languages at - vsl · 6 studying a language at vce – transition package for vsl year 10 students...

Studying a Language at VCE – Transition Package for VSL Year 10 students 1

Arabic

Bosnian

Chin Hakha

Chinese (Mandarin)

Classical Greek

Croatian

Dutch

Filipino

French

German

Greek

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Indonesian

Italian

Japanese

Karen

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Macedonian

Maltese

Persian

Polish

Portuguese

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Serbian

Sinhala

Spanish

Tamil

Turkish

Vietnamese

Studying

Languages at

VCE

Transition Package for

VSL Year 10 students


Victor ian School of Languages

Address: PO Box 1172

Thornbury Vic. 3071

Phone: 9474 0500

Fax: 9416 9899

Home Page: http://www.vsl.vic.edu.au

E-mail: [email protected]

Studying a Language at VCE – Transition Package for VSL Year 10 students

Prepared by: Angela Natoli, Assistant Principal: Curriculum & Professional Development

Acknowledgements The school is indebted to the VCAA and VTAC for making material available for inclusion. At the time of publication every attempt was made to confirm the accuracy of the content. Students are reminded to check the VCAA and VTAC publications as they become available.

Editing: Erin Pearce

Printing: Cameron Waites

Copyright 2015

mailto:[email protected]


INTRODUCTION

Dear Student, The Victorian School of Languages welcomes you to exciting years ahead of language study at the VCE level. The Studying a Language at VCE- Transition Package for Year 10 students is especially designed to inform you about the requirements for successfully completing your VCE.

The study of a language other than English contributes to the overall education of individual students,

most particularly in the area of communication, but also in the areas of cross-cultural understanding,

cognitive development, literacy and general knowledge. It provides access to the culture of

communities which use the language and promotes understanding of different attitudes and values

within the wider Australian community and beyond. Australia as a trading nation also needs citizens

who can speak other languages.

In order to successfully complete the VCE, students must know the requirements and criteria of each

course; so we therefore encourage all future VCE students to read the information carefully. Another

invaluable resource and one you should become familiar with is the VCAA website:

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

Wishing you all the very best for successful VCE studies at the Victorian School of Languages.

Frank Merlino Angela Natoli

Principal Assistant Principal Curriculum & Professional Development

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


CONTENTS PAGE

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

VSL VCE Languages and VCAA Language Study Codes……………………………………………….. 5

About the Victorian Certificate of Education VCE…………………………………………………….

VCE (Baccalaureate)

6

7

What must I do to get my VCE………………………………………………………………………… 8

Information for VSL VCE Students

- Enrolment……………………………………………………………………………………… 9

- Attendance…………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

- Completion of Work………………………………………………………………………….. 9

- Approved Dictionaries………………………………………………………………………… 9

- Satisfactory Unit Completion…………………………………………………………………. 10

- School-assessed Coursework (SAC)…………………………………………………………… 10

- Redeeming Assessment Tasks and SACs………………………………………………………… 11

- Statistical Moderation…………………………………………………………………………... 11

- Special Provision and/or extension of time……………………………………………………. 11

- External Examinations…………………………………………………………………………… 11

- Special Entry requirements for VCE Units 3 & 4 Second Languages……………………………. 12

Languages: Summary of Themes and Topics…………………………………………………………….. 13

First Languages: Summary of Themes and Topics………………………………………………………… 15

Outcomes – Second Languages……………………………………………………………………………. 16

Outcomes – Chinese Second Language…………………………………………………………………… 17

Outcomes – First Languages………………………………………………………………………………. 18

Characteristics of Different Kinds of Writing…………………………………………………………… 19

Part 1 of the Oral Examination (General Conversation) – Sample questions………………………….. 21

Written Examination: Tips for Listening Comprehension………………………………………………. 22

Access past Exam Papers and Examiners Reports……………………………………………………….. 23


VSL VCE Languages and VCAA Language Study Codes

The Victorian School of Languages offers VCE face to face classes in the following

languages. Check the latest VSL Student Circular for VCE class locations.

Victorian Second Languages

Unit 1 & Unit 2 Unit 3 & Unit 4

Arabic LO021/LO022 LO023/LO024

French LO091/LO092 LO093/LO094

German LO101/LO102 LO103/LO104

Greek LO221/LO222 LO223/LO224

Indonesian SL LO401/LO402 LO403/LO404

Italian LO141/LO142 LO143/LO144

Japanese SL LO461/LO462 LO463/LO464

Korean SL LO471/LO472 LO473/LO474

Spanish LO271/LO272 LO273/LO274

Vietnamese LO311/LO312 LO313/LO314

First Languages


Chinese FL LO041/LO042 LO043/LO044

Indonesian FL LO131/LO132 LO133/LO134

Japanese FL LO151/LO152 LO153/LO154

Korean FL LO371/LO372 LO373/LO374

Chinese Second Language &

Chinese Second Language Advanced


Chinese Second

Language

LO0391/LO0392

LO0393/LO0394

Chinese Second

Language Advanced

Not Available

LO0483/LO0484

VCE Languages


Classical

Greek

LO001/ LO002 LO003/ LO004

Latin

LO171/LO172 LO173/LO174

CCAFL Languages (Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages – Nationally Assessed)

Unit 1 & Unit 2 Unit 3 & Unit 4 Unit 1 & Unit 2 Unit 3 & Unit 4

Bosnian LO501/LO502 LO503/LO504 Maltese LO211/LO212 LO213/LO214

Chin Hakha LO531/LO532 LO533/LO534 Persian LO321/LO322 LO323/LO324

Croatian LO051/LO052 LO053/LO054 Polish LO231/LO232 LO233/LO234

Dutch LO071/LO072 LO073/LO074 Portuguese LO331/LO332 LO333/LO334

Filipino LO451/LO452 LO453/LO454 Punjabi LO491/LO492 LO493/LO494

Hebrew LO111/LO112 LO113/LO114 Romanian LO421/LO422 LO423/LO424

Hindi LO361/LO362 LO363/LO364 Russian LO241/LO242 LO243/LO244

Hungarian LO121/LO122 LO123/LO124 Serbian LO251/LO252 LO253/LO254

Karen To be confirmed To be confirmed Sinhala LO341/LO342 LO343/LO344

Khmer LO161/LO162 LO163/LO164 Tamil LO431/LO432 LO433/LO434

Macedonian LO201/LO202 LO203/LO204 Turkish LO291/LO292 LO293/LO294

You can also study the following languages via Distance Education: Contact the VSL Head Office on (03) 9474 0500 for the criteria and enrolment process.

Arabic, Chinese, Classical Greek, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish


ABOUT THE VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION VCE

What is the VCE?

The VCE is the certificate that most students in Victoria receive on satisfactory completion of their secondary

education. It is a highly regarded qualification that is recognised around the world. The VCE provides diverse

pathways to further study or training at University or TAFE and to employment.

When can I start my VCE?

The VCE is usually done in Year 11 and Year 12 but can be started in Year 10.

What studies can I choose?

There are over 90 VCE studies or subjects. The VCE languages available at the Victorian School of Languages at

the VCE level are listed on page 5.

What can I choose from at my school?

Each school decides what VCE studies it will offer. Your home school will advise you on study choice and if a

VCE study is not available, it may be possible to do it outside of your school, for example at a VSL centre or at

the VSL Distance Education Section for Languages and at the DECV for other subjects.

Victorian School of Languages – www.vsl.vic.edu.au – for Language subjects

or

Distance Education Centre Victoria (DECV) – www.distance.vic.edu.au - for other subjects

What should I consider when choosing my studies?

When making your choice you should consider studies that:

Interest you

You are good at

Lead to a job that interests you

Prepare you for further training or tertiary courses

You should speak to your careers counsellor before making a final decision.

How is the VCE organised?

A VCE study is made up of Units. A Unit is half a year, or one semester, in length. Unit 1 and 2 can be taken as

single units – that is, just Unit 1 or just Unit 2 – but Unit 3 and 4 must be taken as a sequence of two units and

in the one year.

A VCE program will generally consist of 20 to 24 units taken over two years, although you can vary the

number of units that you do in one year. You may also take more than two years to complete your VCE.

Units 3 and 4 are normally taken in your final year at school. If you are planning to take Units 3 and 4 studies

in Year 11, remember that these are more difficult than Units 1 and 2. With regard to language studies it is

recommended that Unit 1 and 2 be completed before undertaking Units 3 and 4 so that you have the best

possible opportunity to do your personal best in your language study.

http://www.vsl.vic.edu.au/

http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/


What must I do to get my VCE Certificate?

To get your VCE, you must satisfactorily complete at least 16 units.

Regardless of how many units you do in total, you must satisfactorily complete:

At least three units from the following English Group*:

- Foundation English Units 1 and 2

- English Units 1-4

- English as an Additional Language (EAL) Units 3 and 4

- English Language Units 1-4

- Literature Units 1-4

Three sequences of Units 3 and 4 studies in addition to meeting the English requirement. These

sequences can be from VCE studies and/or VCE VET programs.

*of these three units at least one must be from Units 3 and 4

How do I get an ATAR?

An Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is calculated by VTAC using VCE study scores. The

Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) uses the ATAR when offering university places. To get an ATAR

you must complete both Units 3 and 4 of an English study (from the group above) and three other Units 3 and

4 studies in addition to the English requirement. You must also get a study score for these. VTAC places

restrictions on certain combinations of VCE and VET studies so if you intend to apply for an ATAR at the end of

your VCE, talk to your VCE coordinator about these rules.

About the GAT The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a test of general knowledge and skills in written communication,

mathematics, science and technology, humanities, the arts and social sciences. The GAT is an important part of

VCE assessment.

Although it doesn’t count towards your VCE results or your ATAR, the GAT plays an important role in checking

that your school assessments and external examinations have been accurately assessed.

Therefore, if you are enrolled in Units 3 and 4 of any VCE study or any VCE VET scored program – whether in

Year 11 or Year 12 – you must sit the GAT. Your GAT results will be reported with your Statement of Results.

The GAT exam is held in the middle of the year.

VCE (Baccalaureate) The VCE (Baccalaureate) is an additional form of recognition for those students who choose to undertake the

demands of studying both a higher level of mathematics and a language in their VCE program of study.

To be eligible to receive the VCE (Baccalaureate) the student must satisfactorily complete the VCE and receive a

study score for each prescribed study component.

The VCE program of study must include:

a Unit 3 and 4 sequence in English or Literature or English Language with a study score of 30 or

above; or a Unit 3 and 4 sequence in EAL with a study score of 33 or above.

a Unit 3 and 4 sequence in either Mathematics Methods (CAS) or Specialist Mathematics

a Unit 3 and 4 sequence in a VCE Language

at least Two other Unit 3 and 4 sequences.

Upon satisfactory completion of the VCE (Baccalaureate) program of study, the student will receive an

appellation on their Victorian Certificate of Education.


WHAT MUST I DO TO GET MY VCE?

To obtain the VCE you need to satisfy the VCE program requirements described previously. Your school will

decide whether or not you have satisfactorily completed the units in your VCE program. Satisfactory

completion is reported as an ‘S’. Not meeting the requirements for satisfactory completion is reported as an ‘N’.

Each unit of VCE study has a set of outcomes that must be achieved in order to get an ‘S’ result for that unit.

The outcomes describe what you are expected to know and be able to do by the time you have completed the

unit.

Outcomes include key knowledge and skills. Each unit of a VCE study has between two and four outcomes.

How will I be assessed in Units 1 and 2?

Assessment in Units 1 and 2 is school-based. Your teachers will set a range of assessment tasks to see you are

progressing. These tasks will have deadlines and you need to have a very good reason for extending a deadline,

so you should plan well to get all your work done on time. If you fail to meet your school’s deadline, you may

not satisfactorily complete a unit.

For Units 1 and 2, as well as achieving an ‘S’ or ‘N’ for units, some schools may also provide you a grade (eg.

A-E) for your assessment tasks. These grades will not be reported to the VCAA.

How will I be assessed in Units 3 and 4?

For Units 3 and 4, you will get grades or marks for your assessment tasks as well as the ‘S’ or ‘N’ for the

satisfactory completion of a unit.

In each VCE study there are three graded assessments at the Units 3 and 4 level, which consist of two school

assessments (Overall graded assessment task scores for both Units 3 and Unit 4) and one examination. This

includes a written and oral component for Language studies.

Every VCE study has at least one examination or external assessment. At the Units 3 and 4 levels the VCAA

supervises the assessment of all students.

Types of Assessment in Units 3 and 4

In VCE there are two kinds of assessment in Units 3 and 4. The first kind is the assessment done at school. Your

teachers will set assessment tasks that are done in class time. These are referred to as SACs (School Assessed

Coursework).

The second kind is the examination/s in each VCE study. These can be written, oral, performance or

electronic. Most are held in November, but performance and language studies also have examinations in

October.

For all forms of assessment and examinations, the VCAA has detailed procedures to ensure that all schools

throughout the State are marking to the same standard. They involve statistical procedures and multiple

checks on each aspect of your assessment. The GAT is also part of this process.

Handy TIP Plan ahead: check key dates for VCE on the VCAA website:

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au

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


INFORMATION FOR VSL VCE STUDENTS

1. Enrolment Upon enrolment all students must agree that they will obey the school rules and instructions for the VCE and accept any disciplinary provisions.

Your Home School is responsible for all matters related to your enrolment with the VCAA. When

enrolling with the VSL, students must take an Assessing School Enrolment Notification form to their home

school VASS or VCE Co-ordinator and check their student details carefully to ensure that their Language

enrolment is included. Students must inform their VSL Centre if they change any details or if they wish to

transfer to another Centre, or to withdraw from a Unit.

All VCE forms are legal documents so it is important that you enrol using the name and surname as on your

Birth Certificate. Any change of name must be accompanied with the official paperwork from Births, Deaths &

Marriages Victoria.

If you are studying only one VCE subject, that is, a language with the Victorian School of Languages and you are not attending a school or accredited VCE provider, then your VSL Centre is responsible for your enrolment as your Home School.

We advise students to complete a sequence of language studies from Unit 1 to Unit 4 in order to

achieve the best possible result in VCE. Continuity of language study is essential for Second Language

students.

International students have a separate enrolment form and a process that is monitored by the DEECD

International Education Division.

2. Attendance Regular attendance is essential.

It is vital that students have regular attendance in order to complete coursework for VCE. The Victorian School of Languages requires 80% attendance for the successful completion of VCE. All absences must be explained by a note from the parent or guardian and be accompanied by a medical certificate if possible. Unexplained absences of three sessions or more during a semester could lead to an unsatisfactory N score for the Unit. Where a student has completed work but there has been a substantive breach of attendance rules and the school therefore decides to assign a ‘Not Satisfactory’ (N) for the Unit, the school must assign an ‘N’ result for one or more outcomes and thus the unit.

3. Completion of Work Work must be completed by the due dates. Your teacher will notify you in writing of the dates for School-assessed Coursework. Make sure that you plan your work carefully and prepare appropriately.

The VCAA advises students that their total school-assessed coursework scores assigned by the teacher for SACS may change following statistical moderation.

4. Approved dictionaries Students are permitted to use an approved bi-lingual or monolingual dictionary in Language written tasks. A VCAA approved dictionary is EITHER an English-Language, Language-English dictionary (which may be in two separate volumes) OR a monolingual dictionary in the language being assessed.

The dictionary must be printed and should not contain any highlighting or annotation.

Electronic dictionaries are not permitted.

Dictionaries are not permitted in the oral component of any Language examination.


5. Satisfactory Unit Completion For satisfactory completion of a Unit, a student must demonstrate achievement of the set of outcomes for the Unit.

Students are required to demonstrate achievement of study outcomes. The decision about satisfactory

completion of outcomes is based on the teacher’s assessment of the student’s overall performance on

assessment tasks designated for the unit. For VCE Units 3 and 4, evidence of achievement is collected

by the teacher through a range of tasks which include School-assessed coursework that are

designated for the study and examinations.

To achieve an outcome the student must:

Produce work that demonstrates achievement of the outcomes

Submit work on time

Submit work that is clearly his/her own

Observe the VCAA and school rules

If a teacher judges that all outcomes are achieved, the student satisfactorily completes the unit.

A student receives S or N according to the successful fulfilment of the criteria. A J result is used for a student who is no longer attending, but who has not officially withdrawn. It should not be used for students who have partially completed work or whose attendance record breaches school rules. In such cases N will be used.

The criteria are an attempt to bring objectivity to the assessment process. However, there is always room for interpretation and the teacher’s professional judgement as to whether the student work demonstrates the required criteria.

If a student does not successfully complete an outcome, the teacher will

a) notify the Area Manager

b) ensure that the student is given the opportunity to redo the Assessment Task or SAC in order to redeem the unit and

c) notify the parents that the student is at risk of failing the unit.

6. School-assessed Coursework (SAC) All School-assessed Coursework for Languages is conducted under supervision.

The following rules apply to these tasks:

A student must ensure that all work submitted for assessment is genuinely his or her own.

A student must not receive undue assistance from any other person in the preparation and submission of work.

A student who knowingly assists other students is in breach of rules and may be penalised.

Students must ensure that all work submitted for assessment is their own. Students should

acknowledge all resources used (text, websites and source material) and should not receive undue

assistance in the preparation and submission of work. Unacceptable forms of assistance include use

of, or copying from another person’s work or other resources without acknowledgement and

corrections made or dictated by another person.


7. Redeeming Assessment Tasks and SACs While wanting to give students every opportunity to successfully demonstrate the outcomes, teachers

have to set limits. Under VCAA regulations, If, in the judgement of the teacher, work submitted by a

student for the assessment of an outcome does not meet the required standard for satisfactory

completion, the teacher may consider work previously submitted, provided it meets the requirements.

A student may any submit further work or resubmit a School-assessed Coursework assessment, for

reconsideration to redeem an ‘S’ for the outcome. The teacher may not allow a student to resubmit

work to improve a score of an assessment for School-assessed Coursework.

8. Statistical moderation School based Assessment is an important part of the VCE. To ensure fairness when Study scores are

calculated, it is important that School based assessments made by all schools are comparable. The

VCAA uses statistical moderation to express student’s achievement from all schools on the same scale.

This provides fairness for students across the State. To ensure comparability of School-based

Assessment from different schools the VCAA will apply statistical procedures to each moderation

group, study by study. Statistical moderation realigns the level and spread of each school’s

assessments of its students in a particular study to match the level and spread of the same students’

scores on a common external score. Because the external score is based on examinations done by all

students across Victoria, it is a common standard against which schools’ assessments can be

compared.

9. Special Provision and/or extension of time When a student is absent from school for prolonged periods, or has been unable to complete all

assessment tasks because of illness or other special circumstances, the school may, on application

from the student, grant Special Provision for school based assessment or an extension of time to do

assessment tasks or SACs. For this reason, teachers are asked to submit two versions of SACs to the

Area Manager in anticipation of special provision students. Students who do not satisfactorily

complete a SAC should be given another opportunity to redeem the unit. In this case the student

should not be penalised for lack of attendance. If students have been granted special provision by

their day school, they should inform their language teacher and Area Manager so that appropriate

support may be provided at the VSL.

10. External Examinations GAT (General Achievement Test)

All VCE students enrolled in Unit 3 and 4 Languages are required to sit the General Achievement

Test. Information regarding this test is available from home schools.

Oral and Written Language Examinations

Students must present for the examinations at the designated date, time and venue.

Students will receive individual examination notification from the VCAA via their home (day)

school. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are in regular contact with the VCE or

VASS co-ordinator at their day school and ensure that they receive the examination notifications.

The written examination timetable is available on the VCAA website- Generally mid May.

Special Examination Arrangements

Students with significant health impairment, physical disability, hearing or visual impairment,

learning disability or severe language disorder should speak to their home school Principal or VSL

Area Manager regarding special examination arrangements.


11. Special Entry requirements for VCE Units 3 & 4 Second Languages VCE Second Language studies in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean cater for students who

have learnt all they know of the language in an Australian school or similar environment. All

enrolments in VCE Second Language studies Unit 3 and 4 must be approved by the VCAA.

The criterion for eligibility for a VCE Second Language study is the number of years the student has

been educated in a school where the language is the medium of instruction. Students who have learnt

all they know of the language in an Australian school are eligible for VCE Second Language

enrolment.

Chinese Second Language A student is NOT eligible for Chinese SL if they have had one of the following:

12 months or more of education in a school where Chinese is the medium of instruction

Three years (36 months) or more of residence in any of the VCAA-nominated countries or regions (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau)

Chinese Second Language Advanced A student is eligible for Chinese Second Language Advanced if:

They have had no more than seven years of education in a school where Chinese is the medium of instruction

The highest level of education attained in a school where Chinese is the medium of instruction is no greater than the equivalent of Year 7 in a Victorian school.

Indonesian Second Language

A student is eligible for Indonesian SL if they have had no more than seven years of education in a

school where Indonesian or Malay is the medium of instruction.

Japanese Second Language

A student is eligible for Japanese SL if they have had no more than seven years of education in a

school where Japanese is the medium of instruction.

Korean Second Language

A student is eligible for Korean SL if they have had no more than seven years of education in a school

where Korean is the medium of instruction.


LANGUAGES: SUMMARY OF THEMES AND TOPICS *CHECK STUDY DESIGN FOR SUGGESTED TOPICS.

THE INDIVIDUAL THE LANGUAGE-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES

THE CHANGING WORLD

ARABIC

Personal world

Family and friends

Education and aspirations

Health

Lifestyles

Culture and traditions

Arabic civilization

Social issues

The natural world

The world of work

BOSNIAN

Personal Identity

School & aspirations

Leisure, sport & health

People & places

Past & present

Arts, entertainment & traditions

Youth issues

The modern world

Social issues

CHIN HAKHA

Personal Identity

Relationships


History & culture

Historical/contemporary people and events

Arts & Entertainment

Lifestyles

Social Issues

Youth Issues

Scientific & Technological Issues

CHINESE SL & SLA

Personal identity


Recreation and leisure

Travel experiences

History and culture

Schooling

Lifestyles

Geography

Youth issues

World of work

Tourism and hospitality

CLASSICAL GREEK

Check Study Design Check Study Design Check Study Design

CROATIAN

Personal identity

Educational aspirations

Leisure and recreation

People and places

History and culture

Arts and entertainment

Youth issues

World of work

Tourism

DUTCH

Personal identity

Relationships


Leisure and interest

Lifestyles

History and culture


Youth issues

Tourism

Issues facing the world today

FILIPINO

Personal identity

Relationships



Lifestyles

History and culture


Social issues

World of work

Tourism

FRENCH

Personal world

Education and aspiration

Personal opinions and values

Lifestyles

Historical perspectives


Social issues

The world of work

Scientific and technological issues

GERMAN

Personal identity

School and aspirations

Leisure and lifestyles

People and places

Past and Present


The world of work

Social issues

Tourism

GREEK

Personal identity

School experience

Relationships

Lifestyles

The Greek cultural heritage

Historical/Contemporary people and events

The migrant experience

Contemporary issues

World of work

HEBREW

Personal identity

Leisure and lifestyles

Relationships

Education and future aspirations


Current and historical perspectives

Ways of life in Israel

Hospitality and tourism

World of work

Social issues

HINDI

Personal world



Lifestyles

Visiting a Hindi- speaking community

History and traditions


Social issues

Environmental issues

The world of work


THE INDIVIDUAL THE LANGUAGE-SPEAKING

COMMUNITIES THE CHANGING WORLD

HUNGARIAN Personal identity

School life and aspirations


Daily life and lifestyles



Social and contemporary issues


World of work

INDONESIAN SL Personal world



Lifestyles

Visiting Indonesia

Customs and traditions


Stories from the past

The world of work

Social Issues

Australian-Indonesian relations


ITALIAN Personal world

Health and leisure



Lifestyles in Italy and abroad

The Arts and entertainment

Social and contemporary issues

The world of work

Technology

Trade and commerce


KAREN To be confirmed – Check Study Design

To be confirmed – Check Study Design

To be confirmed – Check Study Design

KHMER

Personal identity

Relationships


Leisure and lifestyle

History and geography

Cultural diversity

Tourism


Changing lifestyles

World of work

Current issues

KOREAN SL

Personal identity

Education & aspirations

Everyday life and activities

People & places

Past & Present lifestyles


Social issues

The world of work

Tourism

LATIN Prescribed text Check Study Design

MACEDONIAN Personal identity

Relationships


Lifestyles


Arts, literature and the media

Migration

Social issues

Our natural world

Current affairs

MALTESE Personal identity


Personal opinion and values

Lifestyles


The Arts and literature

The world of work

Social issues

Tourism

PERSIAN Personal identity

Relationships

Values


Lifestyles



Past and present

World of work

Social issues

Trade and tourism

The natural world

POLISH Relationships



Visiting Poland

Polish customs and traditions

Legends and significant historical events

Famous people-music science, art, literature

Migration in the past and present

World of work

Social issues

PORTUGUESE Personal identity


Personal values

Lifestyles



Visiting Portuguese- speaking countries

Social Issues

World of work


PUNJABI Education and aspirations


Personal World

Visiting a Punjabi speaking community



Lifestyles

The world of work

Scientific and technological issues

Social Issues


THE INDIVIDUAL THE LANGUAGE-SPEAKING

COMMUNITIES THE CHANGING WORLD

ROMANIAN Personal Identity

Relationships

Education and

aspirations

Lifestyles

History


Values

Technology

Trade and tourism

World of Work

Social issues

RUSSIAN Personal identity


Leisure and lifestyle

Lifestyles

Visiting Russia



World of work

Social issues

SERBIAN Personal identity



Daily life

History and culture


Current issues

World of work

Tourism

SINHALA Personal identity

Personal aspirations

Lifestyles

Visiting Sri Lanka

Customs and traditions




Technological change

The world of work

SPANISH

Personal world

My world in the past and future

Lifestyles

People & Places

Living in a Spanish-speaking community


World of work

Growing up and growing old

Social issues


TAMIL

Personal identity

Personal views and opinion



The past and present

The Arts and entertainment

Travel and tourism in a Tamil-speaking country

Changing lifestyles

Status of women

World of work

TURKISH

Personal identity

Future aspirations

Leisure

Migration

Cultural diversity

Tourism


World of work

The younger generation

Issues now, and in the future

VIETNAMESE

Personal World


Relationships

Migration

Folk/contemporary literature

Traditions and values


Environment

World of work

Science and technology

Social issues

FIRST LANGUAGES: SUMMARY OF THEMES AND TOPICS

SELF AND OTHERS

TRADITIONS AND CHANGE IN THE LANGUAGE-

SPEAKING COMMUNITIES GLOBAL ISSUES

CHINESE FL

Personal world

Personal beliefs and ideals

Contributing to the community

Lifestyles



Peace

Human rights in the world today

The nature and future of work

INDONESIAN FL

Personal world



Lifestyles

People and events

Education

Unity and diversity

The global environment


Development

JAPANESE FL

Personal world



Lifestyles

People and events

Education


The Environment


KOREAN FL

Personal world



Lifestyles



Human rights

Current issues



OUTCOMES – SECOND LANGUAGES Outcome Charts and Assessment Guides

Unit 1: VCE (Second Language) Unit 2: VCE (Second Language)

OUTCOMES FOUR TASKS OUTCOMES FOUR TASKS

Outcome 1 Outcome 1 Establish and maintain a spoken or written exchange related to personal areas of experience.

Informal conversation OR Reply to personal letter/fax/email

Participate in a spoken or written exchange related to making arrangements and completing transactions.

Formal letter or fax or email

OR

Role-play

OR

Interview.

Outcome 2 Outcome 2 Listen to, read and obtain information from written and spoken texts. * In Unit 1 only, of the two tasks required for Outcome 2, one must be completed in the target language and the other in English.

Listen to spoken texts, (e.g. conversations, interviews, broadcasts) to obtain information to complete notes, charts or tables in the target language or English AND Read written texts (e.g. extracts, advertisements, letters) to obtain information to complete notes, charts or tables in English or the target language.

Listen to, read, and extract and use information and ideas from spoken and written texts.

Listen to spoken texts, (e.g. conversations, interviews, broadcasts) and reorganise information and ideas in a different text type AND Read written texts (e.g. extracts, advertisements, letters) and reorganise information and ideas in a different text type.

Outcome 3 Outcome 3 Produce a personal response to a text focusing on real or imaginary experience.

Oral presentation

OR

Review

OR

Article

Give expression to real or imaginary experience in written or spoken form.

Journal entry

OR

Personal account

OR

Short story.

NOTE: Of Outcomes 1 & 3, one must be an oral activity and the other written

Unit 3: VCE (Second Language) Unit 4: VCE (Second Language)

OUTCOMES THREE TASKS OUTCOMES THREE TASKS

Outcome 1 Outcome 1 Express ideas through the production of original texts.

A 250 word personal or imaginative written piece.

20 marks

Analyse and use information from written texts.

A response to specific questions, messages or instructions, extracting and using information requested.

10 marks

Outcome 2 Outcome 2 Analyse and use information from spoken texts.

A response to specific questions, messages or instructions, extracting and using the information requested.

10 marks

Respond critically to spoken and written texts, which reflect aspects of the language and culture of Language speaking communities.

A 250-300 word informative, persuasive or evaluative written response, for example, report, comparison or review AND A 3-4 minute interview on an issue related to the texts studied.

20 marks

20 marks

Outcome 3 Exchange information, opinions and experiences.

A three to four minute role-play, focusing on the resolution of an issue.

20 marks

TOTAL MARKS 50 TOTAL MARKS 50

Unit 3 contributes 25% to the final assessment Unit 4 contributes 25% to the final assessment


OUTCOMES-CHINESE SECOND LANGUAGE

Unit 1 Unit 2


Outcome 1 Outcome 1 Establish and maintain a spoken or written exchange related to personal areas of experience.

Informal conversation OR Reply to personal letter/fax/email

Participate in a spoken or written exchange related to making arrangements and completing transactions.

Formal letter or fax or email OR Role-play OR Interview.

Outcome 2 Outcome 2 Listen to, read and obtain information from written and spoken texts. * In Unit 1 only, of the two tasks required for Outcome 2, one must be completed in Chinese and the other in English.

Listen to spoken texts, (e.g. conversations, interviews, broadcasts) to obtain information to complete notes, charts or tables in Chinese or English AND Read written texts (e.g. extracts, advertisements, letters) to obtain information to complete notes, charts or tables in English or Chinese.

Listen to, read, and extract and use information and ideas from spoken and written texts, and translate part of text/s from characters into English.

Listen to spoken texts, (e.g. conversations, interviews, broadcasts) and reorganise information and ideas in a different text type AND Read written texts (e.g. extracts, advertisements, letters) and reorganise information and ideas in a different text type, and translate part of the original text/s from Chinese characters into English.

Outcome 3 Outcome 3 Produce a personal response to a text focusing on real or imaginary experience.

Oral presentation OR Review OR Article

Give expression to real or imaginary experience in written or spoken form.

Journal entry OR Personal account OR Short story.

NOTE: Of Outcomes 1 & 3, one must be an oral activity and the other written.

Unit 3 Unit 4

OUTCOMES THREE TASKS OUTCOMES THREE TASKS Outcome 1 Outcome 1 Express ideas through the production of original texts.

A 150-200-character personal or imaginative written piece.

20 marks

Analyse and use information from written texts, and translate part of the text/s into English.

A response to specific questions, messages or instructions, extracting and using information, and translating part of these texts into English.

10 marks

Outcome 2 Outcome 2 Analyse and use information from spoken texts.

A response to specific questions, messages or instructions, extracting and using the information requested.

10 marks

Respond critically to spoken and written texts, which reflect aspects of the language and culture of Chinese-speaking communities.

A 250-character informative, persuasive or evaluative written response, for example, report, comparison or review AND A 3-4-minute interview on an issue related to the texts studied.

20 marks

20 marks

Outcome 3 Exchange information, opinions and experiences.

A three to four minute role-play, focusing on the resolution of an issue.

20 marks

Unit 3 contributes 25% to the final assessment Unit 4 contributes 25% to the final assessment.


OUTCOMES – FIRST LANGUAGES Outcome Charts and Assessment Guides

Unit 1: VCE (First Language) Unit 2: VCE (First Language)


Outcome 1 Outcome 1

Establish and maintain a spoken or written exchange related to an issue of interest or concern.

Discussion OR Personal letter/fax/email

Participate in a spoken or written exchange focusing on the resolution of an issue.

Formal letter or fax or email.

OR

Role-play

Outcome 2 Outcome 2

Listen to, read and reorganize information & ideas from written and spoken texts.

Listen to a spoken text, (eg: discussion, interview, broadcast) & extract & use information & ideas in a different text type. AND Read a written text (eg: article, report, letter) & extract & use information & ideas in a different text type.

Listen to, read, and extract and compare information and ideas from spoken and written texts.

Listen to 2 or more spoken texts, (eg: interview, discussion, debate) and compare information & ideas obtained in a given format in the Language.

AND

Read 2 or more written texts (eg: letters, articles, reports) and compare information and ideas obtained in a given format in the Language.

Outcome 3 Outcome 3

Produce a personal response to a fictional text.

Oral presentation

OR

Review

OR

Article

Produce an imaginative piece in written or spoken form.

Journal entry

OR

Spoken personal account

OR

Short story.

NOTE: Of Outcomes 1 & 3, one must be an oral activity and the other written

Unit 3: VCE (First Language) Unit 4: VCE (First Language)

OUTCOMES THREE TASKS OUTCOMES THREE TASKS

Outcome 1 Outcome 1

Express ideas through the production of original texts.

A 350-400 word, 500-600 character, 1400-1600 ji or 1000-1200 cha imaginative written piece.

20 marks

Analyse and use information from written texts.

A response to specific questions or instructions, analysing & using information requested.

20 marks

Outcome 2 Outcome 2

Analyse and use information from spoken texts.

A response to specific questions or instructions, analysing & using information requested.

20 marks

Respond critically to spoken and written texts, which reflect aspects of the language and culture.

A 350-400 word, 500-600 character, 1400-1600 ji, 1000-1200 cha persuasive or evaluative written response, for example, report, essay, article or review. AND

A 4-5 minute interview on an issue related to texts studied.

20 marks

10 marks

Outcome 3

Exchange information, opinions and experiences.

A 4-5 minute evaluative oral presentation, focusing on points for and against an aspect related to texts studied.

10 marks

TOTAL MARKS 50 TOTAL MARKS 50

Unit 3 contributes 25% to the final assessment Unit 4 contributes 25% to the final assessment.

*check word limit requirements for your language


CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF WRITING The following descriptions outline the main characteristics of different kinds of writing. They are intended as a guide

only; students would not be expected to include all aspects in their writing. Authentic writing will require using a combination of styles.

Personal writing: Uses a personal voice.

Establishes a relationship/intimacy/empathy between the writer and the reader.

Usually employs first and/or second person; subjective; informal, familiar style/register; often includes emotive language.

Emphasises ideas, opinions, feelings, impressions rather than factual, objective information.

May use the act of writing to help the author understand and unravel his/her own feelings or ideas.

May, in certain contexts, use contracted language, such as is used in speech. Purpose: the author is conveying something personal to the reader.

Informative writing: Aims to convey information from the writer to the reader as clearly, completely and accurately as possible.

Usually uses objective style and impersonal expressions, although the writer may use an informal style to establish a relationship of ‘friendly helper’ with the reader.

Normally has no particular point of view to convey; if a point of view is involved, the writing becomes either persuasive or evaluative.

Generally uses facts, examples, explanations, analogies and sometimes statistical information, quotations and references as evidence.

Chooses language, structure and sequence to make the message clear and unambiguous, so the sequencing of information is usually logical and predictable.

Probably uses few adjectives, adverbs and images, except as examples or analogies in explanation. Purpose: The author is conveying information.

Imaginative writing: Creates visual and/or emotional appeal.

Usually creates a strong sense of context (physical surroundings and atmosphere) and situation.

Normally includes description (person, place, emotion, atmosphere), so careful selection of language such as adjectives and adverbs (or their equivalents) is important.

Uses techniques such as variation in sentence length, juxtaposition of different sentence length, careful control of structure and sequencing, to add to the overall effect by creating the desired atmosphere or conveying the required emotion.

May break normal sequencing for added impact, such as in a flashback or in a final disclosure which puts a different interpretation on preceding passages.

Purpose: The author is creating a piece of fiction designed to entertain, amuse, or create an impression, picture, or feeling in the reader. Descriptive writing: Creates a vivid impression of a person, place, object or event: a particular mood, atmosphere: vivid pictures of

characters.

Engages a reader’s attention: brings writing to life.

Includes precisely chosen vocabulary with evocative adjectives and adverbs, similes and metaphors.

Is focused, interesting and compelling.

Uses sensory description-what is heard, seen, smelt, felt, tasted: with sensory details to increase the reader’s experience.

Uses active verbs and varied sentences; structured and ordered.

Creates a dominant impression.

Evokes feelings and attitudes- connotative language.

Makes comparisons-similes, metaphors, personification.

Develops the experience, focusing on key details, powerful verbs and precise nouns. Purpose: The author is painting a picture through words to make the reader see what they have seen.


Evaluative writing: Aims to weigh two or more items/ideas in order to convince the reader rationally and objectively that a particular point

of view is correct.

Aims to reach a conclusion acceptable to an unbiased reader through the logical presentation and discussion of facts and ideas.

Presents two or more important aspects of an issue or sides of an argument and discusses these rationally and objectively; using evidence to support the contrasting sides or alternatives.

Uses objective style; appeals to reason not emotion; creation of an impression of balance and impartiality is essential.

Often includes expressions of cause, consequence, opposition and concession. Purpose: The author is giving a balanced view of both sides of a case.

Reflective writing: Relates not only events, but feelings, what has been learnt, and how it will affect future behavior.

Includes description and analysis of an experience.

Provides exploration and explanation of events and contexts.

Includes consideration of the larger context, meaning and implications of an experience or action.

Identifies and challenges personal values and beliefs, assumptions, feelings and actions.

Includes opinion, with supporting evidence.

Uses personal voice (e.g. I, me, you, we, us) when providing opinion.

Uses verbs related to feeling, thinking and analysing.

May include comment on hypothetical situations, and speculation about the future.

May move between past tense (recounting the actual events) and present tense (making more general observations).

Is perceptive; demonstrating analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Purpose: The author is looking back on experiences/actions in order to analyse ideas and practices that relate to them personally.

Narrative writing: Tells a story in chronological order.

Entertains, to gain and hold the readers’ interest.

Teaches or informs; changes attitudes/social opinions.

Sequences: setting, characters, initiating event, conflict/goal, events resolution, theme; series of actions.

May set up problems to be resolved.

Is imaginary or factual; has characters with defined with defined personalities/identities.

Dialogue often included.

Tense may change.

Descriptive languages to enhance the story.

May include complication involving the main character; conflict; points of view. Purpose: The author is telling a story/retelling event to entertain or to teach.

Persuasive writing: Aims to covert the reader to a particular point of view or attitude in order to convince him or her to act or respond in a

certain way.

Manipulates the reader’s emotions and opinions in order to achieve a specific purpose, that is, to achieve a desired outcome or effect which is important to and selected by the writer.

Persuasive techniques chosen are strongly influenced by the nature of the target audience; that is, the language (vocabulary, sentence structures, style/register), structure and sequencing of the piece are framed with the particular audience and purpose in mind.

Requires choice of the best word (with the precise shade of meaning and overtones of approval/disapproval, virtue/vice etc.), so range of vocabulary and dictionary technique are important.

Aims in certain instances (for example, advertisements) to keep the target audience unaware of being manipulated and adopts an appearance of objectivity and rationality by using indirect, subtle techniques; confidential, intimate register.

Sometimes uses exaggeration, extravagant language, and humour to create a conspiratorial relationship between the writer and the reader.

Often uses the second person for direct address and appeal.

Sometimes employs direct speech and questions to intensify the relationship with the audience.

May use techniques such as the use of technical or scientific language and superlatives or quantitative statements to lend authority to the content.

Purpose: The author is taking a stance and trying to persuade the reader.


Part 1 of the Oral Examination (General Conversation) – Sample questions

Preparing answers to the sample questions below will make you feel more confident with Part 1 of the oral

examination.

Attention: Ensure you answer the general questions in the correct tense. E.g. If the questions relates to the

future you would respond using either a future or conditional tense etc.

The five general topics covered during the oral examination are as follows:

* FAMILY and FRIENDS * SCHOOL * WORK (part time job)

* LEISURE/PASTIMES * FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

NOTE: You will need to expand upon all of the answers that you give to the questions below.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Tell me a little about your family?

What kinds of activities do you like doing with your family/friends?

What kind of relationship do you have with your parents, brothers and sisters? Explain.

If you have a problem who do you go to for advice-Mum or Dad? Why?

How many siblings do you have?

What chores do you do to help your parents at home?

Do you have a family pet?

SCHOOL

What subjects are you studying this year?

What is your favourite subject? Why?

What subject/s don’t you like?

How do you travel to school?

How are you finding your studies this year?

Tell me a little about your ‘ideal’ teacher.

Other than your school subjects, what other activities are you involved in at school?

What are the benefits of having/not having a school uniform?

LEISURE AND PASTIMES

Describe an activity you do in your spare time?

What do you like doing on the weekends?

What do you do on a ‘typical’ Sunday?

What sports do you like?

Do you like cooking? What is your specialty dish?

Tell me about the last movie you watched.

What kind of music do you like/who is your idol?

WORK

Do you have a part-time job?

Where do you work? What are your hours?

What are the advantages & disadvantages of working part time for a student doing Year 12?

Why do many students want to work while they are still at school?

What do you do with your earnings?

Do you think that working can have negative effects on your grades?

What part-time work would you like to be doing?

Many students work to be independent. What does being independent mean to you?

FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

What would you like to do after completing Secondary school?

What course would you like to do at University? Why?

Why do you want to continue your studies next year?

What sort of work or career path are you interested in?

What factors have influenced your career choice?

Are you interested in travelling? Where would you like to travel to and why?


WRITTEN EXAMINATION: TIPS FOR LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Listening comprehension is one of the most challenging aspects of learning

any new language. Unlike reading, which provides you with a script which

you can hold, cultivating your listening skills is more like dealing with a

moving target and thus requires a higher level of attention and concentration.

Listening, nonetheless, can be profoundly rewarding when you feel that you

can follow a dialogue, news broadcast, presentation etc. So we would like to

suggest some helpful tips about how to get the most out of your listening

experience.

• MAKE ASSUMPTIONS AND VERIFY THEM Before you listen to a text, carefully read the questions you will have to answer. This will enable you to come

up with some assumptions about the general content of the text, based on the elements you recognise in the

questions and can guess from the context of those questions.

When you listen to the text for the first time, you will be able to verify these initial assumptions. You can

confirm them based on increased understanding gained from the second listening.

• LISTEN FOR KEY WORDS Your ability to make assumptions about the content of the text sometimes depends on your ability to identify

key words and phrases that are familiar to you. These key words and phrases will serve as anchors and help

you to create a meaningful context. This will help you to work out or guess the meaning of some unfamiliar

elements in the text.

• GLOBAL COMPREHENSION FIRST As you listen to the entire text the first time, don’t let yourself be distracted by new words; rather, keep your

focus on getting a general idea about the content – the gist or essence of the text. Begin by listening for

answers to the basic “what? who? when? where?” questions and then expand into more details as you listen

further.

• UTILIZE YOUR WORLD KNOWLEDGE As a student, you have a wealth of general knowledge that can be of tremendous value to you as you listen to

anything new. Your strategy while listening should involve activation of this knowledge. When listening to a

weather broadcast, for example, use your general knowledge to anticipate what will be said. Look for

information on rain, storms, sunny days, highs and lows, etc. When listening to a program in which a movie is

being reviewed, listen for possible information on the film’s themes, background information about the film,

its strengths and weakness, etc.

• TAKE NOTES WHILE LISTENING While you listen, you may consider jotting down some information or key words from the text. You can do this

in English or the LANGUAGE, but remember that these are simply notes and don’t have to be elaborate

sentences. The point here is not to slow you down but to give you something to help you focus on the listening

material.

• LISTEN, LISTEN, and LISTEN Like all language skills, listening requires a great deal of practice and extensive exposure to authentic listening

texts. When you begin your language learning experience, you spend most of your time listening to your

teacher and to the audio/video materials accompanying your textbook. As your abilities increase, you need to

have more sustained exposure to listening selections outside the classroom. Make sure you devote ample time

for listening and listen as often and as long as you can. Remember that, when it comes to developing language

skills, once is not enough. The best way to become a proficient listener is to listen, listen and listen.


ACCESS PAST EXAM PAPERS AND EXAMINERS REPORTS

In order to achieve your personal best result for your Language study there are many strategies that can be utilised. Most importantly practice provides you with the best revision, and ensures you cover as many aspects and possible topics that could be asked of you during the exam.

Accessing past exam papers provides you with practice not only for your Language exam but how to be manage your time during the exam. Please note that for CCAFL languages there has been modification to the structure of the end of year exam and the time allocated has been reduced to 2 ½ hours. So the allocated time on the past exams papers (3 hours) needs to be modified.

Reading the past examiners reports provides you with feedback of what students completed well and where they didn’t meet required criteria. Reading the reports is most beneficial so you can ensure that you are not making the same mistakes as students in previous years when attempting your final exam.

Access Past exam papers/examiners reports at the following address:

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/exams/examsassessreports.html

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We wish you all the very best with your VCE studies.

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/exams/examsassessreports.html

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