Year 11 Syllabus s9

Italian: Second Language

General course

Year 11 syllabus

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This syllabus is effective from 1 January 2015.

Users of this syllabus are responsible for checking its currency.

Syllabuses are formally reviewed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority on a cyclical basis, typically every five years.

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Content

Rationale 1

Course outcomes 4

Organisation 5

Structure of the syllabus 5

Organisation of content 5

Progression from the Year 7–10 curriculum 7

Representation of the general capabilities 7

Representation of the cross-curriculum priorities 8

Unit 1 10

Unit description 10

Unit content 10

Unit 2 13

Unit description 13

Unit content 13

School-based assessment 16

Grading 17

Appendix 1 – Grade descriptions Year 11 18

Appendix 2 – Text type list 20

Appendix 3 – Elaborations of grammatical items 24

Rationale

The place of the Italian culture and language in Australia and in the world

Italian culture has played a central role in the formation of western civilisation. This role is evident in diverse fields, including the arts, politics, economics, philosophy, science and technology, architecture and gastronomy. The history of the Italian culture and language in Australia reflects this influence and also the history of Italian migration during the post-war period. While there had been small-scale migration in the previous century, the major migration of Italians to Australia began after the Second World War, reaching at its peak an average 18 000 people arriving each year in the decade 1951–1961. Most of the arrivals were from regions, such as Calabria, Sicily, Veneto and Campania. Their first language was a regional form of Standard Italian, a distinct regional language or a dialect of Italian. Only a minority were proficient in Italy’s national language, Standard Italian, though most were partially familiar with it. The rich cultural diversity of Italy was mirrored in the language variations represented in the Italian community that established and grew into the largest non-English component of the Australian population. Italian-Australians are well represented in all domains of Australian life, including politics, law, the arts, education, sport, industry and entertainment.

Italian is currently the home language of approximately one million Australians who claim Italian ancestry. This constitutes the second largest community language group in Australia. It is an important international language, with millions of speakers around the world: a first language in Italy, the Vatican City, parts of Switzerland and San Marino; an official language of the European Union and of parts of Slovenia and Croatia; a major community language in several countries, such as Luxembourg, the USA, Canada, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and parts of Africa formerly under Italian rule, such as Somalia, Libya and Eritrea. It is an important language in international commerce, economics and trade; a world language with particular dominance in specific domains, such as design, architecture, fashion, cuisine, wine industries, cinema, opera and the arts. In the contemporary world, Italian represents a fusion of traditional experience and contemporary style, taste and creativity. Australia has strong personal, cultural, political and trade connections with Italy. All over the country, Italian elements are evident in Australia’s contemporary cosmopolitan life. As Italian is widely spoken in Australia, many opportunities exist to hear and use the language in real-life situations.

The place of the Italian language in Australian education

Italian has been taught in Australian schools and universities since the 1930s. At this time, it was offered alongside French and German as a ‘language of culture’. The language was valued as providing access to the rich literary, musical and artistic heritage of Italy. In addition to the presence of this academic learning of Italian in schools, the Italian community established extensive Saturday morning schools to provide for Italian language learning for their children.

In the 1980s, Italian learning and teaching in Australia increased significantly in primary schools as a result of policies supporting multiculturalism. The Italian community groups organised ‘insertion’ programs, weekend and afterhours classes. This coincided with a new emphasis in all language teaching on linking schools directly to their communities, and moving away from a traditional grammar/literature focus to more communicatively oriented programs, with a focus on learning the language for ‘real’ use and interaction. Italian continues to be widely taught in the primary years, with enrolments being second only to students learning Japanese.

The nature of Italian language learning

Italian belongs to the Romance family of languages and is well-connected to its ‘sibling’ languages of Spanish, Portuguese and French. It has many commonalities and connections with English, sharing many Latin-derived words and operating with the same Roman alphabet. The meaning of many Italian words can be instantly recognised through their similarity to English, for example, musica, dentista, professore, although there are also ‘false friends’, for example, eventualmente, meaning possibly, not eventually. Over their shared history, Italian has influenced the English language significantly, with hundreds of Italian words commonly used in English. This means that many learners already have an aural sense of at least some of the sounds of the Italian language, and an awareness of some key cultural characteristics and influences. There are points of difference between Italian and English grammars, for example, variations in word order, tense use, absence of some articles and the gendering of nouns and adjectives; but overall the Italian language is not linguistically or culturally distant for English-speaking learners. It is a mostly phonetic language, pronounced generally as it is written, which is helpful especially in the development of listening and speaking skills. There is clear emphasis on all syllables, and intonation follows regular rhythms and patterns. As Italian is widely spoken in Australia many opportunities exist to hear and use the language in real-life situations as well as through Italian media in Australia and actual and virtual connections with Italian communities in Italy and beyond.

The diversity of learners of Italian

Italian language programs in Australian schools are offered to a range of learners. Many are monolingual English speakers for whom learning Italian represents a first experience of learning a second language. Many others have existing connections with Italian, most directly as background Italian speakers, or as second or third generation Italian-Australians, or through professional, personal or other forms of cultural connection.

The WACE Italian courses

In Western Australia, there are three Italian courses. The courses are differentiated; each focusing on a pathway that will meet the specific language learning needs of a particular group of senior secondary students. Within each of these groups, there are differences in proficiency in using the Italian language and cultural systems.

The following courses are available:

· Italian: Second Language ATAR

· Italian: Second Language General

· Italian: Background Language ATAR.

The Italian: Second Language General course

This course focuses on students gaining knowledge and an understanding of the culture and language of Italian-speaking communities.

The Italian: Second Language General course can connect to the world of work, further study and travel. It also offers opportunities for students to participate in the many sister school and student exchange programs between Western Australia and Italy. The Italian: Second Language General course is designed to equip students with the skills needed to function in an increasingly globalised society, a culturally and linguistically diverse local community and to provide the foundation for life-long language learning.

This course is aimed at students for whom Italian is a second, or subsequent, language. These students have not been exposed to, or interacted in, the language outside of the language classroom. Students may have no prior knowledge or experience of the Italian language, or may have studied the Italian language and culture through classroom teaching in an Australian school, or similar environment, where English is the language of school instruction.

For information on the Italian: Second Language ATAR and the Italian: Background Language ATAR courses, refer to the course page on the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Application for enrolment in a language course

All students wishing to study a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) language course are required to complete an application for permission to enrol in a WACE language course in the year prior to first enrolment in the course, to ensure that students select the course best suited to their linguistic background and educational needs. Information about the process, including an application form, is sent to schools at the end of Term 2.

Further guidance and advice related to enrolments in a language course can be found on the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Course outcomes

The Italian: Second Language General course is designed to facilitate achievement of the following outcomes.

Outcome 1 – Listening and responding

Students listen and respond to a range of texts.

In achieving this outcome, students:

· use understandings of language, structure and context when listening and responding to texts

· use processes and strategies to make meaning when listening.

Outcome 2 – Spoken interaction

Students communicate in Italian through spoken interaction.

In achieving this outcome, students:

· use understandings of language and structure in spoken interactions

· interact for a range of purposes in a variety of contexts

· use processes and strategies to enhance spoken interaction.

Outcome 3 – Viewing, reading and responding

Students view, read and respond to a range of texts.

In achieving this outcome, students:

· use understandings of language, structure and context to respond to texts

· use processes and strategies to make meaning when viewing and reading.

Outcome 4 – Writing

Students write a variety of texts in Italian.

In achieving this outcome, students:

· use understandings of language and structure when writing

· write for a range of purposes and in a variety of contexts

· use processes and strategies to enhance writing.

Organisation

This course is organised into a Year 11 syllabus and a Year 12 syllabus. The cognitive complexity of the syllabus content increases from Year 11 to Year 12.

Structure of the syllabus

The Year 11 syllabus is divided into two units, each of one semester duration, which are typically delivered as a pair. The notional time for each unit is 55 class contact hours.

Unit 1

This unit focuses on Questo mio mondo (Here and now). Through the three topics: Presentiamoci! (Let’s introduce ourselves!), La vita quotidiana dei giovani in Italia (Daily life of young people in Italy), and La tecnologia nella vita quotidiana (Technology in daily life), students develop communication skills in Italian and gain an insight into the language and culture.

Unit 2

This unit focuses on Cose da fare, luoghi da visitare! (Things to do, places to go!). Through the three topics: Il mio quartiere (My neighbourhood), Lavoro e divertimento in Italia (At work and at leisure in Italy), and La tecnologia e il tempo libero (Technology and leisure), students develop communication skills in Italian and gain an insight into the language and culture.

Each unit includes:

· a unit description – a short description of the focus of the unit

· unit content – the content to be taught and learned.

Organisation of content

The course content is organised into five content areas:

· Learning contexts and topics

· Text types and textual conventions

· Linguistic resources

· Intercultural understandings

· Language learning and communication strategies.

These content areas should not be considered in isolation, but rather holistically as content areas that complement one another, and that are interrelated and interdependent.

Learning contexts and topics

Each unit is defined with a particular focus, three learning contexts and a set of topics. The learning contexts are:

· The individual

· The Italian-speaking communities

· The changing world.

Each learning context has a set of topics that promote meaningful communication and enable students to extend their understanding of the Italian language and culture. The placement of topics under one or more of the three learning contexts is intended to provide a particular perspective, or perspectives, on each of the topics.

Text types and textual conventions

Text types are categories of print, spoken, visual, or audiovisual text, identified in terms of purpose, audience and features.

In learning a language, it is necessary to engage with, and produce, a wide variety of text types. Text types and textual conventions vary across languages and cultures and provide information about the society and culture in which they are produced. Students are encouraged to listen to, read and view a range of texts, and be provided with opportunities to practise them.

Textual conventions are the features, patterns and rules of texts, which are determined by the text type, context, audience and purpose of the text. They also include protocols for participating in communication, such as ways of initiating conversations, framing requests, disagreeing, and responding. Students should be made aware of the defining characteristics of different texts.

In school-based assessments, students are expected to respond to, and to produce, a range of spoken and written text types in Italian. Text types for assessment are outlined in each unit and textual conventions are defined in Appendix 2.

Linguistic resources