Russian Language School “Pushkin Lyceum”  - Language Program consistent with the VELS/AusVELS curriculum

 

Pathway 1: for students who begin learning a language (Russain) in primary school and continue to study the same language (Russain) to Level 10.

 

Pathways

 

As students may begin their Languages studies at different stages, learning focus statements and standards are offered for two pathways which recognise the student’s point of entry into the study:

 

Pathway 1: for students who begin learning a language in primary school and continue to study the same language to Level 10.

 

Pathway 2: for students who begin learning a language in Year 7 (not typical for our school)

 

Learning focus

 

*To provide learning experiences that develop an awareness and appreciation of another language and culture.

 

*To enable learners to gain some proficiency in speaking, reading, writhing and understanding in Russian Language.

 

*To develop an awareness of how language functions and is used as a tool for communication.

 

*To provide students with ability to communicate in a multicultural society and a multicultural world.

 

*Specific learning focus statements are written for each level in school curriculum documents.

 

Standards

 

Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels and are written for each dimension.

 

Phase of learning: 1

Communicating in a language other than English

 

On completion of the first phase of learning students should typically be able to:

• repeat teacher-modelled use of the language

• participate in choral use of the language

• identify the names of visible objects and items from aural/visual cues

• introduce themselves, greet and farewell the teacher

• follow simple classroom directions

• recognise some culturally-specific gestures and body language, and demonstrate how these are used

• observe the process of interpreting and perform some of its simple features using single words or phrases.

 

Students of Non-Roman alphabetical languages should be able to:

• notice and discuss the different writing system, and practise writing individual letters and other symbols

• distinguish selected letter sounds from English, match sounds and letters, identify words for concrete items from cues, etc.

• copy or trace selected letters and match them to sounds and words.

 

Intercultural knowledge and language awareness

 

On completion of the first phase of learning students should typically be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of some of the differences in how people eat and dress, sign and gesture, write and say things

• identify some of the relationships between selected letters, sounds or tones in the language compared to English or other familiar languages

• identify a cultural icon, geographic feature, famous building or cultural practice and make a simple statement about it in the language

• display an awareness of different ways of doing things in particular situations

• express their own preferences in the language, or by responding to cues given in the language.

 

Phase of learning: 2

 

The second phase of learning builds on the introduction to the studies of Languages knowledge and skills set out in Phase 1.

 

Communicating in a language other than English

 

On completion of the second phase of learning students should typically be able to:

• generate simple original sentences (including expressing likes and dislikes)

• introduce themselves, greet and farewell the teacher, and express thanks and apologies

• respond to simple questions about short songs, stories and rhymes

• extrapolate from familiar sounds, tone markers, signs, and so on, to spell new words

• write words/letters in context and in modelled sentences

• recognise some culturally-specific gestures and body language and integrate them into their own oral communications

• demonstrate the general characteristics of interpreting and translating in specific activities

• recognise variations in how people respond in daily situations and describe the values underpinning these responses

• recognise the use of the language in several media and information and communications technologies, and produce simple multimedia texts in the language

• demonstrate an understanding of variation in language use, depending on the audience and context.

 

Students of Non-Roman alphabetical languages should be able to:

• identify letter-sound relationships and practise pronunciation

• write words in context and in modelled sentences, including relevant accents and punctuation.

 

Intercultural knowledge and language awareness

 

On completion of the second phase of learning students should typically be able to:

• express their own preferences or views and communicate meaning for their own purposes in the language

• name some colours, shapes, objects, places and people associated with a country where the language is spoken

• identify two or more places, features, famous buildings, landmarks or cultural practices in another society, and describe some aspect of these in simple sentences in the language

• recognise variations in how people respond in daily situations and describe the values underpinning these responses

• participate in the creation and maintenance of the language and cultural ambience in the classroom

• recognise the similarities and differences between languages; for example, in sentence structures.

 

 

Phase of learning: 3

 

The third phase of learning builds further on the knowledge and skills students have acquired in phases 1 and 2 and prepares them to undertake the learning associated with the standards that are introduced from Level 5 onward.

 

Communicating in a language other than English

 

On completion of the third phase of learning students should typically be able to:

• write simple sentences based on modelled examples

• listen to short, simple texts and show understanding

• use a dictionary in guided situations to find the meaning of simple words and to expand their vocabulary resources

• use substitution strategies to generate changed meaning

• understand new words introduced into familiar written texts, predicting from clues

• use basic structures in response to simple questions

• construct questions themselves using information from the answers they receive in structured situations

• appropriately integrate many culturally-specific gestures into their oral communication

• use simple software applications to demonstrate understanding of known vocabulary and structures

• participate effectively in very simple interpreting and translating routines.

 

Students of Non-Roman alphabetical languages should be able to:

 

• read sentences on familiar topics

• practise writing by copying, using modelled text and generating sentences of original text.

 

Intercultural knowledge and language awareness

 

On completion of the third phase of learning students should typically be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of culturally appropriate values, responses and patterns of behaviour in particular situations related to the topics being studied

• identify and use key features of the language, such as grammatical gender, tones, formal and informal modes of address

• compare and contrast like events in cultures which use different languages

• explore a topic of interest through the language

• develop revision materials for language rules and applications to share with other students.

 

 

Dimensions

 

The LOTE domain has two dimensions:

• Communicating in a language other than English

• Intercultural knowledge and language awareness

 

The two dimensions of the Languages domain are intimately linked. Communicating in a language other than English allows learners to reflect on language as a system and gain cultural insight. In turn, Intercultural knowledge and language awareness can provide cultural guidelines for effective communication.

 

Communicating in a language other than English

 

In the Communicating in a language other than English dimension, students learn the knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to the specific language being studied. The skills of this dimension include listening, speaking, reading, viewing, writing, and the use of body language, visual cues and signs. The application of these skills requires knowledge of linguistic elements, including vocabulary and grammar. This dimension requires familiarity with a wide variety of texts and genres in print and electronic form.

 

Intercultural knowledge and language awareness

 

Communication skills in a language other than English foster intercultural knowledge and awareness of language as a system. The Intercultural knowledge and language awareness dimension develops students’ knowledge of the connections between language and culture, and how culture is embedded throughout the communication system. Progress through this dimension is demonstrated through performance in the language being studied. The understandings are universal and are gained by comparing languages, including English.

Students gain an awareness of the influence of culture in the learner’s own life and first language. Different languages and language communities organise social relations and information in different ways and values differ from one community to another. Through cultural self-awareness, the ability to rationally discuss and compare cultural differences is developed. This dimension involves developing curiosity about and openness to a variety of values and practices, as well as acquiring in-depth knowledge of the diverse cultural traditions of the source societies

 

 

 

 

Stages of Learning in Languages

 

Prep to Year 4 – Laying the foundations

 

In the earliest years of learning a language is adapted to students’ direct needs. Ideally, students are immersed in communication tasks that are engaging, relevant, well designed and directly linked to their general learning experiences.

 

The topics are “My Family and I”, “My Friends”. My Toys”. In the Park”, “Picnic” “Helping at Home”, “Holidays”, “Shopping”,” “Transport”, “At School”.

 

To enable students to adapt from self-expression in the mother tongue to the new norms and practices of the language the foundational processes of learning a second language is to engage students in concrete oral communication activities first rather than writing and reading. The focus of these tasks are on ‘getting things done’ – in music, drama, dance, drawing and painting, physical activity and early science and arithmetic.

 

Through communication, students begin to recognise a range of expressions, greetings, and other formulaic language for routine interactions with people, and notice that these vary according to the participants. Much of this communication is scaffolded and prompted by the teacher, and related to concrete experiences in the classroom.

 

In all the practices described above, the two dimensions of the domain – Communicating in a language other than English and Intercultural knowledge and language awareness – are integrated with the entire range of learning experiences of students between Prep and Year 4.

 

Years 5 to 8 – Building breadth and depth

 

In Languages, this stage of learning comprises two distinct phases and contains the traditional period of second-language teaching in the school system.

 

In the first phase (Years 5 and 6) – students extend the familia topics in depth and breadth; increase the vocabulary and colloquial expressions; increase the length of texts for reading. They do more writing activities and start learning basic grammar rules. 

 

Years 7 and 8 – At this stage, students begin to initiate communication and follow personal interests and ideas. Communication activities that acknowledge the sharpening individuality of students, and the more focus-divided basis of the curriculum, (grammar, text types, written communication and oral communication, reading comprehension) become more important in second-language teaching. Although the nature and level of teacher scaffolding and prompting

 

is still reduced however it is much less and students are now encouraged to interact, directly or through various media, with a range of speakers of the language.

This second phase is qualitatively different and focused on the traditional language learning

 

Years 9 to 10 – Developing pathways

 

During this stage, students begin to explore the implications and possibilities of languages other than English for further study, career and citizenship. At this stage students understand and use Russian within the world of teenage experience on topics related to events of general interest, topics drawn from other key learning areas, and the media.

They are able to exchange personal information, for example, family matters, daily routine, leisure activities, hobbies, interests, opinions, ideas, feelings and plans, in speaking or through correspondence.

 

They learn to understand the structure of texts and distinguish between major points and detail. They are less reliant on visual support, for example, gesture, diagrams and illustrations. They are able to locate and download information from various electronic sources, and use dictionaries and reference materials. Intercultural competence can be seen as a useful practical skill, as well as having value in opening up knowledge of other human societies and national traditions.

 

Implementation

 

• All grades involved in the LOTE program have a minimum of 4 x 45 sessions per week. (3 hours)

• LOTE program offered for 40 weeks per year.

• LOTE resources are regularly updated and developed on a continual basis, from the school budget and government grants.

• School based, state and interstates joint planning sessions and PD seminars with Russian language teachers involved occur on a regular basis to ensure an integrated approach and efficient delivering of the program.

• text books’ authors.The teaching staff participates in regular (once a year) international webinars organised by AORLT in Australia with the RAFL (Russian as a Foreign Language) methodologist and Russian Language

• Additional regular community and school cultural activities are regularly organised at school.

 

Evaluation

 

The LOTE program is evaluated by:

• Regular assessment of students’ workbooks, projects and assignments.

• Questioning and observing of student interest and enthusiasm.

• Informal testing during learning activities.

• School review meetings are held at the end of the year to evaluate LOTE program delivered by the school; review LOTE program and set up the goals and identify strategy for the following year.

• Parents surveys and questionaries on the value of the program.