How is the Australian Curriculum: Languages – Chinese structured?
Chinese is recognised as an important language for young Australians to learn as Australia progresses towards a future of increased trade and engagement with Asia. Chinese has always been taught as an additional language in Australia, but schools are now catering to increasingly varied cohorts of Chinese language learners, including overseas-born Chinese speakers.
Three pathways have been developed for Chinese, to cater to the three main cohorts of learners of Chinese in Australian schools:
The Second Language Learner Pathway caters for students learning Chinese as a second or additional language.
The Background Language Learner Pathway has been developed for students who have exposure to Chinese language and culture, and who may engage in some active but predominantly receptive use of Chinese at home.
The First Language Learner Pathway caters for students who have had their primary socialisation as well as initial literacy development and primary schooling in Chinese, and who use Chinese at home.
From the Australian Curriculum F–10 Languages: Chinese, Context statement.