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 describing properties of different sets of numbers, using fractions and decimals to describe probabilities, representing fractions and decimals in various ways and describing connections between them, and making reasonable estimations;
• fluency includes representing integers on a number line, calculating simple percentages, using brackets appropriately, converting between fractions and decimals, using operations with fractions, decimals and percentages, measuring using metric units and interpreting timetables;
• problem-solving includes formulating and solving authentic problems using fractions, decimals, percentages and measurements, interpreting secondary data displays and finding the size of unknown angles;
• reasoning includes explaining mental strategies for performing calculations, describing results for continuing number sequences, explaining the transformation of one shape into another and explaining why the actual results of chance experiments may differ from expected results.

Number and place value

Identify and describe properties of prime, composite, square and triangular numbers.

Select and apply efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital technologies to solve problems involving all four operations with whole numbers.

Investigate everyday situations that use integers. Locate and represent these numbers on a number line.

Fractions and decimals

Compare fractions with related denominators and locate and represent them on a number line.

Solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions with the same or related denominators.

Find a simple fraction of a quantity where the result is a whole number, with and without digital technologies.

Add and subtract decimals, with and without digital technologies, and use estimation and rounding to check the reasonableness of answers.

Multiply decimals by whole numbers and perform divisions by non-zero whole numbers where the results are terminating decimals, with and without digital technologies.

Multiply and divide decimals by powers of 10.

Make connections between equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages.

Money and financial mathematics

Investigate and calculate percentage discounts of 10%, 25% and 50% on sale items, with and without digital technologies.

Patterns and algebra

Continue and create sequences involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Describe the rule used to create the sequence.

Explore the use of brackets and order of operations to write number sentences.

Using units of measurement

Connect decimal representations to the metric system.

Convert between common metric units of length, mass and capacity.

Solve problems involving the comparison of lengths and areas using appropriate units.

Connect volume and capacity and their units of measurement.

Interpret and use timetables.

Shape

Construct simple prisms and pyramids.

Location and transformation

Investigate combinations of translations, reflections and rotations, with and without the use of digital technologies.

Introduce the Cartesian coordinate system using all four quadrants.

Geometric reasoning

Investigate, with and without digital technologies, angles on a straight line, angles at a point and vertically opposite angles. Use results to find unknown angles.

Chance

Describe probabilities using fractions, decimals and percentages.

Conduct chance experiments with both small and large numbers of trials using appropriate digital technologies.

Compare observed frequencies across experiments with expected frequencies.

Data representation and interpretation

Interpret and compare a range of data displays, including side-by-side column graphs for two categorical variables.

Interpret secondary data presented in digital media and elsewhere.

By the end of Year 6, students recognise the properties of prime, composite, square and triangular numbers. They describe the use of integers in everyday contexts. They solve problems involving all four operations with whole numbers. Students connect fractions, decimals and percentages as different representations of the same number. They solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of related fractions. Students make connections between the powers of 10 and the multiplication and division of decimals. They describe rules used in sequences involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Students connect decimal representations to the metric system and choose appropriate units of measurement to perform a calculation. They make connections between capacity and volume. They solve problems involving length and area. They interpret timetables. Students describe combinations of transformations. They solve problems using the properties of angles. Students compare observed and expected frequencies. They interpret and compare a variety of data displays including those displays for two categorical variables. They interpret secondary data displayed in the media.

Students locate fractions and integers on a number line. They calculate a simple fraction of a quantity. They add, subtract and multiply decimals and divide decimals where the result is rational. Students calculate common percentage discounts on sale items. They write correct number sentences using brackets and order of operations. Students locate an ordered pair in any one of the four quadrants on the Cartesian plane. They construct simple prisms and pyramids. Students describe probabilities using simple fractions, decimals and percentages.

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 6, students explore how changes can be classified in different ways. They learn about transfer and transformations of electricity, and continue to develop an understanding of energy flows through systems. They link their experiences of electric circuits as a system at one scale to generation of electricity from a variety of sources at another scale and begin to see links between these systems. They develop a view of Earth as a dynamic system, in which changes in one aspect of the system impact on other aspects; similarly, they see that the growth and survival of living things are dependent on matter and energy flows within a larger system. Students begin to see the role of variables in measuring changes and the value of accuracy in these measurements. They learn how to look for patterns and to use these to identify and explain relationships by drawing on evidence.

Biological sciences

The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment.

Chemical sciences

Changes to materials can be reversible or irreversible.

Earth and space sciences

Sudden geological changes and extreme weather events can affect Earth’s surface.

Physical sciences

Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources.

Nature and development of science

Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and reflects historical and cultural contributions.

Use and influence of science

Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions.

Questioning and predicting

With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations.

Planning and conducting

Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems using equipment and materials safely and identifying potential risks.

Decide variables to be changed and measured in fair tests, and observe measure and record data with accuracy using digital technologies as appropriate.

Processing and analysing data and information

Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as appropriate.

Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations.

Evaluating

Reflect on and suggest improvements to scientific investigations.

Communicating

Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts.

By the end of Year 6, students compare and classify different types of observable changes to materials. They analyse requirements for the transfer of electricity and describe how energy can be transformed from one form to another when generating electricity. They explain how natural events cause rapid change to Earth’s surface. They describe and predict the effect of environmental changes on individual living things. Students explain how scientific knowledge helps us to solve problems and inform decisions and identify historical and cultural contributions.

Students follow procedures to develop investigable questions and design investigations into simple cause-and-effect relationships. They identify variables to be changed and measured and describe potential safety risks when planning methods. They collect, organise and interpret their data, identifying where improvements to their methods or research could improve the data. They describe and analyse relationships in data using appropriate representations and construct multimodal texts to communicate ideas, methods and findings.

Australia in the past and present and its connections with a diverse world

The Year 6 curriculum focuses on the social, economic and political development of Australia as a nation, particularly after 1900, and Australia’s role within a diverse and interconnected world today. Students explore the events and developments that shaped Australia as a democratic nation and stable economy, and the experiences of the diverse groups who have contributed to and are/were affected by these events and developments, past and present. Students investigate the importance of rights and responsibilities and informed decision-making, at the personal level of consumption and civic participation, and at the national level through studies of economic, ecological and government processes and systems. In particular, students examine Asia’s natural, demographic and cultural diversity, with opportunities to understand their connections to Asian environments. These studies enable students to understand how they are interconnected with diverse people and places across the globe.

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 four sub-strands: history, geography, civics and citizenship and economics and business. 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 have key figures, events and values shaped Australian society, its system of government and citizenship?
• How have experiences of democracy and citizenship differed between groups over time and place, including those from and in Asia?
• How has Australia developed as a society with global connections, and what is my role as a global citizen?

Questioning

Develop appropriate questions to guide an inquiry about people, events, developments, places, systems and challenges.

Researching

Locate and collect relevant information and data from primary and secondary sources.

Organise and represent data in a range of formats including tables, graphs and large- and small-scale maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions.

Sequence information about people’s lives, events, developments and phenomena using a variety of methods including timelines.

Analysing

Examine primary and secondary sources to determine their origin and purpose.

Examine different viewpoints on actions, events, issues and phenomena in the past and present.

Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships.

Evaluating and reflecting

Evaluate evidence to draw conclusions.

Work in groups to generate responses to issues and challenges.

Use criteria to make decisions and judgements and consider advantages and disadvantages of preferring one decision over others.

Reflect on learning to propose personal and/or collective action in response to an issue or challenge, and predict the probable effects.

Communicating

Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions.

History: 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 6 curriculum moves from colonial Australia to the development of Australia as a nation, particularly after 1900. Students explore the factors that led to Federation and the different attitudes to Federation and citizenship at the time (continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives). Through studies of people’s experiences of democracy and citizenship over time (perspectives, empathy), students come to understand the significance of events, ideas and people’s contributions in influencing development of Australia’s system of government (continuity and change, significance). Students learn about the way of life of people who migrated to Australia since Federation and their contributions to Australia’s economic and social development (significance, empathy). In learning about Australia as a nation, students compare a range of sources to determine points of view (sources, perspectives).

Inquiry Questions:

• Why and how did Australia become a nation?
• How did Australian society change throughout the twentieth century?
• Who were the people who came to Australia? Why did they come?
• What contribution have significant individuals and groups made to the development of Australian society?

Key figures, events and ideas that led to Australia’s Federation and Constitution.

Experiences of Australian democracy and citizenship, including the status and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants, women and children.

Stories of groups of people who migrated to Australia since Federation (including from ONE country of the Asia region) and reasons they migrated.

The contribution of individuals and groups to the development of Australian society since Federation.

Geography: Concepts for developing understanding

The content in the geography sub-strand provides opportunities to develop students’ understanding of place, space, environment, interconnection and change. Students explore the diverse environments, peoples and cultures within the Asia region and at a global level (space, place, environment) and expand their mental map of the world. Students examine Australia’s various connections with other countries and places throughout the world, how these are changing, and the effects of these interconnections (interconnections, change).

Inquiry Questions:

• How do places, people and cultures differ across the world?
• What are Australia’s global connections between people and places?
• How do people’s connections to places affect their perception of them?

The geographical diversity of the Asia region and the location of its major countries in relation to Australia.

Differences in the economic, demographic and social characteristics of countries across the world.

The world’s cultural diversity, including that of its indigenous peoples.

Australia’s connections with other countries and how these change people and places.

By the end of Year 6, students explain the significance of an event/development, an individual and/or group. They identify and describe continuities and changes for different groups in the past and present. They describe the causes and effects of change on society. They compare the experiences of different people in the past. Students describe, compare and explain the diverse characteristics of different places in different locations from local to global scales. They describe how people, places, communities and environments are diverse and globally interconnected and identify the effects of these interconnections over time. Students explain the importance of people, institutions and processes to Australia’s democracy and legal system. They describe the rights and responsibilities of Australian citizens and the obligations they may have as global citizens. Students recognise why choices about the allocation of resources involve trade-offs. They explain why it is important to be informed when making consumer and financial decisions. They identify the purpose of business and recognise the different ways that businesses choose to provide goods and services. They explain different views on how to respond to an issue or challenge.

Students develop appropriate questions to frame an investigation. They locate and collect useful data and information from primary and secondary sources. They examine sources to determine their origin and purpose and to identify different perspectives in the past and present. They interpret data to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships, and evaluate evidence to draw conclusions. Students sequence information about events, the lives of individuals and selected phenomena in chronological order and represent time by creating timelines. They organise and represent data in a range of formats, including large- and small-scale maps, using appropriate conventions. They collaboratively generate alternative responses to an issue, use criteria to make decisions and identify the advantages and disadvantages of preferring one decision over others. They reflect on their learning to propose action in response to an issue or challenge and describe the probable effects of their proposal. They present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of communication forms that incorporate source materials, mapping, graphing, communication conventions and discipline-specific terms.

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.

Years 5 and 6

In Years 5 and 6, 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 the arts, students explore meaning and interpretation, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They evaluate the use of forms and elements in artworks they make and observe.

Students extend their understanding of safety in the arts. In Years 5 and 6, their understanding of the roles of artists and audiences builds on previous bands. They develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.

In Dance, students:

• extend their awareness of the body as they combine movements that use body parts and actions with those involving body zones and bases;
• extend their understanding and use of space, time, dynamics and relationships including performing in groups of varying sizes;
• extend their use of various combinations of fundamental movement skills and technical skills, developing competence, body control and accuracy;
• explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements of dance, including the use of space and energy in dances as they make and respond to dance.

Skills

Explore movement and choreographic devices using the elements of dance to choreograph dances that communicate meaning.

Develop technical and expressive skills in fundamental movements including body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination.

Perform dance using expressive skills to communicate a choreographer’s ideas, including performing dances of cultural groups in the community.

Explain how the elements of dance and production elements communicate meaning by comparing dances from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students explain how the elements of dance, choreographic devices and production elements communicate meaning in dances they make, perform and view. They describe characteristics of dances from different social, historical and cultural contexts that influence their dance making.

Students structure movements in dance sequences and use the elements of dance and choreographic devices to make dances that communicate meaning. They work collaboratively to perform dances for audiences, demonstrating technical and expressive skills.

Years 5 and 6

In Years 5 and 6, 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 the arts, students explore meaning and interpretation, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They evaluate the use of forms and elements in artworks they make and observe.

Students extend their understanding of safety in the arts. In Years 5 and 6, their understanding of the roles of artists and audiences builds on previous bands. They develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.

In Drama, students:

• develop understanding of character through voice and movement and extend their understanding and use of situation, focus, tension, space and time;
• extend their understanding and use language and ideas to create dramatic action and consider mood and atmosphere in performance;
• use conventions of story and other devices such as dramatic symbol to communicate meaning and shape and sustain drama for audiences;
• explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements including voice, movement, situation, space and time, and tension as they make and respond to drama.

Skills

Explore dramatic action, empathy and space in improvisations, playbuilding and scripted drama to develop characters and situations.

Develop skills and techniques of voice and movement to create character, mood and atmosphere and focus dramatic action.

Rehearse and perform devised and scripted drama that develops narrative, drives dramatic tension, and uses dramatic symbol, performance styles and design elements to share community and cultural stories and engage an audience.

Explain how the elements of drama and production elements communicate meaning by comparing drama from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drama.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students explain how dramatic action and meaning is communicated in drama they make, perform and view. They explain how drama from different cultures, times and places influences their own drama making.

Students work collaboratively as they use the elements of drama to shape character, voice and movement in improvisation, playbuilding and performances of devised and scripted drama for audiences.

Years 5 and 6

In Years 5 and 6, 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 the arts, students explore meaning and interpretation, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They evaluate the use of forms and elements in artworks they make and observe.

Students extend their understanding of safety in the arts. In Years 5 and 6, their understanding of the roles of artists and audiences builds on previous bands. They develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.

In Media Arts, students:

• develop their use of structure, intent, character and settings by incorporating points of view and genre conventions in their compositions;
• extend their understanding and use of time, space, sound, movement, lighting and technologies;
• identify the variety of audiences for which media artworks are made;
• explain the purpose and processes for producing media artworks;
• explore meaning and interpretation, and forms and elements including structure, intent, character and settings as they make and respond to media artworks;
• consider the ethical behaviour and role of communities and organisations in regulating access to media artworks;

Skills

Explore representations, characterisations and points of view of people in their community, including themselves, using settings, ideas, story principles and genre conventions in images, sounds and text.

Develop skills with media technologies to shape space, time, movement and lighting within images, sounds and text.

Plan, produce and present media artworks for specific audiences and purposes using responsible media practice.

Explain how the elements of media arts and story principles communicate meaning by comparing media artworks from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media artworks.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students explain how points of view, ideas and stories are shaped and portrayed in media artworks they make, share and view. They explain the purposes and audiences for media artworks made in different cultures, times and places.

Students work collaboratively using technologies to make media artworks for specific audiences and purposes using story principles to shape points of view and genre conventions, movement and lighting.

Years 5 and 6

In Years 5 and 6, 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 the arts, students explore meaning and interpretation, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They evaluate the use of forms and elements in artworks they make and observe.

Students extend their understanding of safety in the arts. In Years 5 and 6, their understanding of the roles of artists and audiences builds on previous bands. They develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.

In Music, students:

• further their understanding of rhythm, pitch, dynamics and expression, form and structure, timbre and texture in music;
• extend their understanding and use of aural skills as they sing and play independent parts against contrasting parts and recognise instrumental, vocal and digitally generated sounds;
• explore and use rhythm, pitch, dynamics and expression, form and structure, timbre and texture in music they perform and compose;
• explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements of music as they make and respond to music.

Skills

Explore dynamics and expression, using aural skills to identify and perform rhythm and pitch patterns.

Develop technical and expressive skills in singing and playing instruments with understanding of rhythm, pitch and form in a range of pieces, including in music from the community.

Rehearse and perform music including music they have composed by improvising, sourcing and arranging ideas and making decisions to engage an audience.

Explain how the elements of music communicate meaning by comparing music from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students explain how the elements of music are used to communicate meaning in the music they listen to, compose and perform. They describe how their music making is influenced by music and performances from different cultures, times and places.

Students use rhythm, pitch and form symbols and terminology to compose and perform music. They sing and play music in different styles, demonstrating aural, technical and expressive skills by singing and playing instruments with accurate pitch, rhythm and expression in performances for audiences.

Years 5 and 6

In Years 5 and 6, 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…

In Years 5 and 6, 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 the arts, students explore meaning and interpretation, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They evaluate the use of forms and elements in artworks they make and observe.

Students extend their understanding of safety in the arts. In Years 5 and 6, their understanding of the roles of artists and audiences builds on previous bands. They develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.

In Visual Arts, students:

• develop understanding of use and application of visual conventions as they develop conceptual and representational skills;
• test and innovate with properties and qualities of available materials, techniques, technologies and processes, combining two or more visual arts forms to test the boundaries of representation;
• explore a diversity of ideas, concepts and viewpoints as they make and respond to visual artworks as artists and audiences;
• draw ideas from other artists, artworks, symbol systems, and visual arts practices in other cultures, societies and times;
• extend their understanding of how and why artists, craftspeople and designers realise their ideas through different visual representations, practices, processes and viewpoints.

Skills

Explore ideas and practices used by artists, including practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to represent different views, beliefs and opinions.

Develop and apply techniques and processes when making their artworks.

Plan the display of artworks to enhance their meaning for an audience.

Explain how visual arts conventions communicate meaning by comparing artworks from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students explain how ideas are represented in artworks they make and view. They describe the influences of artworks and practices from different cultures, times and places on their art making.

Students use visual conventions and visual arts practices to express a personal view in their artworks. They demonstrate different techniques and processes in planning and making artworks. They describe how the display of artworks enhances meaning for an audience.

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 5 and 6

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 6, students will have had the opportunity to create designed solutions at least once in three 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 Years 5 and 6, students critically examine technologies − materials, systems, components, tools and equipment − that are used regularly in the home and in local, national, regional or global communities, with consideration of society, ethics and social and environmental sustainability factors. Students consider why and for whom technologies were developed.

Students engage with ideas beyond the familiar, exploring how design and technologies and the people working in a range of technologies contexts contribute to society. They seek to explore innovation and establish their own design capabilities. Students are given new opportunities for clarifying their thinking, creativity, analysis, problem-solving and decision-making. They explore trends and data to imagine what the future will be like and suggest design decisions that contribute positively to preferred futures.

Using a range of technologies including a variety of graphical representation techniques to communicate, students represent objects and ideas in a variety of forms such as thumbnail sketches, models, drawings, diagrams and storyboards to illustrate the development of designed solutions. They use a range of techniques such as labelling and annotating sequenced sketches and diagrams to illustrate how products function; and recognise and use a range of drawing symbols in context to give meaning and direction.

Students work individually and collaboratively to identify and sequence steps needed for a design task. They negotiate and develop plans to complete design tasks, and follow plans to complete design tasks safely, making adjustments to plans when necessary. Students identify, plan and maintain safety standards and practices when making designed solutions.

Knowledge and Understanding

Examine how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability in the design of products, services, and environments for current and future use.

Investigate how electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system.

Investigate how and why food and fibre are produced in managed environments and prepared to enable people to grow and be healthy.

Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use.

Processes and Production Skills

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions.

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques.

Select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions.

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions.

Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students describe competing considerations in the design of products, services and environments, taking into account sustainability. They describe how design and technologies contribute to meeting present and future needs. Students explain how the features of technologies impact on designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts.

Students create designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts suitable for identified needs or opportunities. They suggest criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to evaluate their ideas and designed solutions. They combine design ideas and communicate these to audiences using graphical representation techniques and technical terms. Students record project plans including production processes. They select and use appropriate technologies and techniques correctly and safely to produce designed solutions.

Years 5 and 6

Learning in Digital Technologies focuses on further developing understanding and skills in computational thinking such as identifying similarities in different problems and describing smaller components of complex systems. It also focuses on the sustainability of information systems for current and future uses.

By the end of Year 6, students will have had opportunities to create a range of digital solutions, such as games or quizzes and interactive stories and animations.

In Year 5 and 6, students develop an understanding of the role individual components of digital systems play in the processing and representation of data. They acquire, validate, interpret, track and manage various types of data and are introduced to the concept of data states in digital systems and how data are transferred between systems.

They learn to further develop abstractions by identifying common elements across similar problems and systems and develop an understanding of the relationship between models and the real-world systems they represent.

When creating solutions, students define problems clearly by identifying appropriate data and requirements. When designing, they consider how users will interact with the solutions, and check and validate their designs to increase the likelihood of creating working solutions. Students increase the sophistication of their algorithms by identifying repetition and incorporate repeat instructions or structures when implementing their solutions through visual programming, such as reading user input until an answer is guessed correctly in a quiz. They evaluate their solutions and examine the sustainability of their own and existing information systems.

Students progress from managing the creation of their own ideas and information for sharing to working collaboratively. In doing so, they learn to negotiate and develop plans to complete tasks. When engaging with others, they take personal and physical safety into account, applying social and ethical protocols that acknowledge factors such as social differences and privacy of personal information. They also develop their skills in applying technical protocols such as devising file naming conventions that are meaningful and determining safe storage locations to protect data and information.

Knowledge and Understanding

Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data.

Examine how whole numbers are used to represent all data in digital systems.

Processes and Production Skills

Acquire, store and validate different types of data, and use a range of software to interpret and visualise data to create information.

Define problems in terms of data and functional requirements drawing on previously solved problems.

Design a user interface for a digital system.

Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition).

Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input.

Explain how student solutions and existing information systems are sustainable and meet current and future local community needs.

Plan, create and communicate ideas and information, including collaboratively online, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols.

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 6, students explain the fundamentals of digital system components (hardware, software and networks) and how digital systems are connected to form networks. They explain how digital systems use whole numbers as a basis for representing a variety of data types.

Students define problems in terms of data and functional requirements and design solutions by developing algorithms to address the problems. They incorporate decision-making, repetition and user interface design into their designs and implement their digital solutions, including a visual program. They explain how information systems and their solutions meet needs and consider sustainability. Students manage the creation and communication of ideas and information in collaborative digital projects using validated data and agreed protocols.

Years 5 and 6

The Year 5 and 6 curriculum supports students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to create opportunities and take action to enhance their own and others’ health, wellbeing, safety and physical activity participation. Students develop skills to manage their emotions, understand the physical and social changes that are occurring for them and examine how the nature of their relationships changes over time.

The content provides opportunities for students to contribute to building a positive school environment that supports healthy, safe and active choices for everyone. Students also explore a range of factors and behaviours that can influence health, safety and wellbeing.

Students refine and further develop a wide range of fundamental movement skills in more complex movement patterns and situations. They also apply their understanding of movement strategies and concepts when composing and creating movement sequences and participating in games and sport. Students in Years 5 and 6 further develop their understanding about movement as they learn to monitor how their body responds to different types of physical activity. In addition, they continue to learn to apply rules fairly and behave ethically when participating in different physical activities. Students also learn to effectively communicate and problem-solve in teams or groups in movement settings.

Focus areas to be addressed in Years 5 and 6 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);
• 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

Examine how identities are influenced by people and places.

Investigate resources and strategies to manage changes and transitions associated with puberty.

Investigate community resources and ways to seek help about health, safety and wellbeing.

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

Communicating and interacting for health and wellbeing

Practise skills to establish and manage relationships.

Examine the influence of emotional responses on behaviour and relationships.

Recognise how media and important people in the community influence personal attitudes, beliefs, decisions and behaviours.

Contributing to healthy and active communities

Investigate the role of preventive health in promoting and maintaining health, safety and wellbeing for individuals and their communities.

Explore how participation in outdoor activities supports personal and community health and wellbeing and creates connections to natural and built environments.

Identify how valuing diversity positively influences the wellbeing of the community.

Moving our body

Practise specialised movement skills and apply them in a variety of movement sequences and situations.

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

Understanding movement

Participate in physical activities designed to enhance fitness, and discuss the impact regular participation can have on health and wellbeing.

Manipulate and modify elements of effort, space, time, objects and people to perform movement sequences.

Participate in physical activities from their own and others’ cultures, and examine how involvement creates community connections and intercultural understanding.

Learning through movement

Participate positively in groups and teams by encouraging others and negotiating roles and responsibilities.

Apply critical and creative thinking processes in order to generate and assess solutions to movement challenges.

Demonstrate ethical behaviour and fair play that aligns with rules when participating in a range of physical activities.

By the end of Year 6, students investigate developmental changes and transitions. They explain the influence of people and places on identities. They recognise the influence of emotions on behaviours and discuss factors that influence how people interact. They describe their own and others’ contributions to health, physical activity, safety and wellbeing. They describe the key features of health-related fitness and the significance of physical activity participation to health and wellbeing. They examine how physical activity, celebrating diversity and connecting to the environment support community wellbeing and cultural understanding.

Students demonstrate fair play and skills to work collaboratively. They access and interpret health information and apply decision-making and problem-solving skills to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing. They perform specialised movement skills and sequences and propose and combine movement concepts and strategies to achieve movement outcomes and solve movement challenges. They apply the elements of movement when composing and performing movement sequences.

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 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, learners have established communication and literacy skills in Arabic that enable them to explore aspects of Arabic language and culture as well as topical issues drawn from other key learning areas. They are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both Arabic and English and developing some biliteracy capabilities. They participate in collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. They are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context, and increasingly aware of the world around them.

Arabic language learning and use

Purposeful language use in authentic contexts and shared activities in the classroom develop language skills and enhance communication and understanding. Learning how Arabic is structured reinforces learners’ oracy and literacy. Learners develop their speaking skills by interacting with teachers, peers, family and local Arabic speakers to share their own and enquire about others’ experiences أقرأ قصة قبل النوم؛ وأنتِ هل تقرأين قبل النوم؟, social activities and opinions. They have access to a broader range of vocabulary, and use a growing range of strategies such as effective listening skills to support communication. They write more accurately and fluently for a range of purposes, contexts and audiences. They listen to, view and read Arabic folk tales, fables and films to engage with themes, characters and events, exploring embedded cultural beliefs, values and practices, and use their imagination to create and perform songs, poems, short plays and video clips. They obtain information from a range of sources about social, cultural and communicative aspects of lifestyles in Arabic-speaking communities, and present the information in different formats for particular audiences. Individual and group presentation and performance skills are developed through modelling, rehearsing and resourcing the content of presentations.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Arabic in the classroom and in their extended social space, such as family, neighbourhood and the community, for a growing range of purposes, for example, exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, and responding to experiences. They are able to work more independently, but also enjoy working collaboratively in pairs and in groups. They explore cultural aspects of communication, and use information and communications technologies (ICT) to support and enhance their learning.

Texts and resources

Learners interact with an increasing range of informative, persuasive and imaginative texts about neighbourhoods, places, and Arabic-speaking communities and individuals. They refer to and use more established grammatical and lexical resources to understand and communicate in Arabic. The use of dictionaries is encouraged for accuracy and expansion of language acquisition.

Features of Arabic language use

Learners’ pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident, and they apply appropriate writing conventions, including spelling and punctuation, in a range of print, digital and multimodal texts. They use grammatical structures, such as verb conjugation, suffixes, linguistic elements such as conjunctions and a range of adjectives and adverbs to describe actions and events according to time and place هو كتبَ؛ هي ركضت , share information about life at home and school أمي تطبخ طعاماً لذيذاً؛ أبي يغسل السيارة كل أسبوع, elaborate on ideas and information and express opinions relating to their personal and social worlds. They understand how language use varies when interacting with different people and for different purposes. They explore cross-linguistic and intercultural influences of other languages on Arabic, such as Aramaic, Syriac and Assyrian, and regional languages such as Persian, Kurdish and Turkish.

Level of support

While learners work both independently and collaboratively at this level, ongoing support and feedback are incorporated into task activities such as the production of written texts. Support includes the provision of models, scaffolds, stimulus materials, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists and dictionaries.

The role of English

Classroom interactions are increasingly bilingual. Arabic is used primarily for communication, while English and Arabic are used for discussion of linguistic features and cultural practices, and for reflective tasks and explanations. Learners are given opportunities to think about personal and community identity. They explore the relationship between language and culture, and ask questions about cultural values and practices and how these relate to their own sense of identity as Arabic background speakers when interacting in different Arabic- and English-speaking contexts.

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 maintain relationships with peers and the teacher by sharing information about their personal experiences and social activities.
[Key concepts: relationships, experiences; Key processes: describing, listening, comparing, explaining]

Collaborate in group tasks and organise shared experiences that involve making suggestions and decisions and engaging in transactions.
[Key concepts: organisation, transaction; Key processes: negotiating, explaining, advising, making choices]

Interact in classroom activities, such as creating and following shared rules and procedures, expressing opinions, and asking for and providing clarification.
[Key concepts: attitude, values, roles, responsibility; Key processes: expressing, sharing, requesting, clarifying, planning]

Informing

Listen to, view and read a range of texts to locate, classify and organise information relating to social and cultural worlds
[Key concepts: time, place, media, culture; Key processes: listening, viewing, reading, selecting, organising]

Convey ideas and information on topics of interest and aspects of culture in different formats for particular audiences
[Key concepts: audience, context, lifestyle; Key processes: using, transposing, summarising]

Creating

Share responses to a range of imaginative texts, including multimodal and digital texts, such as cartoons, folk tales, fables and films, by expressing opinions on key ideas, characters and actions, and making connections with own experiences and feelings
[Key concepts: connection, feelings; Key processes: interpreting, expressing, explaining, comparing]

Create and perform imaginative texts in print, digital or online formats, such as songs, stories, video clips or short plays, based on a stimulus, concept or theme
[Key concepts: imagination, creativity, expression; Key processes: composing, performing, imagining]

Translating

Translate and interpret texts from Arabic into English and vice versa for peers, family and community, and identify words and expressions that may not readily correspond across the two languages
[Key concepts: correspondence, interpretation, audience; Key processes: translating, comparing, explaining]

Produce bilingual texts and resources such as displays, instructions and newsletters for own learning and for the school community, identifying cultural terms in either language to assist meaning
[Key concepts: bilingualism, linguistic landscape; Key processes: translating, modifying]

Reflecting

Reflect on their experiences of interacting in Arabic- and English-speaking contexts, discussing adjustments made when moving between languages
[Key concepts: biculturality, meaning, context, belonging; Key processes: comparing, explaining]

Reflect on how own biography, including family origins, traditions and beliefs, impacts on identity and communication
[Key concepts: self, complexity, belief systems; Key processes: finding connections, reflecting, discussing]

Systems of language

Understand patterns of intonation and pronunciation, including the way vowels soften and extend sounds, and apply appropriate conventions to their writing
[Key concepts: sound systems, application, writing systems; Key processes: analysing, applying]

Develop and apply understanding of verb conjugation, suffixes, basic conjunctions and a range of adjectives and adverbs to construct simple sentences
[Key concepts: grammar, syntax, vocabulary knowledge; Key processes: applying, explaining, understanding]

Explore the structure and language features of spoken and written Arabic texts, such as news reports and conversations, recognising that language choices and the form of Arabic used depend on purpose, context and audience
[Key concepts: structure, coherence, textual features; Key processes: connecting, applying]

Language variation and change

Explore how language use differs between spoken and written Arabic texts, and depends on the relationship between participants and on the context of the situation
[Key concepts: language, variation, context, relationship; Key processes: observing, explaining]

Explore the origins of Arabic and how it has been influenced by and influences other languages
[Key concepts: language, change, borrowing; Key processes: reflecting, selecting, connecting]

Role of language and culture

Explore how language use reflects particular value systems, attitudes and patterns of behaviour by comparing ways of communicating across cultures
[Key concepts: values, attitudes, behaviour; Key processes: exploring, describing, comparing]

By the end of Year 6, students use spoken and written Arabic to exchange personal information and describe people, places and ideas related to their personal experiences and social activities such as celebrations for example, أذهب مع عائلتي لزيارة جدي وجدتي في الأعياد؛ في العطلة الأسبوعية, sport (for example, أألعب رياضتي المفضلة مع أصدقائي بعد المدرسة في الحديقة العامة and other interests such as أشاهد أفلام الكارتون مع عائلتي في السينما؛ ألعب ألعاب إلكترونية. They make shared decisions, for example, أريد أن… , provide suggestions such as يمكن أن… , and complete transactions. When participating in classroom routines and activities, they follow shared rules and procedures, express opinions and ask for clarification, for example, حسنا؛ نعم ولكن؛ أعتقد أن…؛ ما معنى … . Students use patterns of Arabic pronunciation and intonation when interacting. They locate, classify and organise information from a range of spoken, written and visual texts related to aspects of culture and lifestyle. They present ideas and information on topics of interest and aspects of culture in different formats for particular audiences. They respond to a range of imaginative texts by expressing opinions on key elements for example, من القصة نتعلم ال…, characters for example, أحب علاء الدين لأنه…؛ لا أحب الملك في الفيلم لأنه and actions for example, يجب على نيمو أن يسمع كلام أبيه, and making connections with own experience, for example أنا أيضا يجب أن…؛ أنا مثل… . They create and perform short imaginative texts based on a stimulus, concept or theme. They use a variety of tenses for example, الأفعال الماضية والمضارعة and apply verb conjugation for example,أكلتُ/أكلَ/أكلت, suffixes for example, أذهب/ يذهب/تذهب, basic conjunctions for example,و؛ أو and a range of adjectives for example, الصفة للمذكر والصفة للمؤنث للأشياء والأشخاص and adverbs for example, سريعاً؛ ليلاً؛ صباحاً؛ يوميًّا to construct sentences and to produce short texts. Students translate texts from Arabic into English and vice versa, identifying words that are not easily translated, such as أيفون؛ تلفاز؛ كومبيوتر , and create bilingual texts for their own learning and for the school community. They identify ways in which their own biography for example, السيرة الذاتية؛ الخبرات الخاصة, traditions for example, العادات العائلية والإجتماعية and beliefs for example, المعتقدات الخاصة impact on their identity and influence the ways in which they communicate in Arabic and English.

Students identify the role of vowels in softening and extending sounds and apply writing conventions to own constructions. They distinguish between the structure and features of different types of spoken and written Arabic texts and identify ways in which audience, context and purpose influence language choices and the form of Arabic used. They provide examples of how language use and ways of communicating vary according to the relationship between participants and the purpose of the exchange, for example, أنواع الجمل: الإسمية والفعلية؛ الترداد في بعض العبارات؛ طول الجمل والفواصل الشفهية فيها. They identify how languages influence one another, including the influence of indigenous languages of the Arabic-speaking world and regional languages such as Aramaic, Syriac, Phoenician, Persian, Kurdish and Turkish on Arabic, for example الأبجدية؛ المفردات المستعارة؛ أصل الكلمات. They give examples of how language use reflects particular value systems, attitudes and patterns of behaviour across cultures.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level students are expanding their social networks, experiences and communication repertoire in both their first language and Chinese. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining awareness of the world around them. Learners are noticing similarities and differences between Chinese language and culture and their own.

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. With teacher support, students begin to use Chinese to communicate their own ideas and participate in collaborative decision making. Learners engage in exploration of patterns and features of the language, talking about and making connections between known languages and cultures and comparing different ways of communicating in familiar contexts.

Contexts of interaction

Likely contexts for interaction are related to students’ personal, family and local environments, and their everyday educational experiences. They communicate with peers, teachers, known adults, and with other students in their class. The settings for interaction move to a more public context and include more participants. Students begin to move from socialising in the here and now to planning and organising future events.

Texts and resources

Text types include print and online news and media, blogs, advertisements, catalogues, popular music and drama. Texts presented in characters are generally glossed in Pinyin. Students write in characters to correspond with others in letters, and use Pinyin input systems to generate a variety of texts in digital format.

Features of Chinese language use

Engagement with oral language includes active listening; observing interactions between speakers in everyday contexts; and using the spoken language in songs, rhymes, stories read aloud, and games. Learners ask and answer questions, describe people and objects, and recount events. They speak with attention to the sounds and tones of words, using formulaic language and applying their knowledge of familiar language structures in new contexts. Students map character forms onto their familiar oral vocabulary, and recognise and name characters in context. They record and learn new vocabulary by using word lists in Pinyin, and use Pinyin to prepare drafts of spoken texts.

Level of support

Chinese language use continues to be scaffolded and prompted by the teacher. Teachers’ modelling of correct Chinese language use is the primary source of learners’ increasing Chinese oral and written language acquisition.

The role of English

The use of English is necessary for discussion, reflection and explanation, and for the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability.

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

Initiate interactions with peers and known adults to plan and organise social activities
[Key concepts: community, leisure, nature, recreation; Key processes: planning, organising, transacting]

Exchange correspondence and create simple written material to plan future activities and events and contribute ideas
[Key concepts: friendship, community, recreation; Key processes: collaborating, exchanging]

Informing

Obtain and process specific information from multiple spoken sources, selecting and sequencing appropriate content for specific audiences
[Key concepts: public, private; Key processes: comparing, collaborating, recording, identifying, describing]

Locate key points in written informative texts, summarising the points to report to known audiences
[Key concept: information; Key processes: reading, viewing, summarising, analysing]

Creating

Engage with characters and points of view in short imaginative texts, express personal opinions and create simple spoken imaginative texts
[Key concepts: character, viewpoint; Key processes: connecting, expressing, responding]

Create written imaginative texts, describing characters and sequencing events, using scaffolded models of texts, learnt characters or word lists for support
[Key concepts: character, narrative, sequence; Key processes: connecting, expressing, responding]

Translating

Interpret and translate simple texts used for everyday purposes, identifying actions, words and phrases that do not readily translate into English
[Key concept: equivalence; Key processes: interpreting, translating]

Create own bilingual texts such as signs, displays and posters
[Key concepts: equivalence, idiom; Key processes: translating, identifying, discussing]

Reflecting

Describe aspects of own identity and reflect on differences between Chinese and English language and culture, identifying how this knowledge can help their intercultural exchanges
[Key concepts: similarity, difference, culture; Key processes: comparing, contrasting]

Systems of language

Discriminate between similar or related syllables and words by listening with attention to intonation, stress and phrasing.

Identify how character structure, position, and component sequences relate the form of a character to its particular sound and meaning.

Form sentences to express details such as the time, place and manner of an action and to sequence ideas.

Notice how the features of text organisation vary according to audience and purpose.

Language variation and change

Understand that Chinese is characterised by diversity in spoken and written forms.

Examine how language is used to clarify roles and relationships between participants in interactions.

The role of language and culture

Explore the ways in which everyday language use reflects culture-specific ideas, such as the influence of age, gender and social position on language choices.

By the end of Year 6, students use spoken and written Chinese to initiate and maintain interactions. They describe and give information about themselves and their preferences, their environment, experiences and interests, for example, 我很喜欢唱歌。我的学校很漂亮。我觉得澳大利亚是很好的国家. They use simple questions (for example, 请问… ? 你是哪国人？你会说汉语吗？) and seek clarification, for example, … 对吗？ They access information from a range of print and digital resources (for example, 课文，菜单，宣传单，图样，地图，课程表， 日历，行程表， 天气预报) and summarise key points in order to inform others and organise activities, for example, 我们这个星期六去打球, 好吗？ They engage with a range of imaginative texts. They use intonation and stress to engage audiences and participants. They translate everyday expressions (for example, 好久不见 or 不谢) and use context to assist with interpretation. They produce short informative and imaginative texts. Sentences include details of time (for example, 八点，十二月二日，星期五), place (for example, 在澳大利亚，在墨尔本，在家) and participants, for example, 我的朋友， 小明的哥哥. They use prepositions and possessive clauses, including 的. They use a range of verbs, including verbs of identification and existence (是), and some modal verbs (喜欢 、 会) to express interest or ability; they negate with 不 or 没. They use simple connectives such as 和 and conjunctions to connect ideas.

Students explain the nature of tone-syllables, for example the role of tones in meaning making. They recognise the features of the Chinese writing system and apply their knowledge of the formation of characters in their own writing. They use Pinyin to transcribe spoken language. They identify how the relationships of participants and context affect interactions. They identify the features of familiar text types in Chinese and use these features to assist in interpreting meaning. They recognise that variations exist within the Chinese spoken and written language, and identify examples of this, particularly within their own community. They recognise and describe features of Chinese culture reflected in communication practices, and apply this knowledge to their own interactions with Chinese people.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both their first language and French. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them. Learners are noticing additional similarities and differences between French language and culture and their own.

French language learning and use

Learners’ communicative capabilities are stronger, and their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident and accurate. They control and access wider vocabulary resources and use a range of non-verbal strategies to support communication. Shared tasks develop social, cognitive and language skills and provide a context for purposeful language use. Focused attention to grammar, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in French. Learners use ICT to support their learning in increasingly independent and intentional ways, exchanging resources and information with each other and with young people in French-speaking communities, accessing music and media resources, and maintaining blogs and web pages. Oracy development at this level includes active listening to a range of input from different sources. Learners develop conversational and interactional skills such as initiating and sustaining conversation, using turn-taking protocols, and ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information, rehearsing and resourcing presentations, and selecting language appropriate for particular audiences. French is used increasingly for classroom interactions, routines and exchanges, for demonstrating understanding and for communicating simple information.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use French with each other and the teacher for an increasing range of purposes. They have some access to French speakers and cultural resources in wider contexts and communities through the use of ICT. Language development and use are typically incorporated into collaborative and interactive tasks, games and activities, and learners are supported to use French spontaneously when interacting with each other.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of oral and written texts. They use cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension and to make connections between contexts, ideas and language within and between texts. They create their own texts for a range of purposes and audiences, such as emails, dialogues, notes and letters, presentations and performances. With support they build cohesion into their spoken and written texts in terms of both content and expression. They write more accurately and fluently, extending their writing from simple phrases to more elaborated sentences and different types of text. They use modelled language and co-produce shared texts such as class stories, journals or captions for storyboards. They have some access to texts created for young French speakers, such as stories, cartoons, magazines, websites, music clips and television programs.

Features of French language use

Learners increase their range of French vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and textual knowledge. They are aware of the role of liaisons and accents and are familiar with frequent vowel–consonant combinations (-ille, -ette, -tion). They use present tense forms of regular -er, -ir and -re verbs, a small number of irregular verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire), and some reflexive verbs (se lever, s’habiller). They use plural forms of nouns and adjectives and some possessive adjectives. They move between statement and question forms and use simple negative constructions. They develop a metalanguage to describe patterns, rules and variations in language structures. Learners are building awareness of the relationship between language and culture, and exploring ideas relating to identity and communication. They question stereotypes, explore how attitudes are shaped by cultural perspectives, and consider their own cultural and communicative behaviours.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support, including modelling and scaffolding, is incorporated into task activity and focused language learning. Support includes provision of models, stimulus materials, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and electronic reference resources.

The role of English

While the use of French in the classroom increases at this level, the use of English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability. The language of response around learning tasks depends on the nature of task demands. French is used for communicating in structured and supported tasks, and English for open-ended tasks that involve discussion and reflection and develop understanding of language and culture.

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

Interact using descriptive and expressive language to share ideas, relate experiences and express feelings such as concern or sympathy
[Key concepts: communication, exchange, interests; Key processes: expressing, comparing, socialising]

Participate in guided tasks such as organising displays, developing projects or budgeting for events
[Key concepts: task, collaboration, budget; Key processes: planning, organising, budgeting]

Use questions, statements and responses to participate in learning activities, to indicate understanding and to monitor learning
[Key concepts: mindful learning, process, outcome; Key processes: discussing, planning, monitoring, reflecting]

Informing

Gather and compare information from a range of sources relating to social and cultural worlds
[Key concepts; environment, communication, social behaviours; Key processes: researching, reading, listening, collating, evaluating]

Convey information and ideas in different formats to suit specific audiences and contexts
[Key concepts: content, audience, purpose; Key processes: organising, comparing, selecting]

Creating

Share responses to characters, events and ideas in texts such as stories, cartoons or films, making connections with own experience and feelings
[Key concepts: character, plot, imagination, feelings; Key processes: interpreting, expressing, comparing]

Present, reinterpret or create alternative versions of songs or stories, adapting events or characters to different modes or contexts
[Key concepts: adaptation, genre, plot, character; Key processes: imagining, creating, interpreting]

Translating

Translate simple texts from French to English and vice versa, noticing which words or phrases require interpretation or explanation
[Key concepts: meaning, translation, word borrowing; Key processes: comparing, interpreting, translating]

Create own bilingual texts and learning resources such as displays, websites, newsletters or word banks
[Key concepts: bilingualism, word borrowing, meaning; Key processes: identifying, classifying, selecting, explaining]

Reflecting

Compare ways of communicating in Australian and French-speaking contexts, and identify ways that culture influences language use
[Key concepts: difference, language, culture; Key processes: noticing, reflecting, describing]

Reflect on aspects of own identity and language use, for example, by creating personal or group profiles or portfolios
[Key concepts: identity, community, bilingualism; Key processes: identifying, presenting, explaining]

Systems of language

Recognise and apply features of intonation, pronunciation and writing conventions used in different types of texts and contexts
[Key concepts: listening discrimination, accuracy, fluency; Key processes: listening, reading, recognising]

Develop knowledge of grammatical elements such as tenses, and combine them with an increasing range of nouns, adjectives and adverbs to construct simple statements, questions and exclamations
[Key concepts: grammatical rules, patterns, exceptions; Key processes: classifying, discriminating, vocabulary building]

Understand how different French texts use language in ways that create different effects and suit different audiences
[Key concepts: genre, structure, audience, sequencing; Key processes: comparing, noticing, explaining]

Language variation and change

Understand that language is used differently in different contexts and situations
[Key concepts: language, identity, culture, context; Key processes: observing, comparing, analysing, explaining]

Understand that the French language is constantly changing due to contact with other languages and to the impact of new technologies and knowledge
[Key concepts: language contact, word borrowing, digital media; Key processes: observing, identifying, classifying]

Understand that there are different forms of spoken and written French used in different contexts within France and in other regions of the world
[Key concepts: diversity, creoles, dialects, accents; Key processes: mapping, comparing, distinguishing]

Role of language and culture

Reflect on how ways of using language are shaped by communities’ ways of thinking and behaving and may be differently interpreted by others
[Key concepts: cultures, norms, perspectives; Key processes: reflecting, observing, comparing]

By the end of Year 6, students use written and spoken French for classroom interactions and transactions, and to exchange personal ideas, experiences and feelings. They ask and answer questions in complete sentences in familiar contexts (For example, Est-ce que je peux … ? Tu peux..… ?), using appropriate pronunciation, intonation and non-verbal communication strategies. They use appropriate forms of address for different audiences, such as tu forms with friends and family members, and vous for teachers and other adults or when more than one person is involved. They gather and compare information from a range of texts. They identify key points and supporting details when reading and listening, and interpret and translate short community texts such as signs or notices. They create connected texts such as descriptions, conversations and picture books, using structured models and processes of drafting and re-drafting. They convey information in different formats to suit specific audiences and contexts. Students use present tense verb forms, conjunctions and connectives (such as et, mais, parce que, plus tard, maintenant), positive and negative statements (such as j’ai trois amis, je n’ai plus d’amis), and adverbs such as très, aussi, beaucoup, un peu and lentement. They recognise and use with support verb forms such as le futur proche (je vais + l’infinitif) and le passé composé (j’ai + regular forms of past participle) as set phrases. They identify l’imparfait when reading (for example, c’était, il était). They use possessive pronouns and adjectives with modelling and support, and prepositions to mark time and place (such as avant, après, devant, derrière).

Students identify differences between spoken and written forms of French, comparing them with English and other known languages. They identify differences in commonly-used text types (for example, greetings, instructions and menus), commenting on differences in language features and text structures. They use metalanguage for language explanation (for example, formal and informal language, body language) and for reflecting on the experience of French language and culture learning. They identify relationships between parts of words (such as suffixes, prefixes) and stems of words (for example, préparer, préparation; le marché, le supermarché, l’hypermarché). Students make comparisons between French and their own language and culture, drawing from texts which relate to familiar routines and daily life (such as la vie scolaire, la famille, les courses, les loisirs, la cuisine). They explain to others French terms and expressions that reflect cultural practices (for example, bon appétit, bonne fête). They reflect on their own cultural identity in light of their experience of learning French, explaining how their ideas and ways of communicating are influenced by their membership of cultural groups.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are expanding their social networks, experiences and communication repertoire in both their first language and German. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. They are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context, and of the world around them. They are noticing additional similarities and differences between German language and culture and their own.

German language learning and use

Learners use German with one another and the teacher for an increasing range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, and functioning within a German learning environment. They are able to work increasingly independently, but enjoy working collaboratively as well as competing with one another. Learners’ ability to communicate within familiar contexts is developing in terms of fluency and accuracy. Their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident, and they control and access wider vocabulary resources and use an increasing range of strategies to negotiate meaning. Shared tasks develop social, cognitive and language skills, and provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. Focused attention to language structures and systems, literacy skills development, and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in German. Learners use digital technologies to support their learning in increasingly independent and intentional ways, such as exchanging resources and information with one another and with young people of the same age in German-speaking communities, accessing music and media resources, maintaining blogs and other web pages, creating presentations, and participating in social networks.

Oracy development at this level includes active listening to a range of input from different sources and building more elaborated conversational and interactional skills. This involves turn-taking, ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning, building on others’ contributions, and making appropriate responses and adjustments. Learners begin to engage in debate and discussion. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information; structuring, rehearsing and resourcing the content of presentations; and selecting appropriate language to engage particular audiences.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which learners interact in learning and using German are sometimes extended beyond the classroom, school, home and community as they have some access to German speakers and cultural resources in wider contexts and communities such as through the use of digital technologies.

Texts and resources

Literacy development involves increasingly independent engagement with a wider range of texts. Learners use a range of cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension. They make connections between ideas, contexts and language within and between texts. Learners are able to provide simple summaries of and responses to texts. They begin to produce clearly structured original texts for different audiences and purposes. With support they are able to edit their own written work for common grammatical and orthographic errors.

Features of German language use

Learners increase their range of German vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar and textual knowledge. They use present tense forms of regular
and irregular verbs, including some modal verbs and common separable verbs, and use plural forms of nouns and possessive adjectives. They add detail and expand simple sentences by using adverbs, phrases and some conjunctions. They move between statement, question and imperative forms and use simple negative constructions. They develop metalanguage to comment on grammar and vocabulary. As they use German to interact in different situations and to engage with different resources, learners develop an understanding of how language and culture influence each other. They learn to recognise how language features and expressions reflect cultural values and experiences, for example, language variation relating to age, gender, and relationship between participants, and how grammatical forms or vocabulary choices can affect the ‘meaning’ that is made, for example, using informal or formal forms of address, or using adjectives expressing approval or disapproval. This leads to considering their own ways of communicating and using language, and to thinking about the construction of personal identity and the notion of multiple identities.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing and systematic scaffolding, feedback and review support the interactive process of learning. Modelling and scaffolding are incorporated into task activity. Support materials include models, stimulus materials, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and electronic reference resources.

The role of English

While the use of German in the classroom increases at this level, the use of English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ awareness of the nature and function of language generally as well as of their own emerging intercultural capability. Using both German and English in the classroom develops a sense of what it means to be bilingual.

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

Interact using descriptive and expressive language to share information about daily life, relate experiences and express feelings
[Key concepts: school, home, routines, relationships; Key processes: listening, describing]

Participate in guided tasks such as planning and organising events and completing transactions
[Key concepts: collaboration, organisation, responsibility; Key processes: organising, planning, budgeting]

Use simple questions, statements and responses to participate in and support classroom interactions and learning activities, and to indicate understanding and monitor own learning
[Key concepts: process, progress, outcome; Key processes: discussing, monitoring, reflecting]

Informing

Gather, compare and respond to information from different sources relating to social and natural worlds
[Key concepts: environment, lifestyles, relationships; Key processes: researching, collating, reading, viewing]

Convey information and opinions in different formats to suit specific audiences and purposes, selecting appropriate print and multimodal elements
[Key concepts: youth issues, audience; Key processes: representing, transposing, comparing]

Creating

Share and compare responses to characters, events and ideas in imaginative texts, making connections with own experience and feelings
[Key concepts: plot, mood, character; Key processes: recounting, describing, sequencing]

Present, reinterpret or create alternative versions of imaginative texts, adapting events, characters or settings
[Key concepts: imagination, adaptation, character, setting; Key processes: imagining, creating, interpreting]

Translating

Explain aspects of German language and culture for family or peers, noticing that there are not always equivalent expressions in English
[Key concepts: equivalence, meaning; Key processes: interpreting, explaining, predicting]

Create a range of bilingual texts such as notices, announcements, photo stories, dialogues and instructions for language learning and the school community
[Key concepts: bilingualism, meaning; Key processes: translating, selecting, connecting]

Reflecting

Engage in intercultural interactions, describing aspects of language and culture that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable, and discussing own reactions and adjustments
[Key concepts: language, culture, reaction; Key processes: observing, evaluating, reflecting]

Reflect on aspects of own identity and language use, commenting on and suggesting reasons for what is similar/different and easy/difficult
[Key concepts: reflection, perception; Key processes: reflecting, analysing, comparing]

Systems of language

Explain and apply basic rules for German pronunciation, intonation, spelling and punctuation
[Key concepts: pronunciation, writing systems, punctuation; Key processes: spelling, making connections, applying rules]

Develop and apply knowledge of German grammatical elements such as verb tenses, modal verbs and case, combining them with an increasing range of nouns, adjectives and adverbs to construct sentences
[Key concepts: verb tenses and forms, variation, metalanguage; Key processes: applying, noticing patterns, understanding]

Recognise that different types of texts, such as narratives, recounts and informative and procedural texts, have certain conventions and can take different forms depending on the context in which they are produced
[Key concepts: context, audience, functionality; Key processes: identifying, classifying, transforming]

Language variation and change

Recognise that there are variations in German as it is used in different contexts by different people, such as formal/informal register and regional variations
[Key concepts: variation, place, identity; Key processes: observing, comparing, analysing]

Understand why language is important and recognise that languages and cultures change over time and influence one another
[Key concepts: change, borrowing, impact; Key processes: discovering, exploring, understanding]

Role of language and culture

Understand that own and others’ language use is shaped by and reflects the values, ideas and norms of a community
[Key concepts: norms, values; Key processes: observing, comparing, connecting]

By the end of Year 6, students use written and spoken German for classroom interactions, to carry out transactions, and to share ideas and opinions, relate experiences and express feelings. They use complete sentences in familiar contexts to ask questions such as, Bist du fertig? Was machst du jetzt? Verstehst du das? respond to requests and share experiences of learning, for example, Ich kann gut sprechen, aber ich finde das Lesen und Schreiben schwierig. They use descriptive and expressive vocabulary, including adjectives such as aufgeregt, glücklich, nervös, sauer and traurig, to express feelings and make statements such as Ich nehme ein Käsebrötchen. They use appropriate intonation for simple statements, questions and exclamations, and correct pronunciation, for example, for the two different pronunciations of ch. They gather and compare information from different sources about social and natural worlds, and convey information and opinions in different formats to suit specific audiences and purposes. They describe characters, events and ideas encountered in texts, and re-create imaginative texts to reflect their imaginative experience. When creating texts, they manipulate modelled language to describe current, recurring and future actions, for example, Wir gehen morgen schwimmen. Kommst du mit? Es geht mir nicht gut. and produce original sentences with common regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, including limited forms of the modal verbs dürfen and müssen and some common separable verbs such as mitbringen and fernsehen. They use adjectives, adverbs and adverbial phrases to qualify meaning, for example, viel Wasser, neue Schuhe; lieber, oft, jeden Tag. They explain aspects of German language and culture, recognising that there are not always equivalent expressions in English, and create a range of bilingual texts to support their own language learning and the school community. They describe aspects of their intercultural interactions that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable, and discuss their own reactions and adjustments.

Students give examples of how German language and culture are continuously changing and are influenced by other languages and cultures. They identify and apply some of the systematic sentence structure and word order rules of German. They identify rules for pronunciation and apply phonic and grammatical knowledge to spell and write unfamiliar words, for example, words containing ch, j, w and z, and diphthongs such as au, ei, eu and ie. They apply the conventions of commonly used text types, and identify differences in language features and text structures. They give examples of the variety of ways German is used by different people in different contexts. They make connections between culture and language use, and identify ways that language use is shaped by and reflects the values, ideas and norms of a community.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in their first language and Modern Greek. They continue to need guidance, and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them. Learners are noticing extra similarities and differences between Modern Greek language and culture and their own.

Modern Greek language learning and use

Learners use Modern Greek in the classroom for a widening range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and opinions, performing role-plays, dialogues, and responding to experiences. Key concepts that underpin language use are associated with this extended social space such as family, neighbourhood, locality and community. Students’ pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident. Learners have access to a broader vocabulary, and use a widening range of strategies to support communication. Purposeful contexts and shared activities in the classroom develop language skills and enhance understanding and communication. More attention is paid to language structure and reinforcing oracy and literacy. Individual and group presentation and performance skills are developed through modelling, rehearsing and resourcing the content of presentations, and selecting appropriate language to use with particular audiences (γειά, χαίρετε, να, τι, ορίστε). Students enjoy reading for meaning and apply their language knowledge and skills to decode unknown words and predict meaning. They write more accurately and fluently for a wider range of purposes and audiences, for example, creating birthday invitations, emails and advertisements.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Modern Greek with each other and the teacher for an increasing range of purposes. They are able to work more independently, but also enjoy working collaboratively and in groups. They explore cultural elements of communication, and use information and communication technologies (ICT) to support and enhance their learning.

Texts and resources

Learners interact with an increasing range of informative, persuasive and imaginative texts about neighbourhoods, places, Greek-speaking communities and individuals. They refer to and use more established grammatical and lexical resources to understand and communicate in Modern Greek. The use of dictionaries is encouraged for accuracy in language acquisition, such as ensuring the correct interpretation of similar words (βάζω, βάζο, σήκω, σύκο, γέρος, γερός, ώμος, ωμός, μήλο, μύλος, μιλώ).

Features of Modern Greek language use

Learners begin to reflect on language and how it is used in different ways to communicate. As they use Modern Greek for a wider range of interactions, learners develop a stronger understanding of the interconnection between language and culture. They begin to recognise how language features and expressions reflect cultural values, for example, κέφι, φιλοξενία, and the cultural and social impact of some grammatical forms or vocabulary, for example, using informal or formal language to address others, or using masculine forms of some professional titles when referring to women (η γιατρός, η δικηγόρος).

Level of support

While learners work independently and collaboratively at this level, ongoing support and feedback are incorporated into task activities such as the production of written text. Support includes the provision of models, scaffolds, stimulus materials, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists and dictionaries.

The role of English

The language of response varies according to task demands, with Modern Greek being the primary language of communication, while English may be used for reflective tasks and explanations. Learners are given opportunities to think about personal and community identity. They engage with texts that reflect Greek culture, and ask questions about cultural values and practices and how these relate to their own.

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

Initiate interactions and exchange information with peers, face-to-face or online, describing opinions and preferences, aspects of daily life, school, friends and hobbies
[Key concepts: friendship, leisure; Key processes: asking, responding, interacting]

Collaborate in group tasks and shared experiences, online or face-to-face, which involve planning, making suggestions and completing transactions, such as hosting a party, working with another class or group or creating and performing a role-play
[Key concepts: collaboration, contribution; Key processes: planning, organising, negotiating]

Interact in class activities, using questions, statements and responses to enhance, demonstrate and share understanding
[Key concepts: mindful learning, process, outcome; Key processes: discussing, planning, monitoring, reflecting]

Informing

Obtain, organise and compare information about aspects of daily life and significant events from written, spoken, or digital texts
[Key concepts: lifestyle, event; Key processes: classifying, comparing]

Convey and present information about aspects of personal world through prepared texts such as digital presentations, diagrams, dialogues and timelines
[Key concepts: self, family, community, significant events; Key processes: understanding, sharing, reflecting, presenting]

Creating

Listen to, read and view imaginative spoken, written, digital or multimodal texts and respond by expressing ideas and opinions about the storyline and characters
[Key concepts: theme, myth, legend; Key processes: sharing, responding, understanding]

Create and perform imaginative texts such as stories, skits or rap, using familiar language
[Key concept: imagination; Key processes: experimenting, performing]

Translating

Translate simple texts from Greek to English and vice versa, identifying words and expressions that do not always translate literally and may have more than one meaning
[Key concepts: non-equivalent words, contexts and situations, intercultural; Key processes: translating, noting, comparing]

Create bilingual texts and learning resources, such as signs, notices, games, displays, websites or word banks, for the school community
[Key concepts: bilingualism, meaning; Key processes: identifying, classifying, selecting, explaining]

Reflecting

Engage in intercultural experiences, comparing ways of communicating in Australian and Greek-speaking contexts and identifying ways that culture influences language use
[Key concepts: difference, language, culture, respect; Key processes: recognising, comparing, questioning, understanding]

Share experiences of learning and using Greek, in person or online, and reflect on the effect of language learning on own identity
[Key concept: identity; Key processes: discussing, interconnecting, agreeing, disagreeing]

Systems of language

Identify and reproduce letter clusters, the digraphs/diphthongs, reproduce key features of intonation and pronunciation, experiment with the spelling of common words and apply basic punctuation rules
[Key concepts: sound and writing systems; Key processes: recognising, understanding]

Develop knowledge of grammatical elements such as tenses, combining them with an increasing range of verbs, nouns and adjectives, and use conjunctions to construct and expand sentences
[Key concepts: grammatical rules, patterns; Key processes: applying, building vocabulary, expanding on meaning]

Identify and use language features of different types of oral, digital and written texts, such as dialogues, descriptions, short narratives and reports, recognising that linguistic choices depend on audience and purpose
[Key concepts: genre, structure, audience, sequencing; Key processes: comparing, noticing, explaining]

Language variation and change

Understand the importance of register in a range of contexts and situations, such as at home, at school or in more formal situations
[Key concepts: language contact, word borrowing; Key processes: observing, identifying]

Explore the influence of Greek on the English language, such as morphemes in medical/scientific fields and in everyday language, such as school subjects and occupations, and how Greek has been influenced by the impact of new technology and knowledge
[Key concepts: language contact, word borrowing; Key processes: observing, identifying]

Role of language and culture

Explore the relationship between language and culture and how they are reflected in communication styles
[Key concepts: language use, cultural behaviour and practices; Key processes: recognising exploring, discussing, connecting]

By the end of Year 6, students use spoken and written Greek to exchange personal information such as, Οι δάσκαλοί μου είναι …, Έχω πολλούς φίλους, Αγαπώ τη μουσική, describe feelings and express preferences, for example, Μου αρέσει να παίζω σκάκι στο κομπιούτερ. When participating in collaborative activities, transactions and classroom routines, they ask and respond to questions (for example, Πώς σε λένε;), plan collaboratively, and make suggestions and statements such as, Τώρα το βρήκα! When interacting, students use key features of pronunciation and intonation, including accents (for example, η οικογένειά μου, η and ή). They obtain and compare information from a variety of texts related to aspects of daily life and events (for example, Τι καιρό θα κάνει σήμερα;). They present information about their personal world in different formats (for example, Μου αρέσει ο τραγουδιστής …). They respond to the storyline and characters encountered in texts and create and perform simple imaginative texts using familiar language such as, Ο αγαπημένος μου δάσκαλος … . They use verbs (for example, Έχω, θέλω, είμαι, ήταν, θα είναι), nouns (for example, ο άνθρωπος, η μητέρα, το παιδί), adjectives (for example, καλός, μεγάλος, ωραία) and conjunctions to construct and expand sentences and apply basic rules of spelling and punctuation, such as question marks, capital letters, commas, exclamation marks and speech marks. They translate and interpret simple texts, identifying words that are not easily translated (for example, το φιλότιμο) and create bilingual texts for the classroom and school community. They compare ways of communicating in Greek and English to identify similarities and differences and suggest how culture influences language use.

Students identify and reproduce orally and in writing letter clusters, and the digraphs/diphthongs. They identify the relationship between language choices, and the audience and purpose of different text types. They describe the importance of register in different contexts and situations (for example, Έλα / Ελάτε σπίτι μου, Σε / σας περιμένω). They identify the impact of Greek on other languages, especially English (for example, το κινητό, ο υπολογιστής), and appreciate the dynamic nature of Greek, identifying changes that have occurred due to new technologies and knowledge. They describe ways that identity and communication are directly related to language and culture, for example, greeting familiar people by kissing them on both cheeks.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of learners

This is a key transitional phase of learning. Learners communicate more confidently, are more self-directed, and self-reference in relation to wider contexts. Response to experience is more analytical and critical, allowing for a reflective dimension to language learning and to referencing cultural frameworks. Language and literacy capabilities in Hindi and English are developing in parallel trajectories within the curriculum. For some learners there will be greater discrepancy between proficiency in the two languages than for others. The curriculum ensures that learning experiences and activities are flexible enough to cater for learner variables, while being appropriate for learners’ general cognitive and social levels.

Hindi language learning and use

Learners use Hindi in the classroom for a widening range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, competing and cooperating, performing, and responding to resources and experiences. Their communicative capabilities are stronger and more elaborated. They control and access wider vocabulary resources and use an increasingly sophisticated range of non-verbal strategies to support communication. Shared activities develop social, cognitive and language skills and provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. At this level, focused attention to language structures and systems, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted primarily in Hindi. Learners use ICT to support their learning in increasingly independent and intentional ways, exchanging resources and information with each other and with young people of the same age in other Hindi-speaking communities, accessing music and media resources, maintaining blogs and other web pages, and participating in social networks.

Oracy development at this level includes listening to a range of varied input from different sources and building more elaborated conversational and interactional skills. This includes initiating and sustaining conversations, using turn-taking protocols, ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning, reflecting on and responding to others’ contributions, making appropriate responses and adjustments, and engaging in debate and discussion. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information; structuring, rehearsing and resourcing the content of the presentation; and selecting appropriate language to engage a particular audience.

Contexts of interaction

Learners interact in Hindi with each other and the teacher, and with members of their families and communities. They have some access to Hindi speakers and cultural resources in wider contexts and communities through the use of ICT and through the media. Language development and use are incorporated into collaborative and interactive learning experiences, games and activities.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of published texts in print and digital forms, such as stories, videos, readers, songs and computer-generated learning materials. They also engage with resources prepared by their teacher, including games, performances, presentations and language exercises. They may have additional access to Hindi language and cultural resources created for Hindi-speaking communities, such as children’s television programs, websites, music or video clips.

Features of Hindi language use

Learners expand their understanding of Hindi grammatical forms and features, including the function of tenses to express actions or events in the past, present or future, जाता था, जाता हूँ, जाऊँगा, and of the passive voice to convey the distinction between actions happening and being caused to happen, बनना, बनाना, बनवाना. They use nouns and pronouns in singular and plural forms, मैं, हम, यह, ये and conjunctions to connect elements, phrases or sentences, राम ने खाना खाया और सो गया।. Literacy development involves increasingly independent interaction with a wider range of texts. Learners draw on more established grammatical and lexical resources to compose and comprehend more complex language. They use a range of cues and decoding strategies to help comprehension and to make connections between ideas, contexts and language within and between texts. They write more accurately and fluently for a wider range of purposes and audiences. With support, they build increasing cohesion and complexity into their written language production in terms of both content and expression. While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support is incorporated into task activity, and systematic feedback and review support the interactive process of learning. The use of Hindi and English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and metalinguistic and intercultural capabilities.

Understanding of the relationship between language, culture and identity is developed through guided investigation of how language features and expressions carry specific cultural meaning; through critical analysis of cultural stereotypes, attitudes and perspectives; and through exploration of issues related to personal and community identities. Learners take account of the variability of language use and textual practice in relation to factors such as gender, generation and status; and geographical, cultural and ethnic diversity. They reference themselves in relation to similar variables, and reflect on the relationship between language, culture and identity and how these affect communication and intercultural experience through the lens of their own bicultural experiences.

Level of support

While learners become more autonomous and independent, ongoing support is still needed, including explicit instruction, structured modelling and scaffolding, provision of appropriate stimulus materials and timely feedback. Learning experiences incorporate implicit form-focused language learning activities and examples of texts and tasks. Learners are supported to use electronic and print reference resources, such as word banks, dictionaries and translating tools, and are encouraged to adopt a critical approach to resource selection.

The role of English

Hindi is the primary language for classroom routines, interactions and language learning tasks with English used in a supporting role. While the use of Hindi for discussion, reflection and explanation of content drawn from other learning areas is encouraged as much as possible, the use of some English for these aspects of learning supports the continued development of learners’ knowledge base, metalanguage and intercultural capability. The language of response varies according to task demands, with Hindi used primarily for communicating in structured and supported tasks and familiar interactions, and both Hindi and English for more open-ended and comparative discussions that develop understanding of language and culture.

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

Interact using descriptive and expressive language to give opinions, talk about themselves and their feelings and show interest in and respect for others
[Key concepts: communication, feelings, experiences; Key processes: interacting, responding, describing, comparing]

Use action-oriented language to plan and conduct shared events and activities, such as performances at school assembly, activities with a buddy class or real or simulated shopping transactions
[Key concepts: performance, demonstration, exchange, transaction; Key processes: planning, collaborating, presenting, transacting]

Participate in familiar classroom interactions by asking and responding to questions, seeking clarification, reflecting on learning experiences and expressing preferences
[Key concepts: respect, negotiation, reflection; Key processes: initiating, responding, reflecting]

Informing

Collect, classify and compare information from a range of sources relating to social and cultural worlds
[Key concepts: environment, social worlds, community, values; Key processes: classifying, reviewing, comparing, analysing]

Convey information about aspects of language and culture in formats to suit different audiences and contexts
[Key concepts: content, cultural experience, audience; Key processes: planning, selecting, presenting]

Creating

Respond to texts such as folktales or contemporary cartoons or comic books, comparing responses to elements such as storylines, characters and themes
[Key concepts: characterisation, response, identification; Key processes: comparing, evaluating, identifying; Key text types: fables, comic books, songs, stories]

Compose and perform expressive and imaginative texts such as stories, songs, skits or video clips based on a stimulus concept, theme or resource
[Key concepts: adaptation, genre, audience, effect; Key processes: creating, adapting, performing, experimenting; Key text types: stories, poems, cartoons, songs, fables]

Translating

Translate simple school, community or media texts from Hindi to English and vice versa, explaining words or phrases that need to be interpreted or explained
[Key concepts: meaning, translation, interpretation, culture; Key processes: translating, interpreting, explaining, evaluating]

Create bilingual texts such as websites, posters, games and word banks to support their own and others’ learning
[Key concepts: equivalence, alternatives; Key processes: explaining, commenting, reviewing]

Reflecting

Discuss the effects of switching between languages, noticing when they choose to use either Hindi or English and how each language and associated cultures influences their ways of communicating
[Key concepts: intercultural communication, difference, language domains; Key processes: monitoring, adjusting, reflecting, describing]

Compare their experiences of moving between Hindi and English, considering advantages and challenges involved in using more than one language
[Key concepts: identity, intercultural communication; Key processes: reflecting, evaluating, comparing]

Systems of language

Understand how the conventions of written script determine the structure and organisation of written language, and understand the relationship between word formation and pronunciation
[Key concepts: variation, discrimination, representation; Key processes: understanding, recognising, applying conventions]

Consolidate knowledge of grammatical elements such as distinctions between active and passive voice, the form and function of tenses, markers of cohesion such as conjunctions and adverbs, verb moods and number and gender distinctions
[Key concepts: word order, mood, tense, rules; Key processes: discriminating, classifying, applying rules]

Understand how different text forms, such as prose and verse, create effects to suit different audiences
[Key concepts: genre, imagery, register; Key processes: noticing, comparing, experimenting, explaining]

Language variation and change

Demonstrate awareness that Hindi language use involves variations in formal and informal styles, in spoken and written forms, and that it reflects relationships between participants
[Key concepts: mode, register, non-verbal language; Key processes: noticing, comparing, identifying]

Recognise that Hindi has evolved and developed through different periods of influence by other languages and cultures
[Key concepts: language contact, language change, globalisation; Key processes: observing, analysing, discussing, reflecting]

Reflect on their own use of Hindi, English and other languages or dialects for different social purposes, and recognise that they sometimes mix and switch between languages
[Key concepts: language domains, multilingualism; Key processes: comparing, explaining, analysing, reflecting]

Role of language and culture

Reflect on how communities’ ways of using languages are shaped by values and belief systems, and how these may be differently interpreted by speakers of other languages
[Key concepts: perspective, culture, place, values; Key processes: questioning, analysing, identifying]

By the end of Year 6, students use spoken and written Hindi to exchange personal information and experiences, to give opinions and express feelings. When interacting with others, they use expressive and descriptive language, for example, नमस्ते आप कैसे हैं, मैं ठीक हूँ। मेरी माँ मुझे बहुत प्यार करती है, मैं उनकी आँखों का तारा हूँ। मेरे परिवार में हम सब साथ साथ रहतेहैं।, मुझेलगता है आप ठीक कह रहे हैं। Students show interest in and respect for others, for example, मुझे माफ़ कीजिये, यह बहुत अच्छा है। बहुत खूब, मजा आ गया, यह बहुत अच्छा है। रमा मुझे माफ़ करना लेकिन मुझे लगता है कि…। सच पूछो तो मेरे विचार से…। मैं इस बात से सहमत हूँ कि….। They use action-oriented language to plan and conduct shared activities, for example, हम यह कहना चाहते हैं कि…। मैं आज आप को कुछ जानकारी देने जा रहा हूँ। हमारे समूह का विचार है कि…, हम आप के सामने आप एक नाटक पेश करने जा रहे हैं, आज हम आप के सामने प्रस्तुत करने जा रहे हैं… and complete transactions, for example, इसका क्या दाम है? , मुझे एक किलो दाल दीजिये। यह पोशाक कितने की है ये आम कितने के हैं? आपकी दुकान में सब से अच्छी फोटो कौन सी है , मुझे ठंडा शरबत चाहिये। क्या आप के यहाँ शाकाहारी भोजन मिलता हैं? आप के भोजनालय में सबसे स्वादिष्ट व्यंजन कौन सा है? मुझे दो रोटी के साथ एक दाल मक्खनी दे दीजिए.. When participating in classroom routines and activities, they ask and respond to questions, express opinions and ask for clarification, for example, है न?, नही, हाँ, यह क्या है?, मुझे समझ नहीं आया फिर से समझाइये, ठीक है, यह कैसे करनाहै, मेरे हिसाब से वहाँ जाना ठीक नहींहै, यह खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट है, हमे वहाँ से खाना लेना चाहिये. Students use patterns of Hindi pronunciation and intonation when interacting, identifying regional variations. They gather, classify and compare information related to social and cultural worlds from a range of spoken, written and visual texts. They present information about aspects of language and culture in different formats selected to suit audience and context. They respond to a range of imaginative texts by identifying and discussing key elements such as storylines, characters and themes, for example, अमर चित्र कथा, पँचतंत्र की कहानियाँ, दादी की कहानियाँ, अल्लाद्दीन का चिराग, चाचा चौधरी और साबू, विक्रम और बैताल, पिंकी और बबलू, अकबर -बीरबल के क़िस्से. They create and perform short imaginative texts based on a stimulus, concept or theme, for example, दोस्ती, प्रेम, अहिंसा, अतिथि-सत्कार, अनेकता में एकता. When constructing texts, students use a variety of tenses, for example, खा रहा था, खा रही थी, खा रहा हूँ, खाऊँगा, खायेगा, खायेगी, जा रहा था, जाऊँगा, जा रहा हूँ adverbs, for example, साथ-साथ, अगर-मगर, कभी-कभी, धीरे-धीरे, जल्दी में, दौड़ते हुए and verb forms expressing actions happening, being made to happen or caused to happen, for example, बनना, बनाना, बन जाना। They connect their ideas using conjunctions, for example, मैंने स्वेटर पहना क्योंकि मुझे ठण्ड लग रही थी, तुम यहाँ बैठो या वहाँ जा कर खड़े हो जाओ, उसने दवाई खाई पर असर नहीं हुआ, राम ने खाना खाया और सो गया। They use number and gender distinctions such as एक आदमी, कई आदमी, एक लड़का, तीन लड़के, बेटी, बेटियाँ, नदी, नदियाँ. Students translate texts from Hindi into English and vice versa, identifying words and phrases that need interpretation, for example, उँगली पर नचाना, नाक में दम करना, अपने घर में कुत्ता भी शेर होता है, अंगूर खट्टे हैं. They create bilingual texts for their own and others’ learning. They identify how being bilingual and bicultural contributes to their own identity and influences their ways of communicating.

Students identify the relationship between word formation and pronunciation and apply the conventions of written script to their own constructions. They distinguish between active and passive voice and the intonation patterns of statements, questions and exclamations, for example, वह पास हो गया! क्या आप वहाँ जाएँगे? तुम अच्छे बच्चे हो।. They identify negative constructions, including negative forms of verbs and adjectives and the form and function of tenses, for example, सोहन ने फिल्म नहीं देखी। झूठ कभी मत बोलो. They distinguish between the structure and features of different forms of spoken and written texts and identify ways that texts create effects to suit different audiences. They give examples of how language use and ways of communicating vary according to the degree of formality and context, purpose and audience. They explain factors that have affected Hindi language over time, including the impact of other languages and cultures such as Sanskrit, Persian, English and Arabic. They give examples of how their language use varies according to social context and purpose and identify how ways of using languages are shaped by values and belief systems.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

Students are expanding their social networks, experiences and communication repertoire in both their first language and Indonesian. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining awareness of the world around them and the proximity of Indonesia to Australia. Learners are noticing similarities and differences between Indonesian language and culture and their own.

Indonesian language learning and use

Learners use formulaic phrases in Indonesian to participate in classroom routines, presentations and structured conversations with the teacher and peers. They focus on aspects of their personal world and are introduced to content related to Indonesia and other learning areas. Learners develop oral language through scaffolded tasks and texts such as songs, descriptions and stories. They extend their oral fluency by focusing on sentence-level intonation and stress.

In pairs and as a class, learners read texts such as signs, posters, scripts, lyrics and instructions (for example, for recipes or games). They are learning to apply their knowledge of key words and textual features to predict the meaning of unfamiliar language. Learners use modelled language to create texts such as a class story, script or contribution to a wiki space. They require opportunities to extend their language use by expressing ideas through expanding and connecting sentences.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Indonesian to interact with the teacher and classmates, and may use technology to communicate with peers in Indonesia. Tasks are typically structured, collaborative and at times competitive, such as a group performance, class display or games. Learners may notice use of Indonesian in the community, such as in the media.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a range of published texts such as readers, songs and computer games, as well as those prepared by the teacher of Indonesian, including language exercises, games and presentations. In addition, learners gain exposure to Indonesian language and culture through texts created for the Indonesian community, such as websites, music clips and television programs.

Features of Indonesian language use

Learners are expanding their knowledge of vocabulary and sentence construction. They develop a range of ber- verbs, simple conjunctions and prepositions, noticing that sentences follow a similar word order to English, apart from possessive pronouns and adjectives. They need to develop a metalanguage for describing aspects of Indonesian language and how it works. They are increasingly aware of the connection between language and cultural practices (for example, tawar-menawar, selamatan) and compare such connections to their own language and culture.

Level of support

Supports provided by the teacher at this level include explicit instruction, description, and comparison of Indonesian and English, modelled language use and examples of texts, and feedback on student work. Learners need practice and guidance in using dictionaries and access to word charts, vocabulary lists and examples when translating and creating texts.

The role of English

Indonesian is used for classroom routines and language learning tasks and may be used as the language of instruction for learning the content of other learning areas. The language of response varies according to task demands, with Indonesian 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.

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

Interact with peers to describe aspects of daily life, school, friends and pastimes
[Key concepts: friendship, leisure; Key processes: corresponding, interacting]

Collaborate with peers to plan and conduct a shared event or activity such as hosting a class guest or working with a buddy class
[Key processes: planning, organising, negotiating]

Participate in classroom interactions and structured tasks by asking and responding to questions, seeking permission and expressing preferences
[Key concepts: collaboration, responsibility; Key processes: requesting, interacting]

Informing

Locate, classify and compare factual information from texts about aspects of daily life and significant events across cultures
[Key concepts: lifestyle, event; Key processes: classifying, comparing]

Convey information about aspects of language and culture using diagrams, charts, timelines, descriptions and guided reports
[Key concept: literacy; Key processes: describing, reporting]

Creating

Engage with texts such as cartoons, dialogues and fairy tales, and respond by describing aspects such as characters and actions
[Key concepts: fact, fiction; Key process: describing; Key text types: story, script, cartoon]

Compose and perform texts such as a skit, rap or video clip, based on a stimulus, concept or theme
[Key concepts: imagination, drama; Key processes: performing, composing; Key text types: dialogue, narrative]

Translating

Translate texts from Indonesian to English and vice versa, selecting from possible choices to create appropriate meaning
[Key concept: meaning; Key processes: translating, selecting]

Create for the school community simple bilingual texts such as reports, instructions and games
[Key concept: equivalence; Key processes: comparing, modifying]

Reflecting

Engage in intercultural experiences, describing aspects that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable and discussing own reactions and adjustments
[Key concepts: reaction, strangeness; Key processes: accommodating/rejecting, suggesting]

Share experiences of learning and using Indonesian, and comment on aspects that have been accepted or rejected and how this has impacted on own identity
[Key concepts: belonging, identity; Key processes: recording, evaluating]

Systems of language

Notice pronunciation of phonemes such as ng/ngg/ny, and notice the difference in pronunciation of loan words from English
[Key concepts: loan, emphasis; Key processes: experimenting, predicting]

Understand how to express actions and events in time and place using prepositions, and continue to expand knowledge of ber- verbs and vocabulary
[Key concepts: time, place; Key processes: applying, understanding]

Develop understanding of how grammatical structures and rules influence textual organisation
[Key concept: coherence; Key processes: connecting, applying]

Language variation and change

Develop awareness that language use reflects different contexts, purposes and audiences
[Key concepts: social distance/intimacy, context; Key processes: analysing, predicting]

Recognise that Indonesian contains influences from other languages, such as regional and foreign languages
[Key concepts: change, borrowing; Key processes: identifying, discussing]

Role of language and culture

Recognise that language and culture are integral to the nature of identity and communication
[Key concept: assumptions; Key processes: exploring, examining connections]

By the end of Year 6, students use Indonesian to convey information about themselves, their family and friends, and daily routines and activities. They locate specific details and use familiar words and phrases to predict meanings in texts. They respond to and create texts to describe and share factual and imaginative ideas and experiences, using formulaic phrases and modelled language. Students produce ng/ny/ngg sounds, and apply knowledge of pronunciation and spelling to predict the sound, spelling and meaning of new words. They ask and respond to questions using Apa?, Siapa? Berapa? and Di mana?, and interact spontaneously with peers in discussions on familiar topics. Students use subject-focus construction with a range of ber- verbs (such as bermain, berjalan, bercakap-cakap, berenang) and formulaic me- verbs (such as membaca, mendengarkan, menonton). They express numbers using ratus and ribu, and describe character and appearance using noun + adjective word order, (for example, Rumah Budi besar; Dia tinggi dan lucu). Students use possessive word order (for example, Nama teman saya…) and describe events in time using pada with whole numbers and days of the week. They use prepositions (such as di atas/dalam/belakang), and conjunctions (such as karena and tetapi). They translate texts, relying on key words and formulaic expressions, describing how meanings may vary across languages and cultures. Students identify aspects of language use that relate to people’s (including their own) cultural perspectives and experiences.

Students know that Indonesian is a language system that has rules, and that word order in (subject-focus) sentences is similar to English. They identify features of texts such as adjectives in descriptions, superlatives in advertisements and imperatives in signs. Students know that language use varies according to age, relationships and situation, particularly in relation to terms of address and the nature of what is discussed. They identify loan words from English and their Indonesian spelling (televisi) and pronunciation (kriket). They describe similarities and differences between aspects of language and culture, such as celebrations (for example Idul Fitri and Hari Ulang Tahun), leisure (for example, takraw, bulu tangkis) and the environment (for example, desa, hutan). Students know that in both Indonesian and English some terms and expressions reflect culture-specific items and practices (for example, Selamat siang, mandi, guling) that cannot be directly translated.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

Students are expanding their social networks, experiences and communicative repertoires in both their first language and Italian. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining awareness of the world around them and of the relationship of Australia with Italy and other Italian-speaking communities. They are noticing similarities and differences between Italian language and culture and their own.

Italian language learning and use

Students’ pronunciation, intonation and phrasing are more confident, and they access wider vocabulary resources and use non-verbal strategies appropriately to support communication. They participate in shared tasks and purposeful language experiences as well as focusing explicitly on language structures and systems, literacy skills and cultural elements of communication.

Oracy development at this level includes active listening to a range of input from different sources, and building interactional skills such as maintaining conversations, turn-taking, and contributing to discussions with observations and opinions. They learn skills in ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning. Individual and group oral-presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information, rehearsing and resourcing the content of presentations, and selecting appropriate language to engage particular audiences.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Italian with each other and the teacher for a range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, performing and responding to Italian texts and experiences. They use ICTs to interact with each other and with peers in Italian-speaking communities, exchanging resources and information, accessing music and media resources, and contributing to class activities such as a blog or webpage.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a range of oral, written, multimodal and digital texts that are increasingly public in nature. They use cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension and to make connections between contexts, ideas and language within and between texts. They create texts for a range of purposes and audiences, such as emails, dialogues, public signs, presentations and performances. With support, they build cohesion into their Italian production in terms of both content and expression.

Features of Italian language use

Students increase their range of Italian language vocabulary, grammatical knowledge and textual knowledge. They learn how to describe present and immediate future actions, situations and events using familiar verbs. They use adverbs, adjectives and prepositions to create more complex sentences. They develop a metalanguage to describe patterns, rules and variations in language structures.

Learners consider how language features and expressions reflect cultural values and experiences (for example, language variation relating to gender, generation, status or cultural context). This leads to considering their own ways of communicating and to thinking about personal and community identities, stereotypes and perspectives reflected in language.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support, including modelling and scaffolding, is incorporated into task activity. Ongoing feedback and review support the interactive process of learning. While first language capabilities are more developed than learners’ Italian language proficiency, learning tasks and experiences need to take account of both their second language linguistic level and their more general cognitive and social levels of development.

The role of English

The use of English, in conjunction with Italian, for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability and provides opportunities for learners to share understanding and experiences.

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 to share interests, leisure activities, feelings, opinions and preferences
[Key concepts: leisure, neighbourhood; Key processes: exchanging, corresponding]

Take action, make shared decisions and organise shared experiences
[Key concepts: environment, plan; Key processes: participating, reflecting]

Participate in simple transactions such as purchasing and ordering goods and services
[Key concepts: service, transaction; Key processes: transacting, exchanging, planning]

Interact in classroom activities and create shared class routines
[Key concepts: routine, class culture; Key processes: explaining, participating, sharing]

Informing

Listen to, view and read texts and gather information from a range of sources, including concepts drawn from other learning areas
[Key concepts: lifestyle, leisure, health/wellbeing; Key processes: selecting, researching, comparing, synthesising]

Represent information appropriately for different audiences, using a variety of modes
[Key concepts: learning area concepts; Key processes: connecting, informing]

Creating

Share and compare opinions about ideas in imaginative texts
[Key concepts: description, story, narrative; Key processes: comparing, reviewing; Key text types: recount, narrative, biographical description]

Create imaginative texts for different audiences such as digital stories and raps using imaginary characters, places, ideas and events
[Key concepts: text, imagination; Key processes: exchanging, performing, creating; Key text types: narrative, description, song lyrics]

Translating

Translate texts, recognising that words and meanings do not always correspond across languages, and expanding descriptions or giving examples where necessary to assist meaning
[Key concepts: alternative, equivalence; Key processes: translating, comparing]

Create simple bilingual texts and discuss what translates easily or not
[Key concepts: translation, explanation; Key processes: identifying, selecting, modifying]

Reflecting

Compare everyday social experiences and related language use and consider own responses and reactions and those of others
[Key concept: intercultural understanding; Key processes: comparing, reflecting, connecting]

Share aspects of own identity such as appearance, character, background, family, preferences and experiences, including own role as a learner of Italian, and consider how these aspects contribute to identity formation
[Key concept: intracultural understanding; Key processes: sharing, connecting, reflecting]

Systems of language

Develop pronunciation and intonation of Italian-specific sounds.

Use grammatical knowledge, to interpret and create meaning in Italian.

Notice and use distinctive features of text organisation in Italian.

Language variation and change

Recognise that language use varies according to the contexts of situation and culture.

Recognise the dynamic nature of language and culture.

Understand the diversity of languages and cultures represented in the classroom, and the multilingual and multicultural character of Australian society.

Role of language and culture

Reflect on their own assumptions about the values, beliefs and cultural norms of Italians compared to their own.

By the end of Year 6, students interact using spoken and written Italian to describe and give information about themselves, family, friends, home and school routines, experiences, interests, preferences and choices. They share aspects of their environment, express opinions, for example, È buonissimo …è molto bravo, mi piace di più …, penso di sì/no, secondo me…, accept or reject ideas, agree and disagree, for example, No,non sono d’accordo! Hai ragione/torto. They ask simple questions, for example, Ti piace? Cosa prendi? Chi viene alla festa? Vieni anche tu? They understand the main points in spoken interactions consisting of familiar language in simple sentences. When speaking, they imitate pronunciation and intonation. They understand short written texts with some variation in sentence structures and some unfamiliar vocabulary. In reading independently, they begin to use context, questioning, and bilingual dictionaries to decode the meaning of unfamiliar language. They connect ideas in different informative and creative texts, expressing and extending personal meaning by giving reasons or drawing conclusions. Students create sentences with some elaboration, for example, using coordinating conjunctions and comparisons to build short coherent texts on familiar topics, for example, La musica di … è bella, ma mi piace di più … They write descriptions, letters, messages, summaries, invitations and narratives They use the present tense of verbs, noun and adjective agreements and some adverbs; they choose vocabulary appropriate to the purpose of the interaction, such as to describe, to plan or to invite.

Students use some metalanguage to talk about both linguistic and cultural features. They discern familiar patterns and features of written and spoken language and compare them with English, understanding that language, images and other features of texts reflect culture. They demonstrate an understanding of variation in language use, adapting language forms according to audience and context. They identify linguistic and cultural differences know that Australia is a multilingual and multicultural society, and that dialects are spoken both in Italy and in Italian-speaking communities around the world. Students compare, identify and discuss their responses and reactions in intercultural exchanges.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both their first language and Japanese. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining a greater awareness of the world around them. Learners are noticing similarities and differences between Japanese language and culture and their own.

Japanese language learning and use

Learners use Japanese with peers and the teacher for a widening range of purposes: asking and responding to questions, exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, performing, responding to learning experiences, and interacting with Japanese language resources. They are developing greater fluency and accuracy in communication. As they draw on a growing range of vocabulary resources and grammatical structures, their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing improve. They begin to use Japanese more spontaneously when interacting with one another, and use an increasing range of body language and gestures. Shared tasks provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. Focused attention on language structures, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in Japanese. Learners use digital media to support their learning in increasingly independent ways, such as exchanging resources and information with other Japanese speakers. In doing this, they may access music and media resources.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Japanese with one another and with the teacher for a growing range of purposes. They may have some access to other Japanese speakers and cultural experiences in wider contexts and communities through the use of information and communications technology (ICT).

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of oral, written and multimodal texts, including published texts such as modified folk stories, songs and computer games, as well as teacher-generated resources such as language games, exercises and presentations. In addition, learners have some access to Japanese language and culture through texts created for young Japanese people, such as stories, music clips, anime/manga and video clips.

Features of Japanese language use

Learners notice the relationship between stress, pacing and meaning, and use appropriate intonation patterns to exclaim, make a statement or ask a question. They continue to acquire a wider range of vocabulary and to build grammatical and textual knowledge. They use verbs, nouns and adjectives, a variety of particles, prepositions, counters and conjunctions. They differentiate between animate and inanimate objects and apply their knowledge of こそあど in context. They develop metalanguage to describe patterns, rules and variations in language structures. As they use Japanese to interact in different situations, they develop understanding of how language and culture influence each other, and reflect on their own ways of communicating and using language. Learners begin to experience and reflect on the challenges and opportunities involved in moving between languages and different ways of making meaning.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support is incorporated into tasks and activities. Systematic feedback and review assist the interactive process of learning. Support includes provision of models, stimulus materials, scaffolded opportunities for reflection, and resources such as word and character charts, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and electronic reference materials. Learning tasks and activities take account of both learners’ current level of Japanese capability and their more general cognitive and social levels of development.

The role of English

While the use of Japanese in the classroom increases at this level, the use of English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability.

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 peers and the teacher to describe aspects of daily life such as routines and pastimes, or celebrations and special days; to express preferences; and to show interest in and respect for others
[Key concepts: communication, correspondence, exchange, interests; Key processes: interacting, communicating, greeting, describing]

Collaborate with peers to plan and conduct shared events or activities such as teaching and working with a buddy class, organising a shared event, or rehearsing and presenting a school performance
[Key concepts: collaboration, performance, transaction; Key processes: planning, organising, introducing, explaining, transacting, budgeting]

Participate in everyday classroom activities and routines such as asking how to say or write something, asking for help or repetition, praising or complimenting one another, thanking, apologising and expressing preferences
[Key concepts: roles, interaction, communication; Key processes: reading, naming, describing, requesting]

Informing

Gather, classify and compare information from a range of sources related to concepts from other learning areas
[Key concepts: interests, behaviours, social interactions, cultural expression; Key processes: researching, compiling, presenting, identifying]

Convey information on specific topics using formats such as oral or digital presentations, displays, diagrams, timelines and guided descriptions
[Key concepts: content, profile, audience, format; Key processes: presenting, profiling, referencing]

Creating

Listen to, read and view different imaginative texts such as anime, folk stories and manga, describe and give opinions about characters and events, and identify cultural elements
[Key concepts: character, plot, context, values, emotion; Key processes: analysing, discussing, responding, expressing, comparing]

Create and present or perform imaginative texts for a variety of purposes and audiences
[Key concepts: performance, audience, rhythm, digital text; Key processes: creating, performing, designing]

Translating

Explain aspects of spoken, written and non-verbal communication in Japanese interactions that require interpretation and carry cultural meaning
[Key concepts: meaning, culture, interpretation, equivalence; Key processes: explaining, interpreting, demonstrating, experimenting, reflecting]

Create bilingual texts and learning resources such as displays, websites, posters, picture books, games, word banks and menus
[Key concepts: bilingualism, learning resources, translation; Key processes: classifying, glossing, annotating, composing]

Reflecting

Reflect on the experience of learning and using Japanese, and identify how language reflects cultural practices and norms
[Key concepts: language, culture, similarity and difference, values; Key processes: identifying, analysing, comparing, reflecting]

Discuss the experience of speaking and interacting in a different language, what they understand by ‘identity’, and whether learning Japanese has any effect on their sense of self
[Key concepts: identity, communication, stereotype, protocol; Key processes: reflecting, identifying, exploring]

Systems of language

Engage with authentic spoken language, recognising how words blend and understanding the relationship between sounds, words and meaning
[Key concepts: phonemic awareness, spelling, rhythm; Key processes: identifying, discriminating, pronouncing, spelling]

Recognise some single and whole word katakana and develop the ability to use hiragana and kanji in a single text
[Key concepts: scripts, characters, stroke order, punctuation; Key processes: reading, writing, recognising]

Recognise the systematic nature of Japanese grammatical rules and apply these to generate new language for a range of purposes
[Key concepts: metalanguage, grammar, counters; Key processes: identifying, explaining, discriminating, applying]

Recognise the use of formulaic expressions and textual features in familiar texts such as emails, letters, postcards or telephone conversations
[Key concepts: textual features, context, variation; Key processes: recognising, identifying, explaining, reflecting]

Language variation and change

Understand that different ways of using Japanese language shape and reflect different relationships, such as deciding to be formal or informal
[Key concepts: register, context, tenor; Key processes: observing, reflecting, comparing]

Recognise that the Japanese language is both influenced by in turn influences other languages and cultures
[Key concepts: language contact, word borrowing, globalisation, technology, change; Key processes: identifying, classifying, reflecting]

Role of language and culture

Make connections between cultural practices and values and language use, such as formulaic expressions, and consider how these affect intercultural communication
[Key concepts: language, culture, expression, values, perspectives; Key processes: noticing, identifying, comparing, reflecting]

By the end of Year 6, students use formulaic and modelled language in classroom interactions to carry out transactions and to share or convey information about daily routines, activities and events, using time expressions such as まい日、ときどき. They ask and respond to questions in familiar contexts using complete sentences and appropriate pronunciation, rhythm and intonation. They ask for clarification and assistance, negotiate turn-taking and follow instructions. They extend their answers by using conjunctions such as そして、それから. They show concern for and interest in others by making enquiries such as だいじょうぶ？, and apologise and express thanks using appropriate gestures. They read and write all hiragana, including voiced sounds, long vowel sounds, double consonants and blends, and high-frequency kanji, for example, 犬いぬ, 小さい、雨あめ. Students locate specific information and some supporting details in a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts on familiar topics. They express reactions to imaginative texts, such as by describing qualities of characters, for example, やさしい　人　です。. They create connected texts of a few sentences, such as descriptions, dialogues or skits. They structure sentences using particles, for example, へ、で、を、がand prepositions, for example, の上うえに, and apply the rules of punctuation when writing. They describe and recount events and experiences in time, for example, adjective です。noun です/でした。 and present/past/negative verb forms, for example, のみます、たべます、見みました、いきません. They use counter classifiers in response to questions such as いくら　です　か。なんびき？なんこ？. Students translate familiar texts, recognising formulaic expressions and culturally specific textual features and language use. They comment on similarities and differences in ways of expressing values such as politeness, consideration and respect in Japanese compared to other languages and cultures.

Students understand and use the hiragana chart to pronounce contracted and blended sounds and exceptions to phonetic rules, such as を、へ、は, and です. They understand and apply the rules and phonetic changes related to counter classifiers, such as さんぜんえん、いっこ、はっぴき. They apply their knowledge of stroke order to form characters. They give examples of ways in which languages both change over time and are influenced by other languages and cultures. They identify words from other languages used in Japanese, such as パソコン、メール、パスタ, and how the pronunciation, form and meaning of borrowed words can change when used in Japanese. Students identify behaviours and values associated with Japanese society and incorporate these into their own language use, such as ways of deflecting praise, for example, じょうず　です　ね。いいえ。.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both their first language and Korean. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them. They are noticing additional similarities and differences between Korean language and culture and their own.

Korean language learning and use

Learners increasingly use Korean for a range of everyday interactions and in classroom activities to communicate with their teacher and peers. They share ideas and opinions on a range of topics related to personal interests and wellbeing and those drawn from other learning areas through collaborative and shared tasks. They make simple arrangements and transactions, organise and present information and create performances based on real or imaginative experiences with support of scaffolding and modelled language. They express, reason or elaborate on opinions using language in complex structures as set phrases. As they build their competence in Korean, learners comprehend and produce short texts such as songs, video clips, role-plays, skits and stories, using simple structures and familiar vocabulary. With increasing literacy in Hangeul, learners make connections between spoken and written forms of Korean and begin to read and write short texts in Hangeul. Students apply spacing and spelling rules to their reading and writing with increasing grammatical and phonological awareness. They develop metalinguistic knowledge of basic forms and structures and of honorification in Korean, and use it with their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary to predict meaning of unfamiliar language.

Contexts of interaction

Learners interact in Korean with each other and the teacher, and may communicate with peers in Korea using technology. Tasks at this level are typically collaborative, structured and sometimes competitive, such as games, class displays and performances. Korean traditional games such as yunnori that involve interactive and spontaneous language use, collaborative problem-solving procedures, collective decision-making and physical movements are integrated into tasks. Learners may notice use of Korean in the media and wider community and have access to Korean speakers and cultural resources through the use of ICT.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a range of published texts in print and digital forms such as readers, stories, songs and computer-based language learning materials, as well as those prepared by the teacher of Korean, including language exercises, games and presentations. Learners may have extra access to Korean language and culture resources through texts created for the Korean community such as websites, television programs and music or video clips.

Features of Korean language use

Learners expand their knowledge of Korean vocabulary, grammar and honorific elements. They are aware of some patterns of sound changes at syllable boundaries such as 연음법칙, 비음화 and 구개음화 in familiar words and expressions. They express past tense and use some verb phrases in complex structures as set phrases. They are increasingly familiar with verb-final sentence structures, and basic case markers and particles, noticing the importance of grammatical elements such as particles or suffixes rather than word order in making sense of Korean sentences. They use a range of vocabulary including basic common descriptive and action verbs, number words with counters, basic adverbs and simple negations. They develop a metalanguage for describing aspects of the Korean language and how it works. Learners are increasingly aware of the relationship between language and culture, and of the dynamic nature of language. They explore the relationship between language and identity and how attitudes are shaped by cultural perspectives and revealed through language, and consider their own cultural and communicative behaviours.

Level of support

While learners are gradually gaining independence in learning, they still need ongoing support, including explicit instruction, structured modelling and scaffolding with stimulus materials. Task activities incorporate implicit form-focused language learning approaches and examples of texts. Learners start using dictionaries with teacher support and have access to word charts, vocabulary lists and electronic and print reference resources.

The role of English

Korean is the primary language for classroom routines and language learning tasks with English in a supporting role. While it is encouraged to use as much Korean for discussion, reflection and explanation and for the content drawn from other learning areas as possible, the use of English for these aspects of learning activities ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability. The language of response varies according to task demands, with Korean used primarily for communicating in structured and supported tasks and for familiar interactions, and English for open-ended, comparative tasks and discussions that develop understanding of language and culture.

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

Describe people, places, objects and every day routines relating to school and home environments; express feelings and share interests and preferences
[Key concepts:routine, interests, leisure; Key processes: describing, corresponding, interacting]

Collaborate in group tasks and shared experiences that involve making collective arrangements, such as making decisions or suggestions in group games, or creating and performing a role- play that involves simple transactional exchanges
[Key concepts: task, organisation; Key processes: planning, organising,decision-making]

Interact in classroom activities such as creating and following shared class rules and procedures, expressing opinions and asking for permission or clarification
[Key concepts: interaction, politeness; Key processes: requesting, clarifying]

Informing

Listen to, view and read texts for specific information drawn from a range of sources relating to social and cultural worlds in different times, places and communities, and to different learning areas
[Key concepts: lifestyle, event, environment; Key processes: collating, comparing,tabulating]

Convey ideas and information indifferent modes to suit particular audiences and contexts on subjects of interest to young people
[Key concepts:content, audience, purpose; Key processes: describing, reporting, using digital tools]

Creating

Share responses to a range of imaginative texts in different forms including digital texts by expressing opinions and feelings about key ideas, characters and actions, making connections with own experience or feelings
[Key concepts: fact, fiction; Key process: expressing, describing, explaining]

Compose and perform a variety of creative texts based on a stimulus concept or theme, sharing them face-to-face and online to present to different audiences
[Key concepts:imagination, expression; Key processes: performing, creating]

Translating

Translate simple texts identifying words and expressions that may not readily correspond across languages, and expanding descriptions or giving examples where necessary to clarify meaning
[Key concepts:correspondence, interpretation; Key processes: selecting, interpreting, translating]

Create bilingual texts and resources such as signs, notices, captions, displays,websites or word banks for own learning, and share them in the school community and with learners of Korean in the virtual community
[Key concepts: bilingualism; Key processes: translating, comparing, modifying]

Reflecting

Examine their perceptions of and reactions to Korean culture embedded in the language, and reflect on the relationship between language and culture
[Key concepts: etiquette,reaction, assumption; Key processes: comparing, describing, reflecting]

Explore connections between aspects of identity such as nationality, ethnicity and language use, considering how these are related to culture and own identity, and to learning Korean language and culture
[Key concepts: sense of belonging, identity; Key processes: comparing, relating, reflecting]

Systems of language

Understand the relationships between letters and sounds, and between intonation and punctuation/printing conventions in Korean, applying this understanding to own speech, reading and writing
[Key concepts: pronunciation, spelling,punctuation, correspondence; Key processes: recognising, analysing, relating, predicting]

Understand and use aspects of the Korean grammatical system such as verb conjugations, suffixes, some particles, basic conjunctions and the honorific system, building a metalanguage to talk about basic grammatical features in Korean
[Key concepts: grammatical rules, grammatical terminology, forms,functions, speech levels; Key processes: classifying, applying, explaining, distinguishing]

Identify and use appropriate terms and expressions, such as honorific and qualifying words and counters for specific purposes and contexts
[Key concepts: honorification, time,descriptive/action verbs, context; Key processes: predicting, applying, relating]

Identify and use distinctive features of different types of spoken and written texts in Korean such as salutations in different contexts
[Key concepts: genre, structure, audience; Key processes:comparing, connecting, applying]

Language variation and change

Recognise that variables such as age and personal and social relationships impact on language use in Korean, considering similar variations in language use in English and other languages represented in the classroom
[Key concepts: social distance/affinity, cross-cultural differences; Key processes: identifying, analysing, reflecting]

Recognise the dynamic nature of languages and cultures, and the changing and influential relationships that exist between languages
[Key concepts: language contact, change; Key processes: collecting data, identifying, connecting, reflecting]

Investigate how language can be used to influence people, ideas and the understanding of cultures
[Key concepts: perceptions, influence; Key processes: comparing, explaining, predicting, reflecting]

Role of language and culture

Explore how beliefs and value systems are reflected in everyday language use
[Key concepts: diversity, beliefs, attitudes; Key processes: examining connections,comparing, describing, reflecting]

By the end of Year 6, students engage in classroom interactions to carry out collaborative tasks, to exchange information and to express feelings and ideas related to specific contexts, personal interests and daily routines at home and school. They ask and answer questions with appropriate intonation and gestures, changing sounds on syllable boundaries in a word as appropriate (for example, pronouncing words such as 한국어, 같이 and 감사합니다 as 항구거, 가치 and 감사함니다). They use simple structures for a range of functions, including making simple arrangements and conducting simple transactions (for example, 아이스크림 한 개 주세요. 얼마예요? 오천 원이에요), and some complex structures such as –도 되다 and –(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다 as set phrases to ask for permission (for example, 화장실에 가도 돼요?) and to offer their own opinions (for example, 저는 …이/가 맞는/틀린 것 같아요). They use particles such as –(으)로, –하고 and –에서 as part of a set phrase (a noun/pronoun + particle) to indicate instrument (with/in …, for example, 연필로 쓰세요, 한국어로 뭐예요?), accompaniment (together with …, for example, 친구하고 쇼핑했어요) and location (at/in …, for example, 학교에서 공부해요). They describe two events occurring in sequence, such as daily routines, using two sentences with a 그리고 at the beginning of the second sentence or the –고 coordination (for example, 밥을 먹어요. 그리고 운동해요;밥을 먹고 운동해요), and past experiences using a suffix –었/았– (for example, 캔버라에 살았어요). They negate statements (for example, 안 가요, 못 먹었어요) and construct questions about reasons, prices and opinions/feelings, using set phrases such as 왜요? 얼마예요? and 어때요?/어땠어요? (for example, 영화가 어땠어요?). They use descriptive language (such as 예뻐요, 멋있어요) and manner and time adverbs (such as 빨리, 천천히, 어제, 오늘, 내일). Students describe amounts of familiar items, including currency and time, using number words from either the pure Korean or the Sino-Korean number system in their appropriate forms, with a range of counters (such as 장, 잔, 권, 그루, 송이, 원, and 시) and in appropriate word order (for example, 책 세 권). They pronounce Arabic numerals appropriately according to the accompanying counters (for example, 10살, 6학년). Students locate specific information in a range of familiar spoken, written and digital texts, identifying familiar vocabulary and grammatical features to support understanding. They use simple and formulaic language with the support of structured models and scaffolding to create short texts with familiar structures and features, in various modes and formats. Students translate texts between Korean and English in familiar formats, and create their own simple bilingual texts, using known words and expressions. They provide extra information or explanations for words or expressions that have no equivalents in the other language or cannot be readily translated, such as 벼 versus ‘rice as a crop’, 쌀 versus ‘rice as raw grains’ and 밥 versus ‘cooked rice or meals’. They identify aspects of Korean language in which Korean culture is embedded, such as politeness embedded in –(으)세요.

Students differentiate between spoken and written forms of Korean by applying their understanding of rules that govern pronunciation and writing using Hangeul syllable blocks, and by associating spoken forms of known words with their written forms. They change verb forms using suffixes such as –었/았– and –고 by applying their understanding of grammatical elements that affect different grammatical meanings and functions. They identify the topic/subject and the object in simple sentences and explain how word order in Korean is different to English using basic metalinguistic terms such as word order, subject, object and verb. Students identify distinctive features of familiar spoken and written texts in different genres, such as language used at the beginning or closing (for example, …에게/께; …(으)로부터/올림), and relate them to distinctive purposes, intended audiences and social contexts of texts. Students apply their understanding of the importance of context, age and social relationships in language use during interaction, and identify age as particularly important in determining the level of politeness and formality in using Korean (for example, 미안합니다 versus 미안해요 versus 미안해). Students provide examples of how spoken and written forms of language change over time, and explain how Hangeul was initially created and continues to change. They explain how languages borrow words with culture-specific meanings from each other and provide such examples from Korean words borrowed from English and other languages (for example, 피아노, 케밥) and Korean words used in Australia (for example, 비빔밥 (bibimbap), 아리랑 (arirang)). Students provide relevant comments on how language is used to influence people’s perceptions (such as in advertisements or campaigns), and identify their own ways of thinking about Korean associations such as brand names or names of cultural items. They compare gestures or body languages involved in communication using Korean and other languages and identify similarities and differences across cultures. They provide examples where direct translation is not possible, such as terms or expressions that reflect cultural practices (for example, 잘 먹겠습니다/잘 먹었습니다, 식은 죽 먹기), and determine whether their equivalents exist in their own language/s.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both their first language and Spanish. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them, and noticing additional similarities and differences between Spanish language and culture and their own.

Spanish language learning and use

Learners use Spanish with peers and the teacher for a widening range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, performing, and responding to experiences and resources from the Spanish-speaking world. Learners’ ability to communicate is developing in terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity. As they draw on a growing range of vocabulary resources and grammatical structures, their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing steadily improve and they use an increasing range of body language, such as hand gestures, used by Spanish speakers. Shared tasks provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. Focused attention on language structures and systems, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in Spanish. Learners use digital media and social networks to support their learning in increasingly independent ways, such as exchanging resources and information with one another, with young people of the same age in Spanish-speaking communities, and with students in other settings who are also learning Spanish. In doing this, they may access music and media resources, maintain blogs and web pages, and use online forums.

Oracy development at this level includes active listening to input from different sources (including different varieties of Spanish) and extending conversational and interactional skills. This involves initiating and sustaining conversations, turn-taking, ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning, building on others’ contributions, making appropriate responses and adjustments, and engaging in debate and discussion. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information, and structuring and rehearsing presentations. Literacy development involves more independent interaction with a wider range of texts. Learners draw on their growing grammatical and lexical resources to compose and comprehend more complex language. They use a range of cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension and to make connections between ideas and language within and between texts. They write more accurately and fluently for a wider range of purposes and audiences.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Spanish with one another and with the teacher for an increasing range of purposes. They have some access to Spanish speakers and cultural experiences in wider contexts and communities through the use of ICT. At this level, language development and use are typically incorporated into collaborative and interactive tasks, games and learning activities. Learners begin to use more Spanish spontaneously when interacting with one another.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of spoken and written texts, including published texts such as readers, songs and computer games, as well as teacher-generated resources such as language games, exercises and presentations. In addition, learners have some access to Spanish language and culture through texts created for young people in Spanish-speaking communities, such as websites, stories, music clips, cartoons and television programs.

Features of Spanish language use

Learners use an increasing range of vocabulary, become more confident in terms of pronunciation and continue to build grammatical and textual knowledge. They apply phonic knowledge to unfamiliar language and notice the relationship between accents and stress or intonation. They use present, past and near future tenses to describe or locate actions. They use comparative forms and apply rules of agreement between subjects and verbs and between nouns and adjectives. They use appropriate verb forms and intonation patterns to exclaim, make a statement or ask a question. They develop a metalanguage to describe patterns, rules and variations in language structures. As they use Spanish to interact in different situations, learners develop an understanding of how language and culture influence each other. They recognise how language reflects cultural values and experiences and how grammatical forms and vocabulary choices affect the meaning that is made. This offers the opportunity for reflection on their own ways of communicating and using language, and also on personal and community identities, stereotypes and perspectives. Learners begin to experience and reflect on the challenges involved in moving between languages and different ways of making meaning.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support is incorporated into task activity. Systematic feedback and review assist the interactive process of learning. Support includes provision of models, stimulus materials, scaffolded opportunities for reflection, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and electronic reference materials. Learning tasks and activities take account of both learners’ current level of Spanish capability and their more general cognitive and social levels of development.

The role of English

While the use of Spanish in the classroom increases at this level, the use of English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability.

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 using descriptive and expressive language to share interests, special celebrations and leisure activities, and to express feelings, state preferences and give opinions
[Key concepts: friendship, leisure, interests; Key processes: expressing, sharing, comparing]

Collaborate with peers to plan and conduct different elements of shared tasks, transactions or activities
[Key concept: cooperation; Key processes: planning, participating, making, transacting]

Interact in class activities and routines by asking and responding to questions, asking for clarification and making suggestions
[Key concepts: routine, responsibility; Key processes: participating, sharing, taking turns]

Informing

Listen to, view and read texts in order to identify aspects of life in Spanish-speaking contexts and communities
[Key concepts: lifestyle, diversity; Key processes: collating, connecting, comparing]

Present information about aspects of language and culture in the Spanish-speaking world for specific audiences, using diagrams, charts, timelines and guided reports
[Key concepts: lifestyle, people, places; Key processes: organising, informing]

Creating

Share and compare understandings and opinions about ideas encountered in imaginative Spanish-language texts such as works of art, fables, performances and television programs
[Key concepts: plot, idea, moral; Key processes: adapting, comparing, responding]

Produce a variety of texts such as scripted performances, raps and digital stories using imaginary characters, places, ideas and events
[Key concepts: imagination, drama; Key processes: performing, representing]

Translating

Translate simple texts that provide comparisons between cultural aspects of meaning-making in Spanish and English and note how language cannot always be directly translated
[Key concept: meaning; Key processes: translating, comparing, explaining]

Create own bilingual texts and learning resources, such as displays, posters, word banks and glossaries for the classroom/school environment
[Key concepts: translation, explanation; Key processes: identifying, selecting, modifying]

Reflecting

Compare ways of communicating in particular Australian and Spanish-speaking contexts
[Key concepts: diversity, reaction; Key processes: observing, considering, reflecting,]

Discuss how it feels to interact in a different language, what they understand by ‘identity’, and whether learning Spanish has any effect on their sense of self
[Key concept: intracultural understanding; Key processes: identifying, describing]

Systems of language

Attend to the pronunciation of sounds and intonation patterns used in social interactions and apply writing conventions such as question and exclamation marks
[Key concepts: auditory discrimination, stress, intonation, punctuation; Key processes: listening, reading, recognising]

Understand and use grammatical elements such as tenses, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs and noun-adjective agreements to construct simple texts for different purposes
[Key concepts: grammatical rules, patterns and irregularities; Key processes: applying rules, understanding, vocabulary building]

Identify how different Spanish texts such as comics, cartoons, magazines or emails use language in ways that create different effects
[Key concepts: genre, structure, audience; Key processes: noticing, explaining]

Language variation and change

Recognise that language use varies according to the contexts of situation and culture
[Key concepts: levels of formality, language, identity, variation; Key processes: observing, comparing]

Understand that the Spanish language constantly changes due to contact with other languages and the impact of new technologies
[Key concepts: language contact, digital media; Key processes: observing, identifying, classifying]

Recognise that the Spanish language has different forms, roles and functions in different contexts and communities
[Key concepts: diversity, language origins; Key processes: mapping, comparing, discussing]

Role of language and culture

Reflect on own language use at home, at school and in the community, considering how this may be interpreted by young Spanish speakers
[Key concepts: norms, standpoints; Key processes: observing, reflecting, comparing]

By the end of Year 6, students use written and spoken Spanish for classroom interactions, to carry out transactions and to share information about personal interests, relate experiences and express feelings. They use modelled sentence structures to ask and respond to questions (for example, ¿quién?/¿quiénes?, ¿por qué?¿por dónde? sí, por supuesto), seek clarification (for example, ¿Ella dice que apaguemos la computadora?) and give advice (for example, No debes comer tantos dulces). When interacting, students use appropriate pronunciation of Spanish-specific sounds such as ci/ca and ga/gi, and intonation patterns. They gather information relating to language and culture and present it in different formats. They describe characters, experiences and ideas encountered in texts, and create short imaginative texts using structured models and descriptive and expressive vocabulary (divertido, alto, gordo, grande). They use regular and common irregular verbs in present tense (for example, estudio español, voy a mi casa), simple past tense (for example, Ayer comí helado, Fueron a la cafetería) and near future (for example, Voy a ir a la playa, Vamos a comer frutas). Students use pronouns (for example, él/ella nosotros/as ellos/ellas, usted/ustedes/ vosotros/as), prepositions (for example, debajo de, por, al lado de, cerca de), adverbs (for example, muy, poco, bien, mal, lentamente), agreement of nouns and adjectives (for example, gente simpática, juegos divertidos ), and adverbs to mark time (for example, hoy, ayer, mañana, ya, todavía) and place (for example, dentro de, encima de, a la izquierda, a la derecha). They apply rules of punctuation such as question and exclamation marks (for example, ¿cuándo?, ¡cuidado!) and accents (for example, sofá, árbol, música). They translate and interpret short texts, identifying aspects of the Spanish language and culture that are similar or different to their own and create bilingual texts for the classroom and school community. They describe their own experiences of using Spanish and identify ways in which learning and using Spanish’ may impact on their own identity.

Students know that Spanish has its own rules for pronunciation and grammar and that language use must be adjusted to suit different contexts, situations and relationships (for example, ¡Hasta pronto Doña Clara! ¡Adiós chicos!). They use metalanguage to explain basic features of language, texts and grammar, making connections with English terms they are familiar with such as ‘verb’, ‘adverb’, ‘noun’ and ‘agreement’. Students identify Spanish as a global language and describe the distribution of communities of Spanish speakers in different countries and regions. They identify ways that languages change through contact with other languages and due to new technologies, and give examples of Spanish words used in English (for example, ‘patio’, ‘chocolate’) and words used in Spanish that are borrowed from other languages (for example, chofer, carné, tenis, golf, corner, kiwi, parking, gol, tiquet, chao ). They reflect on the language they use at home, at school and in the community and identify how young Spanish speakers would use language in the same contexts.

Years 5 and 6

The nature of the learners

This is a key transitional phase of learning. Learners communicate more confidently, are more self-directed, and self-reference in relation to wider contexts. Response to experience is more analytical and critical, allowing for a reflective dimension to language learning and to referencing cultural frameworks. Language and literacy capabilities in Turkish and English are developing in parallel trajectories within the curriculum. For some learners, there will be greater discrepancy between proficiency in the two languages than for others. The curriculum ensures that learning experiences and activities are flexible enough to cater for learner variables while being appropriate for learners’ cognitive and social levels.

Turkish language learning and use

Learners use Turkish in the classroom for a widening range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, competing and cooperating, performing, and responding to resources and experiences. Their communicative capabilities are stronger and more elaborated. They control and access wider vocabulary resources and use an increasingly sophisticated range of non-verbal strategies to support communication. Shared tasks develop social, cognitive and language skills and provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. At this level, focused attention to language structures and systems, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted primarily in Turkish. Learners use ICT to support their learning in increasingly independent and intentional ways, exchanging resources and information with each other and with young people of the same age in other Turkish-speaking communities, accessing music and media resources, maintaining blogs and other web pages, and participating in social networks.

Oracy development at this level includes listening to a range of varied input from different sources and building more elaborated conversational and interactional skills. This includes initiating and sustaining conversations, using turn-taking protocols, ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning, building on others’ contributions, making appropriate responses and adjustments, and engaging in debate and discussion. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information; structuring, rehearsing and resourcing the content of the presentation; and selecting appropriate language to engage a particular audience.

Contexts of interaction

Learners interact in Turkish with each other, the teacher and members of their families and communities. They have some access to Turkish speakers and cultural resources in wiser contexts and communities through the use of ICT and through the media. Language development and use are incorporated into collaborative and interactive learning experiences, games and activities.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of published texts in print and digital forms, such as stories, videos, readers, songs and computer-generated learning materials. They also engage with resources prepared by their teacher, including games, performances, presentations and language exercises. They may have additional access to Turkish language and cultural resources created for Turkish-speaking communities, such as children’s television programs, websites, music or video clips.

Features of Turkish language use

Learners draw on more established grammatical and lexical resources to compose and comprehend more complex language. They recognise and use verb conjugations and common noun and adjective forming suffixes, such as (-lı, -li, -lu, -lü) as in kar-lı, kir-li, toz-lu..; (-lik, -lık, -luk, -lük) as in yaz-lık, göz-lük…; (-cı, -ci, -cu, -cü/-çı, -çi, -çu, -çü) as in gemi-ci, kira-cı, su-cu, çiçek-çi..; (-gı, -gi, -gu, -gü) as in sar-gı, sil-gi,..; (-sız, -siz, -suz, -süz) as in ev-siz… They apply the rule of great vowel harmony when adding nominal case endings, -(e), -(i), -d(e), -d(e)n to different nouns, such as ev-e, ev-i, ev-de, ev-den, ev-in. They use the conditional marker -s(e) and/or the word eğer in compound sentences, for example, yağmur yağarsa gitmeyeceğiz, and appropriate endings for subject–verb agreements in simple and compound sentences.

They use a range of cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension and to make connections between ideas, contexts and language within and between texts. They write more accurately and fluently for a wider range of purposes and audiences. With support, they build increasing cohesion and complexity into their written work in terms of both content and expression. While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support is incorporated into task activity, and systematic feedback and review support the interactive process of learning. They build metalanguage to talk about aspects of language such as grammar, for example, bağlaçlar, özne ile yüklem uyumu, -de/-da ekler, ilgi zamiri –ki, edatlar, and the use of both Turkish and English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and metalinguistic and intercultural capabilities.

Understanding of the relationship between language, culture and identity is developed through guided investigation of how language features and expressions carry specific cultural meaning; through critical analysis of cultural stereotypes, attitudes and perspectives; and through exploration of issues related to personal and community identities. Learners take account of the variability of language use and textual practice in relation to factors such as gender, generation, status, and geographical, cultural and ethnic diversity. They reference themselves in relation to similar variables, and reflect on the relationship between language, culture and identity and how these affect communication and intercultural experience through the lens of their own bicultural experiences.

Level of support

While learners are becoming more autonomous and independent, ongoing support is still needed, including explicit instruction, structured modelling and scaffolding, provision of appropriate stimulus materials and timely feedback. Task activities incorporate implicit form-focused language learning activities and examples of texts and tasks. Learners are supported to use electronic and print reference resources, such as word banks, dictionaries and translating tools, and are encouraged to adopt a critical approach to resource selection.

The role of English

Turkish is the primary language for classroom routines, interactions and language learning experiences, with English used more in a supporting role. The use of Turkish for discussion, reflection and explanation of content drawn from other learning areas is encouraged as much as possible, and English is used for comparative analysis between languages and for the continued development of metalanguage in both languages.

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 spoken, written and digital interactions to share ideas and experiences, showing interest and respect for others
[Key concepts: discussion, correspondence, interests, experiences; Key processes: composing, describing, discussing, responding]

Plan shared activities or events, such as a display or presentation, an interview, awareness campaign or virtual shopping expedition
[Key concepts: collaboration, action, plan; Key processes: planning, designing, budgeting]

Participate in classroom interactions that involve asking and responding to questions, seeking clarification, indicating understanding, reflecting and providing feedback
[Key concepts: classroom interaction, debate, responsibility; Key processes: questioning, responding, evaluating]

Informing

Gather, classify and compare information from print, digital and multimodal resources relating to their physical environment and social and cultural worlds
[Key concepts: environment, values, experience, heritage; Key processes: investigating, comparing, classifying]

Convey information about aspects of their own language(s), culture(s) and communities in suitable formats for different audiences and contexts
[Key concepts: culture, interests, transition; Key processes: creating, resourcing, explaining]

Creating

Respond to imaginative texts such as TV programs, folktales, performances or cartoons by sharing opinions on elements such as storylines, messages, characters and themes
[Key concepts: characterisation, response, storytelling; Key processes: comparing, describing, identifying; Key text types: folktales, comic books, songs, stories]

Create and perform expressive and imaginative texts such as stories, dance, skits or video clips based on a stimulus concept, theme or resource
[Key concepts: adaptation, genre, audience, effect; Key processes: creating, adapting, performing, experimenting; Key text types: stories, poems, cartoons, songs, fables]

Translating

Translate simple texts from Turkish to English and vice versa, identifying elements that require interpretation rather than translation and noticing words that are similar but pronounced differently
[Key concepts: meaning, interpretation, culture; Key processes: identifying, translating, classifying]

Create bilingual texts such as websites, posters, class journals and menus to support their own learning and to assist interactions with non-Turkish speakers
[Key concepts: equivalence, alternatives; Key processes: considering, selecting, translating]

Reflecting

Discuss the experience of switching between languages, noticing when they choose to use either Turkish or English and how each culture influences ways of communicating
[Key concepts: code-switching, intercultural communication, language domains; Key processes: monitoring, adjusting, reflecting, describing]

Compare their experiences of moving between Turkish and English, identifying advantages and challenges in respect to being bilingual or multilingual
[Key concepts: identity, culture, communication, bilingualism; Key processes: reflecting, evaluating, comparing]

Systems of language

Understand the relationships between intonation and stress in Turkish, and apply this understanding to their own written and spoken language and meaning-making
[Key concepts: accent, emphasis, vowel harmony, discrimination; Key processes: understanding, recognising, applying conventions]

Recognise and apply grammatical features of spoken and written language, such as verbal conjugations and nominal declensions and modifications, negative and interrogative sentence structures and subject–verb agreements
[Key concepts: word order, conjugation, marker, word endings; Key processes: discriminating, classifying, applying rules]

Understand how different types of text in Turkish, including prose and verse, create effects to suit different audiences
[Key concepts: genre, text features, imagery, register; Key processes: noticing, comparing, analysing]

Language variation and change

Understand that spoken and written forms of Turkish both vary in terms of formality according to context, purpose and audience
[Key concepts: mode, register, respect; Key processes: noticing, comparing, identifying]

Understand that the Turkish language has evolved and developed through different periods of influence from other languages, cultures and changes
[Key concepts: language contact, language change, globalisation; Key processes: observing, analysing, discussing, reflecting]

Role of language and culture

Reflect on how communities’ ways of using languages are shaped by values and belief systems, and how these may be differently interpreted by speakers of other languages
[Key concepts: culture, perspective, values, practice; Key processes: comparing, explaining, analysing, reflecting]

By the end of Year 6, students use spoken and written Turkish to interact by sharing ideas and experiences, for example, 23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramında ben şiir okudum. Ramazan Bayramında dedem bana harçlık verdi. When interacting, they show interest and respect for others by actively listening and providing feedback, for example, Siz ne düşünüyorsunuz? Evet! Tabii ki. İlginç! Sen ne dersin? They use action-oriented language to make shared arrangements, organise events and complete transactions. When participating in classroom and collaborative activities, they ask and respond to questions, for example, Ben ne yapabilirim? Sen not alır mısın? Cevapları maddeler halinde yazsak daha iyi olur. and seek clarification, for example, Bu sayfayı mı okuyacaktık? They use evaluative language to reflect on learning activities and to provide each other with feedback, for example, Süper, harika, mükemmel, unutma, çok zor. Students use specific features of pronunciation, intonation and stress when interacting. They locate, classify and compare information about their physical environment and social and cultural worlds from a range of sources in different modes. They present information about aspects of language and culture in different formats selected to suit audience and context. They respond to a range of imaginative texts by identifying and sharing opinions on key elements such as storylines, characters, messages and themes, for example, Ben … çok beğendim çünkü …, … hiç sevmedim, Çok üzücüydü, and create and perform short imaginative texts based on a stimulus, concept or theme. When constructing texts, students use grammatical features of spoken and written language, such as negative and interrogative sentence structures, for example, Ramazan Bayramı’nda tüm okullar tatile girmeyecek; conjugations of verbs, for example, ‘oku-mak’: oku-r-um, oku-r-sun, oku-r oku-r-uz, oku-r-sunuz, oku-r-lar; And oku-yor-um, oku-yor-sun, oku-yor, oku-yor-uz, oku-yor-sunuz, oku-yor-lar; and subject–verb agreements. When writing, they apply appropriate spelling and punctuation to a range of sentence types. Students translate simple texts from Turkish into English and vice versa, identifying words that are easy or difficult to translate, and create bilingual texts and resources for their own language learning and to support interactions with non-Turkish speakers. Students identify ways in which their bilingual and bicultural experiences impact on their identity and influence how they communicate in Turkish and English.

Students apply their knowledge of vowels, consonants and suffixes to form new words, for example, kapkaççı, bankacı, yolcu, oduncu; sokak+-da=sokakta, süt+-de= sütte, and identify how vowel length and accent affect the meaning of words, for example, hala-hâlâ and kar-kâr. They distinguish between the structure and features of different types of texts and identify ways that texts create effects to suit different audiences. They give examples of how language use and ways of communicating vary according to the degree of formality and context, purpose and audience, for example, gelir misiniz lütfen?/gelin lütfen. Students provide examples of influences on the Turkish language over time, including the influence from other languages and cultures, for example, e-posta, yazıcı, tarayıcı, çevrimiçi. They explain how language use is shaped by values and belief systems, and identify why these may be interpreted differently by speakers of other languages.