Chinese Continuers

2 units for each of Year 11 and HSC NESA Developed Course

What background knowledge do I need to study Chinese Continuers?

Students who have studied Chinese Beginners in Years 7 to 10 as a second language at school or privately and gained a sound knowledge of the language equivalent to 200 to 300 hours of study. To be eligible for a course, students must meet the eligibility criteria and complete an eligibility form. The eligibility criteria for the Continuers course are:

• Students have had no more than one year’s formal education from the first year of primary education (Year 1) in a school where the language is the medium of instruction.

• Students have had no more than three years residency in the past 10 years in a country where the language is the medium of communication. For more information, please ask the Chinese teachers.

Why study Chinese Continuers?

Chinese is a significant world language, one of the official languages of the United Nations and is spoken by about one quarter of the world’s population. There are many spoken varieties of Chinese, and modern standard Chinese is pre-eminent among these. It is the major language of communication in China, Taiwan and Singapore and is widely used by Chinese communities throughout the Asia-Pacific region including Australia.

The study of Chinese contributes to the overall education of students, particularly in the areas of communication, cross-cultural understanding, literacy and general knowledge. It provides access to the culture of Chinese-speaking countries and communities. The study promotes understanding of different attitudes and values within the wider Australian community and beyond.

• Chinese interacts well with other subjects requiring more research tasks and/or essay writing. It works well with Visual Arts, History, Music and even Science and Mathematics.

• Studying Chinese can provide a basis for continued learning and a pathway for students into post-secondary options. These options may include employment domestically or internationally in areas such as tourism, technology, finance, services and business.

• The significance of Chinese within and beyond Australia requires strategies for the building of sociocultural, economic and political engagement; learning Chinese in the Australian context will support such engagement.

Course description:

The aim of the course is to foster within students the ability to:

• exchange information, opinions and experiences in Chinese (speaking)

• understand, analyse, process and respond to texts that are in Chinese (listening/reading)

• express ideas through the production of original written texts in Chinese (writing)

• understand aspects of the language and culture of Chinese-speaking communities.

Students who enjoyed the challenge of learning Chinese to the Record of School Achievement level will derive further satisfaction from developing their language skills to a higher level. Senior programs provide students with access to a wide range of texts such as:

• short stories

• newspaper articles

• reviews and magazines

• recorded conversations

• films

• emails

• letters

Study of these texts will provide students with an insigt into the Chinese culture and language. The students’ skills and knowledge will be developed through tasks treating prescribed themes and topics.

Main topics covered:

These are related to the three main themes: the individual, the Chinese-speaking communities and the changing world, prescribed by the new HSC syllabus. Students will explore a variety of topics relating directly to their interests such as:

• Personal identity

• Education and aspirations

• Recreation and leisure

• Travel experiences

• History and culture

• Lifestyles

• Youth issues

• The world of work

• Tourism and hospitality

The HSC Language Examination tests students on their knowledge in those areas. It is therefore fundamental to cover topics early in Year 11. In fact, preparation for the HSC Examination in Languages takes place over two years, not just Year 12, and students are requested to keep all Year 11 material for revision in Year 12.

Our lessons are based on a communicative functional/situational approach reflecting modern language teaching/learning practices. The use of Chinese in the classroom is therefore a priority.

Learning strategies:

Students build on the basic tools for communication acquired in Years 7 to 10 through the use of known and new vocabulary, including parts of speech and grammar.

• Regular memorisation of Chinese structures and reinforcement exercises in the four skills are important for steady progress to occur. Regular homework after each new unit is the best: workbook exercises, worksheets, speaking and writing tasks.

• Frequent revision and completion of shorter tasks in small spurts is recommended.

• Seek further experience in Chinese language beyond the classroom walls, such as Chinese magazines and Chinese language learning websites.

What other opportunities does Chinese Continuers offer me?

• Hosting overseas students through student-exchange organisations.

• Taking part in a student-exchange program, AFS, Southern Cross.

• Joining in conversation classes with native speakers at school.