Languages in AusVELS: Victoria’s approach to Languages in the Australian Curriculum AFMLTA National Conference 2013 Saturday 6 July 2013

Presenter: Maree Dellora

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Languages in the Victorian curriculum

“You cannot say you have mastered a new language if you have not discovered a brandnew world, and your new self in it, through the experience of learning it."

Associate Professor Ariel HeryantoIndonesian Studies, ANU

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What is AusVELS?

AusVELS is the F -10 curriculum

that all Victorian government

and Catholic schools use for

planning, assessment and

reporting.

AusVELS is available to all

Independent schools as a model for the effective

implementation of the Australian Curriculum (AC)

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AusVELS - Australian Curriculum and VELS

• is a framework that incorporates the Australian Curriculum as it is progressively developed (Languages curriculum is not yet ready for implementation)• aims to ensure that teachers do not have to manage two different curriculum frameworks during the development of the AC

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From VELS to AusVELS to the AC

Discipline-based Learning

Interdisciplinary Learning

Domains/subjects

General Capabilities

Cross-curriculum priorities

VELS - introduced 2006 A triple helix model

AusVELS 2015 A double helix model

Physical, Personal & Social Learning

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In 2013…

In 2013 AusVELS curriculum is comprised of: four Australian Curriculum subjects

(MESH) the remaining 12 VELS domains three embedded cross curriculum priorities

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Australian CurriculumLEARNING AREAS/ SUBJECT

DISCIPLINESGENERAL CAPABILITIES CROSS-CURRICULUM

PRIORITIES

•English (2013)•Mathematics (2013)•Science (2013)•Health and Physical Education (2015)

•Languages (2015) •Humanities and Social Sciences [History (2013), Geography (2015) Civics and Citizenship (2015) , Business and Economics (2015) ]

•The Arts (2015) •Technologies (inc ICT) (2015)

• Critical and creative thinking

• Personal and social capability

• Intercultural understanding• Ethical behaviour• Literacy• Numeracy• ICT capability

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

• Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

• Sustainability

(Reflected in subjects)

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Cross curriculum priorities Three priorities:• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories

and cultures• Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia• Sustainability

About the cross curriculum priorities: • embedded in domains, but with varying presence• not treated as separate areas of learning• no curriculum content located, rather illustrate

how learning can be integrated across the domains

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Learning areas still in development:

GeographyLanguages The ArtsHealth and Physical EducationTechnologies: inc. ICT and Design and TechnologyHumanities and Social Sciences: Economics, Business and Civics and Citizenship

o Literacyo Numeracyo ICT

o Personal and social capability

o Critical and creative thinking

o Intercultural understanding

o Ethical understanding

General capabilities

General capabilities underpin flexible and critical thinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise.

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Developing Languages in the Australian curriculum

Stage 1 Languages

Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages, Chinese and Italian

Stage 2 Languages

Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Spanish and Vietnamese

Stage 3 Languages

Auslan, Classical Languages, Hindi and Turkish

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Languages in AusVELS Languages in Australian Curriculum 6 categories of Languages and standards

Language-specific curriculum documents

2 Dimensions: - Communicating in a Language other than English - Intercultural Knowledge and Language Awareness

2 Strands: Communicating Understanding (Originally a third: Reciprocating) 7 General Capabilities (inc Intercultural Understanding) 3 Cross curriculum priorities

6 Levels (two-year bands) converted into 11 11 levels

Recommended time allocation: 150 mins per week

Indicative time allocation: 350 hours over F - 6 160 hours over Years 7- 8 160 hours over Years 9-10

Two Pathways: Students begin in Primary Students beginning at Year 7

Three Pathways: Second language learners – 8 languages Background language learners – Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese First language learners – Chinese Two sequences: F-10 sequence Years 7-10 (Year 7 entry) sequence

Structural comparison AC and AusVELS

STRUCTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM: LANGUAGES -

Communicating strand 6 sub - strands:

• Socialising and taking action • Obtaining and using information• Responding to and expressing imaginative experience• Moving between/translating• Expressing and performing identity• Reflecting on intercultural language use

Content descriptions have been written for each of these ten sub -strands

Understanding strand 4 sub - strands:

• Systems of language • Variability in language use• Language awareness• Role of language and culture

AusVELS is based on 11 levels

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Nominal school level VELS Level AusVELS Level

Prep/Foundation 1 Foundation

1 2

1

2 2

3 3

3

4 4

5 4

5

6 6

7 5

7

8 8

9 6

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10 10

How Languages are organised in the AC

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Nominal school level

VELS Level AusVELS Level

Australian Curriculum Levels for Languages

Prep/Foundation 1 Foundation Foundation

1 2

1 1

2 2 2

3 3

3 3

4 4 Level 1 Achievement Standards for Languages 4

5 4

5 5

6 6 Level 2 Achievement Standards for Languages 6

7 5

7 7

8 8 Level 3 Achievement Standards for Languages 8

9 6

9 9

10 10 Level 4 Achievement Standards for Languages 10

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ACARA consultations on Languages in the Australian curriculum Stage 1 Languages

Consultation on curriculum documents for these two was open until 12 April 2013:

Chinese and Italian

Stage 2 Languages

Consultation on curriculum documents for these ten is being conducted from May – July 2013:

Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages, Arabic, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Spanish and Vietnamese

Stage 3 Languages

Consultation period yet to be decided

Auslan, Classical Languages, Hindi and Turkish

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Languages in the Australian curriculum

Innovative aspects of Australian Curriculum for Victorian teachers:

• language specific approach• focus on concepts and processes• huge number of valuable teaching ideas in the elaborations• intercultural understanding has greater focus and also cross curricular • ethical understanding has more status• 3 cross curriculum priorities

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Languages in the Australian curriculum

Possible issues:• time allocation• role of English• status of general capabilities• organising strands and sub-strands • smaller candidature languages• languages at senior secondary level

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Intercultural Understanding in the Australian curriculum

Intercultural understanding assumes an integral connection between language and culture, acknowledging language as the primary means through which people establish and exchange shared meaning and ways of seeing the world (Scarino, Dellitt and Vale 2007).

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Intercultural Understanding

The learning continuum is organised into these three interrelated organising elements:

• Recognising culture and developing respect• Interacting and empathising with

others• Reflecting on intercultural

experiences and taking responsibility

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Scope of Intercultural Understanding capability

“Intercultural understanding combines personal, interpersonal and social knowledge and skills. ….students learn to value and view critically their own cultural perspectives and practices and those of others through their interactions with people, texts and contexts across the curriculum.”

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Intercultural Understanding – Values and Dispositions

Intercultural Understanding aims to cultivate in students:

• curiosity• care• empathy• reciprocity• respect • responsibility• open-mindedness• critical mindedness

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Intercultural Understanding across the curriculum

……….taught explicitly in the Languages learning area and applied, adapted, strengthened and extended in other learning areas

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History in the Australian curriculum

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Contact Details:

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)Maree Delloradellora.maree.r@edumail.vic.gov.auTel: 9032 1692