Structure of the Languages Other Than English Domain

The LOTE domain is organised into two pathways, the first consisting of six levels and the second of two levels. Each level includes a learning focus statement and, from Level 4 onwards, a set of standards organised by dimension.

Pathways

As students may begin their LOTE 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 Year 10.

Pathway 2: for students who begin learning a language in Year 7.

Learning focus

Learning focus statements are written for each level. These outline the learning that students need to focus on if they are to progress in the domain and achieve the standards at the levels where they apply. They suggest appropriate learning experiences from which teachers can draw to develop relevant teaching and learning activities.

Standards

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

In LOTE standards are introduced for assessment and reporting at Level 4. While it is clear that students gain most benefit from the study of another language when they begin this study in the early years, it is acknowledged that some schools choose to maximise the effect of their resources by introducing LOTE programs at different year levels with appropriate time allocations. In recognition of the cumulative nature of language learning, the LOTE domain includes progression measures which provide a typical sequence of second language development leading to Level 4. Regardless of the level at which the study of a language other than English is introduced, students will need to develop the knowledge and skills described in the progression measures before they attempt the learning associated with the Level 4 standards. These progression measures also assist schools that provide LOTE programs prior to Years 5 and 6 to assess and report effectively on student achievement.

Standards relevant to each of the language categories appear beside an icon (see language categories below) from Level 4 onwards.

Language categories

For the purposes of organising the learning demands on students, languages can be broadly grouped into five categories:

Roman alphabetical languages

Non-Roman alphabetical languages

Character languages

Sign language

Classical languages

Standards in the Communicating in a language other than English dimension include an initial section common to all language categories and additional standards specific to the language categories. From Level 4, the standards in the language categories focus on reading and writing skills. For Classical languages, the complete standard is provided in the language category description.

Roman alphabetical languages – languages whose writing system, or means of being visually recorded, is Roman alphabetic, and whose reading demands on learners are similar to those of English (examples include: Australian Indigenous languages, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese).

Non-Roman alphabetical languages – languages whose writing system is alphabetic but non-Roman, and for which a learner needs to acquire a new alphabet (examples include: Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Russian).

Character languages – languages whose writing system is either syllabic, ideographic, or a combination of syllables and ideograms, involving different reading processes from alphabet reading, and the learning of the new script (examples include: Chinese, Japanese).

Sign language – Australian Sign Language, or Auslan. For most learners this will also involve reading in English.

Classical languages – ancient languages not used as a means of everyday communication by a contemporary community. Consisting of Roman alphabetical languages (for example, Latin) and non-Roman alphabetical languages (for example, Classical Greek). Standards in this category apply only in Pathway 2 Levels 5 and 6.

Dimensions

This domain has two dimensions:

Communicating in a language other than English
Intercultural knowledge and language awareness.

The two dimensions of the LOTE 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.