Cross-Curriculum Priorities
The cross-curriculum priorities address the contemporary issues which students face in a globalised world. Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the priorities into the teaching and learning program for the Languages. The cross-curriculum priorities are not assessed unless they are identified within the specified unit content.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
Across the Western Australian Curriculum: Languages, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures priority provides opportunities for students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world's oldest continuous living cultures. Students will understand that contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are strong, resilient, rich and diverse. The knowledge and understanding gained through this priority will enhance the ability of young people to participate positively in the ongoing development of Australia.
In the Languages subjects students are provided with opportunities to develop an understanding of concepts related to the linguistic landscape of Australia and to the concepts of language and culture in general and make intercultural comparisons across languages, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia
Across the Western Australian Curriculum: Languages, students are able to learn the languages of the Asian region, learning to communicate and interact in interculturally appropriate ways, exploring concepts, experiences and perspectives from within and across Asian cultures.
In all the languages, the priority of Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia provides opportunities for students to develop an appreciation for the place of Australia within the Asian region. They learn how Australia is situated within the Asian region, how our national linguistic and cultural identity is continuously evolving both locally, regionally and within an international context. The curriculum also provides students with opportunities to engage with a range of texts and concepts related to:
- Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
- the languages and cultures of Asia
- people of Asian heritage who reside in Australia.
Sustainability
Across the Western Australian Curriculum: Languages, the sustainability priority allows students to develop knowledge, skills and understanding about sustainability within particular cultural contexts. This is crucial in the context of national and international concerns about, for example, climate change, food shortages, and alternative ways of caring for land and agriculture, social and political change, conservation and how language and culture evolve. Through developing a capability to interact with others, negotiating meaning and mutual understanding respectfully and reflecting on communication, students learn to live and work in ways that are both productive and sustainable.