Developing language-specific curricula in the Australian Curriculum

1. Developing language-specific curricula in the Australian Curriculum Biennial Conference of the AFMLTA Australian National University, Canberra 6-8 July 2013 Presenters: Angela Scarino, Andrew Scrimgeour, Michelle Kohler, Michael Walsh, Jaky Troy

2. Presentations Part 1: Language-specific curriculum development • Angela Scarino: The Languages Curriculum Design • Andrew Scrimgeour: Development of Chinese in the Australian Curriculum • Michelle Kohler: Developing Indonesian in the Australian Curriculum • Discussion Part 2: Developing the Australian Languages Framework • Michael Walsh: Developing a framework for teaching Australian Languages • Jaky Troy: Reflections on the process • Discussion Part 3: Overall discussion

3. The Languages Curriculum Design Angela Scarino Research Centre for Languages and Cultures University of South Australia Email: angela.scarino@unisa.edu.au

4. Context • Learning languages in the context of super-diversity (Vertovec 2009; Blommaert, 2010) • A recognition of the changing nature of multilingualism and multiculturalism (Leung 2005; Kramsch & Whiteside 2008) • The centrality of language and communication in the new economy (Heller 2009) • Changing curricula and pedagogies that engage with and build on the diversity in semiotic modes that learners bring to the classroom (Stroud & Heugh 2011)

5. Expanded conception of language, culture and learning and their relationship • An expanded conception of language; language as personal, expressive - how we want to be in a language (Shohamy 2007). • Learning a language is not a monolingual activity as there are always at least two languages at play (Kramsch 2009). • Language mediates learning – learning how to mean (Halliday 1993). • Language is not only something that we use; we are “at home” in language; to learn a language is to learn an inheritance (Gadamer 2004).

6. The shifts • Understanding language as form, as practice and as the interpretation and creation of meaning. As Kramsch (2006) states: “Today it is not sufficient for learners to know how to communicate meanings. They have to understand the practice of meaning-making.” • Understanding the crucial role of language and culture in meaning-making; learners learn through the lens of their culture; learning languages is not only about how to see through this lens but also to bring to learners’ awareness that they have this lens. • Understanding the crucial role of language and culture in learning (‘learning how to mean’)  within an interlinguistic and intercultural perspective (Liddicoat & Scarino 2013)  within an interpretive, reflective, reflexive (reciprocal) orientation

7. A further expansion to consider Hasan (2003) on the changing nature of literacy in the globalised world: Three forms of literacy: (1) recognition literacy: the regular kinds of literacy practices typical in education such as encoding and decoding language (2) action literacy: enables learners to “write to mean” including self-expression and the production of texts in genres that are educationally valued (3) reflective literacy: “it aims to create in the pupil an understanding of reading and writing as bearers of deep social significance, not simply a vehicle for information but as a potent instrument of social formation: it is a form of literacy that goes beyond simple interpretation to reflection on how the “same” words can be made to construe different meanings and what is the significance of such semantic construals. This implies that reflection literacy moves from comprehensive into enquiry: the literate person should be able to interrogate the wording and the meaning of the utterance – why these words, what might they achieve, to whose loss and to whose benefit (pp.446-447.)

8. The Languages Design - Aims • communicate in the target language • understand language, culture, and learning and their relationship, and thereby develop an intercultural capability in communication • understand themselves as communicators And for Australian Languages: • understand the process of language building ( to develop knowledge of linguistic techniques and processes of language revitalisation)

9. Strands and sub-strands Communicating • Socialising and taking action • Obtaining and using information • Responding to and expressing imaginative experience • Moving between/translating • Expressing and performing identity • Reflecting on intercultural language use • Understanding • Systems of language • Variability in language use • Language awareness • Role of language and culture • Language building for Australian Languages)

10. Socialising and taking action Sub-strand 1.1: Socialising and taking action Socialising with others (orally and in writing) to exchange ideas, opinions, experiences, thoughts, feelings, intentions and plans, and to take action with others. Students learn to socialise with others in the target language (both orally and in writing); to interact with others to build relationships and participate in shared activities; to negotiate, to make decisions and arrangements and take individual and collective action.

11. Socialising and taking action Concepts Text-types Processes

12. Socialising and taking action: sequencing

13. Moving between languages/translating:concepts, text-types, processes Concepts Text-types Processes

14. Moving between languages/translating: sequencing Sequencing

15. Content descriptions: ItalianObtaining and using information

16. An example: Signs in every-day life Learners will be taught to: • recognise, identify, interpret and respond to the meaning being communicated in signs (e.g. warning, instruction, direction) and other graphic representation (e.g. illustrations, cartoons) Concept presentation • presentation and comparison of signs and placards used in signs • discussion of language used in signs (commands, instructions, warnings) and their function in society • examination and discussion of cultural values reflected by the language of signs e.g. responsibility of state for providing warning, expectations of public, shorthand ways of mediating meanings Concept’s key language features • linguistic structures that convey commands, instructions and warnings that require actions (Do x; Don’t’ do Y); demands (More parks now!) • examination of social consequences of language structures that indicate power relations

17. The interrelationship of the strands and sub-strands The interrelationship of the strands and sub-strands is best seen as three facets of the same experience: • performance and experience of communication (performance) • analysis of various aspects of language and culture involved in communication (analysis) • reflection on the comparative and reciprocal dimensions of language learning and use (reflection)

18. References Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2011). Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Languages. Sydney: ACARA. http://cuture.arts.gov.au/sites/default/files/discussion-paper/national-cultural-policy-discussion-paper.pdf Blommaert, J. (2010). The sociolinguistics of globalization. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. Gadamer, H-G. (2004). Truth and method (2nd ed.) (J. Weinsheimer & D.G. Marshall, Trans.). New York. Continuum. Halliday, M.A.K. (1993). Towards a language-based theory of learning. Linguistics and Education,5, 93–116. Heller, M. (2009). Multilingualism and transnationalism. In P. Auer and L. Wei (Eds.) Handbook of multilingualism and multilingual communication. Berlin. Mouton de Gruyter (pp.539-553). Kramsch, C. (2009). The Multilingual Subject. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kramsch, C. & Whiteside, A. (2008). Language ecology in multilingual settings. Towards a theory of symbolic competence. Applied Linguistics, 1–27, doi:10.1093/applin/amn022. Leung, C. (2005). Convivial communication: Recontextualising communicative competence. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15, 119–144. Liddicoat, A.J. & Scarino, A. (2013) Intercultural language teaching and learning. Malden. Wiley-Blackwell. Shohamy, E. (2007). Language Policy. Hidden agendas and new approaches. London and New York. Routledge. Stroud, C. & Heugh, K. (2011). Languages in education. In R. Mesthrie (Ed.) Cambridge handbook of sociolinguistics (pp. 413–429). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Vertovec, S. (2009). Transnationalism. London: Routledge.

19. The development of Chinese in the Australian Curriculum Andrew Scrimgeour Research Centre for Languages and Cultures University of South Australia Email: andrew.scrimgeour@unisa.edu.au

20. Outline: the development of Chinese curriculum Context the distinctiveness of Chinese learner diversity in Chinese classrooms Curriculum responses developing oral & print literacy in Chinese developing learner pathways for Chinese Future challenges teacher knowledge & experience in classroom contexts

21. The distinctiveness of Chinese 澳大利亚人口少地方大。 àodàlìyàrénkǒushǎodìfāngdà Àodàlìyà rénkǒu shǎo, dìfāng dà . Australia population few, area big. Australia has a small population and a large area. The challenge capturing the distinctiveness of each mode – oral & written determining the nature and rate of conceptual development and performance in each mode

22. Learner diversity learner background data (SAALE)

23. Learner diversity a complex cohort a diversity of knowledge, experience, engagement complex histories, blurred boundaries diversity of needs, interests, aspirations within each group The challenge Determining the nature of the learner group and the pitch for each pathway

24. The curriculum development challenge Conceptualising the language Determining developmental sequences of concepts and processes for learning and using Chinese language Representing language use experiences providing access to & promoting exploration of the nature of the spoken & written language in diverse contexts of use for young learners of diverse background

25. How does the Australian Curriculum Chinese address issues of character learning and literacy development in Chinese ?

26. ACARA Languagesresponding to learner diversity • Three learner pathways will be developed to cater specifically for second language learners, background language learners and first language learners of Chinese

27. Learner Groups – the pitch Second language learners • Learners who are introduced to learning Language at school = new learners Background language learners • Learners who use the Language at home (not necessarily exclusively) and have knowledge of Language (to varying degrees) and have a base ready for literacy development in Language = Bilingual learners First language learners • Learners who are Language first language users who have undertaken at least primary schooling in the Language; they have had their primary socialisation as well as initial literacy development in Language = think in the Language

28. Responding to distinctiveness the curriculum structure Communicating Strand using CHINESE for communicative purposes involves Oral interaction (listening and speaking) Written interaction (reading and writing) Understanding strand analysing the systems and characteristics of Chinese • Phonology , Orthography, Morphology • Grammar, Text Appreciating diversity • in communities of speakers • in spoken languages / in writing • in contexts of communication The role of technology in language The power of language The role of culture in language use

29. Oral-written distinction

30. Systems …

31. Learner pathways

32. Challenges in implementation Context • Dealing with composite classes –attending to needs of specific cohorts • Acknowledging Community schooling experience Teacher background - experiences – expectations – practices • as Native speaker teachers of Chinese (esp. as a second language) • Teacher ‘positioning’ in relation to the language & the learner • converting experiential knowledge into pedagogical knowledge • conceptualising and representing Chinese as appropriate to learner background • understanding the task from the learners perspective

33. Developing language specific curricula: the case of Indonesian in the Australian Curriculum Michelle Kohler Research Centre for Languages and Cultures University of South Australia Email: michelle.kohler@unisa.edu.au

34. A welcome opportunity • Language specific curricula is welcome after previous generic orientation • Opportunity to convey sense of distinctiveness of the language and culture, its teaching and learning – greater clarity and shared understanding • Many considerations in development

35. The design construct Two major influences on language specific development (1) The AC construct:

36. The design construct (2) The Shapeand design papers for Languages: • Contemporary understandings of language teaching and learning - intercultural orientation e.g. social, experiential, interpretive, reflective • Described through strands and sub-strands (cascading representation)

37. Language specificity: content How to conceive/represent distinctiveness? Both from current practice and intention of ‘new’ aspects of design e.g. mediating, reflection on intercultural language use

38. Language specificity: content An example:

39. Language specificity: achievement • How to render achievement at a give point? • How to render achievement over time/progression? • 2 year intervals, not just more but qualitative shift in learning, important to select ‘indicative’ language use and understandings • Two paragraphs: • Communicating: evidence base for Year 6 & 10 (SAALE study) • Understanding: anecdotal evidence (writing panel experience) • Overall, intercultural orientation – anecdotal, experimental, hypothetical

40. Language specificity: achievement Extracts from Year 7 and 8 (Level 1) (Communicating) Students refer to others using a range of pronouns (saya,kamu,dia, mereka, Bu/Pak), and use these in possessive form, including using -nya (sepatunyatrendi,filmnyamenarik). They refer to events in time and place using prepositions (pada, di and ke) as well as tense markers, such as se belum/sesudah, … yang lalu,… depan. (Understanding) Students recognise that Indonesian has similarities with English, such as the same alphabet, and similar word order, apart from possessives and noun-adjective order. They are aware of major features such as base words (main,makan, tidur,jalan) and how to apply affixes such as -an to create nouns and ber- to create verbs.

41. Reflections on the experience • Working with the design construct: struggles and benefits for language specificity • Complexity of holding multiple frames at once e.g. AC construct, Languages design, language specific/generic content, current and new dimensions of teaching and learning, existing and envisaged practice - at a given point (2 years) and over time (F-10) • It is a process of conceptualising, abstracting/specifying, weaving, foregrounding/backgrounding, crafting the language for maximum meaning • In practice, teachers integrate, build connections between various dimensions to shape programs • The AC Indonesian is a reference point, a contribution to professional dialogue and a potential lever for enhancing teaching and learning of Indonesian into the future

42. Introducing the Draft Framework for Australian Languages Michael Walsh AIATSIS Centre for Australian Languages, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages

43. Oversight of the curriculum development process The ACARA Board [the ultimate bosses] The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group Languages Advisory Group Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Advisory Group Languages National Panel Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel Consultations with the public

44. Overview of the curriculum development process Shape paper – lead writer: Angela Scarino; companion writer: Jaky Troy Draft Framework for Australian Languages – writers: Doug Marmion; Jaky Troy; Michael Walsh various drafts looked over by the advisory groups and national panels before going out to consultation 12 August – Languages Advisory Group discusses proposed directions for revision of the Framework 12 September - Languages Advisory Group considers the revised Framework

45. Timetable for consultations on the Draft Framework for Australian Languages Online consultations: 20 May – 25 July 2013 18 face-to-face consultations, one for each capital city as well as other key centres for larger areas e.g. Northern Territory: Alice Springs 14 June; Darwin 29 July Western Australia: Broome 17 June; Hedland 18 June; Perth 19 June; Kalgoorlie 20 June others: Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide, Port Augusta, Sydney, Vincentia, Port Macquarie, Parkes, Canberra, Brisbane, Cairns, Thursday Island

46. Overview of the Framework Rationale Aims Principles and protocols Pathways Strands Sub-strands Sub-sub-strands: content descriptions; content elaborations

47. An example from Japanese Strand: Communicating Sub-strand: Socialising and taking action Sub-sub-strand: “1.1 Interact in simple exchanges … everyday intercations” Content description [blue] Content elaborations [black]

48. Overview of the Framework Rationale why are we doing this? Aims what do we hope to achieve Principles and protocols show some respect! Pathways catering to 3 different kinds of learners Strands broad organizing principle for any language Sub-strands the nitty-gritty Sub-sub-strands: content descriptions; content elaborations even nittier-grittier

49. Rationale why are we doing this? The overall rationale for learning Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages in Australian schools is that they are the original languages of this country. Through learning them all students gain access to knowledge and understanding of Australia that can only come from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander perspective. The languages by their nature embed this perspective. Developing the ability to use these unique languages can play an important part in the development of a strong sense of identity and self-esteem for all Australian students. and five more

50. Aims what do we hope to achieve To communicate in the target language To understand language, culture, and learning and their relationship and thereby develop an intercultural capability in communication To understand oneself as a communicator (as performer and audience) To understand the process of language building (to develop knowledge of linguistic techniques and processes of language revitalisation).