Learning Area Update
28 August
INTRODUCTION
On Saturday 24 August, while on family business in Adelaide, I was fortunate enough to be the metaphoric fly on the wall observing and sharing insights with a highly enthusiastic group of South Australian Indonesian language teachers at their conference. The collective Languages faculty across that state are in the process of prioritising their new curriculum in accordance with our national one. There was a great deal of discussion about students having to change languages, for example from Japanese to French or Indonesian as many of our Damascus students have had to do when moving schools from primary to secondary as well as when moving between sectors. In this piece, I reflect on the value of learning languages period despite often having to change languages. What is written below applies equally to any language not just French or Indonesian.
The Australian Curriculum defines seven general capabilities that encompass knowledge, skills, behaviours, and dispositions that, together with the curriculum content in each learning area and the cross-curriculum priorities, will enable students to live and work successfully in the current modern world. These capabilities include: literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology (ICT) capability, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical understanding and intercultural understanding. Apart from the obvious literacy and intercultural benefits from learning languages there are personal, social, creative and critical thinking benefits as well, as defined in the Australian Curriculum.
Critical and Creative Thinking
“In learning a language, students interact with people and ideas from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which enhances critical thinking, reflection and encourages creative, divergent and imaginative thinking. By learning to notice, connect, compare and analyse aspects of the target language, students develop critical, analytic and problem-solving skills.”
Personal and social capability
“Interacting effectively in an additional language and with people of diverse language backgrounds involves negotiating and interpreting meaning in a range of social and cultural situations. This involves understanding and empathising, which are important elements of social and intercultural competence. Being open-minded and recognising that people view and experience the world in different ways, and learning to interact in a collaborative and respectful manner are key elements of personal and social competence.”
Ethical understanding
“When learning another language, students are taught explicitly to acknowledge and value difference in their interactions with others and to develop respect for diverse ways of perceiving and acting in the world. Opportunities are provided to monitor and to adjust their own ethical points of view. In learning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, students should consider appropriate ethical behaviour in terms of engaging with the owners and custodians of the languages. Similar consideration is required when interpreting and translating or when collecting and analysing primary research data.”
CONCLUSION
Hopefully, Damascus students value their language learning journey, be it in French, Indonesian or community languages being studied outside of school, be it a short one or choosing as an elective to senior years. The benefits of learning languages are many fold, not just limited to whether or not we intend to visit a particular country. Thank you for reading.
Source: Australian Curriculum General capabilities (Version 8.4)