Languages

Units 1 to 4 will be offered in each of the Languages Other Than English taught at Mac.Rob. Normally students will have completed the relevant Language study at Middle School level before undertaking VCE Language study.

The VCE Language courses are designed to enable the students to develop and expand the receptive, productive and interactive use of the language.

New language structures will be introduced in the context of topics or themes which enable the student to develop and practice all aspects of language ability. A large variety of texts will be presented and discussed, and students are expected to produce various pieces of written work in the language, using different text types and kinds of writing.

Students are encouraged to use the language in conversations and discussions, presentations of topics, situational role-plays, and oral performances.

The Assessment Tasks in Units 1 - 4 are based on the development of the principles of language learning, namely the development of listening, speaking, reading and writing competence.

Units 1 - 4 encourage a stronger focus on the cultural aspects and background studies.

Unit 3 & 4 students have access to a native speaker conversation assistant throughout the year.

The study of most Languages in the VCE attracts a bonus of 5+ points to the Study Score (at the level of the ATAR scaled mean). This bonus is in addition to normal scaling as occurs with all studies.

In a world with ever-growing global connections, speaking more languages is essential to unlocking the doors of opportunity for success in the future. Being able to communicate with and understand people from a wider variety of cultures is not only beneficial in many 21^st century careers, but also for developing yourself as a person. Languages also have established benefits for:

· Boosting thinking abilities which are useful across subject disciplines, such as problem solving skills, visual-spatial skills, creativity, attention and task-switching capacities, as well as improving memory

· Literacy skills in English and other languages, including reading and listening skills such as decoding and interpreting texts, and speaking and writing skills such as being able to effectively communicate information and ideas to others

· Developing metalinguistic awareness which involves understanding languages as a system, and the ways language can be manipulated for a variety of purposes

· Learning skills and approaches for learning languages effectively which are transferable to future learning

· Opening up new worlds of entertainment, pop culture, literature and information available in other languages, and expand your knowledge of the

INDONESIAN

Indonesian, the national language of Indonesia, is a standardised language that is the official language of government, education, business and the media. The Indonesian language is closely related to Malay and is understood in Malaysia and by Malay-speaking inhabitants of Singapore and Brunei. Indonesian has been, and continues to be, shaped by other languages, most significantly Javanese, Dutch, Arabic and English.

The study of Indonesian provides students with the ability to understand and use a language that is spoken in a country that is one of Australia’s closest neighbours, and is one of the most populous countries in the world.

A broad range of social, economic and vocational opportunities result from study in a second language. Students are able to engage with Indonesian-speaking communities in Australia and internationally in a variety of endeavours.

What is Indonesian useful for?

• Travel - not only to Bali but also to the many diverse, naturally beautiful and fascinating destinations throughout the rest of Indonesia where English is often not spoken by many people

• Career - Indonesia is likely to become the world’s 4th largest economy by 2030 and there are huge opportunities for Australians in the areas of business and trade. Indonesia has a burgeoning startup and e-commerce industry. Australia also has important an important diplomatic relationship with Indonesia and so there are opportunities in foreign affairs and other government sectors. Because of our countries’ proximity and cooperative ties, Indonesian language skills are also highly valued in other fields such as Law, Science, Health, Education as well as in a variety of Non-Government Organisations.

• Entertainment - by speaking Indonesian you can access a new world of music, movies, books, comics/Indonesian manga, online content, and a variety of forms of traditional entertainment and culture.

GERMAN

The study of German provides students with the ability to understand and use a language that is spoken across Europe. German is the official language of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Luxembourg and South Tyrol in Italy. It is also one of the official languages of the European Union.

As well as being used within communities across Europe, Latin America and Africa, there is a significant German heritage within Australia. Knowledge of the German language provides direct access to the cultures, traditions, beliefs, attitudes and values of these communities.

The study of German develops students’ ability to understand and use a language which has long been recognised as a world language of culture, music, theology and philosophy, as well as a key language in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, architecture, economics and technology. German-speaking countries have emerged as strong international leaders in trade, commerce, politics, environment and sustainability.

JAPANESE

The study of Japanese provides students with the ability to understand and use a language that is spoken by approximately 128 million people worldwide. Japanese is a phonetic language with predictable and systematic grammar rules. Three scripts: hiragana, katakana and kanji are used for writing. Japanese grammar is relatively uniform, with few irregularities, no grammatical gender, and predictable and systematic conjugation of adjectives and verb tenses. There are some differences between the elements and patterns in Japanese and English, such as word order. Japanese cultural values are expressed in the system of plain and polite forms, which reflect hierarchical relations, social and business-related positioning and rules about respect and status.

The study of Japanese provides students with a direct means of access to the rich traditional and popular cultures of Japan. Japan and the Japanese-speaking communities have an increasing influence in Victoria through innovations in science, technology, design, retail, fashion, cuisine, sport and the arts. A knowledge of Japanese, in conjunction with other skills, can provide employment opportunities in areas such as tourism, hospitality, the arts, diplomacy, social services, journalism, commerce, fashion, education, translating and interpreting.

FRENCH

The study of French develops students’ ability to understand and use a language which is widely learned and spoken internationally, and which is an official language of many world organisations and international events. The ability to use and understand French also provides students with a direct means of access to the rich and varied culture of francophone communities around the world.

A broad range of social, economic and vocational opportunities result from study in a second language. Students are able to engage with French-speaking communities in Australia and internationally in a variety of endeavours, including banking, international finance, international law, diplomacy, engineering, medicine, international aid, tourism, architecture, education, fashion, the arts, translating and interpreting.

Click on relevant LOTE below for VCAA information including Study Designs:

• French

• German

• Indonesian

• Japanese