The nature of the learners

Learners explore how they use more than one language in their daily lives, and use Chinese in relation to their personal world, countries where Chinese is spoken and the world of imagination.

Chinese language learning and use

Students engage with Chinese language through speaking, listening, reading, viewing and writing. They understand more words than they can say or write, and use this knowledge to attempt to say and spell unfamiliar words. Learners use Chinese to participate in action-related talk and to complete tasks. The focus of these activities is still on connecting their background oracy with their literacy.

Contexts of interaction

At this level, students are likely to focus on both formal and informal exchanges in familiar situations with familiar audiences, such as in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments where they are able to identify a range of responses. Likely contexts for interaction are situated within everyday educational experiences as well as students’ personal, family and social environments. In these contexts they have opportunities to notice that there are similarities and differences in the ways people communicate both within and across cultural groups.

Texts and resources

Students are exposed to a wide range of voices and settings where Chinese is used, including some extended passages in written and oral form. Students are exposed to culturally valued texts, including traditional oral texts, fables, stories, songs and picture books. They encounter various types of print and digital texts, simple chapter books, rhyming verse, poetry, nonfiction, film, multimodal texts and dramatic performances.

Features of Chinese language use

Oral language use draws on topics and concepts encountered in other learning areas, building students’ capacity to describe and explore these in Chinese. Students use Chinese to share everyday experiences with each other. They develop literacy skills by beginning to read fables and legends and write stories and recounts. Pinyin is used as a tool to develop students’ pronunciation and to assist their understanding of the nature of the spoken language. Students begin to develop orthographic and morphological awareness by exploring the relationship between characters and morphemes.

Level of support

The teacher explores and enhances students’ understanding of the similarities and differences between Chinese and English and supports their development of Chinese literacy and oracy. Vocabulary lists and model texts support literacy development.

The role of English

English is used for discussion, reflection and explanation to assist the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability.