Chinese

By the end of Level 2, students use spoken Chinese to initiate interactions in a range of familiar contexts. They participate in simple exchanges to obtain and convey information and experiences relating to their personal world. They use learnt vocabulary, sounds, characters and culturally specific actions and gestures to convey meaning. They exchange greetings, introduce themselves and each other, and express thanks and apologies, for example, 我的中文名字叫小强, 你叫什么? They interact with and create simple predictable imaginative and informative texts such as 我的狗很大，它的尾巴很长, using familiar characters and sounds. They use images, actions and gesture to show that they understand the meaning of words when speaking, listening, reading, viewing and writing.

Students recognise the four tones and their function in Chinese. They are aware that there is a metalanguage to describe the distinct writing and speech systems in Chinese. They compare English and Chinese consonant and vowel sounds. They copy and trace characters and can identify key components in familiar characters. They recognise how their Chinese identity influences some of their language choices when interacting with familiar adults and peers.

By the end of Levels 4, students use spoken and written Chinese to initiate interactions. They participate in short exchanges, for example, 你晚饭吃什么？，我学汉语和英语,站起来， 大家听老师说. They organise and convey factual information and share experiences in formal and informal situations, making appropriate choices of characters, words and pronunciation. They use demonstratives such as 这、那、那些 with measure words and verbs to indicate agreement （对，好的）and preferences (要、想、喜欢). They respond to and create short imaginative, informative and persuasive texts for familiar audiences and identified purposes. Students select from known speech patterns to meet routine, procedural and informal conversational needs.

Students understand that Pinyin represents spoken language, and can map Pinyin against their own speech. They understand the contexts in which tones are expressed and those in which they are not. They recognise features of the Chinese writing system, including the range of strokes and their sequences in character writing; and the relationship between components and sound and meaning. Students develop skills in structuring their ideas in sentences, including correct sequencing of time and place. They describe features of Chinese language and culture, and compare how ideas are conveyed across languages and cultures.

By the end of Level 6, students use spoken and written Chinese to maintain interactions with familiar and unfamiliar people across a growing range of situations (for example, 你星期几去汉语学校？,你说…对吗？); to convey information, opinions and experiences (for example, 我喜欢踢澳式足球，你呢？); and to access a range of print and digital media resources, such as 童书，报纸，画册，科学书，传单，广告， 教材，地图. They write characters, paying attention to shape, and stroke order and proportion. They transcribe spoken words and sentences in Pinyin and select appropriate simplified characters to match the sounds they hear. They effectively use stress, tone and intonation to express emotion and opinion. They respond to and create a range of short informative, persuasive and imaginative texts for diverse audiences and purposes. They relate their own experiences to those presented in texts, for example, 《如果我是…》. Sentences include the use of prepositions (给 、跟 、对) and possessives and attributive clauses with particle 的. They use a range of verbs, and use verb complements to describe the direction, result or potential of an action. They use conjunctions (for example, 可是、或者、因为、除了）to connect ideas and elaborate on or clarify opinions and actions. They explain how their developing bilingual ability supports their identities as users of Chinese and English.

Students understand the nature of Pinyin and map it to their own Chinese speech. They categorise characters into groups based on meaning, appearance, pronunciation or function, using this information to understand new characters. They compare the word order of Chinese sentences with that of English, and recognise how their knowledge of English impacts on the way they express ideas in Chinese. They describe how the features of Chinese and English texts are used to convey meaning.

By the end of Level 8, students use spoken and written Chinese to maintain exchanges, to analyse and evaluate information, and to share opinions (for example, 电视节目，纪录片，教育片，微电影， 报纸，杂志， 网站，博客， 少年百科) and experiences, for example, 我们为什么要保护熊猫？，中国和澳大利亚的一些差异， 我最喜欢的假期. They select and discern tone patterns and atonality. Students respond to and create a range of texts (for example, 流行歌曲演唱；电视剧配音), showing an understanding of different audiences and purposes. Sentences generally contain two or more ideas connected by cohesive devices (for example, 不但…而且…) and use a range of time phrases (for example, 先…然后； 以前；吃了饭，就）to sequence events and ideas. Students make comparisons (for example, 比;跟…一样), and elaborate on and explain their opinions or actions using conjunctions, for example, 所以、要不然. They use stylistic devices (including 比喻，排比，反问), and use 成语 to influence and persuade others. They move between English and Chinese to interpret and translate for different audiences.

Students explain how changes in tone and tone combination impact on meaning. They describe culturally specific gestures and actions. They recognise diversity within the Chinese spoken and written language. They explain the differences in writing systems across languages. Students connect the distinctive features of Chinese grammar with the development of complex ideas, and explain how the structure of texts influences audience response. They explain how features of Chinese culture impact on communication practices and influence their own interactions with others across languages.

By the end of Level 10, students sustain extended exchanges with others (for example, 那个，你知道的，就是，还有) and use Chinese to participate in shared activities, for example, 我为什么学汉语，澳大利亚的多元文化，年轻人的兴趣，网络的好与坏, 你难道不觉得…如果…就…吗？你的意思是说…,如果是这样的话… They apply knowledge of rhythm, pitch, intonation, and voice projection, and move between traditional and simplified characters as appropriate to role, audience and purpose.

Students interact with and create imaginative, persuasive and informative texts such as 自发采访，本地电视节目，访谈节目 and 偶像剧，娱乐节目，电影片断，音乐录影, in a range of generic formats, making choices with regard to audience and purpose, for example, 澳大利亚土著人的艺术，我看移民热，现代女性的地位, 报刊杂志，百科全书，百度等搜索引擎. They use Chinese to maintain social relationships with and interact with a diverse range of people across a variety of situations and contexts, using common colloquial expressions. They construct sentences using a range of structures to incorporate information and ideas, including relative and attributive clauses, conditionality and indefinite pronouns. Students compare information and ideas, explain or justify perspectives, and relate events using conjunctions. They apply a range of stylistic devices to engage and influence audiences, for example, 夸张，幽默.

Students explain how the traditional and simplified forms of the Chinese writing system convey meaning, and how ideographic cues can be used to extend meaning. They analyse the key features of Chinese grammar and sentence structure, and compare language use across a range of contexts and modes. They explain how features of culture impact on communication practices across languages, and apply this knowledge to their own interactions with others.

By the end of Year 8, students use spoken and written Chinese to sustain interactions in their personal and social worlds (for example, 你叫什么名字？你多大了？你住在哪个城市？,不对，我是说… and 老师，我可以用电脑吗？), making appropriate language choices for different roles, relationships and situations, for example, 你的那个，那个 assignment 做完了吗？ They access and analyse information （for example, 排版结构，表格，图标）from a range of sources which include familiar characters and use this information for a range of purposes. Students interpret, translate and create a range of spoken, written and multimodal Chinese texts for imaginative, informative and persuasive purposes and for different audiences. Sentences generally contain two or more ideas connected by cohesive devices (for example, 如果…就…), and use a range of time phrases （for example, 然后；就）to sequence events and ideas. Students make comparisons (比;跟…一), and provide reasons to explain their opinions or actions, using conjunctions (因为、所以、因此).

Students explain the diversity in speaking and writing systems across languages, including regional variations within Chinese, and how these differences impact on their own understanding and communicative practices. They identify familiar characters in their simplified and traditional forms, and explain the differences between standard Chinese and dialects that may be spoken in their family. Their written literacy is still developing and they produce longer and more complex texts through the use of digital resources than in handwriting. They describe how the distinctive features of Chinese grammar and texts can be used to achieve particular effects and purposes. They explain how ideas are mediated across languages and cultures in their local communities. They express their own understandings of the Chinese cultural values that influence their own communicative practices.

By the end of Year 10, students use spoken and written Chinese to initiate and sustain extended interactions with others in their social world and in the Chinese-speaking community, for example, 我的学校生活，澳大利亚的运动，我最喜欢的春节活动. They ask questions (for example, 你真的认为…吗？请想一想…) and adapt language use for a range of contexts and roles. They identify and evaluate key points of information from different spoken, written and multimodal authentic sources and use this information to develop a position and to inform and convince others. They move between Chinese and English to create simple bilingual texts. Students interpret, interact with and create a range of texts for imaginative, informative and persuasive purposes and for different audiences. Sentences include a range of structures, including formal expressions to connect ideas, for example, 除此之外, 尽管这样, 因此，无论…都… They also use relative and attributive clauses, conditionality and indefinite pronouns. Students compare information and ideas, and explain or justify opinions, for example, 有人说… 还有人认为… 所以…而且… 因此… They apply knowledge of metaphor and 成语 in their own writing.

Students map characters against familiar sounds and apply their knowledge of character form and function to predict the meaning and sound of unfamiliar characters. They independently use digital resources to communicate with others, and utilise online and print dictionaries to assist in reading Chinese texts. They explain how the purpose and use of stylistic devices, textual features and language features change across contexts, genres and traditions. Students explain the cultural assumptions that influence participants’ responses and identify ways in which understanding could be enhanced in communication. They reflect on the roles both Chinese and Australian cultures play in their own communicative practices and use these reflections to improve their Chinese language use.