friendship, exchange; Key processes: participating, noticing, recognising, responding, listening]

Informing

Obtain and process information about significant people, places and events from spoken and visual sources, and convey this information using learnt phrases and key words
[Key concepts: significance, self, family, neighbourhood, environment; Key processes: participating, noticing, recognising, responding, listening]

Locate factual information from sources and report this information to a known audience using learnt characters
[Key concepts: information, topic; Key processes: obtaining, processing, interpreting]

Creating

Respond to and create simple imaginative texts using voice, rhythm, and appropriate gesture and action
[Key concept: imagination; Key processes: feeling, participating, noticing, recognising, responding, listening]

Create short written imaginative texts using simple characters and short sentences
[Key concepts: characters, events, plot; Key processes: participating, noticing, recognising, responding, listening]

Translating

Translate the meanings of important everyday words using contextual cues
[Key concepts: context, celebration; Key processes: participating, recognising, responding, listening]

Find English equivalents of common expressions in Chinese and vice versa
[Key concept: equivalence; Key processes: translating, explaining]

Reflecting

Reflect on how aspects of personal identity are expressed in Australian and Chinese contexts
[Key concepts: self, belonging; Key process: reflecting]

Systems of language

Recognise the tone-syllable nature of spoken language, and compare Chinese and English sounds.

Reproduce key Chinese characters from familiar contexts using stroke types and sequences, and component forms and their arrangement.

Use nouns, adjectives and simple sentences to record observations.

Identify similarities and differences in the organisation of simple familiar texts.

Language variation and change

Recognise that Chinese is spoken by communities in many countries.

Identify the likely contexts and features of informal and formal conversations involving known participants of different ages, genders and social positions.

The role of language and culture

Identify how terms are used to indicate relationships and express aspects of culture that may be different from their own.

By the end of Year 4, students use spoken and written Chinese in simple personal interactions with familiar participants about self, family, people, places, routine, school life, and their own interests and preferences, for example, 你叫什么名字？ 你上几年级？ 你有狗吗？ 你喜欢什么运动？ They use appropriate pronunciation, tone, gesture and movement and some formulaic expressions. They use modelled questions to develop responses, for example, 你的哥哥几岁？， 他是谁？， 你住在哪里？， 这是什么？ They respond to and create simple informative and imaginative texts for familiar audiences (for example, 狼与小孩) by selecting learnt words and characters. Sentences are short and follow the basic subject–verb–object structure with occasional use of adjective predicates, for example, 这是红色的苹果.. Learners use familiar words in Pinyin, or presented in characters in texts. Numbers are used in relation to age and family members, and to quantify objects with measure words such as 一个男生，两个姐姐，三只狗.

Students explain why Chinese is a globally important language. They understand that Pinyin provides access to the sounds of the spoken language. They identify features of the Chinese writing system, including the range of strokes and their sequences in character writing, and explain how component knowledge can assist in learning characters. They are aware that each character is a meaningful unit (morpheme) that is used to make up words. They recognise familiar word order in Chinese sentences. They notice similarities and differences between the patterns of the Chinese language and those of English and other familiar languages. They recognise that languages change with time and due to influences such as globalisation and technology. Students recognise that diversity of context and participants influence how meaning is communicated, and apply this knowledge to their own communication. They notice how cultural differences may affect understanding between people.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their memberships of various groups including of the French class. They are developing literacy capabilities in English, such as writing in the Roman alphabet, and this assists to some degree in learning French. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

French language learning and use

A balance between language knowledge and language use is established. Activities that focus on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are integrated with purposeful, varied communicative activities. The development of oral proficiency at this stage continues to rely on rich language input. Learners engage in a lot of listening, developing active-listening and comprehension skills, using contextual, grammatical, phonic and non-verbal cues. The language they hear is authentic with modification, involving familiar vocabulary and simple structures. The balance between listening and speaking gradually shifts as learners are supported to use the language themselves in familiar contexts and situations. They exchange simple ideas and information, negotiate predictable activities and interactions, and participate in shared tasks, performance and play. They continue to build vocabulary that can be adapted for different purposes. They control simple grammatical forms with some accuracy to communicate in familiar contexts.

Contexts of interaction

The context in which students interact is primarily the language classroom and the school environment, with some sharing of their learning at home. They also have some access to wider communities of French speakers and resources through virtual and digital technology. The familiarity and routine dimension of the classroom context provide scaffolding and opportunities for language practice and experimentation.

Texts and resources

Learners develop literacy skills through interacting with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts such as picture books, stories, puppet play, songs and computer games introduce them to the expressive and cultural dimensions of French. Procedural, informative and descriptive texts, such as timetables, tuckshop orders or class profiles, show how language is used to organise, to describe and to ‘get things done’. Learners may have access to resources developed for children in France, such as television programs, advertisements or web pages, as a way of developing cultural knowledge.

Features of French language use

Learning French contributes to the process of making sense of the children’s worlds that characterises this stage of development. As they encounter French language and culture they understand that French and English have many similarities and also some interesting differences. They notice features of French communication such as the use of gestures, facial expressions, intonation patterns and polite forms of address. They make comparisons with their own ways of communicating. This leads them to think about identity and difference and about what it means to speak more than one language.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support. This is primarily provided by the teacher, who provides instruction, explanations, examples, repetition, reinforcement and feedback. Tasks and activities are carefully scaffolded and resourced. Time is allowed for experimentation, drafting and redrafting. Learners are supported to self-monitor and reflect on their learning.

The role of English

Learners are supported to use French as much as possible for classroom routines, social interactions, structured learning tasks, and language experimentation and practice. English is used for discussion, explanation and reflection, enabling learners to develop a language for sharing ideas about language and culture systems. It enables them to ask questions to support their learning and to reflect on the experience of moving between languages and cultures. Using both French and English in the classroom develops a sense of what it means to be bilingual.

The place of the French language and culture in Australia and in the world

French is a major world language, spoken as the first language in more than two dozen countries on five continents and as an official language in 33 countries. First language speakers include the 67 million inhabitants of mainland France; those living in the territorial communities of New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and the Wallis and Futuna Islands, as well as in French overseas departments such as French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe and the island of Réunion; 80 percent of the inhabitants of Québec; and significant communities in Luxembourg, Belgium, Monaco, Switzerland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are also many French-based creole languages, such as Haitian, developed through French colonial contact. French is a language of diplomacy, used by many international organisations, and is the dominant working language at the European Court of Justice. French culture has contributed to the shaping of global movements and traditions associated with domains such as the arts, cinema, philosophy and cultural theory, as well as fashion, design, food and wine.

Australia and the French-speaking world have significant shared history and strong contemporary connections. First French arrivals in the eighteenth century were explorers, followed by small numbers of prisoners, refugees and government officials who involved themselves in trade, commerce and agriculture. Migrants from maritime regions such as Aquitaine and Normandy arrived in the early nineteenth century, followed by French recruits to the Victorian gold rush (1852–71). Many stayed and settled as agriculturalists, winemakers, traders and tradesmen. By the beginning of the twentieth century there was an established French community in the colony, with its own chamber of commerce, French-language newspaper, major shipping interests and involvement in the growing wool trade. The ends of both world wars brought further migrants, including war brides of Australian servicemen, and people taking advantage of the government-assisted passage scheme at the close of World War II. The gaining of independence by French colonies in the 1950s and 1960s saw numbers of French families choosing to migrate to Australia rather than return to France. The past five decades have continued to see a steady movement of migrants between France and other French-speaking countries and territories and Australia, with approximately 0.5 percent of the Australian population identifying as having French ancestry.

Current links between Australia and the French-speaking world are strong, characterised by bilateral relationships in trade and investment, educational exchanges, research and development in science and technology, humanitarian and environmental initiatives, and communications, strategic and defence priorities. The Pacific region is a particularly important focus of bilateral engagement. France is a leading destination for Australian travellers, and a partner in work-exchange opportunities in hospitality, tourism and international relations. Large numbers of young Australians visit France and other French-speaking countries each year on student or working visas.

The place of the French language in Australian education

French has been taught in Australian schools and universities since the 1880s. Originally offered with Italian and German as a modern language option alongside classical languages, it was valued as an important academic and cultural discipline and a means of accessing the intellectual and cultural heritage of France. The move to communicatively based approaches to teaching in the 1970s, together with improved communications and travel opportunities, increased interest in French as an option for more learners. As Asian languages joined European languages in school programs, numbers of students learning French declined, but French continues to be studied at all levels across all states and territories and is currently the third most widely studied language in schools. Wider community interest in learning French is strong, as evidenced by enrolments in courses offered by regional branches of the Alliance Française and the proliferation of informal community-based French conversation groups and language clubs.

The nature of French language learning

French is an Indo-European language and belongs to the family of Romance languages derived from the spoken Latin language of the Roman Empire. It is closely related to English, due to the shared influence of Latin and to the fact that French was the official language of the English court, administration and culture for 300 years after the Norman Conquest in the eleventh century. This involvement with French contributed significantly to the developing English language. There are more than 1700 words that are used in both languages (for example, danger, saint, magazine, tact). In this sense French is already partly familiar to English-speaking learners. This familiarity supports early stages of learning.

French uses the same Roman alphabet as English, although its pronunciation of the letters differs significantly and the use of accents on some letters is an additional complexity for English-speaking learners. There are many similarities between the two grammatical systems, such as the same basic subject-verb-object order, but also differences, such as in the use of tenses, the gendering of nouns and adjectives, the marking of plural forms of nouns and adjectives, and the use of articles and capital letters. The sound system is usually the main challenge for English-speaking learners, including as it does some novel sounds (such as the pronunciation of the letters r and u), letters which are silent, and unfamiliar liaisons and intonation and rhythm patterns.

The diversity of learners of French

French programs in Australian schools are offered to a range of learners, including some who are following immersion or partial immersion programs. Many are monolingual English speakers who are learning French as their first experience of another language. A relatively small number have existing connections with French, either as background speakers, second- or third-generation French Australians, or through professional, personal or other forms of connection. For learners from language backgrounds with very different grammatical and vocabulary systems such as Chinese or Korean, learning French will represent similar challenges to those which frame their experience of learning English as their language of schooling; but these learners have the advantage of having developed skills and understandings associated with learning and using additional languages.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages for French is pitched to second language learners; that is, to the dominant cohort of learners in the current Australian context for whom French is an additional language. It has been developed according to two main learning trajectories for these learners, Foundation to Year 10 Sequence and Years 7–10 (Year 7 Entry) Sequence. Teachers will use the curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments to differentiate learning experiences for these students.

For students learning French for the first time in a school language program, a key dimension of the curriculum involves understanding the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by the language. The curriculum is designed with an intercultural language learning orientation to enable students to participate meaningfully in intercultural experiences, to develop new ways of seeing and being in the world, and to understand more about themselves in the process.

Socialising

Participate in routine exchanges such as asking each other how they are, offering wishes and sharing information about aspects of their personal worlds
[Key concepts: communication, politeness, friendship; Key processes: interacting, listening, questioning, responding]

Make statements, ask questions and collaborate in shared tasks such as science experiments, cooking or craft activities, building collections or swapping items
[Key concepts: collaboration, creativity, discovery; Key processes: contributing, collecting, exchanging]

Follow the teacher’s instructions and use simple questions, statements and gestures to support own learning, such as asking for help or permission or attracting attention
[Key concepts: learning strategies, support; Key processes: requesting, clarifying, responding]

Informing

Locate specific points of information in different types of texts relating to social and natural worlds
[Key concepts: community, family, friends, environment; Key processes: focused reading, information selection and organisation]

Present factual information about self, others, and home and school life, using graphic support such as photos, maps or charts
[Key concepts: home, school, information; Key processes: selecting, presenting, comparing]

Creating

Participate in interactive stories and performances, acting out responses, identifying favourite elements, and making simple statements about characters or themes
[Key concepts: response, action, expression; Key processes: participating, imagining, interpreting]

Create short imaginative texts that allow for exploration and enjoyment of language
[Key concepts: fantasy, imagination; Key processes: experimenting, playing, creating, performing]

Translating

Translate high-frequency words and expressions in simple texts such as captions, story titles or recurring lines in a story, noticing which ones are difficult to interpret
[Key concepts: translation, meaning, culture; Key processes: noticing, explaining, comparing]

Create bilingual versions of texts such as picture dictionaries, action games or captions for images
[Key concepts: translation, meaning; Key processes: selecting, code-mixing, explaining]

Reflecting

Notice what looks or feels similar or different to own language and culture when interacting in French
[Key concepts: communication, difference, respect; Key processes: noticing, comparing, reflecting]

Explore their own sense of identity, including elements such as family, friends and interests, and ways of using language with different people
[Key concepts: identity, friends, groups; Key processes: noticing, describing, identifying]

Systems of language

Experiment with the pronunciation of vowel sounds, letter combinations and intonation patterns, and recognise and write high-frequency words and expressions in familiar contexts
[Key concepts: pronunciation, accent, spelling, writing; Key processes: alphabetic recognition, discriminating sounds, recognising words]

Notice and apply elements of French grammar such as word order, gender and singular/plural forms, adverbs, pronouns and prepositions in simple spoken and written texts
[Key concepts: sentence, gender, number; Key processes: recognising, applying, naming]

Notice differences between simple spoken, written and multimodal French texts used in familiar contexts, and compare with similar texts in English.
[Key concepts: mode, medium, language features; Key processes: noticing, comparing, describing, explaining]

Language variation and change

Understand that different ways of using French reflect different regions and countries, different relationships and different ways of making meaning
[Key concepts: variation, register, tenor; Key processes: observing, explaining]

Understand that languages change over time and influence each other, and that French has influenced many languages, including English
[Key concepts: influence, change, exchange; Key processes: identifying, classifying, interpreting]

Know that French is an important global language used by communities in many countries around the world and that it has connections with several other languages
[Key concepts: global language, culture, identity, communication; Key processes: collecting data, mapping, grouping]

Role of language and culture

Notice differences between French, Australian and other cultures’ practices and how these are reflected in language
[Key concepts: culture as process and practice, beliefs, values; Key processes: identifying, describing, discussing]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with teachers and each other through classroom routines, action-related talk and play. They exchange greetings and wishes, respond to familiar instructions and to questions such as Qu’est-ce que c’est? and Qu’est-ce que tu fais? They share simple ideas and information, express positive and negative feelings (for example, Je suis très contente; Je n’aime pas la pluie) and ask for help, clarification and permission. They interpret visual, non-verbal and contextual cues such as intonation, gestures and facial expressions to help make meaning. They make statements using the present tense and present + infinitive form about self, family and interests (for example, Je suis australien et italien; J’habite à Brisbane; Je vais partir demain). They approximate the sounds, rhythms and pitch of spoken French. They comprehend simple, spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts, using cues such as context, graphics, familiar vocabulary and language features. They use modelled sentence structures to compose short original texts such as descriptions, captions or simple narratives, using conjunctions such as et and mais, and prepositions such as sous, sur and devant. They use vocabulary related to familiar contexts and their personal worlds, and apply gender and number agreements in simple constructions (for example, une petite maison, les grands chiens).

Students know that French is a significant language spoken in many parts of the world, including Australia; that it is similar to English in some ways (for example, it has the same alphabet and basic sentence structure and many shared words) and different in other ways (such as in the use of titles, gestures, some new sounds such as r and u and gender forms). They know that languages change over time and influence each other. They identify French words used in English (such as menu, mousse) and English words used in French (such as le weekend, stop!). They demonstrate understanding of the fact that language may need to be adjusted to suit different situations and relationships (for example, formal and informal language, different text types). They explain how French has its own rules for pronunciation, non-verbal communication and grammar. They use terms such as verb, adjective and gender for talking about language and learning. Students identify ways in which languages are connected with cultures, and how the French language, like their own, reflects ways of behaving and thinking as well as ways of using language.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social world and membership of various groups, including that of the German class. They have developed initial literacy in English, and this assists to some degree in learning German, such as writing in the Roman alphabet. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

German language learning and use

The development of oral proficiency at this stage continues to rely on rich language input in different modes and from different sources. Learners build active listening and comprehension skills, using contextual, grammatical, phonic and non-verbal cues. Language is authentic with some modification, involving familiar vocabulary and simple structures. The balance between listening and speaking gradually shifts as learners are supported to use the language themselves in familiar contexts and situations, exchanging simple ideas and information, and participating in predictable activities and interactions, shared tasks, performance and play. They continue to build vocabulary that can be adapted for different purposes, and to use simple grammatical forms with some accuracy to communicate in familiar contexts.

A balance between language knowledge and language use is established by integrating focused attention to grammar, vocabulary building, pronunciation, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use with opportunities for purposeful communication.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which learners interact in learning and using German are primarily local – the classroom, school, home and community – with some access to wider communities of German speakers through audiovisual and digital technologies.

Texts and resources

Learners develop literacy skills and textual knowledge through supported engagement with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative texts (such as picture books, fairy tales, puppet plays, songs and digital games) involve the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. Procedural, informative and descriptive texts (such as recipes, annotated posters, and family and class profiles) show how language is used for a variety of purposes.

Features of German language use

Learners notice features of German communication such as the use of gestures, facial expressions and intonation patterns. They become familiar with the idea of grammatical gender and become familiar with how to use singular and plural forms. Learning German contributes to the process of making sense of their personal/social worlds that characterises this stage of learners’ development. As they encounter German language and culture they make comparisons with their own language(s) and culture(s) and consider their own ways of communicating. This leads to exploring concepts of identity, commonality and difference, and to becoming aware of themselves as communicators in particular cultural contexts and communities.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support. Form-focused activities build learners’ grammatical knowledge and understanding, developing accuracy and control in spoken and written German. Teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete the task; make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection.

The role of English

Learners use German for classroom routines and structured learning tasks, and for listening to and viewing German texts. English is used for class discussions, such as noticing and discussing aspects of German language and culture; for comparing English and German languages and cultures; and for reflecting on the process of learning another language.

The place of the German language and culture in Australia and in the world

German is an official language of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Belgium, Luxembourg and in South Tyrol in Italy. It is also used as an official regional or auxiliary language in a number of other countries in Europe, and in Namibia in Africa. As one of three procedural languages for the European Union and the first language of 120 million Europeans, the German language showcases the cultural diversity and range of these German-speaking communities. In particular, the interplay between culture and language can be seen in the global influence of the past and contemporary achievements of German-speaking communities in architecture, the arts, engineering, philosophy, recreational pursuits, and scientific innovations, particularly those related to environmental sustainability. The conceptual understandings that sit behind this influence are reflected in the selection of text types and key concepts through which students will have opportunities to use German actively.

The place of the German language in Australian education

German has been taught in schools, universities and communities in Australia since the mid-1800s and by the 1930s was a well-established part of the Australian educational landscape. As well as being a core element of the tradition of a broad humanistic education, German can also be seen as a cultural marker of the waves of immigration from Western Europe. Migration from German-speaking countries is ongoing, thus continuing the contribution that German speakers have made in shaping Australian culture from the time of the first German settlements.

Strong partnerships have developed with organisations such as the Goethe-Institut, the German Embassy, the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Bavarian Youth Ring student exchange organisation (BJR) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), to provide solid support for the teaching and learning of German in Australia.

The nature of German language learning

German and English are both derived from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family and share many similar lexical items (cognates) as well as grammatical features. Consequently, a native speaker of English has some immediate access to spoken and written German, and from an early stage learners can engage with authentic texts. Modern German also borrows from modern English, for example, der Computer, as does English from German, for example, ‘kindergarten’. German is a pluricentric language with different standards and regional varieties.

German is a largely phonetic language with many of the same sounds as English, and the same Roman alphabet. In addition to the standard 26 letters, there is the use of the Umlaut (Ä/ä, Ö/ö and Ü/ü) and the Eszett (ß). A major difference in orthography from English is the capitalisation of all nouns, a feature that assists the comprehensibility of written texts.

German is well known for its morphological creativity in forming long words through compounding. The German language has two different forms of address, formal and informal, dependent on the relationship between the communicators. German speakers generally rely more heavily than native speakers of Australian English on the use of the imperative to effect action, thus sometimes appearing to be more direct.

Other distinctive features of German are noun gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) and the case system. Changes in the articles of nouns and in pronouns and adjective endings mark the four cases, indicating subject and direct and indirect objects, as well as possession. Marking cases in this way leads to flexibility in word order which is not possible in English. Sentences may appear long to English users, but the case markers and clear and consistent punctuation rules aid comprehension.

The diversity of learners of German

The cohort of learners of German in Australian schools generally comprises students who are second language learners.

Within this pathway, learners demonstrate a range of degrees of exposure to and experience in German. Some learners will have little familiarity with German, although they will most likely have experience of English, another Germanic language; others will have German heritage or a family member who has knowledge of German and/or connections with German-speaking countries.

There are a number of different types of schools in Australia that cater for a range of pathways. In addition, community-driven early-years playgroups are growing in number. Mainstream school provision for background learners is limited, although there are some notable examples of bilingual programs which also cater for non-background students. There are also several complementary providers for German, including distance education and community schools.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages, Foundation to Year 10 – German is pitched to second language learners; that is, to the dominant cohort of learners of the language in the current Australian context. Teachers will make appropriate adjustments to the curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds and differentiate learning experiences for these students.

Socialising

Share information with peers and teacher about aspects of their personal worlds such as friends, home, favourite objects and activities
[Key concepts: friendship, identity; Key processes: describing, expressing]

Participate collaboratively in shared class experiences and transactions
[Key concepts: participation, creativity; Key processes: exchanging, negotiating, planning]

Participate in everyday classroom activities, responding to questions, instructions and requests, asking for clarification or assistance and making simple statements about own and others’ learning
[Key concepts: support, learning strategies; Key processes: requesting, clarifying, responding]

Informing

Obtain and process information from peers and texts related to personal, social and natural worlds
[Key concepts: community, family, friends; Key processes: reading, listening, selecting, organising]

Present information in modelled spoken and written texts relating to personal, social and natural worlds
[Key concepts: family, friends; Key processes: describing, presenting, collating]

Creating

Respond to imaginative print and digital texts in a variety of ways such as by acting out events, identifying favourite elements and making simple statements about characters
[Key concepts: character, events; Key processes: describing, retelling]

Create imaginative texts such as simple plays, poems and stories, using formulaic expressions and modelled language as well as simple visual supports
[Key concepts: fantasy, entertainment, amusement; Key processes: performing, creating, presenting]

Translating

Compare aspects of German and English language, such as vocabulary, sounds and rhymes, and cultural information, and share with peers and family
[Key concepts: meaning, interconnection; Key processes: comparing, interpreting, explaining]

Produce texts such as signs, class word lists and picture dictionaries in both German and English for the classroom and school community
[Key concepts: vocabulary, translation; Key processes: labelling, matching, translating]

Reflecting

Notice and describe what looks or feels similar or different to own language and culture when interacting in German
[Key concepts: communication, difference, respect; Key processes: noticing, comparing, describing]

Describe their own experiences of learning and using German and explore their sense of identity, including elements such as family, cultural heritage and friends
[Key concepts: self, family, friends; Key processes: exploring, comparing, identifying]

Systems of language

Experiment with the pronunciation of vowel sounds, letter combinations and intonation patterns, and recognise and write high-frequency words and expressions in familiar contexts
[Key concepts: pronunciation, intonation, accents; Key processes: distinguishing sounds, recognising, practising]

Notice and apply elements of German grammar such as gender and singular/plural forms, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns and word order in simple spoken and written texts
[Key concepts: word order, connections, syntax, cases; Key processes: noticing patterns, making connections]

Identify the purposes of familiar personal, informative and imaginative texts such as maps, calendars and fairy tales, and explain how particular features of such texts help to achieve these purposes
[Key concepts: text function, structure, features of texts; Key processes: classifying, comparing, explaining]

Language variation and change

Recognise some of the common variations in German as it is used in different contexts by different people
[Key concepts: variation, register; Key processes: noticing, comparing, exploring]

Recognise that German and English are related languages and that German is an important European and global language
[Key concepts: global language, culture, identity; Key processes: identifying, exploring, researching]

Role of language and culture

Make connections between culture and language use, for example, by identifying vocabulary and expressions that reflect cultural values, traditions or practices
[Key concepts: connections, values, traditions; Key processes: identifying, describing]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with teachers and peers in classroom routines, action-related talk and play. They respond to instructions and use formulaic expressions to interact, ask questions, seek assistance, and make statements related to their personal worlds, for example, bitte schön; Ich bin dran; Welche Farbe? Wie viele Geschwister hast du? Mein Lieblingsspiel ist Lotto. They reproduce German short and long single vowel and diphthong sounds, including Umlaute, and Eszett, and initial consonants and blends, for example, Post/los, mein, die, Bruder/Brüder, heißen, ja, rot, singen, Sport, Winter, zwei. They answer questions related to their personal worlds with factual information, and respond to imaginative texts by identifying favourite elements, sequencing main events and producing short scaffolded summaries. They create short, simple sentences from modelled language and use coordinating conjunctions, for example, und, aber, oder, to compose short original texts. They use some forms of common regular verbs in the present tense, (for example, heißen, kosten, spielen, wohnen), some irregular verb forms, (for example, bin, bist, ist, sind, hast, hat), and limited forms of modal verbs, (for example, kann, mag, möchte, muss), simple past tense verbs, (for example, hatte, ging, war) and the accusative case, (for example, Ich habe einen Hund.). They respond to and use interrogatives, such as was, wann, wer, wie, wie viele, wo and some ja/nein questions. They refer to time, manner and place using familiar words and phrases, for example, morgen, sehr gut, im Wald. They compare aspects of German and English language and culture that are reflected in texts they have viewed, listened to or read and they create texts in German and English for the classroom and school community. They identify ways in which culture influences aspects of communication in routine exchanges such as greetings, and describe their own sense of identity, including elements such as family, cultural heritage and friends.

Students identify German as an important European and global language and give examples showing how it is related to English. They differentiate statements, questions, imperatives and exclamations according to intonation, sentence structure and punctuation. They identify the purpose of the Eszett and show how the Umlaut alters the pronunciation of particular vowels (ä, ö, ü). They identify single letters, some consonant clusters (sch) and vowel combinations (au, ei, eu, ie). They identify the audience and purpose of familiar personal, informative and imaginative texts. They give examples of how language use varies according to the participants, purpose and context of an exchange. They give examples of how language and culture are intrinsically linked, and identify cultural values, traditions or practices that are conveyed in words and expressions they and others use.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their memberships of various groups including the Modern Greek class. They are further developing literacy capabilities in English, such as writing in the Roman alphabet, and this helps to some degree in learning Modern Greek. They benefit from multimodal, activity-based learning which builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning, including English and other languages.

Modern Greek language learning and use

Learners interact with peers and the teacher in a variety of communicative activities where grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are purposefully integrated. They primarily engage in a variety of listening and viewing activities, and understand familiar stories, songs and poems. Language use remains at a simplistic, repetitive level within familiar and predictable contexts. Students use simple language structures, vocabulary and phrases (Τι καιρό κάνει σήμερα; Χρόνια πολλά). They understand basic grammatical features such as the position of the possessive pronoun (η μαμά μου), and the importance of the use of articles (η ΄Αννα), and apply them in their own speech and writing. Specific language learning skills such as memory and communication strategies are developed. Listening skills are developed further, and through constant repetition and consolidation learners ask and respond to questions, give information, and read and write simple texts. With extensive support, students use their imagination to create short songs, games and performances. They discuss and begin to explore the significance of certain traditions, practices and values and the language associated with these, such as 25η Mαρτίου, Απόκριες, 28η Οκτωβρίου.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which learners interact in learning and using Modern Greek are primarily the classroom and school, with some sharing of their learning at home. Students may have access to wider communities of Greek speakers and resources through out-of-classroom activities and the use of virtual and digital technology. They work independently and cooperatively, further developing their sense of personal as well as group identity.

Texts and resources

Learners develop literacy skills through interacting with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Procedural, informative and descriptive texts, for example, recipes, weather reports and family descriptions, show how language is used in different ways and for different purposes.

Features of Modern Greek language use

Learners begin to develop a metalanguage for understanding and discussing language features, and make connections and comparisons between English and Modern Greek. For example, they understand that in English there is one word for the definite article (‘the’), whereas in Greek the definite article changes according to case, gender and number (ο, η, το, οι, οι, τα). Comparing the structures and patterns of Modern Greek to those of English helps learners understand both languages, helping in the development of their overall literacy skills. At this level, learners have control of writing the Greek alphabet letters.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support through scaffolding. Teachers model what is expected, introduce language concepts and resources needed to manage and complete tasks, and make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting, providing support for self-monitoring and reflection. Support includes a range of spoken, written, visual and interactive resources, such as puppet plays, songs, YouTube clips and digital games.

The role of English

Learners are encouraged to use Modern Greek as much as possible for classroom routines, social interactions, structured learning tasks, and language experimentation and practice. English is used for discussion, explanation and reflection, as learners become aware of the interdependence of Greek language and culture and how these systems connect and compare to their own language and culture.

The place of the Modern Greek language and culture in Australia and the world

Modern Greek is the official language of Greece and Cyprus. It is spoken throughout the world – wherever there are Greek-speaking communities. One of the major characteristics of the extensive Greek Diaspora is the maintenance of the Greek language and culture, especially in Australia, the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, countries of Latin America and Africa, and areas around the Black Sea, the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Modern Greek is also one of the official languages of the European Union.

The Hellenic civilisation and language have significantly shaped Western civilisation, particularly in the areas of science, the arts, architecture, medicine, mathematics, literature, politics and philosophy. Modern literature and thought in particular have been influenced by the works of Homer and the ancient Greek playwrights, philosophers and historians. The Greek language gives expression to a rich and varied culture and tradition and is still used widely in many fields to coin new terms. The study of the etymology of English words with Greek origins helps in not only the understanding of English and other languages, but also a broad range of other areas of study.

The first Greek people who came to Australia arrived in the 1820s and since then there have been waves of Greek migration to Australia, in particular throughout the early 1900s and prior to World War II. The largest periods of mass migration occurred between the 1950s and 1970s. The migrants’ need to maintain Greek identity through language, culture and religion contributed towards the Greek language flourishing in the home and in the delivery of Greek in after-hours school settings.

Historically, Greeks have made and continue to make a significant contribution to the development and enrichment of Australian society, not only in the areas of commerce, agriculture, industry, trade, education, the arts, medicine, law, politics, government and scientific research, but also in cultural and lifestyle influences.

The place of the Modern Greek language in Australian education

After the early settlement of Greeks in Australia, after-hours community schools were set up to teach the language, predominantly to children of Greek immigrants. From the 1970s, due to government policies supporting multiculturalism, Modern Greek programs were introduced at all levels in the Australian education system, including tertiary level, offering all students regardless of their background the opportunity to study Modern Greek.

Modern Greek is currently taught across all school sectors and contexts.

The nature of Modern Greek language learning

The modern standard version of Modern Greek (Neoelliniki: Νεοελληνική) is the demotic form of the written and spoken language and is the official language taught worldwide. It is an alphabetic (non-Roman) language, with 24 letters, and has remained relatively unchanged since ancient times. Modern Greek is a phonetic language, with a simple form of accentuation and highly structured grammar and syntax. Although many English words are derived from Greek, the language structure is very different. There are, for example, marked differences in the use of articles, gender agreement for adjectives and nouns, verb conjugations, declensions of nouns and variations in word order. These distinctive features influence how Modern Greek is taught in the classroom. They will be seen through the key text types and processes chosen as a vehicle to develop learners’ understanding of them and in the context for interactions through which learners will develop the skills for their sustained use.

The diversity of learners of Modern Greek

Due to the passage of time, shifting trends in migration and the changed nature of the learner, Modern Greek is no longer the exclusive domain of students of Greek background. Learners of Modern Greek in Australian schools come from a diversity of backgrounds, including learners for whom this represents a first experience of learning Modern Greek. Learners of Modern Greek may also be background speakers or second-, third- or fourth-generation Australians who may have connections to the customs and traditions of their heritage but whose linguistic knowledge may be limited or non-existent.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages for Modern Greek is pitched to second language learners, the dominant cohort of learners in the Australian context. There are two learning pathways for students: the Foundation to Year 10 Sequence and the Years 7–10 (Year 7 Entry) Sequence. Teachers will use the curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments to personalise learning experiences.

For students learning Modern Greek for the first time in a school language program, a key dimension of the curriculum involves understanding the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by the language. The curriculum is designed with an intercultural language learning orientation to enable students to participate meaningfully in language and cultural experiences, to develop new ways of seeing and being in the world, and to understand more about themselves in the process.

Socialising

Interact with peers and teacher to exchange personal information about everyday routines involving school and home environment
[Key concept: everyday routines (home and school); Key processes: interacting, participating, exchanging]

Participate collaboratively in shared class experiences which involve planning and simple transactional exchanges, such as cooking or craft activities, creating a display or taking part in a role-play
[Key concepts: collaboration; creativity; Key processes: contributing, participating]

Participate in everyday classroom activities, such as asking for permission, requesting help, asking how to say or write something, and praising or encouraging peers
[Key concepts: communication, support; Key processes: speaking, contributing, taking turns]

Informing

Locate key information about everyday contexts and routines from written, spoken, digital and visual texts
[Key concepts: home, self, others; Key processes: identifying, selecting, recording]

Convey and present information about self, others, home and school life, using simple statements and support materials such as photos, maps, digital texts and displays or charts
[Key concepts: home, school, information; Key processes: selecting, presenting]

Creating

Participate in shared imaginative activities and respond by acting out events, identifying favourite elements, and making simple statements about characters
[Key concepts: response, action, expression; Key processes: participating, imagining, interpreting]

Create and perform short spoken and written imaginative texts such as dialogues or collaborative online stories, using formulaic expressions and modelled language
[Key concepts: fantasy, humour, imagination; Key processes: experimenting, creating, performing]

Translating

Translate and interpret words, phrases and sentences used in familiar environments such as school and home, recognising how they may have similar or different meanings to words in English or other known languages
[Key concepts: equivalence, personal world; Key processes: translating, identifying, labelling]

Create simple bilingual resources such as picture dictionaries, action games or labels for the classroom
[Key concepts: translation, meaning; Key processes: selecting, explaining]

Reflecting

Share own experiences of communicating in Greek, recognising how it involves behaviours as well as words
[Key concepts: language, culture, difference; Key processes: noticing, comparing]

Interact with others, noticing how identity matters, such as use of terms of address, who and what is included and what language is used
[Key concepts: belonging, identity; Key processes: interacting, noticing]

Systems of language

Experiment with the pronunciation and writing of the alphabet letters, recognising sound–letter relationships, letter clusters and vowel–consonant combinations, using the accent mark to aid pronunciation
[Key concept: sound and writing system; Key processes: identifying, recognising, repeating]

Recognise and use elements of Greek grammar, such as word order, gender and singular/plural forms, to describe people, objects or events
[Key concepts: sentence, grammar, word order; Key processes: recognising, applying, naming]

Recognise the linguistic features and structures of different texts used in familiar contexts, such as stories, songs, recipes and conversations
[Key concepts: genre, textual features; Key processes: observing, identifying]

Language variation and change

Understand that the context and purpose of interactions influence language choices
[Key concepts: change; register, variation; Key processes: observing, comparing]

Understand that languages change over time and that they influence each other, recognising words in English that are derived from Greek and words in Greek that are derived from other languages
[Key concepts: continuity, change; Key processes: identifying, processing]

Role of language and culture

Make connections between cultural practices and language use, for example, by identifying vocabulary, behaviours and expressions which reflect cultural values, beliefs and traditions
[Key concepts: celebrations, symbolism; Key processes: understanding, identifying]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with the teacher and peers to share simple information about aspects of their lives, such as school (for example, Mαθαίνω ελληνικά), home (for example, Το σπίτι μου είναι μεγάλο) and everyday routines (for example, Παίζω μπάλα). They use formulaic expressions when participating in classroom routines, collaborative activities and simple transactional exchanges, such as praising and encouraging others (for example, Μπράβο σου), asking for help, seeking clarification (for example, Συγγνώμη, κυρία), and requesting permission (for example, Μπορώ να πάω έξω;). They use features of Greek pronunciation when asking questions such as, Πού είναι; , and making statements and exclamations (for example, Ελάτε τώρα!), including use of the accent mark. Students locate information from spoken and written texts related to everyday contexts and routines such as, Να το βιβλίο μου, Τη Δευτέρα παίζω τένις, and use simple statements and support materials to present information about themselves (for example, Αγαπώ τη μουσική, Είμαι οχτώ χρονών), others (for example, Πόσων χρονών είσαι;), home (for example, Μένω στο …) and school (for example, Να η τάξη μου). They respond to imaginative texts by discussing favourite elements, acting out events and making simple statements about characters. They perform and create short imaginative texts, using formulaic expressions and modelled language (for example, Πού είναι ο Φρίξος; Είναι …). Students use vocabulary related to school, home and everyday routines such as, η πόρτα, το σπίτι, το σχολείο, τα χόμπυ μου, η οικογένειά μου, and describe people, objects or events using adjectives and adverbs. They use appropriate word order, gender, and singular and plural forms in simple spοken and written texts (for example, Να η γάτα, Να ο γάτος, Να οι γάτες). They translate and interpret common words and frequently used language relating to familiar environments (for example, Oρίστε Μαρία, Παρακαλώ), and create simple bilingual resources for the classroom. They identify ways that their own language and the Greek language reflect ways of behaving as well as words.

Students write letters of the Greek alphabet, and identify sound–letter relationships, letter clusters, vowel–consonant combinations and the most common digraphs (for example, ου, αι, οι, ει, μπ, ντ). They identify the structure and linguistic features of texts used in familiar contexts, such as stories, songs, recipes and conversations (for example, Τέλος, Καλημέρα, Τι κάνεις;). They give examples of how language use varies according to the context and purpose of the exchange (for example, Γεια σου / σας). They identify ways that languages change over time, and how languages influence each other, providing examples of words in English that are borrowed from Greek and words in Greek that are borrowed from other languages. They compare Greek and English, identifying similarities and differences, particularly in vocabulary, behaviours and expressions related to cultural practices, such as special occasions.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of learners

At this stage, children are developing cognitive and social capabilities that allow for increased control of their own learning. They are able to conceptualise and reason, and have better memory and focus. This is a stage of social experimentation, with children referencing themselves against their peers. They are more independent and less egocentric, enjoying both competitive and cooperative activities. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning, which builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Hindi language learning and use

Children interact with peers and the teacher in classroom routines and a variety of learning experiences and activities. They engage in a lot of listening, and build oral proficiency through the provision of rich language input and opportunities to engage in communicative activities where grammatical forms and language features are purposefully integrated. The language they use and hear is authentic with some modification. Vocabulary is familiar and and structures are simple. Children follow instructions, exchange simple information and express ideas and feelings related to their personal worlds. They negotiate interactions and activities and participate in shared tasks, performance and play. They read and create short texts on topics relevant to their interests and enjoyment, such as family, pets, favourite activities or food. They continue to build vocabulary that relates to a wider range of domains, such as areas of the curriculum that involve some specialised language use. The language used in routine activities is re-used and reinforced from lesson to lesson in different situations, making connections between what has been learnt and what is to be learnt.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which students interact in learning and using Hindi are primarily local: the classroom, school, home and community, with some access to wider communities of Hindi speakers and resources through virtual and digital technology. The development of oral proficiency is similar in many ways to their parallel development of English language and literacy and continues to rely on rich language input in different modes and from different sources.

Texts and resources

Learners engage primarily with a variety of teacher-generated materials, stories, songs, puppet shows and games, and with materials produced for young Hindi learners such as computer language games, cards and readers. They may also have access to materials developed for children in India and other Hindi-speaking regions of the world, such as television programs, advertisements or web pages, as a means of broadening cultural knowledge and awareness of diversity of language experience.

Features of Hindi language use

Children recognise and apply elements of Hindi grammar, such as the use of tenses, गया था, जाऊँगा, जा रहा हूँ, खाया था, खा रहा हूँ, खाऊँगा, possessive adjectives to express ownership, मेरी पुस्तक, तुम्हारा बस्ता, and pronouns for places and objects, यहाँ, वहाँ, यह, वह. They understand the use of constructions related to compulsion, conditional sentences and compound verbs to indicate capabilities or completion of actions. Children’s development of literacy skills progresses from supported comprehension and use of familiar and personally significant sight words to working with more elaborated texts that take account of context, purpose and audience. The development of reading skills and textual knowledge is supported through interaction with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts, such as picture books, rhymes, stories, puppet play, songs and games, engage the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. Procedural, informative and descriptive texts, such as negotiated classroom rules, tuckshop orders or family and class profiles, show how language is used to ‘get things done’. A balance between language knowledge and language use is established by integrating focused attention to grammar, vocabulary building, pronunciation, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use with communicative and purposeful learning activity.

Children talk about differences and similarities they notice between Hindi, English and other languages they know, and also between cultural behaviours and ways of communicating.

Learning Hindi in school contributes to the process of making sense of the children’s worlds which characterises this stage of development. Children are increasingly aware that the Hindi language is used not only in their own community in Australia and in India, but also in many other places around the world. As they engage consciously with differences between languages and cultures, they make comparisons and consider differences and possibilities in ways of communicating in different languages. This leads them to explore concepts of identity and difference, to think about cultural and linguistic diversity, and about what it means to speak more than one language in the contemporary world.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves continued extensive support. Form-focused activities build children’s grammatical knowledge and develop accuracy and control in spoken and written Hindi; opportunities to apply this knowledge in meaningful learning experiences build communicative skills, confidence and fluency. Tasks are carefully scaffolded: teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete the activity; make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection.

The role of English

The teacher and learners use Hindi wherever possible in classroom interactions and learning activities. English is used for discussion, reflection and explanation when appropriate, for example, when considering the nature and relationship of language and culture, or in tasks which involve bilingual work that includes comparison and analysis of Hindi and English. Discussion in Hindi and English supports learning, develops children’s conceptual frames and builds metalanguage for talking about language and culture systems. The process of moving between languages consolidates their already established sense of what it means to be bilingual or multilingual and provides opportunities for reflection on the experience of living interculturally in intersecting language communities.

The place of the Hindi language and associated cultures in Australia and the world

Hindi is an official language of India and Fiji. It is the most widely spoken language of the Indian subcontinent and is also widely spoken throughout the world in countries that include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mauritius, the Gulf countries and Australia. The language and associated cultures have evolved over time due to processes such as colonialism, globalisation and technological change, and to India’s geopolitical and historical position in the world.

The languages of India belong to several language families. Modern Hindi evolved into a distinct language in the New Indo-Aryan Period (from the 11th–12th century). Current understandings of the language are based on the idea of there being a Modern Standard Hindi (मानक हिंदी), based on the Khari Boli dialect spoken in the Delhi area and written in Devanagari script. More broadly, the notion of Hindi also includes a variety of dialect forms that are not covered by this curriculum, such as Braj Bhasa (ब्रज भाषा) and Avadhi (अवधी), which have their own distinctive grammatical standards. Following independence in 1947, the Indian Government instituted a standardisation of grammar, using the Devanagari script to standardise orthography and bring about uniformity in writing. The Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as the Official Language of the Union on 14 September 1949, now celebrated each year as Hindi Day.

Hindi follows a consistent set of grammatical standards that derive from the same roots as classical Sanskrit. Its vocabulary includes elements not only from Sanskrit but also from Persian, Arabic, Dravidian, other Indian languages and from world languages such as Turkish, Portuguese and English. The lexicon comprises of words taken directly (तत्सम words) and derived from Sanskrit (तद्भव words), as well as other languages. Like all languages, Hindi has multiple registers and freely uses loan words in different registers of speech and writing. Popular everyday registers incorporate many words derived from Persian and Arabic and increasingly incorporate English loan words and expressions.

Hindi is the first language of a large proportion of the population of India and is spoken by more than half the overall population. It is an official language in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. By virtue of its role as a lingua franca, Hindi has also developed regional dialects, such as Bambaiya Hindi in Mumbai, Dakhini in parts of Telangana and Bangalori Urdu in Bangalore, Karnataka. Hindi’s role as a lingua franca is evidenced in many forms of popular culture, such as music and film.

Hindi has been an important element of Indian educational systems, both as a first and second language and as a language of instruction. In non-Hindi states, Hindi may be learnt as the third language.

Significant Indian migration to Australia began in the 1980s and continued through the 1990s. The majority of migrants come to Australia through family connections, and the number of skilled migrants continue to grow. According to the Australian Census, in 2011 there were 111,352 Hindi speakers in Australia. Most Indians are multilingual and Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the Australian Indian community.

The place of the Hindi language in Australian education

The community’s commitment to maintain and to express Hindi identity through language, culture and religion is reflected in the strength of Hindi language use in home and community contexts and in well-established after-hours Hindi school programs. Since 2007, there has been an increase in numbers of students learning Hindi, primarily in community language schools and weekend language schools in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Some programs are now offered in mainstream schools, including programs that cater for second language learners. Total student numbers are relatively low, but increasing enrolments reflect the growing Indian community in Australia and the Australian Government’s commitment to support linguistic diversity in the community and to develop capabilities in the languages of the region, including Hindi (Australia in the Asian Century white paper 2012).

The nature of Hindi language learning

Hindi language learning in the context of this curriculum reflects the profile of the cohort of learners for whom it is designed. They are background language learners, with different levels of familiarity with the language and associated cultures. For many, this existing capability is more oral than literacy-based, and initial challenges associated with learning relate primarily to literacy development. Modern Standard Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, which is also used for Sanskrit, Marathi and Nepali. It is a phonetic script, which accurately represents the sounds and syllabic structure of Hindi. Study of the script involves learning the 13 sounds classified as vowels in their long and short forms and the 33 consonant sounds, distinguished between unaspirated and aspirated consonants and of retroflex and dental ‘ta’ and ‘da’ sounds. There are five Persian and Arabic consonant sounds used in Hindi and represented in script, as well as two ‘flapped’ forms of retroflex ‘r’ sounds. The syllabic structure of Hindi is represented in Devanagari by a system where vowels following consonants are represented by symbols called matra, and two or more consonants can be combined in a syllable without intervening vowels by conjunct forms of consonants.

Learning the Hindi grammatical system is supported by the regularity of key elements. These include a normative subject-object-verb sentence structure and the use of postpositions that impact on agreements with nouns, pronouns and adjectives. Sociolinguistic aspects of Hindi-speaking communities are reflected in aspects of the grammar, such as the system of three levels of pronouns for ‘you’ and linguistic variations that indicate levels of respect. Hindi is a highly inflected language. All nouns are grammatically masculine or feminine, so adjectives agree with nouns, and verbs show agreement for both number and gender. Actions are distinguished not only by time and manner of performance but also through a distinction between habitual actions and actions completed at a particular time. Learning Hindi involves some complexities at higher levels of study, as learners need to understand complex combinations of verbs and the use of causative verb forms, and to recognise ways in which Hindi draws on Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic in the formation of complex compound words in higher registers of speech.

The Hindi language used in the Australian Curriculum reflects the use of Hindi in contemporary times, engaging learners in the full range of contexts in which the language is presently used in India and Australia.

The diversity of learners of Hindi

The Australian Curriculum: Languages – Hindi is pitched to background language learners, the dominant cohort of learners in the Australian context. Students vary significantly in terms of language and cultural experience, variability being defined in part by home language environments, generational language shifts and parental cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Learners may be first-, second- or third-generation Australians. Some may have established literacy skills in Hindi; others will use Hindi in the home or community alongside other languages; others will extend their use of it to social or friendship groups. Others may have learnt the language in large part from forms of mass media, such as Bollywood productions, music and popular fiction. Some have more receptive than productive language capabilities.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages – HIndi has been developed according to two learning sequences: Foundation – Year 10, and Years 7–10 (Year 7 entry). Teachers will use the curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments to differentiate learning experiences for these students.

The intercultural language learning orientation of the curriculum explores the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by languages. Background learners of Hindi already have lived experience of this relationship, ‘living between’ Hindi and English in the Australian context. The curriculum provides opportunities for analysis, explicit focus and reflection on this lived experience and further opportunities for students to participate in intercultural experiences, to extend their ways of perceiving and being in the world, and to understand themselves and others as culturally, bi-culturally and inter-culturally situated.

Socialising

Engage in simple interactions such as asking and answering questions or issuing and responding to invitations, and exchange information about their interests, activities and personal worlds
[Key concepts: communication, information, leisure, interests; Key processes: interacting, exchanging, describing]

Participate in shared learning activities and transactions, such as science experiments, cooking or craft activities, creating displays or swapping items
[Key concepts: roles, collaboration, learning experiences, transactions; Key processes: negotiating, creating, transacting]

Respond to questions, directions and requests and use simple questions and statements to ask for help or permission, attract attention and check understanding
[Key concepts: directions, response, support; Key processes: interacting, responding]

Informing

Locate and organise information in different types of spoken, written and visual texts relating to personal, social and natural worlds
[Key concepts: information, natural world, physical world, daily life; Key processes: listening, reading, identifying, classifying]

Present simple information about home, school and community, using visual support such as photos, maps or charts
[Key concepts: family, communication, identity; Key processes: surveying, describing, presenting, reflecting]

Creating

Engage with creative and imaginative texts such as stories, rhymes, dance and action songs, identifying favourite elements and acting out key events or interactions
[Key concepts: imagination, character, plot; Key processes: responding, identifying, creating, evaluating; Key text types: films, stories, myths, puppetry]

Create simple imaginative texts, such as dialogues, storyboards, puppet shows or songs that encourage exploration and enjoyment of language
[Key concepts: expression, humour, entertainment, enjoyment; Key processes: creating, performing, experimenting; Key text types: poems, songs, puppet shows, animations, stories]

Translating

Translate simple texts such as rhymes, captions, story books or familiar social interactions, noticing words and expressions that are difficult to translate
[Key concepts: meaning, translation, interpretation, culture; Key processes: translating, noticing, reflecting, explaining]

Create simple bilingual texts, such as signs, notices or captions for displays in the classroom and wider school community
[Key concepts: bilingualism, translating, meaning, pronunciation; Key processes: composing, discussing, selecting]

Reflecting

Recognise that ways of communicating in different languages reflect ways of behaving and thinking
[Key concepts: culture, communication, respect, values, difference; Key processes: noticing, reflecting comparing, describing]

Talk about their individual and group sense of identity and how this is expressed through the different languages they use
[Key concepts: language, culture, identity, community; Key processes: reflecting, comparing, analysing, representing]

Systems of language

Build phonic awareness and pronunciation skills through singing, reciting and experimenting with sounds; develop familiarity with the use of the under-dotted characters representing loan sounds in Hindi and conventions governing punctuation marks in written script
[Key concepts: pronunciation, sounds, loan words; Key processes: identifying, distinguishing, recording]

Recognise and apply elements of grammar, such as noun and adjectival forms, conjunctions, gender and number markers, verb tenses and compound forms, and constructions related to compulsion
[Key concepts: grammar, tense, gender, number; Key processes: recognising, applying, naming]

Notice differences between simple spoken, written and multimodal texts used in different contexts, comparing with similar texts in English
[Key concepts: genre, language features; Key processes: identifying, comparing, distinguishing]

Language variation and change

Understand that the way the Hindi language is used varies according to the age, gender and background of speakers and that it involves different dialects and accents
[Key concepts: standard language, variation, status, relationship; Key processes: noticing, comparing, differentiating]

Understand that the Hindi language is influenced by and in turn influences other languages and cultures
[Key concepts: change, influence, contact; Key processes: identifying, investigating]

Understand that Hindi is an important regional and international language used by speakers who are often multilingual in different contexts around the world
[Key concepts: multilingualism, accent, dialect; Key processes: mapping, grouping, identifying]

Role of language and culture

Recognise the relationship between language and culture, for example, by identifying expressions, gestures or forms of address associated with different cultural practices
[Key concepts: non-verbal language, politeness, culture, traditions; Key processes: discussing, describing, comparing, reflecting]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with the teacher and peers to share information about their interests, activities and personal worlds, for example, नमस्ते, मुझे अपने दोस्तों के साथ खेलना अच्छा लगता है, मुझे क्रिकेट खेलना अच्छा लगता है क्योंकि …, गृह कार्य करने के बाद मैं टीवी देखता हूँ, नहा कर मैं पूजा करता हूँ,हर रविवार मैं मंदिर जाता हूँ ,हम सब मिल कर काम करते हैं। मेरे परिवार में पाँच लोग रहते हैं। मैं रोज़ अपने भाई के साथ खेलता हूँ। आपकी सहायता के लिये धन्यवाद ।They use formulaic expressions to participate in simple transactional exchanges and shared activities, for example, मेरे साथ आओ, हम मिल कर काम करेंग।मैं लिखता हूँ, यह यहाँ रखो, थोड़ा मैं लिखता हूँ बाकी तुम लिखो। मैं काटता हूँ ,तुम चिपकाओ। वाह! यह अच्छी बात है। क्या तुम कम्प्यूटर पर काम करना चाहते हो? They use simple questions and statements to follow instructions, respond to questions, ask for help and permission and seek clarification in everyday classroom routines, for example, यह क्या है? मुझे समझ नहीं आया। क्या आप मेरी मदद करेगें? यहाँ आओ, फिर से कहो। धन्यवाद, सब आराम से बैठो।स्कूल कब शुरू हो रहे हैं? स्कूल का खेल-दिवस कब है? When speaking and reading aloud, they use features of Hindi pronunciation and intonation. Students locate and organise information relating to their personal, social and natural worlds from different types of texts and present information about home, school and community in simple texts, using visual support, such as photos, maps or charts. They respond to imaginative texts by acting out key events or interactions and identifying favourite elements, and create simple imaginative texts, such as dialogues, puppet shows and songs. They use vocabulary related to school, home and the local environment, for example, चावल, रोटी, दाल, घर, कमरा, दरवाज़ा, घडी, कुर्सी, मेज़, किताबे, छात्र, पेंसिल, बोर्ड, पढ़ाई, लिखना, बोलना, पौधा, पेड़, फूल, घास, झूला, मोटरकार, रेलगाड़ी. Students use key grammatical forms and structures, such as verb tenses, nouns and adjectives, gender and number markers and conjunctions, for example, गया था, गयी, आऊँगी, आये, लड़का, लड़की, छोटा लड़का, छोटी लड़की, और, या, लेकिन, इसलिये, क्योंकि in simple spoken and written texts. They translate simple texts, such as captions and songs, identify words and phrases that are difficult to translate, and create simple bilingual texts for the classroom and school community. Students describe how the way they communicate reflects ways of behaving and thinking. They share their experiences of communicating in Hindi and English-speaking contexts and describe how their individual and group sense of identity is expressed in the languages they use.

Students identify and use Hindi sound and writing patterns, such as under-dot characters and punctuation conventions, for example, क़, ख़, ग़, ज़, फ़. They identify levels of compulsion implied in statements such as मुझे जाना चाहिए। मुझे जाना है। मुझे जाना पड़ता है. They identify ways that texts differ according to mode and context and compare Hindi texts with similar texts in English. They identify similarities and differences between various Hindi dialects and explain how age, gender and social position influence language use. Students provide examples of how the Hindi language has been influenced by and has influenced other languages. They investigate the use of Hindi and the nature of Hindi speakers in the international context. They compare Hindi and English language use and cultural practices, identifying culture-specific terms and expressions.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social world and memberships of various groups, including of the Indonesian class. They have developed initial literacy in English, and this assists to some degree in learning Indonesian, such as writing in the Roman alphabet. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Indonesian language learning and use

Learners participate orally in classroom routines and tasks, and share ideas about how Indonesian works. They respond to teacher-generated questions about texts, participate in games and give brief presentations about topics such as family, pets, or a favourite game or object. Learners follow instructions, read stories and captions, and use computer games for word building and language exercises. They participate in shared reading and create texts such as descriptions, captions and simple reports using modelled language.

Contexts of interaction

The context in which learners use Indonesian is primarily the language classroom and the school environment, with some sharing of their language learning at home. They may also have some access to Indonesian speakers and resources through audiovisual and digital technologies.

Texts and resources

Learners typically interact with teacher-generated materials, games and songs, and materials produced for learning Indonesian, such as computer games, cards and readers. They may be exposed to texts developed for children in Indonesia, such as television programs, advertisements or web pages, as a way of developing their cultural awareness.

Features of Indonesian language use

Learners are increasingly aware that Indonesian is used by millions of speakers who do not have English as their first language. They notice and question aspects of Indonesian language and culture such as sounds, gestures and word order. They are developing a wide range of vocabulary and simple conjunctions to generate their own ideas in structured tasks. They explore cultural traditions and practices and the language associated with these.

Level of support

The primary support for learners is the teacher of Indonesian, who provides instruction, explanation, examples, repetition, reinforcement and feedback. Learners create their own texts based on modelled language and teacher guidance. Supports also include word lists, pictures, body language, realia and multimedia equipment.

The role of English

Learners use Indonesian for classroom routines and structured learning tasks, and listening to and viewing Indonesian texts. They are supported by the teacher to notice and discuss aspects of Indonesian language and culture, and compare Indonesian to other known languages and cultures. English is used for class discussions when noticing, comparing and reflecting on both English and Indonesian languages and cultures.

The place of the Indonesian language and culture in Australia and in the world

The languages of the Indonesian archipelago have been used in Australia since contact several centuries ago between the peoples of the islands now known as Indonesia and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of northern Australia. Trade between these peoples left lasting effects on languages, cultures and communities, such as in Makassar and Arnhem Land, which continue to this day.

Indonesian — or Bahasa Indonesia as it is known by Indonesian speakers — is spoken by approximately 230 million people throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Closely related dialects of the same language, usually called Malay, are used in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and southern Thailand. Modern Indonesian and Malay trace their origins to Old Malay, which was used in the Srivijayan empire during the seventh century and later in the powerful trading kingdom of Malacca. As a language of trade, Malay spread throughout the archipelago. The colonial rulers of the Dutch East Indies used Malay for treaties, administration and, from the late nineteenth century onwards, education of the local people.

In 1928, Indonesia’s nascent nationalist movement declared that there would be a single national language as the language of Indonesian unity. Following independence in 1945, Bahasa Indonesia was adopted as the new nation’s official language; it became the medium of instruction and an area of study in all schools. Successive generations of Indonesians have now been educated in Indonesian, and for the majority it is one of a number of languages that are used for communication.

Following the countries’ experience of being allies during World War II, close ties were forged between Indonesia and Australia, and many Indonesians arrived in Australia to study as part of the Colombo Plan, which was designed to educate a professional class in order to advance a stable, democratic Indonesia. A number of Indonesians settled in Australia and formed small communities in various capital cities. These communities currently remain small but are steadily growing, with numbers of tertiary students and families from Indonesia living and studying in Australia.

The ties between Australia and Indonesia continue to develop, with an increasing number of Australians (almost one million in 2012) travelling to Indonesia, for leisure, business and education purposes; numbers of Indonesians visiting Australia are also increasing. Indonesia currently has Australia’s largest overseas diplomatic presence, and Australia is the only country outside of Indonesia to host two specialist Indonesian language and cultural centres, known as Balai Bahasa; these provide Indonesian language study for the Australian community.

The place of the Indonesian language in Australian education

Indonesian has been taught in Australian schools and universities since the 1950s. Today Australia is the largest provider outside of Indonesia itself of Indonesian language education for school-aged children. In fact, Australia is recognised as a world leader in expertise on the Indonesian language and Indonesian language education.

Historically the demand for Indonesian language study in Australian schools has been driven by the Australian Government rather than as a direct response to the language maintenance needs of local speakers of the language. Since its introduction, a number of government policy initiatives have supported the teaching of Indonesian, largely for economic and national security reasons. The introduction of Indonesian language studies in 1955 was in response to the Australian Government’s concerns about regional stability in Asia. During the 1990s, with growing national interest in trade with Asia, the Australian Government introduced the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy, which enabled a major expansion of Indonesian in schools, particularly in the primary sector. Indonesian rapidly became the third most studied foreign language in Australian schools. The NALSAS ended in 2002; however, its aims to encourage young Australians to study one of four targeted Asian languages were reignited through the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (2008–2012), which renewed an economic and strategic focus on Asia. In recent years, the commitment of the Australian Government to the teaching and learning of Indonesian in schools has continued, as reflected in documents such as the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper (2012) and election policy announcements.

The nature of Indonesian language learning

Indonesian is a standardised language that is the official language of government, education, business and the media. It has been and continues to be shaped (for example, in terms of lexicon, grammatical structures and idiomatic usage) by other languages, most significantly Javanese, Dutch, Arabic and English. Colloquial forms of Indonesian, such as bahasa sehari-hari and bahasa gaul, are used for informal daily interactions.

Indonesian is written using the Roman alphabet, and there is a clear correlation and a degree of consistency between its sound and its written form. This feature generally makes it easy for speakers of English as a first language to predict how to say, read or write Indonesian words. It has a number of sounds that require learning, such as the trilled r, the ch sound of the letter c, the combined vowel sounds ai and au, the distinction between ng and ngg, and the glottal stop k when it is a final syllable.

Indonesian grammar is characterised by a system of affixation where prefixes and suffixes attached to base words form new words belonging to different word classes or with changed grammatical function. The most common among these that are relevant to this curriculum are the noun and verb forms using the prefixes ber-, me-, pe- and ke-, and the suffixes -kan, -i and -an.

There is a significant distinction between oral and written, as well as formal and informal, Indonesian. Written language, for example, follows grammatical rules of affixation, whereas spoken language often drops affixes, and vowels are often reduced to single sounds; for example, the formal hijau often appears informally as ijo. Spoken language is also frequently meshed with local languages and slang forms.

A major feature of Indonesian is its extensive pronoun system, which can be quite simple in its initial stages (for example, saya, Anda, kamu) but becomes increasingly complex, with multiple forms according to situations and contexts of use. In addition, the use of object-focus construction is marked, and it is frequently used in both spoken and written contexts to create distance between the agent and the action.

Language features are strongly embedded in the cultural worldview that underpins and shapes the language. For example, Indonesia is a unified nation within which there are multiple languages; cultural, religious and ethnic groups; and geographical and political regions. The sense of diversity is reflected in the national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (‘Unity in Diversity’).

The diversity of learners of Indonesian

Most recent figures show that there are approximately 190 000 learners of Indonesian in Australian schools, with the majority in primary schools: F–6 (123 538), 7–10 (64 333) and 11–12 (3713). These figures reflect a relatively strong base for Indonesian in primary schools in particular. The majority of students who study Indonesian at primary school do not continue with the language at secondary school due to factors such as lack of availability of the language or opting to study a different language. Secondary school also represents a new entry point for learners who have not previously studied Indonesian.

The majority of learners of Indonesian in Australian schools are second language learners, with smaller numbers of background learners and first language learners. The Australian Curriculum: Languages for Indonesian is pitched for the majority of the cohort of learners of Indonesian for whom Indonesian is an additional language (referred to in the Australian Curriculum as second language learners). The curriculum has been developed according to two main learning sequences for these learners, Foundation to Year 10 Sequence and Years 7 to 10 (Year 7 Entry) Sequence.

For students learning Indonesian for the first time in a school language program, a key feature of learning the language is understanding the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by the language. The curriculum is designed with an intercultural language learning orientation to enable students to participate in intercultural experiences, develop new ways of perceiving and being in the world, and understand themselves in the process.

Socialising

Share with peers and teacher information about aspects of personal world such as daily routines, home, and favourite objects and pastimes
[Key concepts: routine, occasion; Key processes: describing, sharing]

Contribute to class activities such as solving a problem, creating a display or conducting a role-play/scenario
[Key concept: collaboration; Key processes: problem solving, participating]

Respond to questions, instructions and requests, and participate in routine exchanges
[Key concepts: respect, sopan santun; Key processes: interacting, responding]

Informing

Obtain and share information from peers and texts related to family, home, routines and interests
[Key concepts: routine, pastimes; Key processes: selecting, tabulating, categorising]

Present information about school and neighbourhood using tables, lists and descriptions
[Key concept: data; Key processes: informing, organising]

Creating

Listen to, read and view creative texts such as rhymes, songs and stories, identifying characters and acting out events
[Key concepts: character, plot; Key processes: performing, recounting; Key text types: fable, legend, song, children’s television]

Create texts such as dialogues and stories, using formulaic expressions and modelled language
[Key concepts: humour, imagination; Key processes: presenting, creating; Key text types: play, poem]

Translating

Translate using textual cues such as pictures, layout and key words to predict meaning, and comment on the non-equivalence of words due to cultural differences
[Key concepts: gist, meaning; Key processes: translating, predicting]

Produce texts such as descriptions and signs in both Indonesian and English for the school community
[Key concepts: similarity, difference; Key processes: describing, captioning]

Reflecting

Communicate in Indonesian using routine phrases and expressions, recognising that such language reflects cultural practices and norms
[Key concepts: politeness, etiquette; Key processes: experimenting, connecting]

Interact with others and noticing how identity matters, such as in use of terms of address, who and what is included, and what language is used
[Key concept: membership; Key processes: interacting, noticing]

Systems of language

Recognise and reproduce pronunciation conventions, including loan words from English and intonation for questions, statements and commands.
[Key concept: intonation; Key processes: imitating, discriminating sounds]

Develop understanding of ways to express possession and describe qualities of people and objects, and expand vocabulary related to personal and social world
[Key concepts: action, sequence; Key processes: describing, relating, predicting]

Recognise that texts such as stories, games and conversations have particular features
[Key concept: genre; Key processes: observing patterns, distinguishing]

Language variation and change

Understand that language varies according to age, gender and social position, such as place in the family
[Key concept: status; Key processes: observing, comparing]

Recognise that Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia and is one of many languages in the Asia-Pacific region
[Key concept: official language; Key process: understanding]

Role of language and culture

Make connections between cultural practices and language use, such as specific vocabulary and expressions
[Key concept: diversity; Key processes: comparing, connecting]

By the end of Year 4, students interact in classroom routines and structured interactions with teachers and peers. They reproduce the sounds of au (for example, mau) and g (for example, gemuk) and the final sound k (for example, tidak). Students follow instructions (such as Duduklah or Bukalah bukumu), make requests and respond with actions. They respond to questions such as Di mana? Kapan? Apakah?, by using simple phrases. They engage with texts, relying on graphics, key words and examples to support understanding, and respond using formulaic language. Students present factual information in texts through, for example, describing, listing and using tables. They work with modelled language to create their own texts, such as sequencing pictures and statements to create a comic and using word lists to complete a paragraph or simple story. Students use vocabulary related to school (such as buku, pensil, kursi), home (such as rumah, kamar, mobil) and some interests (such as suka main komputer, berenang, naik sepeda) to create simple informative and descriptive texts. They describe amounts using cardinal numbers with belas and puluh, and create plurals by doubling nouns. Students state preferences using Saya [tidak] suka…, and use adjectives, including adjectives of size and colour (for example, besar, merah, tinggi, lucu), following the noun. They create subject-focus sentences, and use simple possessive word order such as teman saya or rumahnya, the prepositions di and ke, and the conjunction dan. Students translate texts using word lists and dictionaries, identifying words and expressions that do not have word-to-word equivalence, such as ‘footy’ or becak. They observe how language use, including their own, is influenced by culture and notice how it can influence intercultural experiences.

Students differentiate statements from questions according to intonation. They state that possessive word order in Indonesian differs from English. Students know that language use varies according to who is using it and with whom such as kamu for friends and Bu/Pak for teachers, and that some terms have specific cultural meanings, such as pronouns derived from family terms (for example, Bapak/Pak, Ibu/Bu). They make comparisons between Indonesian and English, particularly identifying similarities and differences in cultural practices related to daily routines and special occasions.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their memberships of various groups including the Italian class. They are developing literacy capabilities in English, such as writing in the Roman alphabet, which assists to some degree in learning Italian. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Italian language learning and use

The development of oral proficiency requires rich language input in different modes and from different sources. Children develop active listening skills and respond through action-related talk. They strengthen their comprehension skills, using contextual and grammatical cues as well as phonic and non-verbal cues. The language they encounter is authentic, with modification when necessary, involving familiar vocabulary and simple structures. Children are supported to use the language themselves in familiar contexts and situations, such as exchanging simple ideas and information, negotiating predictable activities and interactions, and participating in shared tasks, performance and play. They continue to build vocabulary which can be adapted for different purposes, and to control simple grammatical forms to communicate in familiar contexts.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which learners interact in using and learning Italian are primarily local: the classroom, school, home and community, with some access to wider communities of Italian speakers and resources through virtual and digital technologies.

Texts and resources

Children develop literacy skills and textual knowledge through supported interaction with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts (such as picture books, stories, puppet plays, songs and games) engage the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. Procedural, informational and descriptive texts (such as negotiated classroom rules, planned activities, and family and class profiles) encourage students to use language to ‘get things done’.

Features of Italian language use

Students experiment with pronunciation and intonation in Italian, noticing similarities and differences with other familiar languages. They focus on structures and grammatical rules such as those relating to the use of possessive pronouns, prepositions and negation. They extend their knowledge of definite and indefinite articles, and of gender and singular/plural forms.

As they encounter Italian language and culture they make comparisons with their own language(s) and culture(s) and consider their own ways of communicating. This leads to exploring concepts of commonality and difference, and of identity, and to thinking about what it means to speak more than one language.

Level of support

Children’s grammatical knowledge and accuracy in spoken and written Italian are developed both through form-focused activities and through opportunities to apply this knowledge in meaningful task activity, as they build their communicative skills, confidence and fluency. Teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete tasks; make time for experimentation and drafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection.

The role of English

The use of English, when appropriate, provides support opportunities for discussion and exploration of ideas which help children to build a conceptual frame and metalanguage for talking about language and culture, and about their experiences as learners moving between languages and cultures.

The place of the Italian language and culture in Australia and the world

Italian, also known as Standard Italian or italiano standard, is the official language of Italy, the Vatican City, San Marino and parts of Switzerland. It is also an official language of the European Union, and a major community language in countries such as Australia, Luxembourg, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, and in parts of Africa.

Italian is, and has been for many years, one of the major community languages in Australia.

The place of the Italian language in Australian education

Italian has been taught in Australian schools and universities since the 1930s. Initially it was offered alongside French and German as a ‘language of culture’, and Italian curricula borrowed a strong literary and grammatical emphasis from the precedent of Latin. Italian was an important area of academic study providing access to the rich literary, musical and artistic heritage of Italy, with less attention paid to actual communication or contemporary culture. The distance between this academic approach to Italian learning and the real-world experiences of Italian-speaking communities was considerable.

In addition to the presence of Italian learning in schools, in the 1960s the Italian community established extensive Saturday morning schools to provide Italian language learning for their children. In the 1980s, Italian learning and teaching in Australia increased significantly, especially in primary schools, as a result of policies supporting multiculturalism, in particular the release of the National Policy on Languages (1987), which strongly promoted linguistic and cultural pluralism. In this decade, Italian community organisations established ‘insertion’ programs, hosted within regular day schools, to supplement the weekend and after-hours classes directly run by communities. This coincided with a new emphasis in all language teaching and learning on linking school language learning directly to language use in communities, moving away from traditional grammar- or literature-oriented to more communicatively oriented programs. The focus in these communicative programs was on learning language for use in ‘real’ everyday interactions.

The nature of Italian language learning

Italian belongs to the Romance family of languages and is closely connected to its ‘sibling’ languages of Spanish, Portuguese and French. It also has many commonalities and connections with English, sharing many Latin-derived words and using the same Roman alphabet. The meaning of many Italian words can be instantly recognised through their similarity to English. There are points of difference between Italian and English grammars — for example, variations in word order, tense use, the use of articles, and the gendering in Italian of nouns and adjectives — but overall the Italian language is not linguistically or culturally ‘distant’ for English-speaking learners. Phonologically, Italian is relatively accessible to the English-speaking learner. It is a mostly phonetic language, pronounced generally as it is written, which is especially helpful in the development of listening and speaking skills. There is clear emphasis on all syllables, and intonation follows regular rhythms and patterns.

As Italian is widely spoken in Australia, many opportunities exist to hear and use the language in real-life situations, as well as through the Italian media in Australia and in actual and virtual connections with Italian communities in Italy and beyond.

There are also regional dialects of Italian that are used in local contexts both in Italy and beyond. Some students may bring their experience of the use of regional dialects to the Italian classroom.

The diversity of learners of Italian

Learners of Italian in Australian schools come from a wide range of backgrounds, and include learners for whom this represents a first experience of learning Italian; learners who have existing connections with Italian, most directly as background Italian speakers, as second- or third-generation Italian Australians; and learners who may have experience in a related variety of Italian or another Romance language.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages — Foundation–Year 10 Italian is pitched to second language learners as the dominant group of learners of the Italian language in the Australian context. Teachers may use the Italian F–10 curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments.

Socialising

Interact and socialise with the teacher and peers to exchange personal information and describe people, places, things and everyday routines relating to self, school and home
[Key concepts: routine, home; Key processes: describing, interacting, responding]

Participate in collaborative action in class experiences and activities
[Key concepts: occasion, community; Key processes: describing, inviting]

Participate in everyday transactions to obtain goods
[Key concepts: need, desire; Key processes: deciding, negotiating]

Participate in everyday classroom activities by asking permission, requesting help, asking how to say or write something, asking for repetition, praising or complimenting
[Key concepts: collaboration, school life; Key processes: negotiating, discussing, connecting]

Informing

Obtain and process factual information about people, routines, responsibilities and interests
[Key concepts: routine, events, time; Key processes: identifying, recording, categorising, selecting]

Give factual information about people, objects, places and events in texts supported by graphics or illustrations
[Key concepts: information, fact; Key processes: describing, presenting]

Creating

Listen to, view and read a range of imaginative texts for children, and discuss messages and impressions
[Key concepts: story, drama, message; Key processes: viewing, reading, predicting, describing, discussing; Key text types: narrative, song, poetry]

Create short, simple imaginative texts for different audiences
[Key concepts: character, narrative; Key processes: interacting, creating]

Translating

Translate texts to compare meanings and share understandings about aspects of Italian language and culture that are different from English
[Key concepts: translation, comparison; Key processes: translating, explaining]

Create simple bilingual texts
[Key concepts: meaning, equivalence; Key processes: comparing, explaining]

Reflecting

Compare experiences, noticing how these are influenced by language and culture and how readily they may be expressed in Italian
[Key concept: assumption; Key process: comparing]

Express aspects of own identity reflected in various group and community memberships, including their developing bilingual identity
[Key concept: membership; Key process: representing]

Systems of language

Experiment with pronunciation and intonation and use rules of spelling.

Use key grammatical structures to form simple sentences, including the use of possessive pronouns, prepositions, definite and indefinite articles, and gender and singular/plural forms.

Recognise how grammatical structures are used to form simple texts.

Language variation and change

Understand that language use varies according to the participants’ age, gender and relationship, and the context of use.

Understand that languages change with use over time.

Understand that Italian is spoken in a variety of forms within and outside of Italy.

Role of language and culture

Compare and reflect on different cultural practices and the ways in which language use reflects culture-specific ideas.

By the end of Year 4, students comprehend a range of spoken, written, and multimodal texts on familiar topics, including home life, friends and classroom activities. They use Italian to communicate and to interact, for example, to exchange greetings and to address people, using appropriate language and pronunciation, and often formulaic expressions. They ask and respond to simple questions, by selecting between alternatives provided, by using short spoken responses which may consist of incomplete or partial Italian phrases and structures, or by using a key word to convey a whole idea. They talk about self, family, people, places, routine, school life and their own interests and preferences, for example, Com’è la tua casa? La mia casa è grande, Ci sono due camere da letto e due bagni. Mi piace la mia camera da letto. They use short sentences, reorganising known language to fit personal responses, for example, Giochi domani?Sì/no/Forse. Students understand short written texts, using visual cues, prediction and questioning to decipher meaning. They recall key ideas and events, recognise meanings, and respond meaningfully. Students create written texts of a few sentences using familiar language and structures.

Students demonstrate an understanding of the fact that language is used differently in different situations and contexts. They know the importance of using appropriate language when interacting in Italian, including informal/formal language, and the use of titles and gestures. They vary their responses and statements by choosing adjectives and adverbs, and by combining sentences. They demonstrate understanding of basic Italian grammatical rules, such as the fact that nouns have masculine or feminine gender and singular and plural forms, and that nouns, adjectives and articles need to agree. They identify similarities and differences in the patterns of Italian language compared to English and other familiar languages. They create texts that show understanding of how ideas are connected and how images support the meaning of texts. They make connections to personal experience when describing characters, events or cultural practices and behaviours encountered in texts. They identify cultural differences in ways of communicating and describe similarities and differences between their own and other cultures.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their memberships of various groups, including of the Japanese class. They are further developing literacy capabilities in English, and while this highlights differences between writing in alphabetic and character-based languages, it also assists to some degree in learning Japanese. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Japanese language learning and use

The development of oral proficiency at this stage continues to rely on rich language input in different modes. Learners listen and respond by actions to build active listening and comprehension skills. They participate in classroom routines and tasks and use some spontaneous language to describe feelings related to classroom activities. They participate in games and activities and engage with texts through teacher-generated questions and prompting. They give short presentations related to their personal worlds, including simple descriptions. With support they create labels, captions and short sentences. Language experience and input include authentic texts with some modification, familiar vocabulary and simple sentence structures. Children are supported to expand their use of the language in familiar interactions and situations, such as exchanging simple information and participating in shared tasks, performances and play. They continue to control simple grammatical forms and build vocabulary that can be adapted for different purposes. Students learn the use of diacritic marks to create voiced sounds. They learn to produce and pronounce characters with the support of flashcards, mnemonics, digital games and exercises. They read and write words written in hiragana and in high-frequency kanji with support and scaffolding. There is a combined focus on grammar, vocabulary building, pronunciation, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use through purposeful communicative activities and experiences.

Contexts of interaction

The context in which learners interact is primarily the language classroom and the school environment, with some access to wider communities of Japanese speakers and resources through digital technology.

Texts and resources

Children develop literacy skills and textual knowledge through supported interaction with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts such as picture books, stories, puppet plays, songs and games develop the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. To support the development of cultural knowledge, learners may have access to resources developed for Japanese children, such as storybooks, songs, television programs or interactive games.

Features of Japanese language use

Learners recognise the predictable nature of pronunciation in Japanese and apply their knowledge of sound–letter associations to spell new words. They recognise and use elements of grammar such as simple verb forms, adjectives, interrogatives and some particles to understand and create simple spoken and written texts. They use appropriate word order and sentence structures, including time, counter classifiers, and present, past and negative forms. Learning Japanese contributes to learners’ general literacy development and to the process of making sense of their worlds that characterises this stage of their development. As they encounter elements of Japanese language they make comparisons with their own language(s) and culture(s) and consider their own ways of communicating.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support. Tasks are carefully scaffolded. Teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete the task; make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection. Learners use the hiragana chart as a systematic framework to support reading and writing.

The role of English

Learners are supported to use Japanese as much as possible for classroom routines, social interaction, structured learning tasks and language experimentation and practice. English is used for discussion, explanation and reflection, enabling learners to develop a language (metalanguage) for sharing ideas about language and culture systems and experience. Using both Japanese and English in the classroom develops awareness of what it means to be bilingual.

The place of Japanese culture and language in Australia and in the world

Japanese is the official language of Japan, Australia’s northern neighbour in the Asia region. It is also widely used by communities of speakers in Hawaii, Peru and Brazil, and learnt as an additional language by large numbers of students in the Republic of Korea, China, Indonesia and Australia.

Australia has a significant number of Japanese national residents, particularly in the major cities on the eastern seaboard. Japanese culture influences many areas of contemporary Australian society, including the arts, design, technology, fashion, popular culture and cuisine. Japan has been a close strategic and economic partner of Australia’s for more than 50 years, and there is ongoing exchange between the two countries in the areas of education, trade, diplomacy and tourism. Japan is an important nation within Asia and a significant contributor to economic, political and diplomatic relations in the region.

The place of the Japanese language in Australian education

Japanese has been taught in Australia for more than 100 years and is widely taught as a second language in Australian schools. The 1960s saw significant growth in the learning of Japanese, with the establishment of many university programs that produced graduate language teachers who worked alongside native-speaking teachers to establish school-based programs. Increased trade and tourism activity between Japan and Australia in the following decades strengthened interest in Japanese-language learning, and government funding such as the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy (1994-2002) and the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP, 2008-12) contributed to growth and further development in both the primary and secondary sectors. The strong relationship between Australia and Japan has led to many collaborative projects in education and intercultural exchange. The Japanese government and private foundations support the teaching and learning of Japanese in Australia through funding professional learning and resource development centres and through involvement in educational exchanges.

The near-parallel time zones and the geographical proximity of Japan to Australia facilitate access, interaction and communication between the two countries. Student exchanges, community engagement such as sister-school and city relationships, and connections developed through other curriculum areas such as art, design and literature provide opportunities for Australian learners of Japanese to interact with Japanese people and to engage in cultural experience. Increasing numbers of students benefit from exchanges and in-country experience. Technology provides many additional opportunities for interaction and exchange with Japanese-speaking people and cultures.

The nature of Japanese language learning

Japanese is the language used by the Japanese for education, business and media communication. Some dialect variations are used in spoken interactions in different regions of the country.

Japanese is a phonetic language. Pronunciation is predictable, and new words can be pronounced easily upon mastery of hiragana characters.

Japanese uses three scripts for writing: hiragana, the basic phonetic script representing the sounds of Japanese; katakana, the companion phonetic script that is largely used for loan words; and kanji, Chinese characters that represent meaning rather than sound (ideographs). The three scripts are used interdependently. Hiragana is typically the first script learnt, with katakana and kanji first introduced in context then taught systematically, contributing to script knowledge and competence. The many loan words from other languages expressed through katakana reflect the impact of globalisation, technology and popular culture on Japanese language and culture.

Japanese grammar is relatively uniform, with few irregularities, no grammatical gender, and predictable and systematic conjugation of adjectives and verb tenses. There are some differences between Japanese and English elements and patterns, such as the Japanese word order of subject–object–verb. This order forms the basis of sentences that can then be enhanced by the addition of details usually placed before the main items. Pronouns can be omitted and it is not always necessary to articulate the subject of a sentence. Counting and numbering in Japanese involve using classifiers that reflect the nature of the item. Particles are used to mark sentence elements and to indicate the nature of verbs.

An element of the language that may be unfamiliar to some Australian learners is the system of plain and polite forms, which reflect hierarchical relations, social and business-related positioning and issues of respect and status. Plain and polite forms are represented differently in both spoken and written language. Conversational Japanese can be less formal than written Japanese, using shortened sentences, abbreviated plain forms and some omitted particles.

Another feature of Japanese culture reflected in language use is the importance accorded to expressing humility and maintaining harmony. Refusing or deflecting praise of self or family, deferential behaviour and avoidance of direct disagreement or refusal are common characteristics of communicative interactions.

A key aspect of the curriculum involves understanding the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by Japanese language. The curriculum is designed with an intercultural language learning orientation to enable students to participate meaningfully in intercultural experiences, to develop new ways of seeing and being in the world, and to understand more about themselves in the process.

The diversity of learners of Japanese

While learners of Japanese in Australian schools vary in terms of language backgrounds, cultural experience and prior learning experience, they are predominantly second language learners. Classes may include students with a background in Japanese or in a script-based Asian language. Some students will have had exposure to Japanese language and culture through social interactions, travel or exchange experiences.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages – Japanese is pitched for the majority of the cohort of learners of Japanese for whom Japanese is an additional language (referred to in the Australian Curriculum as second language learners). The curriculum has been developed according to two main learning sequences for these learners, Foundation to Year 10 Sequence and Years 7 to 10 (Year 7 Entry) Sequence.

Teachers will use the curriculum to cater for the range of different learner backgrounds described above by making appropriate adjustments to personalise learning experiences for these students.

Socialising

Interact with the teacher and peers to exchange information about self, family, friends and favourite things, and likes and dislikes, and to express praise, support and respect for others
[Key concepts: communication, information, self, family, respect; Key processes: introducing, interacting, describing]

Participate in guided tasks that involve following instructions and cooperating with peers, such as sports and craft activities
[Key concepts: collaboration, participation, task, performance; Key processes: following instructions, rehearsing, performing, presenting]

Follow teacher instructions and directions by responding to questions and requests, and use simple questions and statements to ask permission and to show interest and appreciation
[Key concepts: interaction, negotiation, response; Key processes: responding, requesting, rehearsing]

Informing

Locate and process specific points of information in familiar types of written, spoken, multimodal and digital texts associated with people, places and objects
[Key concepts: information, research, data; Key processes: locating, collecting, classifying, recognising]

Present factual information relating to familiar home, community and cultural contexts, using graphic and digital support such as photos, tables, lists and charts
[Key concepts: family, relationships, routines; Key processes: describing, explaining, annotating]

Creating

Participate in and respond to imaginative texts such as interactive stories and performances, for example by acting out responses or making simple statements to identify and compare favourite characters and elements
[Key concepts: response, expression; Key processes: participating, imagining, creating, interpreting]

Create and present imaginative texts for a range of audiences that use familiar expressions and modelled language and allow for exploration and enjoyment of language, cultural expression and performance
[Key concepts: fantasy, imagination, dramatisation; Key processes: imagining, creating, experimenting, performing]

Translating

Interpret and explain simple interactions in Japanese, noticing linguistic and cultural features
[Key concepts: meaning, culture, translation, interpretation; Key processes: identifying, explaining, interpreting, comparing]

Create bilingual versions of familiar texts such as songs, conversations, picture dictionaries, captions for images and displays, or photo stories
[Key concepts: bilingualism, expression, code-mixing; Key processes: translating, performing, creating, adapting]

Reflecting

Notice what is similar or different to own language and culture when interacting in Japanese in different contexts and situations
[Key concepts: respect, culture, similarity and difference, communication; Key processes: identifying, explaining, experimenting, reflecting]

Notice how ways of communicating and behaving reflect identity and relationships
[Key concepts: identity, community, family, culture; Key processes: selecting, creating, representing, comparing]

Systems of language

Understand that hiragana symbols can be combined to represent words
[Key concepts: consonant, vowel, kana, foot, mora, rhythm, pronunciation; Key processes: recognising, differentiating, demonstrating]

Recognise the systematic order within the hiragana character set; commence hiragana script writing and recognise and write frequently used kanji
[Key concepts: character, kana and kanji, stroke order, font; Key processes: recognising, tracing, reading, writing]

Understand and identify elements of basic grammar and sentence structure and interaction patterns
[Key concepts: verb conjugation, particles, word order, vocabulary, counter; Key processes: describing, indicating, identifying, questioning]

Recognise that texts such as stories, games and conversations have particular language features and textual conventions
[Key concepts: text, genre, language features, mode; Key processes: comparing, analysing, recognising]

Language variation and change

Understand that language varies according to the age and relationship of those using it, and according to the situation in which it is being used
[Key concepts: register, context, variation; Key processes: observing, recognising, reflecting]

Recognise that Japanese is the official language of Japan and one of the major languages of the Asia-Pacific region
[Key concepts: language status, standard language, multilingualism; Key processes: recognising, comparing, classifying]

Role of language and culture

Understand that the ways people use language reflect where and how they live and what is important to them
[Key concepts: cultural expression, values, respect, gestures; Key processes: observing, comparing, discussing, interpreting]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with the teacher and peers in regular classroom routines and structured interactions. They understand and respond to instructions related to classroom organisation and activities, for example, ペア　に　なって　ください。大きい　こえ　で　いって　ください。. They use formulaic and rehearsed language to exchange information about their personal worlds and in familiar interactions such as praising or encouraging one another, for example,

がんばって. They use language spontaneously in simple familiar communicative exchanges, for example, やったー！だいじょうぶ？. They respond to simple questions using short spoken statements, for example, いつ　です　か。なに　が　すき　です　か。. They use counter classifiers in response to questions such as なん人にん、なん月がつ、なんじ、なんさい. Students identify specific items of information, such as facts about or key characteristics of people, when listening to or viewing texts such as short stories, weather reports or video clips. They use cues such as context, visual images and familiar vocabulary to assist comprehension. They create short spoken informative and descriptive texts related to their personal world with the support of modelled language, scaffolded examples and resources such as word lists. They describe people and events using adjectives, time-related vocabulary and appropriate verb forms, such as ます、ましょう、ました and ません. They read and write the 46 hiragana, including long vowels (for example, おとうさん、おおきい), voiced sounds (for example, かぞく、たべます), and blended sounds as formulaic language (for example, きょう、でしょう), as well as high-frequency kanji such as 月、日、先生. They apply word order (subject–object–verb) in simple sentences. They comprehend short written texts such as captions, labels, signs and stories that use familiar and repetitive language. They translate simple texts using classroom resources such as charts or word lists, noticing that some words and expressions do not translate easily. Students identify examples of cultural differences between ways of communicating in Japanese and in their own language(s).

Students identify both vowel and vowel–consonant sounds of hiragana, recognising that vowel sounds can be elongated and that this can change meaning. They identify ways in which rhythm is used to chunk phrases within a sentence. Students use the hiragana chart to support their reading and writing, recognising its systematic nature. They demonstrate awareness of the predictable nature of pronunciation. They know the role of particles, for example, は、を、と、も、に; the rules for simple verb tense conjugations; and how to create questions using the sentence-ending particle か. They understand and use the rules and phonetic changes that apply to counter classifiers, for example, はっさい、ひとり、ふたり. They identify language variations that occur according to the age and relationship of participants, and according to the situation, for example, なまえ/ おなまえ、はし/ おはし. They demonstrate their understanding of the importance in Japanese of non-verbal communication such as the use of gestures, for example, bowing to replace words and to communicate meaning. Students identify ways in which Japanese language reflects ways of behaving and thinking.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social world and membership of various groups, including of the Korean class. They have developed initial literacy in English and this helps to some degree in learning Korean. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Korean language learning and use

Learners interact with peers and the teacher in classroom routines and a variety of classroom activities. They build oral proficiency with provision of rich language input and ample opportunities to rehearse modelled language in communicative activities where grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are purposefully integrated. They develop understanding of the alphabetic nature of Hangeul and read words that consist of syllable blocks with 받침. They exchange simple information, feelings and ideas related to their personal worlds, finding commonalities and acknowledging differences between each other. The language they use and hear is in simple structures and with familiar vocabulary. They follow instructions, respond to questions and read and create short texts on topics relevant to their interests and enjoyment such as family, pets or favourite sports or food, and those drawn from other learning areas. They explore ideas and values important to Korean culture through shared tasks such as shared reading of Korean folktales. The language used in routine activities is re-used from lesson to lesson in different situations, making connections between what has been learnt and what is to be learnt.

Contexts of interaction

The primary context of interaction in Korean is the classroom, where Korean is used as much as possible. Learners have access to resources and authentic texts in Korean via virtual and digital technology and are encouraged to share their learning at home where possible. They experience authentic Korean language and culture through community activities, for example, with Korean-speaking neighbours or at Korean festivals.

Texts and resources

Learners engage primarily with a variety of teacher-generated materials, stories, games and songs, and with materials produced for young learners of Korean such as interactive computer language games, cards and readers. They may also have access to materials developed for children in Korea, such as television programs, advertisements or web pages, as a means of developing cultural awareness and language experience.

Features of Korean language use

Learners are increasingly aware that the Korean language is used not only in Korea and in the Korean community in Australia, but also in many other places around the world. They make connections and comparisons, and look for differences and similarities between Korean and English. They begin to make connections between speech and writing in Korean and understand that Korean is a system that works differently from English. They differentiate sounds of Hangeul syllable blocks, and their literacy in Hangeul develops with a growing phonological awareness and understanding of Hangeul as an alphabetic system. They notice features of key grammatical forms and structures that they use as part of formulaic or set phrases, and understand that such phrases are required elements in Korean sentences in order to make sense. They are increasingly aware that a verb comes at the end of a Korean sentence and use basic common action and descriptive verbs with the informal polite ending –어/아요 and its honorific form –(으)세요 as appropriate. They create short texts using familiar words relating to their expanding interests and basic grammatical forms and structures. They develop understanding that the same word may be used in different meanings according to the context. Through continuous use of Korean with culturally appropriate gestures and body language, they become increasingly aware of the interdependency of language and culture, and begin to establish their identity as a learner of Korean, mediating between Korean language and culture and the familiar world of their own, exploring and comparing cultural norms embedded in everyday interactions in Korean and in their own language/s.

Level of support

The primary support for learners is the teacher of Korean, who gives instruction, explanation, examples, models, reinforcement, encouragement and feedback. Form-focused instructions are integrated into task-based activities for grammar and vocabulary learning. Support also includes material resources such as word lists, pictures, Hangeul charts, realia and multimedia resources.

The role of English

Learners use Korean for classroom routines, familiar interactions, and structured learning tasks and for listening to and viewing Korean texts. English is used where appropriate for instruction, explanation and discussion, while learners may move between Korean and English, for example, when they discuss or compare aspects of Korean and English language and culture, or when they create bilingual texts.

The place of the Korean culture and language in Australia and the world

Korean is the language of one of Australia’s important neighbours in the Asian region and is spoken by around 80 million people in the Korean Peninsula and worldwide. With the rapidly growing popularity of and interest in Korean culture across the world, the number of people learning Korean is also growing fast in many countries in Asia, Oceania, the North and South Americas, Europe and Africa. In Australia, Korean is spoken by more than 150 000 people, and the presence of the Korean culture and language, together with Korean brands of high-technology products, is increasingly evident in various sectors of society.

Australia and the Republic of Korea have established and reinforced people-to-people relationships through cultural and educational exchanges for more than half a century. The first recorded contact between Australia and Korea took place in the late 19th century through Australian missionaries visiting the Korean Peninsula. In the early 20th century, there was a period when contact between the two countries was not possible due to the Japanese colonial rule over Korea. With the end of World War II and Australia’s participation in the United Nations Commissions on Korea (UNCOK) in 1947 and in the Korean War (1950–1953), the two countries formed a strong bond and have established a strong trade partnership. With an increasing awareness of the need to expand the partnership to other sectors, awareness of the need to better understand the country and culture, and to learn the language, has also increased as opportunities for exchanges and collaborations are expanding to education, science and technology, culture, media, sports, leisure, tourism and community activities. Visitors from Korea, including primary-aged students on study trips, may provide young Australian learners of Korean with opportunities for rich cultural and linguistic experiences.

The place of the Korean language in Australian education

There have been a number of government policy initiatives that have supported the teaching of Korean in Australian education since it was introduced to Australian schools in the early 1990s. During the 1990s, with growing national interest in trade with Asia, the Australian Government introduced the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) Strategy. Later, the aims of NALSAS were reignited through the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program, which ran from the late 2000s until the early 2010s with a renewed economic and strategic focus on Asia, encouraging young Australians to study Korean, one of four targeted Asian languages. In recent years, the commitment of the Australian Government to the teaching and learning of Korean in schools has continued as is evident in documents such as South Korea: Country Strategy (Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2013).

With the support of the Australian Government for learning and teaching Korean in Australian schools and growing interest in Korean culture and opportunities to encounter Koreans and Korean products, there is an increasing demand for Korean language education from the community. Among young learners in Australia, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of Korean culture, including traditional and youth/pop culture, as seen in frequent performances of traditional Korean dance and music and in the surge of popularity of K-pop (Korean pop). There is also an increasing awareness of possible career opportunities for those who have attained a high level of proficiency in the Korean language and a sound intercultural understanding.

The nature of Korean language learning

The Korean language has its own alphabetic writing system called Hangeul. Hangeul consists of 24 basic letters, comprising 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels. Learning Hangeul involves learning how to combine consonants and vowels to produce a syllable in Korean, which corresponds to a syllabic block in its written form. As students learn Hangeul, they also learn about its philosophical, scientific, linguistic and cultural underpinnings, where the three elements of vowel letters (•, ㅡ, ㅣ) symbolise the three respective elements in oriental cosmology – heaven, earth and human – and consonant letters symbolise the shapes of the speech organs: lips, teeth, tongue and throat. Students’ learning is enhanced by understanding the importance of Hangeul’s creator, King Sejong the Great, who, in the 15th century, believed that his people’s wellbeing was directly related to literacy and could be enhanced through the creation of a writing system that would represent their spoken language.

Korean is an agglutinative language. Students learn how to agglutinate various particles or suffixes to nominals or verb stems to express a range of grammatical, semantic or pragmatic information. The word order of Korean is subject–object–verb (SOV); however, learners also learn that word order in Korean is flexible as long as the verb-final rule is observed, and that contextually understood elements may be left unexpressed in Korean discourse. Honorifics are one of the important features of Korean. Students learn how to use Korean to express their thoughts with cultural bearing through the systematic use of honorifics and through non-verbal behaviour that corresponds to the chosen honorific. The Korean language easily incorporates words from other languages. Students learn about Korean culture as well as how to use the language in culturally appropriate ways.

The diversity of learners of Korean

Australian students have multiple, diverse and changing needs that are shaped by different individual, personal and learning histories as well as personal, cultural and language backgrounds. Learners of Korean in Australia can be identified in three major groups: second language learners (learners who are introduced to learning Korean at school); background language learners (learners who may use Korean at home, not necessarily exclusively, and have knowledge of Korean language and culture to varying degrees); and first language learners (learners who have had their primary socialisation as well as initial literacy development in Korean, and use Korean at home as their first language).

The Australian Curriculum: Languages, Foundation to Year 10 for Korean is pitched to second language learners. The curriculum has been developed according to two main learning sequences for these learners: Foundation – Year 10, and Years 7–10. Teachers will use the Korean F–10 curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments to differentiate learning experiences for these students.

For students learning Korean for the first time in a school language program, a key component of their learning is to understand the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by the language. The curriculum is designed with an intercultural language learning orientation to enable students to participate meaningfully in intercultural experiences, to develop new ways of seeing and being in the world and to understand more about themselves in the process.

Socialising

Socialise and build relationships withpeers and teacher through the exchange of personal information in relation to self, friends and family members
[Keyconcepts: friendship, occasions, celebration; Key processes: expressing, sharing]

Participate in collaborative tasks and shared experiences such as creating andplaying simple language games or dialogues that involve simple negotiation, or preparing and presenting a groupdisplay
[Key concepts: participation, cooperation; Key processes: problem-solving, contributing]

Participate in everyday classroom activities such as responding toteacher’s instructions, attracting attention and asking for repetition
[Key concepts: instructions, respect; Keyprocesses: interacting, expressing]

Informing

Identifytopics and key points of factual information in short spoken, written, digital and multimodal texts related to familiarcontexts, routines and interests
[Key concepts: routines, pastimes; Key processes: selecting, categorising,recording]

Present information gathered fromdifferent types of texts relating to people, objects, places and events
[Key concepts: home, school, information; Keyprocesses: organising, informing, presenting]

Creating

Participate in and reflect on imaginative experiences such as digital interactive stories or video clips, identifyingcharacters, main ideas and events, and sharing feelings or ideas by acting out responses or expressing preferences oropinions
[Key concepts: character, plot; Key processes: shared reading, performing, recounting]

Create and perform simple imaginative and expressive spoken andwritten texts such as dialogues or collaborative stories, using formulaic expressions and modelled language
[Keyconcepts: imagination, humour; Key processes: presenting, composing]

Translating

Translate simple Korean words and expressions for peers, teachers and family, noticing how theyhave similar or different meanings when translated to English or other languages
[Key concepts: specificity,commonality, meaning; Key processes: explaining, comparing]

Create simple bilingual resources for their learning and for the school community
[Key concepts:similarity, difference; Key processes: selecting, relating, describing]

Reflecting

Share own experiences of communicating and using language/s, noticing how these areinfluenced by their own culture/s
[Key concepts: open-mindedness, politeness; Key processes: experimenting,reflecting, connecting]

Associate themselveswith wider networks such as clubs, countries or language-speaking communities, and reflect on how being a Koreanlanguage user broadens these networks
[Key concepts: membership, profile; Key processes: describing, identifying]

Systems of language

Recognise characteristics of Korean pronunciation and intonation patterns, the alphabetical nature of Hangeul, and the structural features of individual syllable blocks including 받침
[Key concepts: sound discrimination, word recognition, syllable, syllable block, 받침, alphabetic system; Key processes: recognising, exploring, experimenting, relating]

Understand and use key grammatical forms and structures such as basic pronouns and case markers and the polite verb ending –어/아요 in own simple language production, and recognise politeness embedded in humble or honorific forms such as 저 and –(으)세요
[Key concepts: grammar, sentence; Key processes:sequencing, relating, predicting]

Recognise and use vocabulary to describe familiar people, objects and places, and basic routines, including Sino- and pure Korean number words with basic counters, words for colours, names of sports
[Key concepts: meaning, function, objects,people, number systems, action, state, quality; Key processes: identifying, naming, describing, qualifying]

Recognise differences in language features and text structures in different types of texts, including those in digital form, used in familiar contexts
[Key concepts:language features, mode, purpose; Key processes: observing patterns, distinguishing]

Language variation and change

Build understanding of the variability of language use in Korean, for example, in relation to the age and relationship of participants
[Key concepts: relationships, age; Key processes: identifying, routinising]

Understand that languages changeover time and influence each other through contact and cultural exchanges
[Key concepts: language change, influence;Key processes: observing, identifying, discussing]

Reflect on and share their experience when using Korean and when using own language/s, recognising cultural elements that may cause different feelings
[Key concepts: culture, identity, attitudes; Key processes: identifying, comparing,reflecting]

Role of language and culture

Compare and reflect on different ways of using language in everyday situations in Korean, Australian and other cultures, sharing ideas about possible reasons for the differences and variations
[Key concepts: difference, expression, importance; Key processes:identifying, distinguishing, connecting]

By the end of Year 4, students use Korean to interact in classroom routines, action-related talk and play with teachers and peers. They exchange personal information relating to aspects such as age or interests, using simple questions and short statements as set phrases (for example, 몇 살이에요? 아홉 살이에요; …이/가 좋아요? 네, 좋아요). They use formulaic language to express rapport with others (for example, 아, 그래요? 나도 좋아요). Students respond to instructions for familiar classroom routines and activities taking required actions (for example, 해 보세요, 들으세요, 읽으세요) and to simple questions (for example, 이게 뭐예요? 누구예요? 몇이에요? 오늘 뭐 해요?) with set phrases ending in –이에요/예요 or -어/아요 (for example, 책상이에요; 벤이에요; 구예요; 학교에 가요). They ask for repetition (for example, 다시 해 주세요) and for a turn to ask a question (for example, 질문 있어요) and negotiate requests using simple language (for example, … 있어요?; 네, 있어요/아니요, 없어요; 빌려 주세요; 여기 있어요). Students identify key words or topics from simple oral, visual and written texts, using cues such as context, graphics, familiar vocabulary and language features to support understanding. They present simple information in texts in different formats and create and perform their own texts with the support of modelled language and other resources. Students approximate the sounds, rhythms and intonations of spoken Korean and write familiar words in Hangeul with some accuracy. They create simple sentences in their speech and writing, using basic case markers (such as –은/는, –이/가, –을/를, –에) and a particle –도 as an inseparable part of a formulaic structure: a noun/pronoun + a case marker/particle (for example, 저는 …, 집에 …, 나도 …). They use common action verbs and descriptive verbs (such as 가다, 일어나다, 듣다, 좋다) as part of formulaic expressions ending in –어/아요 or its honorific form –(으)세요, varying intonation contours for statements, questions (with or without a question word), requests or commands. They ask simple questions about people, objects or numbers, using question words such as 누구/누가, 무엇/뭐 and 몇. They use contractions of demonstrative pronouns and –이 (for example, 이게, 저게 and 그게), as formulaic chunks, and vocabulary related to school (such as 학교, 책, 지우개), home (such as 집, 엄마, 아빠) and sports and leisure activities (such as 방학, 수영, 크리켓). They use vocabulary for major colours (such as 빨간색, 파란색, …) and number expressions, choosing between native Korean and Sino-Korean number systems up to 10 as appropriate, using counters to describe ages (for example, 아홉 살), school years (for example, 사 학년) and numbers of objects (for example, 한 개), animals (for example, 두 마리) or people (for example, 세 명). Students match known Korean words or expressions with their English equivalents and create simple bilingual texts of familiar objects with support. They understand that meaning may change through translation across languages and exemplify words that could be translated differently according to context (such as 집: house/home; … 있어요: I have …/there is (are) …). They identify different social networks they belong to such as clubs or language-speaking communities and compare their past and current intercultural capability with reference to the experience of learning Korean.

Students discriminate between meaningful sounds in Korean which are not distinguished in English or other languages such as /ㄱ/ versus /ㅋ/ versus /ㄲ/ or /ㅐ/ versus /ㅔ/, and associate the pronunciation of simple words with their script. Students differentiate statements from questions according to intonation. They identify simple consonant and vowel letters in Hangeul and combine them to construct a syllable block. They create short texts using syllable blocks combined together to form a word. They apply their understanding of Korean and English having different grammatical systems by using appropriate word order (subject-object-verb) and case–marked formulaic chuncks (for example, 저는, 사과를) in simple Korean sentences. They identify differences between Korean and English in some aspects of language use such as naming conventions or ways of addressing people. They apply their understanding of the importance of politeness in using Korean and select the appropriate form of language to acknowledge age and social relationships when greeting (for example, 안녕? versus 안녕하세요?; 안녕히 가세요/안녕히 계세요 versus 잘 가/잘 있어). They identify aspects of language use in both Korean and English that people from other cultures might or might not regard as appropriate, such as ways of greeting or (not) making eye contact during interactions.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their memberships of various groups, including the Spanish class. They are further developing literacy capabilities in English, such as writing in the Roman alphabet, and this assists to some degree in learning Spanish. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Spanish language learning and use

The development of oral proficiency at this stage continues to rely on rich language input in different modes, including examples of different accents and varieties of Spanish in the Spanish-speaking world. Children engage in a lot of listening and responding by actions, building active listening and comprehension skills. Language is authentic with some modification, involving familiar vocabulary and simple structures. Children are supported to expand their use of the language in familiar interactions and situations, such as exchanging simple ideas and information, negotiating predictable activities, and participating in shared tasks, performances and play. They continue to build vocabulary that can be adapted for different purposes, and to control simple grammatical forms with some accuracy. Attention is focused on grammar, vocabulary building, pronunciation, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use through purposeful communicative activities and experiences.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which learners interact are primarily local: the classroom, school, home and community, with some access to wider communities of Spanish speakers and resources via digital technology.

Texts and resources

Children develop literacy skills and textual knowledge through supported interaction with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts (for example, picture books, stories, puppet plays, songs and games) develop the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. Texts such as negotiated classroom rules, lists of planned activities, and family or class profiles show how language is used to ‘get things done’. Learners may have access to resources developed for children in Spanish-speaking countries, such as children’s television programs, storybooks or web pages, as a way of developing cultural knowledge.

Features of Spanish language use

Learners recognise and use intonation patterns to express different meanings. They apply their knowledge of sound–letter associations to spell new words. They recognise and use elements of grammar such as gender and singular/plural forms, simple verb forms, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns and prepositions to understand and to create simple spoken and written texts. Learning Spanish contributes to learners’ general literacy development and to the process of making sense of their worlds that characterises this stage of their development. As they encounter varieties of Spanish language and cultures represented in the Spanish-speaking world, they make comparisons with their own language(s) and culture(s) and consider their own ways of communicating. This leads to exploring concepts of identity, commonality and difference, and to thinking about cultural and linguistic diversity and about what it means to speak more than one language in the contemporary world.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support. Learners are given a variety of opportunities to apply their Spanish language knowledge in meaningful activities in order to build communicative skills, confidence and fluency. Tasks are carefully scaffolded. Teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete the task; make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection.

The role of English

Learners are supported to use Spanish as much as possible for classroom routines, social interaction, structured learning tasks and language experimentation and practice. English is used for discussion, explanation and reflection, enabling learners to develop a language (a metalanguage) for sharing ideas about linguistic and cultural systems and experience. Using both Spanish and English in the classroom develops awareness of what it means to be bilingual.

The place of the Spanish language and the cultures of Spanish speakers in Australia and in the world

Spanish is a global language spoken by approximately 500 million people across the world. Spanish evolved from Latin on the Iberian Peninsula in around the ninth century, and travelled from Spain to the Caribbean and to North, Central and South America as a result of the expeditions of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The language has been enriched by many other languages, including Arabic, Basque, Greek, French, English and the indigenous languages of the Americas.

Today, most Spanish-speaking countries are plurilingual, and the indigenous languages of these countries – such as the Guaraní language of Paraguay, and Quechua, Aymara and more than 30 other languages in Bolivia – are co-official with Spanish. Spain also has other official languages besides Spanish, including Catalan, Galician and Basque/Euskera.

The migration of Spanish speakers to Australia began in the nineteenth century and increased during the twentieth century with people migrating from countries such as Spain, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru and Guatemala. Patterns of migration of Spanish speakers to Australia during the twentieth century were influenced by a variety of factors, including economic and political circumstances. Migration from Spanish-speaking countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Ecuador continues in the twenty-first century and is currently influenced by interest in tertiary education and employment opportunities presented by trade agreements in sectors such as mining, agriculture, defence, technology and education. Due to this steady history of migration from Spanish-speaking countries to Australia, Spanish remains an important community language throughout Australia.

The place of the Spanish language in Australian education

The universities were the first Australian educational institutions to undertake the formal teaching of Spanish. By the end of the 1960s, Spanish language departments had been established in a number of Australian universities.

Spanish language programs are currently available in all states and territories at all levels of schooling. Programs are offered across all educational sectors, including community language schools and other after-hours providers. Many university and school Spanish programs provide opportunities for Australian students to enrich their language learning through travel to Spanish-speaking countries.

The work of Spanish-speaking artists, musicians, writers and scientists is studied in a range of learning areas across the curriculum in Australian schools. These works inform the selection of key types of texts and learning experiences offered to students through the Spanish language curriculum. These cross-curricular links make language learning more meaningful for students.

The nature of Spanish language learning

As Spanish belongs to the family of Romance languages, derived from Latin, it has many lexical and structural connections with English as well as other European languages. As a result of this relationship, knowledge of Spanish can facilitate the learning of other languages from the Romance family, such as Catalan, Galician, Italian, French, Portuguese and Romanian.

Distinctive characteristics and features of the Spanish language guide the teaching and learning of the language in schools. The close correspondence between the written and spoken forms of Spanish assists with spelling and the development of literacy in general as well as with speaking and listening skills.

Although the Spanish alphabet and writing system are similar to those of English, there are some differences in these features that present challenges for Australian students. These features include the use of accents, inverted question and exclamation marks at the beginning of questions and exclamations, and the distinctive letter ñ.

Word order in Spanish differs from English, most noticeably in the positioning of adjectives after nouns. Subject pronouns are often omitted in Spanish where they would be required in English. It is not necessary to invert the subject and the verb to form a question, or to use auxiliary verbs in negative and interrogative constructions, hence intonation and stress are important for making meaning.

The diversity of learners of Spanish

The majority of learners of Spanish in Australia are studying it as a second or additional language. There are also a number of background learners of Spanish, who have varying degrees of prior knowledge of the language. Most students from Spanish-speaking backgrounds are second or third generation, and in many cases several languages are spoken in their home environment. Despite having some exposure to Spanish at home, students may have varying levels of language and literacy skills. The Australian Curriculum: Languages – Spanish Foundation to Year 10 has been developed for second language learners but is flexible enough that teachers can adapt it to suit the varying needs of the full range of other learners in the classroom.

Socialising

Interact with teacher and peers to exchange information about aspects of their personal world such as school, home, everyday routines and favourite pastimes
[Key concepts: routine, home; Key processes: questioning, responding, describing]

Participate in collaborative tasks and experiences such as creating and presenting a display or performance and following procedures and instructions
[Key concept: collaboration; Key processes: contributing, exchanging]

Participate in everyday classroom exchanges such as responding to simple questions, asking permission, requesting help, asking how to say or write something, asking for repetition and complimenting others
[Key concepts: cooperation, school life; Key processes: questioning, requesting, suggesting]

Informing

Gather and share information from peers and from texts relating to the Spanish-speaking world and to areas such as home, school, routines, responsibilities and interests
[Key concepts: routine, events; Key processes: identifying, recording, questioning]

Present information about personal or shared interests or experiences, using simple descriptive language and supporting resources such as tables, lists and images
[Key concepts: experience, representation, culture; Key processes: describing, presenting]

Creating

Read, view and listen to stories, children’s television programs and songs and make simple statements about characters, themes and reactions
[Key concepts: character, plot; Key processes: comparing, responding, experimenting]

Create short imaginative texts such as dialogues and stories using modelled language
[Key concept: imagination; Key processes: experimenting, performing, creating]

Translating

Compare and explain simple texts or expressions in both Spanish and English, such as street signs, advertisements, sayings and greetings
[Key concepts: gist, meaning; Key processes: matching, translating, comparing]

Create bilingual texts such as action games, songs, stories or photo captions, and identify and discuss aspects of culture represented in the texts
[Key concepts: similarities, differences; Key processes: comparing, explaining]

Reflecting

Interact in Spanish using simple phrases and expressions, recognising how language reflects cultural practices
[Key concepts: communication, difference, respect; Key processes: noticing, comparing, reflecting]

Explore own sense of identity, for example, by discussing membership of groups such as a club, a country or a language-speaking community, and how these elements of identity are reflected in language use
[Key concepts: belonging, membership; Key processes: describing, representing]

Systems of language

Experiment with Spanish pronunciation, intonation and spelling rules, including patterns associated with questions and statements
[Key concepts: intonation, spelling, accent; Key processes: discriminating sounds, recognising words]

Notice and apply elements of Spanish grammar such as gender, singular/plural forms, adjectives, adverbs, verb forms, pronouns and prepositions in simple spoken, written and digital texts
[Key concepts: grammatical rules, patterns of language, gender; Key processes: recognising, applying]

Recognise that texts such as stories, emails and dialogues have particular characteristic features, and notice similarities and differences between some Spanish and English versions
[Key concepts: language features, structure; Key processes: observing, comparing]

Language variation and change

Understand that language use varies according to the age and relationship of participants
[Key concepts: register, status; Key processes: observing, explaining]

Recognise that languages change with use over time and according to context
[Key concepts: influence, change, exchange; Key processes: identifying, classifying, comparing]

Identify the variety of languages represented in the school, local community and general Australian population
[Key concepts: community, diversity; Key processes: mapping, grouping]

Role of language and culture

Discuss examples of ways in which the cultures of Spanish speakers influence everyday interactions such as expressions of respect and affection
[Key concepts: culture as process and practice, values; Key processes: noticing, comparing, connecting]

By the end of Year 4, students interact with teachers and peers in classroom routines, action-related talk and play. They use formulaic expressions when participating in classroom routines and collaborative activities, such as complimenting others (for example, El bolso de Susana es hermoso), requesting help (for example, Necesito ayuda con mi bicicleta) and seeking permission such as ¿Puedo ir al salón de informática?. They interpret visual, non-verbal and contextual cues such as intonation, gestures and facial expressions to help make meaning. They make statements using the present tense and the present + infinitive form (for example, quiero cantar, quiero salir) about aspects of their lives such as school, home and everyday routines (for example, Mi escuela está cerca de mi casa, Me gusta la clase de español). They approximate Spanish pronunciation and intonation in simple statements. Students gather information relating to own and others’ lifestyles and present information at sentence level in simple texts. They make simple statements about characters such as La bruja es amable, themes and their own reactions such as El payaso está triste in response to imaginative texts. They use modelled sentence structures to compose short original texts using conjunctions such as y, o, porque and pero, and prepositions such as a, con, de and en. Students use vocabulary related to school, home and lifestyles (for example, divertido, alto, gordo, grande). They use possessive adjectives (for example, mi libro, nuestro coche), adjectives (for example, extraño, fantástico), singular and plural forms (for example, el árbol, la cafetería, las pelotas, los mensajes) and regular verbs (for example, cantar, correr, vivir) in simple constructions. When writing, they apply punctuation and capitalisation rules. They translate short texts, using word lists and dictionaries and create simple bilingual texts. They use simple phrases and expressions that reflect cultural practices, for example, diminutives such as Sarita, gatico.

Students differentiate between statements, commands, exclamations and questions according to intonation. They identify similarities and differences between some Spanish and English texts, recognising that familiar texts have characteristic features. They give examples of how language use varies according to the age, gender and relationship of participants, and of ways that languages change over time. They.name some of the many languages that are spoken in Australia, and identify languages represented in the class and local community. They identify ways in which the cultures of Spanish speakers influence everyday interactions, involving greetings such as hugging or kissing on both cheeks and polite expressions such as ¿Me pasa el ipad por favor?

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this stage, children are developing cognitive and social capabilities that allow for increased control of their learning. They are able to conceptualise and reason, and have better memory and focus. This is a stage of social experimentation, with children referencing themselves against their peers. They are more independent and less egocentric, enjoying both competitive and cooperative activities. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning which builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Turkish language learning and use

Children interact with peers and the teacher in classroom routines and a variety of learning experiences and activities. They engage in a lot of listening, and build oral proficiency through responding to rich language input and opportunities to engage in communicative activities where grammatical forms and language features are purposefully integrated. The language they use and hear is authentic with some modification, using familiar vocabulary and simple structures. Children follow instructions, exchange simple information and express ideas and feelings related to their personal worlds. They negotiate interactions and activities, and participate in shared experiences, performance and play. They read and create short texts on topics relevant to their interests and enjoyment, such as family, pets, favourite activities or food. They continue to build vocabulary that relates to a wider range of domains, such as areas of the curriculum that involve some specialised language use. The language used in routine activities is reused and reinforced from lesson to lesson in different situations, allowing learners to make connections between what has been learnt and what is to be learnt.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which students interact in learning and using Turkish are primarily local: the classroom, school, home and community, with some access to wider communities of Turkish speakers and resources through virtual and digital technology. The development of oral proficiency is similar in many ways to their parallel development of English language and literacy, and continues to rely on rich language input in different modes and from different sources.

Texts and resources

Learners engage primarily with a variety of teacher-generated materials, stories, songs, puppet shows and games, and with materials produced for young Turkish learners, such as computer language games, cards and readers. They may also have access to materials developed for children in Turkey and other Turkish-speaking regions of the world, such as television programs, advertisements or web pages, as a means of broadening cultural knowledge and awareness of diversity of language experience.

Features of Turkish language use

Children’s development of literacy skills progresses from supported comprehension and use of high-frequency and personally significant sight words to understanding and applying basic grammatical features of the language, such as simple verb tenses and verb moods, for example, recognising question and imperative forms such as olay ne? Nerede geçti? Neler oldu? Neden oldu? Başla! Başlayabilirsin, Kalk! Kalkabilirsin! Çabuk gel! They recognise in more detail the relationship between spoken and written language, applying spelling patterns, the spacing rule and the principles of vowel harmony, for example, to question endings such as alır mısın? alıyor musun? They use an increasing range of verbs, adjectives and adverbs to describe actions, places and people, for example, mavi köşkte, Kısa saçlı biriydi, Çok dikkatli yürü and Dün sabah geldi, simple conjuunctions to link ideas, ve, ile/-(y)le, ama, çünkü, and prepositions to indicate direction, for example, ileride, ortasında, üzerinde, köşesinde, aşağıda, yukarıda, doğu, batı, kuzey, güney. Children develop metalanguage for talking about language, using terms such as isimler, fiiller, sıfatlar, zarflar, ekler- ismin halleri, zamirler. The development of reading skills and textual knowledge is supported through interaction with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts, such as picture books, rhymes, stories, puppet play, songs and games, engage the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. Procedural, informational and descriptive texts, such as negotiated classroom rules, tuckshop orders or family and class profiles, show how language is used to ‘get things done’. A balance between language knowledge and language use is established by integrating focused attention to grammar, vocabulary building, pronunciation, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use with communicative and purposeful task activity.

Learning Turkish in school contributes to the process of making sense of the children’s worlds which characterises this stage of development. Children are increasingly aware that the Turkish language is used not only in their own community in Australia and in Turkey, but also in many other places around the world. As they engage consciously with differences between languages and cultures, they make comparisons and consider differences and possibilities in ways of communicating in different languages. This leads them to explore concepts of identity and difference, to think about cultural and linguistic diversity, and about what it means to speak more than one language in the contemporary world.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves continued extensive support. Form-focused activities build children’s grammatical knowledge and develop accuracy and control in spoken and written Turkish; opportunities to apply this knowledge in meaningful learning experiences build communicative skills, confidence and fluency. Tasks are carefully scaffolded: teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete the activity; make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection.

The role of English

The teacher and learners use Turkish wherever possible in classroom interactions and learning activities. English is used for discussion, reflection and explanation when appropriate, for example, when considering the nature and relationship of language and culture, or in tasks that involve bilingual work that includes comparison and analysis of Turkish and English. Discussion in both languages supports learning, develops children’s conceptual frames and builds metalanguage for talking about language and culture systems. The process of moving between languages consolidates their already established sense of what it means to be bilingual/multilingual, and provides opportunities for reflection on the experience of living interculturally in intersecting language communities.

The place of the Turkish language and culture in Australia and the world

Turkish is the official language of the Republic of Turkey and one of the official languages of Cyprus.

It originated many centuries ago in the Northern Siberian Altay Mountain Range. Nomadic people brought the language with them as they expanded out to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and a number of other countries. Today, Turkish is the most commonly spoken Turkic language worldwide.

The first written records of the Turkish language date back about 1,300 years, and originate from central Asia. Turkish is also called Istanbul Turkish or Anatolian Turkish. As the language was developing, it was influenced by the language spoken during the Ottoman Empire. Eventually, in 1928, the Ottoman alphabet was replaced by the Latin alphabet by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The new alphabet made reading and writing of the language easier and resulted in significant increases in literacy levels in Turkey. The Turkish Language Association, founded in 1932, worked to reform the language and to officially standardise it among Turkish speakers. In the process, many loan words from other languages were removed and many old Turkish words that had not been used for centuries were reintroduced.

Turkish Cypriot migration to Australia began in the late 1940s, the first migrants coming for work opportunities. Numbers grew from 1963 onwards as a result of the conflict in Cyprus. Larger scale migration from Turkey began once a bilateral agreement was signed in 1967 between the Turkish and Australian governments. Migration from Turkey continued in the 1980s, involving family reunion programs and an increase in general skilled and educational migration. While more than half of the migrant population settled in Victoria, mostly in Melbourne, significant numbers also settled in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), and smaller numbers in other states and territories. Turkish is a strong community language in many major Australian cities and in regional centres, such as Mildura and Shepparton in Victoria.

According to the Australian Census, in 2011 there were 59,624 Turkish speakers in Australia. The Turkish-speaking community in Australia includes people from Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Western Thrace and smaller groups from other Turkic backgrounds.

The campaign of the Gallipoli Peninsula during World War I laid the foundations of what later developed as strong, steadily growing Australian–Turkish connections. Tens of thousands of Australians, including Turkish Australians, visit Gallipoli each year to pay tribute and to gain understanding of shared Australian–Turkish history. The two countries enjoy strong contemporary connections, characterised by productive and steadily developing economic and bilateral trade relationships, cultural exchange and consular cooperation.

The place of the Turkish language in Australian education

Turkish has been taught in Australian schools since the 1950s. Originally offered by community-based organisations, it became part of the mainstream school curriculum in Victoria and NSW in the early 1970s.

Enrolments in Turkish language classes in some government and non-government schools and in community language school programs in Victoria and NSW have increased in recent years. Some students from non-Turkish backgrounds now learn Turkish as a second language in school, and community-based organisations such as the Council of Adult Education offer Turkish language classes for adult learners wishing to develop their language skills in particular domains of Turkish language use.

The nature of Turkish language learning

Turkish is a phonetic language with 29 letters derived from the Latin alphabet. Each letter represents only one sound. The decoding of Turkish words is assisted by a familiarity with English or other languages that use the Latin alphabet. Learning Turkish is also aided by the regularity of the grammatical system and the agglutinated nature of the language (that is, the addition of suffixes to root words regulates grammatical elements and generates new words and meanings, for example, the root word gör (see) becomes görmek (to see) and gördüm (I saw)).

While Turkish uses the same Latin alphabet as English, the pronunciation of some letters differs significantly. The use of diacritics on some letters represents an extra complexity. While the grammatical system is comparatively regular, there are differences between it and languages spoken by some learners, for example, the lack of gender forms and articles such as ‘the’ in English. The Turkish word order is subject + object + verb; however, this may change in spoken language or when there is variation in required emphasis or meaning, as when the word that is emphasised in terms of meaning is placed closest to the verb.

The diversity of learners of Turkish

The Australian Curriculum: Languages, Foundation – Year 10 (F–10) for Turkish is pitched to background learners, the dominant cohort of learners in the current Australian context for whom Turkish is a background but not necessarily the first language. Some students speak Turkish at home and have strong connections to mainland Turkey, Cyprus and Turkic countries; others are second- or third-generation Turkish Australians, with varying degrees of knowledge of Turkish language and culture; others are members of bicultural families, who may use some Turkish at home.

Small numbers of students from other language backgrounds may be studying Turkish in schools. For such learners, Turkish will represent similar challenges to those which frame their experience of learning English as their language of schooling. Teachers will use the Turkish F–10 curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments to differentiate learning experiences for these students.

The Australian Curriculum: Languages – Turkish has been developed according to two learning sequences: Foundation – Year 10, and Years 7–10 (Year 7 entry). Teachers will use the curriculum to cater for learners of different backgrounds by making appropriate adjustments to differentiate learning experiences for these students.

The intercultural language learning orientation of the curriculum explores the cultural dimension that shapes and is shaped by languages. Background language learners of Turkish already have lived experience of this relationship, ‘living between’ Turkish and English in the Australian context. The curriculum gives students opportunities for analysis, explicit focus and reflection on this lived experience and further opportunities to participate in intercultural experiences, to extend their ways of perceiving and being in the world, and to understand themselves as culturally, biculturally and interculturally situated.

Socialising

Participate in conversations about themselves and others, everyday routines and events at school and in their local communities
[Key concepts: self, experience, community; Key processes: interacting, responding, comparing]

Participate in shared learning experiences and transactions, such as science experiments, cooking or craft activities, creating displays or swapping items
[Key concepts: collaboration, learning experiences, transactions; Key processes: negotiating, creating, transacting]

Respond to questions, directions and requests from the teacher and each other, and use questions and statements to ask for help or permission, to attract attention and to rehearse new language
[Key concepts: direction, support, learning experience; Key processes: interacting, responding]

Informing

Locate and organise information in spoken, written and visual texts relating to personal, social and natural worlds
[Key concepts: information, natural world, physical world, daily life; Key processes: listening, reading, identifying, classifying]

Convey information about their home, school and community, using simple statements and support materials such as photos, maps or charts
[Key concepts: information, topic, promotion; Key processes: sharing information, promoting, explaining, informing]

Creating

Engage with imaginative texts such as stories, puppet shows, songs or dance, identifying favourite elements and acting out key events or interactions
[Key concepts: imagination, expression, response; Key processes: responding, interpreting; Key text types: stories, poems, fables, plays, songs]

Create simple imaginative texts, such as stories, dialogues, songs or chants, which allow for exploration and enjoyment of language
[Key concepts: relationship, emotion, expression, rhythm; Key processes: creating, composing, adapting, presenting]

Translating

Identify common spoken Turkish expressions, words or gestures that translate/do not translate readily into English and words that are used in both languages
[Key concepts: equivalence, translation; Key processes: comparing, translating, explaining]

Create simple bilingual texts such as signs, notices or captions for displays for the classroom and wider school community
[Key concepts: meaning, bilingualism; Key processes: selecting, considering, creating]

Reflecting

Notice and describe differences and similarities in ways of using language and interacting with people when communicating in Turkish and in English
[Key concepts: difference, similarity, respect, relationship; Key processes: observing, comparing, explaining]

Explore their individual and group sense of identity and how this is expressed through the different languages they use
[Key concepts: identity, self, community, membership; Key processes: reflecting, comparing, explaining]

Systems of language

Understand and apply the principle of vowel harmony, experiment with Turkish pronunciation, intonation and spelling patterns
[Key concepts: intonation, vowel harmony, pronunciation; Key processes: recognising, applying, distinguishing]

Understand and use key grammatical forms and structures, such as simple verb tenses, recognising how grammatical forms and functions are represented through suffixation
[Key concepts: action, description, time; Key processes: recognising, selecting, applying]

Notice characteristic features of simple spoken, written and multimodal texts that they use in their home and community and of similar texts in English
[Key concepts: genre, language features; Key processes: identifying, comparing, distinguishing]

Language variation and change

Understand that language varies according to factors such as the age, gender and social position of speakers, and that it involves regional dialects and accents
[Key concepts: variation, status, relationship, standard language; Key processes: noticing, comparing, differentiating]

Recognise that languages change over time and that Turkish language is influenced by and also influences other languages and cultures
[Key concepts: change, influence, time, contact; Key processes: comparing, investigating, identifying]

Role of language and culture

Make connections between Turkish language and culture, for example, by identifying words, gestures, forms of address or expressions that reflect cultural values and practices
[Key concepts: culture, practice, values; Key processes: noticing, discussing, comparing, interpreting

By the end of Year 4, students interact with the teacher and peers to exchange information about themselves and others, everyday routines and events at school and in their local Turkish and multilingual communities. They ask and respond to questions to elicit information about each other, for example, Kendini tanıtır mısın? Nerelisin? Ailen nereden geldi? Ben Türküm ve Avustralyalıyım. Ailem Avustralya’ya İzmir’den geldi and identify wishes associated with events in their communities, for example, Bayramınız kutlu olsun! Mutluluklar dilerim. Kınan kutlu olsun! They compare preferences, for example, Futbol yerine tenis oynamak istiyorum and exchange simple written forms of social correspondence, such as invitations, messages for birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s Days, religious celebrations and national days, for example, Bayramınız mübarek olsun! 23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramınız kutlu olsun! Anneler günün kutlu olsun!. They use formulaic expressions to participate in shared tasks, activities and transactional exchanges such as working together to organise an event, for example, Doğum günü davetiyesini kim yazacak? Ben pastayı getiririm. They use modelled language to interact in classroom routines, such as responding to questions directions and requests, for example, Bugün hava nasıl? Bugün hava güneşli ve sıcak! Bugün önce birlikte bir kitap okuyacağız, sonra bir oyun oynayacağız, asking for help or permission, for example, Anlayamadım, tekrar eder misiniz? Bu kelime nasıl okunur?, attracting attention and rehearsing new language. When interacting, they use Turkish pronunciation and intonation and apply the vowel harmony rule to high-frequency words. Students locate and organise key points of information in different types of spoken, written and visual texts relating to personal, social and natural worlds and, with the assistance of support materials such as photos and maps, present information about home, school and community. They respond to imaginative texts by making simple statements about favourite elements and acting out key events and interactions. They create simple imaginative texts using formulaic expressions and modelled language. Students use key grammatical forms and structures, such as verbs, adjectives and adverbs, to describe and elaborate on action, places and people, for example, mavi köşkte, Kısa saçlı biriydi, Çok dikkatli yürü and Dün sabah geldi and conjunctions to link ideas. They express facts using simple present and past tense suffixes, and use negation and affirmation suffixes to form simple sentences, for example, biliyorum/ bilmiyorum, okur/okumaz, uyudu/uyumadı, geleceğim/gelmeyeceğim, gitmiş/gitmemiş. They translate and compare common Turkish and English expressions, words or gestures and create simple bilingual texts for the classroom and community. Students describe similarities and differences in ways of using language and interacting with people when communicating in Turkish and English, and identify how their individual and group sense of identity is expressed in the languages they use.

Students identify Turkish sound and writing patterns to pronounce and spell high frequency words. They use simple metalanguage such as isimler, fiiller, sıfatlar, zarflar, ekler- ismin halleri, zamirler to talk about language. They identify ways that the features of texts differ according to mode and context, and compare Turkish texts with similar texts in English. They provide examples of how language use varies according to age, gender and social position, for example, lütfen yapmayın/yapmasana!/yapma!, and identify regional differences in language use, including dialects and accents. They identify how languages change over time, providing examples of Turkish words borrowed from other languages such as English and vice versa. They make connections between Turkish language and culture, identifying culture-specific terms, expressions and gestures.

Years 3 and 4

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their membership of various groups, including the Vietnamese class and community. They are further developing literacy capabilities in both Vietnamese and English, as well as biliteracy capabilities. They benefit from multimodal, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Vietnamese language learning and use

Learners interact with family and the wider Vietnamese-speaking community, and at school with their peers and the teacher in a variety of communicative activities. Specific language-learning skills such as memory and communication strategies are developed. Learners primarily engage in a variety of listening and viewing activities, and understand familiar stories, songs and poems. They use Vietnamese in everyday interactions such as seeking advice, asking for help and clarifying information or ideas, for example, Thưa cô, chữ ‘Việt’ đánh vần thế nào ạ? Làm ơn giúp tôi trả lời câu này. Thưa cô ‘lễ phép’ là gì ạ? They participate in discussions such as sharing information about their routines and leisure activities, and their feelings about themselves and their home, friendships and interests. They explore Vietnamese language and culture through experimentation with Vietnamese rhymes (đồng dao, vè) and proverbs (tục ngữ). They listen to and view children’s songs, music performances, television shows and films, and use their imagination to create simple texts such as songs, dialogues and stories. They understand the function of basic grammatical features and sentence structure, and apply this understanding when describing actions, people and objects in simple texts such as messages, notes and emails to friends and relatives.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which students interact in learning and using Vietnamese are primarily the classroom, school and home. They have access to wider communities of Vietnamese speakers and resources through out-of-classroom activities and the use of virtual and digital technology. They work both independently and cooperatively, further developing their sense of personal as well as group identity, and of the cultural and intercultural significance of family relationships.

Texts and resources

Learners develop biliteracy skills through interacting with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Texts such as recipes, weather reports and family profiles show how language is used in different ways and for different purposes.

Features of Vietnamese language use

Learners explore Vietnamese sounds and spelling strategies to further develop their speaking and writing skills and initial understanding of their developing biliteracy. They compare the formation of Vietnamese and English nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions to extend their vocabulary, and use simple sentences to provide information about places (Nhà tôi ở gần trường học), people (Mẹ tôi có mái tóc dài), events (Hôm qua là Tết Trung thu) and time (Tôi đi ngủ lúc 9 giờ tối). They begin to develop a metalanguage for understanding and discussing language features, and make connections and comparisons between such features in English and Vietnamese. Comparing the structures and patterns of Vietnamese with those of English helps learners understand both languages, assisting in the development of their biliteracy skills.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support through scaffolding. Teachers model what is expected, introduce language concepts and resources needed to manage and complete tasks, and make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting, providing support for self-monitoring and reflection. Support includes a range of spoken, written, visual and interactive resources, such as puppet plays, songs, video clips and digital games.

The role of English

Learners use Vietnamese in classroom routines, social interactions, learning tasks and language experimentation and practice. Vietnamese and English are used for discussion, explanation and reflection, as learners become aware of the interdependence of Vietnamese language and culture and make comparisons with other languages and cultures. They discuss and begin to explore connections between culture and language use, and the significance of certain traditions and practices, for example, the use of ông, bà, ba, mẹ, anh or chị to address older people or siblings in Vietnamese rather than addressing them by their first names as in English.