Chinese

At St John's our students in Prep to Year 6 learn Chinese with our specialist teacher Elina Li. Our program engages the students in the culture and language of China, designed specifically to meet the needs of every student. Our Chinese program enables our students to communicate in the language they are learning and understand the relationship between language and culture. It develops their intercultural capabilities and helps them to understand themselves as communicators.

The program is also supported by our classroom teachers who get to develop their own Mandarin skills while the students get the excitement of speaking Chinese to a native speaker, from China.

The use of a range of texts and technologies enables our students to understand the context around why they are learning the language. The program is designed to inspire students and staff to become contributing global citizens.

Rationale - Victorian Curriculum

Students acquire communication skills in Chinese. They develop understanding about the role of language and culture in communication. Their reflections on language use and language learning are applied in other learning contexts.

Learning languages broadens students’ horizons about the personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities that are available in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. The interdependence of countries and communities requires people to negotiate experiences and meanings across languages and cultures. A bilingual or plurilingual capability is the norm in most parts of the world.

Learning languages:

• contributes to the strengthening of the community’s social, economic and international development capabilities
• extends literacy repertoires  and the capacity to communicate; strengthens understanding of the nature of language, of culture, and of the processes of communication
• develops intercultural capability, including  understanding of and respect for diversity and difference, and an openness to different experiences and perspectives
• develops understanding of how culture shapes and extends learners’ understanding of themselves, their own heritage, values, beliefs, culture and identity
• strengthens intellectual, analytical and reflective capabilities, and enhances creative and critical thinking.