Chinese (Version 8.4)

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Context statement

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.

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PDF documents

Resources and support materials for the Australian Curriculum: Languages - Chinese are available as PDF documents. 
Languages - Chinese: Sequence of content
Languages - Chinese: Sequence of Achievement - Background Language Learner Pathway - F-10 …

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Years 9 and 10

Years 9 and 10 Band Description

The nature of the learners

Students integrate elements of both their Chinese and Australian cultures into their understanding of the ways people behave and use language. They explore the nature of their dual identities and bilingual capabilities. They look at identity as a concept and at the nature of diversity in the sense of what it means to be Chinese.

Chinese language learning and use

Students are immersed in Chinese language, exploring and discussing topics related to their developing identity as Chinese-speaking Australians. They access information relating to popular culture and topical issues, learning to recognise diverse representations and perspectives, and exploring context and the values and beliefs of authors.

Contexts of interaction

Contexts for interaction extend beyond the classroom to include students’ active engagement with the local community, exploring the use of Chinese in business, social and educational activities, and interacting with different generations of Chinese speakers. These contexts provide students with the opportunity to explore the modifications necessary to deepen their understanding of social distance.

Texts and resources

Students engage with a variety of text types and modes, including visual and digital media, music, TV series, classical Chinese stories, documentaries, and bilingual versions of classic and contemporary literature and their film adaptations.

Features of Chinese language use

Students elaborate their message, nominalise, and add complexity to the expression of their ideas. They apply their understanding of appropriate register in a widening range of interactions, and experiment with increasing sophistication in writing, through the use of idiom and references to classical literature. They learn to appreciate the forms and historical value of classical Chinese literature, and to appreciate how language changes over time.

Level of support

Correct Chinese language use continues to be modelled by the teacher to support students’ oracy and literacy development. Glossaries, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and digital translation tools are used to support comprehension of an increasingly diverse and complex range of texts and interactions.

The role of English

Classroom interaction occurs primarily in Chinese. English is used when required for comparison or to explore complex ideas related to language, culture and concepts from other learning areas.


Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Socialising

Interact and socialise with a range of participants, recognising alternative positions, ideas and perspectives relating to experience and lifestyle

[Key concepts: diversity, perspective; Key processes: discussing, deciding, taking action] (ACLCHC177 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
  • exploring concepts related to topical and contemporary issues, including ethnicity and identity, popular culture, technology, social justice, environment, education and future pathways, through interaction with peers and other Chinese speakers, for example, 我听说现在中国的年轻人很喜欢看韩剧,是这样吗?你也喜欢看韩剧吗?
  • inviting others to contribute to discussions and provide feedback on own ideas (for example, 你不觉得…吗? 难道…?), and asking questions, acknowledging strengths in others’ arguments and providing evidence to contradict, challenge or rebut alternative views
  • collaborating to reach agreement by asserting, restating, conceding or negotiating in an appropriate manner (for example, 就算是…; 尽管如此…), recapping the main ideas discussed, suggesting a suitable compromise or solution, and explaining the reasons behind the final suggestion
  • discussing how to utilise resources and opportunities outside of the classroom to develop Chinese proficiency, for example, Chinese community school, using Chinese more often with family members and friends, or watching Chinese television
  • listening to guest speakers such as ambassadors for Asian literacy or other inspirational young people who are engaged with Chinese language learning, and discussing their experiences and achievements
Negotiate actions and contribute ideas, opinions and suggestions in interactions related to shared tasks and problem-solving, managing different views

[Key concepts: expectations, values, beliefs, attitudes; Key processes: evaluating, exchanging, interpreting, negotiating] (ACLCHC178 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • participate in online discussions and other exchanges to raise awareness of topical issues, for example, 作文大赛《谈谈健康饮食》
  • using social media to communicate with peers in a range of locations in order to inform them about social initiatives in Australia, such as 清扫澳洲日, 地球一小时, and inviting contributions of others to initiate similar events in their regions
  • volunteering their time in a project that supports other members of the local community (for example, organising a concert to perform at an aged-care facility; providing tutoring in English for older members of the Chinese-speaking community), discussing experiences and persuading peers and others to contribute
  • collaborating to make decisions about fashion, purchases, visual appeal, celebrity endorsement and product reliability to determine value for money in relation to own purchases and shopping habits (for example, 虽然这件衣服是名牌,但是质量不太好)
  • investigating services provided to the local community, including social welfare and support services, and considering ways to assist such organisations in promoting and delivering their services
  • designing a campaign to promote and persuade people to join a community organisation, for example, creating slogans such as 加入澳洲华人青年会,你会认识更多的朋友!

Informing

Investigate different interpretations of contemporary and historical events and people

[Key concept: perspective; Key processes: evaluating, researching] (ACLCHC179 - Scootle )

  • viewing reports on news and current affairs programs to develop an overview of events, and discussing responses of individuals and groups to issues and events such as environmental pollution, rapid urbanisation or a threat to public health or safety
  • gathering information from a range of sources on a contemporary or historical Chinese figure to evaluate that person’s impact on Chinese society past or present, for example, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Jieshi or Confucius
  • accessing articles, history books, and newspapers to gain knowledge of the causes and potential outcomes of events and issues in contemporary societies
  • comparing different interpretations of historical and political events to develop an informed perspective
  • identifying the implied values that influence a writer’s representation of a particular issue, for example, reporting on how the issue of 空巢老人 in China is influenced by the Chinese values of ‘family being together’ and ’filial piety’
Develop and present a position on topical events and people by referring to a range of sources, and connect this position to the perspectives of others

[Key concept: perspective; Key processes: processing, informing] (ACLCHC181 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • substantiating their position with examples from texts, quotes or statistical data and by using 成语 or 谚语, for example, 养不教,父之过, 父母当然要对孩子的教育负责
  • presenting opinions using strategies suited to audience/readers’ expectations, such as 欲扬先抑 (to criticise before praising)
  • evaluating the credibility of sources by analysing accuracy of evidence, references to other sources, and appropriate use of formal language
  • designing a research plan for learning tasks, such as 《人口增长》, and listing sources of information, data needed, questions to be asked and stating reasons for own decision making

Creating

Interpret representations of people and events encountered in contemporary and traditional Chinese performance

[Key concepts: entertainment, representation; Key processes: interpreting, adapting] (ACLCHC182 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • explaining concepts such as 侠,孝,义 portrayed in 小说 with examples of experiences in imagined scenarios, such as 中国人很重视孝。孝就是对父母好,如果父母生病了,你要照顾他们
  • analysing common features of entertainment across different forms of media, for example, describing what makes an engaging plot; examining the types of characters that appeal to certain audiences
  • identifying and comparing major themes (for example, concepts of love, success and beauty) portrayed in youth media across different languages and cultures
  • comparing how concepts of humour, happiness and tragedy are conveyed in music, art and drama across languages and cultures
Create imaginative texts, drawing on and adapting representations of people and events encountered in traditional and contemporary Chinese literature, drama or song

[Key concepts: classical, contemporary, literature; Key processes: evaluating, expressing] (ACLCHC183 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • assuming the persona of a character from a film or story, and reflecting on their experiences; writing letters to characters expressing their support
  • identifying ways in which authors and directors arouse empathy in readers and viewers
  • collaborating with peers to create own dramatic or humorous representations of people and events encountered in traditional and contemporary Chinese literature, drama or song
  • planning with peers to perform plays based on 儿童剧 or 情景剧 for younger year levels
  • creating plays in response to classical literature, such as 《草船借箭》, considering how the character’s personality can be reflected in dialogue
  • creating written and multimodal narratives, poems and reflective journals about people, places and communities in the Chinese-speaking world

Translating

Participate in reading Chinese literature in original and in translation, and explain assumptions or implied meanings which inform how ideas have been translated from Chinese into English

[Key concept: equivalence; Key processes: comparing, transferring, explaining] (ACLCHC184 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • identifying superfluous or language-specific information that impedes rather than supports understanding when moving between languages, for example, 雷锋其人其事,在中国几乎人人知道
  • using suitable equivalents or providing new culturally appropriate examples to explain concepts or ideas specific to another language or culture, for example, explaining English terms ‘chilling’ or ‘hanging’ in Chinese; expressing 百年树人 as ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’
  • noticing deliberate word choices (such as 人民、大众、居民、人们、老百姓) suited to a particular purpose or style
  • identifying the use of sarcasm (for example, 哟, 今天这么早来学校, 太阳打西边出来了) and how it is transferred across languages
  • experimenting with ‘word play’, for example, 谐音秃子打伞----无法无天(无发无天), and discussing how this might be transferred into English
Create and adapt bilingual texts for different settings and audiences, identifying the contextual and cultural challenges

[Key concepts: audience, context, social distance, bilingualism; Key processes: identifying, translating, interpreting] (ACLCHC185 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • experimenting with different options, rephrasing until the most suitable meaning is conveyed, for example, translating 同学 as ‘classmate’ then changing it to ‘student’ or ‘peer’ as appropriate in the context (这是我的同学。 and 同学们好
  • analysing information presented in context and being aware that what is not said also matters (言外之意), for example, 该来的人来了, implying that those who turned up earlier are 不该来的人
  • developing a deep understanding of the subtle meanings and uses of new words/phrases encountered, by comparing the ways in which words, grammar and idioms are explained in different reference sources, for example, how a 成语 is explained in English, compared to in a Chinese dictionary 成语字典 and on a 成语故事 website

Reflecting

Reflect on how conventions of speech and particular Chinese cultural concepts can influence communication style when using both Chinese and English

[Key concepts: face, public, private; Key processes: adjusting, analysing] (ACLCHC186 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • differentiating language when engaging with participants from different cultural backgrounds, for example, opening a speech in Chinese with 中国有一句俗语… when in English they would open a speech with a joke
  • describing appropriate ways to engage with others in different contexts, for example, ‘I socialise with my friends who speak Chinese in … ways, but I socialise with my friends who speak English in … ways’

Systems of language

Explain the role that features of prosody such as intonation and stress play in interactions in various contexts (ACLCHU187 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • identifying ways in which rhythm, pace and voice projection impact on interpretation and effectiveness of messages conveyed
  • experimenting with rhythm, intonation and stress when reading aloud, reciting texts or expressing emotion to others
  • discussing differences in pronunciation of words and flow of speech by different Chinese speakers, for example, identifying features of ‘native-like’ speech in second language learners
Infer possible sounds and meanings of unfamiliar characters encountered in a range of contexts by identifying and explaining the role of semantic and phonetic sides (ACLCHU188 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • inferring the meaning of unfamiliar words containing a familiar character morpheme
  • inferring the meaning of terminology in other subjects based on analysis of characters such as 螺旋桨
  • applying understanding of word formation to identify the word best suited to the required context and use by comparing translations for words in a bilingual dictionary
  • appreciating that the precise meanings of character morphemes are determined by context, for example, 一封信 and 相信;企图 and 地图
Understand and apply complex grammatical structures and features to achieve particular effects, and explore grammatical features of classical Chinese (ACLCHU189 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • comparing how ideas are ordered and substantiated across genres and languages, for example, in Chinese essay-writing the author’s position is generally stated at the end, whereas in Australian academic writing it is stated at the beginning
  • describing the purpose and features of genres that are uniquely important in Chinese literature, and exploring their origin in classic literature, such as 小品文,散文
Analyse and compose different types of texts for different purposes, using appropriate linguistic, textual and cultural elements (ACLCHU190 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • comparing how statistical data such as census information or surveys is collated and referred to in Chinese and English texts, including consideration of the levels of in-text referencing required across both languages
  • analysing linguistic, stylistic and textual features of a range of samples of the same genre to compare the choices made by authors and the impact of those choices, for example, comparing 这位老人已经七十多岁了, 他每天要一上一下地打扫一千八百多级石阶, 该是多么辛苦啊! and 这位老人年纪大了,要打扫很多石阶,这些石阶大概有一千八百多级,非常辛苦
  • analysing the layout of magazines and online texts and the deliberate choices of image, font and words to enhance understanding of key ideas and author positioning
  • examining the language of newspapers, identifying commonly encountered linguistic terms and considering the concise ways in which world events are reported in Chinese media
  • using models of literary styles to create texts and present them in multiple ways, for example, producing an article with 排比 to enhance emotional impact, and reading it aloud to peers, using volume, stress and facial expression to reflect emotions

Language variation and change

Explain how gender, social class and age affect language use in formal and informal contexts (ACLCHU191 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • exploring different levels of formality involving a range pf settings and participants
  • viewing a variety of blogs and comparing language use in order to hypothesise about the age and gender of the authors
  • comparing informal interactions such as live interviews with studio discussions about an issue on news and current affairs programs
  • considering the impact of using formal language in establishing one’s authority or to display knowledge on a topic
  • reading extracts of 古典小说, such as 《水浒传》, and noticing how language use differs from contemporary speech, for example, 史进道: 小人大胆, 敢问官人高姓大名? 那人道:洒家是经略府提辖, 姓鲁, 讳个达字。 敢问阿哥,你姓什么?
  • converting informal spoken language into formal register to suit particular purposes, and experimenting with terms such as 明文规定 and 众所周知
Explore ways to use traditional characters to enhance their own communication (ACLCHU192 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • listing and quoting famous sayings from traditional literature, such as famous lines from poems, to relate to readers who have similar reading experiences
  • identifying examples of 成语 in Chinese students’ writing, discussing the effect of this and examining errors made, such as in the sentence 我要休息一下,要不然有个三长两短就不好了

Role of language and culture

Explain how languages shape the communicative practices of individuals and groups, and identify ways to enhance understanding across cultures (ACLCHU193 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • reflecting on how attitudes or values they consider normal in one language may not feel or be viewed in the same way when discussed in a different language, for example humility is a value often conveyed in Chinese but not in English
  • exploring what assumptions are inherent in one language and examining how they might talk differently about the same things in a different language
  • exploring how concepts such as modesty, individual responsibility and respect for authority influence communication styles, and how they may be interpreted by English speakers as lack of confidence, engagement or initiative

Years 9 and 10 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 10, students sustain extended exchanges with others (for example, 那个,你知道的,就是,还有) and use Chinese to participate in shared activities, for example, 我为什么学汉语,澳大利亚的多元文化,年轻人的兴趣,网络的好与坏, 你难道不觉得…如果…就…吗?你的意思是说…,如果是这样的话… They apply knowledge of rhythm, pitch, intonation, and voice projection, and move between traditional and simplified characters as appropriate to role, audience and purpose.

Students respond to and create imaginative, persuasive and informative texts such as 自发采访,本地电视节目访谈节目 and 偶像剧,娱乐节目,电影片断,音乐录影, in a range of generic formats, making choices with regard to audience and purpose, for example, 澳大利亚土著人的艺术,我看移民热,现代女性的地位, 报刊杂志,百科全书,百度等搜索引擎. They use Chinese to maintain social relationships with and interact with a diverse range of people across a variety of situations and contexts, using common colloquial expressions. They construct sentences using a range of structures to incorporate information and ideas, including relative and attributive clauses, conditionality and indefinite pronouns. Students compare information and ideas, explain or justify perspectives, and relate events using conjunctions. They apply a range of stylistic devices to engage and influence audiences, for example, 夸张,幽默.

Students explain how the traditional and simplified forms of the Chinese writing system convey meaning, and how ideographic cues can be used to extend meaning. They analyse the key features of Chinese grammar and sentence structure, and compare language use across a range of contexts and modes. They explain how features of culture impact on communication practices across languages, and apply this knowledge to their own interactions with others.