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.
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.