Italian

Rationale

The study of Italian contributes to student personal development in a range of areas including communication skills, intercultural understanding, cognitive development, literacy and general knowledge. Learning and using an additional language encourages students to examine the influences on their perspectives and society, and to consider issues important for effective personal, social and international communication. It enables students to examine the nature of language, including their own, and the role of culture in language, communication and identity. By understanding the process of language learning, students can apply skills and knowledge to other contexts and languages. Learning a language engages analytical and reflective capabilities and enhances critical and creative thinking.

The study of Italian provides students with the ability to understand and use a language that is spoken in Italy, Vatican City and San Marino. Italian is one of the official languages of Switzerland and the European Union. Italian is widely spoken in Malta, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia and Libya and is also spoken by communities of Italian speakers who migrated to countries such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and the United States. It provides students with a direct means of access to the rich and varied cultures of the many communities around the world for whom Italian is a means of communication.

The study of a specific language exposes students to different experiences and perspectives at a personal level. It encourages students to be open to different ways of thinking, acting and interacting in the world, even beyond the language being studied and their own language. A broad range of social, economic and vocational opportunities result from study in a second language. Students are able to engage with Italian-speaking communities in Australia and internationally in a variety of endeavours, such as tourism, hospitality, the arts, diplomacy, social services, journalism, commerce, fashion, education, translating and interpreting.

Structure

The study is made up of four units. Each unit deals with language and specific content contained in the areas of study and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes for that unit. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and key skills.

Entry

There are no prerequisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. Students must undertake Unit 3 and Unit 4 as a sequence. Units 1 to 4 are designed to a standard equivalent to the final two years of secondary education. All VCE studies are benchmarked against comparable national and international curricula.

VCE Italian is designed for students who have typically studied the language for at least 200 hours prior to the commencement of Unit 1.

Assessment

Satisfactory completion

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on the teacher’s decision that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit. Demonstration of achievement of outcomes and satisfactory completion of a unit are determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks.
Teachers must develop courses that provide appropriate opportunities for students to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of outcomes.
The decision about satisfactory completion of a unit is distinct from the assessment of levels of achievement. Schools will report a student’s result for each unit to the VCAA as S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory).

Levels of achievement

Units 1 and 2
Procedures for the assessment of levels of achievement in Units 1 and 2 are a matter for school decision. Assessment of levels of achievement for these units will not be reported to the VCAA. Schools may choose to report levels of achievement using grades, descriptive statements or other indicators.
Units 3 and 4
The VCAA specifies the assessment procedures for students undertaking scored assessment in Units 3 and 4. Designated assessment tasks are provided in the details for each unit in the VCE study design.
The student’s level of achievement in Units 3 and 4 will be determined by School-assessed Coursework (SAC) as specified in the VCE study design and external assessment.
The VCAA will report the student’s level of achievement on each assessment component as a grade from A+ to E or UG (ungraded). To receive a study score the student must achieve two or more graded assessments and receive S for both Units 3 and 4. The study score is reported on a scale of 0–50; it is a measure of how well the student performed in relation to all others who took the study. Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE Italian are as follows:
Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework: 25 per cent
Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework: 25 per cent
Examinations*: oral component and written component: 50 per cent.

Unit 1

In this unit students develop an understanding of the language and culture/s of Italian-speaking communities through the study of three or more topics. Each area of study in the unit must focus on a different subtopic. Students access and share useful information on the topics and subtopics through Italian and consolidate and extend vocabulary and grammar knowledge and language skills. They focus on analysing cultural products or practices including visual, spoken or written texts.

Cultural products or practices can be drawn from a diverse range of texts, activities and creations. These may include the following: stories, poems, plays, novels, songs, films, photographs, artworks, architecture, technology, food, clothing, sports and festivals. Students apply acquired knowledge of Italian culture and language to new contexts.

Students reflect on the interplay between language and culture, and its impact on the individual’s language use in specific contexts and for specific audiences.

Unit 2

In this unit students develop an understanding of aspects of language and culture through the study. Each area of study must focus on a different subtopic. Students analyse visual, spoken and written texts. They access and share useful information on the topics and subtopics through Italian and consolidate and extend vocabulary, grammar knowledge and language skills.

Cultural products or practices can be used to demonstrate how culture and perspectives may vary between communities. Students reflect on the interplay between language and culture, and its impact on meaning, understanding and the individual’s language use in specific contexts and for specific audiences.

Unit 3

In this unit students investigate the way Italian speakers interpret and express ideas, and negotiate and persuade in Italian through the study of three or more subtopics from the prescribed themes and topics. Each area of study must cover a different subtopic, though teachers may choose to teach more than one subtopic in an area of study. Students interpret information, inform others, and reflect upon and develop persuasive arguments. They access and share useful information on the subtopics through Italian, and consolidate and extend vocabulary and grammar knowledge and language skills.

Students consider the influence of language and culture in shaping meaning and reflect on the practices, products and perspectives of the cultures of Italian-speaking communities. They reflect on how knowledge of Italian and Italian-speaking communities can be applied in a range of contexts and endeavours, such as further study, travel, business or community involvement.

Unit 4

In this unit students investigate aspects of culture through the study of two or more subtopics from the prescribed themes and topics. Area of Study 1 and Area of Study 2 may focus on the same subtopic. Area of Study 3 should cover a different subtopic to the subtopic/s chosen for Areas of Study 1 and 2. Students build on their knowledge of Italian-speaking communities, considering cultural perspectives and language and explaining personal observations. Students consolidate and extend vocabulary, grammar knowledge and language skills to investigate the topics through Italian.

Students identify and reflect on cultural products or practices that provide insights into Italian-speaking communities. Cultural products or practices can be drawn from a diverse range of texts, activities and creations. Students reflect on the ways culture, place and time influence values, attitudes and behaviours. They consider how knowledge of more than one culture can influence the ways individuals relate to each other and function in the world.

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