AFTV/FATFA Conference
26 July 2014
Dr David Howes
Executive Director, Curriculum Division
howes.david.c@edumail.vic.gov.au
Le tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ci8sS6-xWc
So why bother?
• See and understand the world through a
different lens
• Broad cognitive benefits
• Australia arguably the most difficult country in
the world to achieve/maintain bilingualism –
all the more important to maintain the effort
Victorian context
• Victorian government languages plan:
• By 2015 100% of government schools providing a
Foundation level languages program
• By 2025 100% of government schools providing a
languages program and awarding the new Certificate
of Language Proficiency at Year 10
• By 2025 25% of all students in government and nongovernment schools include a language in addition
to English in their senior secondary program of study
• Introduction of VCE (Baccalaureate)
Victorian context
• French remains a key language
• French one of only 4 languages where there is a
government-to-government MoU
• Asian languages a priority to ensure access and
opportunity, European languages remain important
• A both-and rather than either-or construct
French enrolment data in VCE
2,000
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Victorian context
• Commonwealth government review of Australian Curriculum
• Given the responsibility of States and Territories for
implementation of the Australian Curriculum, how should we
best use the development of the Australian Curriculum for
Languages to improve student learning?
• Curriculum only one among many variables
–
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Teacher supply
Teaching and learning resources
School timetabling
Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation
• A necessary but not sufficient condition
• But because it is necessary, it is important
Australian Curriculum and VCE French
No change
Australian Curriculum and F-10
Promoting world-class curriculum and
assessment
 a solid foundation in skills and knowledge
on which further learning and adult life can
be built
 deep knowledge and skills that will enable
advanced learning and an ability to create new
ideas and translate them into practical
applications
 general capabilities that underpin flexible
and critical thinking, a capacity to work with
others and an ability to move across subject
disciplines to develop new expertise
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/mceetya/mel
bourne_declaration,25979.html
Current status
Languages and the whole curriculum
Introduction of the Australian Curriculum provides
the opportunity to:
1. Focus on the importance of content: what
students should learn as well as how they
should be taught?
2. The primary importance of language in
Languages, with Intercultural Understanding a
general capability
3. The relationship between pedagogy and content
4. A new focus on assessment
Curriculum content
The curriculum is the defined and mandated set of
knowledge and skills that schools are required to
teach and assess.
o A democratic entitlement rather than individual
determination of what is required for effective,
participatory citizenship.
Languages are no longer an option for Victorian
schools – all schools will be required to report on
each student every year.
AusVELS
LEARNING AREAS
o
o
o
o
o
o
English
Mathematics
Science
Health and physical education
Languages
Humanities and social sciences
(History, Geography, Civics and
citizenship, Business and
economics)
o The Arts
o Technologies (Design and Digital
technologies)
GENERAL CAPABILITIES
o
o
o
o
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Intercultural understanding
Ethical understanding
Curriculum guidelines
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/documents/auscurric/f-10curriculumplanningreporting.pdf
Content
This shifts the focus of teachers and schools
It is no longer an option to say “This stuff is too
hard for this student”.
Now we need to say “What different approach
can we take to help this student learn this
stuff?”
The big questions
• Only 11 languages – what about other
35?
• Use of English
• 10 sub-strand model
ACARA languages
•
•
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•
•
•
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•
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Chinese
Italian
Aboriginal languages
French
Indonesian
Korean
Modern Greek
Spanish
Vietnamese
Arabic
German
Japanese
Use of English
The role of English
Learners are encouraged to use French whenever possible, with the teacher providing rich
and supported language input. English is used as a medium of instruction and for
explanation and discussion. This allows learners to talk about differences and similarities
they notice between French and their first language(s) and culture(s), to ask questions
about language and culture, and to consider how they feel when they hear or use French
and about how they view different languages and the people who speak them. This
introduction to the ‘meta’ dimension of intercultural learning develops the ability to
consider different perspectives and ways of being
The role of English
English continues to be used for substantive discussion, explanation and analysis. This allows
learners to talk in depth and detail about their experience of learning French, and about
their thoughts on culture, identity and intercultural experience. English is the language of
analysis and critique, supporting discussion of concepts such as ‘stereotypes’, ‘difference’,
‘diversity’ and ‘values’. It allows for a degree of expression and debate that is beyond
learners’ communicative capabilities in French.
Australian Curriculum structure
Structure of Australian Curriculum: Languages
Communicating strand
5 sub-strands:
• Socialising
• Informing
• Creating
• Translating
• Reflecting
Understanding strand
3 sub-strands:
• Systems of language
• Language variation and change
• Role of language and culture
Structure of VELS
Languages
• Communicating in a
language other than
English
• Intercultural
knowledge and
language awareness
Intercultural understanding
Assessment and reporting
• Achievement standards as a continuum of language
learning, not an age-determined set of expectations
• Reporting in Victoria to be against achievement
standards set in AusVELS but with measures set by
individual schools
• Measures can be at the cohort or individual student
level
• New on-line assessment tool
• Using assessment to adjust teaching
• Not “dumbing down” to lowest common denominator
– instead, using assessment to set higher goals
Assessment and reporting
Good time to be a languages teacher
• Languages at the centre not the periphery of
the curriculum
• Cognitive benefit of language learning well
understood
• New levels of resourcing