Subject description

Australian Languages — First Language is a 10‑credit subject or a 20‑credit subject at Stage 1.

In this subject, ‘Australian Languages’ refers to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures of Australia. (For information about the teaching and learning of Auslan, another Australian language, please see the Auslan Continuers Level subject outline.)

The importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, cultures, communities, and knowledge is affirmed through the study of Australian Languages. Students can study:

• Australian Languages — First Language. This subject is mainly for students who use an Australian Language as their first language.
• Australian Languages — Additional Language. This subject is mainly for students who wish to study an Australian Language as an additional language. A language chosen for this subject will be a well‑resourced language that has a sizeable first‑speaker base.
• Australian Languages — Revival Language. This subject is mainly for students with a heritage in an Australian Language that has been marginalised since colonisation.

The study of Australian Languages — First Language values and strengthens students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge, skills, and understanding. It allows for school learning which is more reflective of and consistent with students’ lifeworlds, and therefore more responsive to their individual needs as learners.

In Stage 1 Australian Languages — First Language, students respond to and create resources in and for a range of personal, social, cultural, and community contexts. Students investigate the interdependence of language, land, and cultural knowledge, and explore issues of linguistic and cultural identity, variation, and change. They investigate factors that affect [First Language], and consider ways in which to maintain, transmit, and advocate for [First Language].

Students extend their ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, in different contexts and for different purposes. They use a range of intercultural communication techniques and skills to exchange information, ideas, and perspectives with others. Students use and reflect upon the forms and registers of [First Language] that are appropriate for the cultural context.

Through the study of Australian Languages — First Language, students broaden their awareness of the oral and written systems and structures of [First Language] and improve their ability to analyse its linguistic, cultural, and stylistic features. Through the study and analysis of resources, students are able to interpret and explain meaning within and across languages and cultures.

Students reflect on their personal experiences as both learners and users of an Australian Language. They examine their experiences and exchanges, and reflect on their own identity. In addition, students critically reflect on the relationship between language, culture, and communities — gaining and sharing insights into the different ways in which culture influences communication.

The study of Australian Languages — First Language is vital to the maintenance, transmission, and survival of Australian Languages, and provides a space in which the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can be heard and amplified. Central to this is collaboration with other language learners and speakers of the language to use, maintain, and transmit language. Working collaboratively, students design and implement projects using language in action for an intended purpose and audience.

Students develop respect for and awareness of the diversity of the languages of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. They develop and extend their respect for and understanding of appropriate and respectful ways of thinking, listening, communicating, and acting.

Principles and protocols

The following guiding principles and protocols have been identified as fundamental to the development of all Australian Languages programs.

It is necessary that:

• each Australian Language is recognised as belonging to a group of people who are its custodians
• program developers (e.g. teachers, school leaders, or schooling sectors) consult, involve, and inform custodians about all aspects of the teaching of their languages
• the wishes of the relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are canvassed, respected, and adhered to
• the ultimate authority regarding the choice of target language rests with the custodians
• all programs have the approval of the custodians of the target language. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities differ in their attitudes to teaching a language to people not associated with the home group, especially if it is taught outside its home Country. Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities may disapprove of their language being taught in schools. Some communities strongly approve of the teaching of their language to others in different locations, while other groups may endorse the teaching of their language only in its home territory to their own people
• sufficient time is allowed for thorough consultation processes in accordance with local situations
• thorough preparation takes place before any program is established. Preparation may require substantial time and resources, and will depend on factors in the school and community, including existing resources
• the overriding outcomes of all Australian Languages programs are the strengthening of the target language and the promotion of Australian Languages and linguistic diversity in Australia
• appropriate teaching and learning processes are developed according to local situations. A team approach involving community people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language and cultural specialists, linguists, and teachers should be adopted in most situations
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ input into all aspects of the programs is maximised. Local school programs should encourage cooperation between schools, community members, and organisations with an interest in Australian Languages
• programs should actively encourage the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as teachers and/or students.

Capabilities

The capabilities connect student learning within and across subjects in a range of contexts.

The SACE identifies seven capabilities.

Literacy

In this subject students extend and apply their literacy capability by, for example:

• extending their knowledge and skills relevant to language learning and language maintenance
• expressing and exchanging ideas, opinions, and experiences in [First Language]
• communicating effectively and appropriately in [First Language] for a range of purposes and audiences
• engaging with and reflecting on ways of creating resources for a diverse range of purposes and audiences
• recognising and experimenting with language patterns and structures
• applying their understanding of features of lexicology in [First Language]
• applying their understanding of features of morphology and syntax in [First Language]
• extending their understanding of the relationship between orthography and phonology
• learning from and about local language materials available through community organisations and in local, state, and national archives and libraries
• increasing insights into the nature, styles, and purposes of language
• making connections and comparisons between [First Language] and English and/or other languages
• interpreting and mediating meaning within and across languages and cultures
• considering the dimensions of context and audience
• extending and integrating their skills of listening, speaking, reading, viewing, and writing
• extending their understanding of various styles, structures, and registers of narratives
• extending their understanding of narratives as told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in oral, written, and/or audiovisual form
• applying their understanding of ways in which external influences impact upon language use
• appropriately acknowledging interactions, collaboration, and learning from and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Numeracy

In this subject students extend and apply their numeracy capability by, for example:

• using and understanding the complex patterns, order, shapes, motions, rhythms of time and space, and relationships within [First Language]
• extending their understanding of concepts such as age, time, measurement, and kinship in different cultures as expressed through language
• extending their understanding of differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal number systems
• using tables or graphs for analysis to support an idea, opinion, or position when creating resources and interacting in [First Language]
• extending their understanding of culturally specific ways of ordering place and space.

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

In this subject students extend and apply their ICT capability by, for example:

• analysing and evaluating ways in which technology influences and changes language use
• using technologies to create new ways of thinking about and communicating in [First Language]
• using technologies to engage with a diverse range of audiences beyond the classroom
• engaging with a variety of digital resources
• extending their understanding of issues of access and custodianship of [First Language] digital materials
• using technologies to decode and encode language systems
• evaluating the integrity of digital information and sources in [First Language]
• appreciating ways in which technologies inspire curiosity about language and meaning
• using technologies to record, shape, and refine personal language use and enhance learning
• using technologies to maintain and sustain [First Language]
• learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices through digital, audiovisual, and multimedia sources.

Critical and creative thinking

In this subject students extend and apply their critical and creative thinking capability by, for example:

• extending and applying their cognitive skills through analytical, critical, creative, independent, and reflective thinking
• making comparisons and drawing connections within and/or between languages to develop their knowledge and understanding of the nature of language variation and change
• deconstructing and analysing the historical, political, social, and economic influence and impact of government policies on geographical locations and languages
• deconstructing and analysing the impact of institutional systems and structures on [First Language] and the community
• extending their understanding of the power imbalance between [First Language] and English
• understanding and creating links between existing and new knowledge
• analysing features of [First Language] such as lexicology, morphology, phonology, orthography, and syntax
• analysing and explaining reasons for different orthographies within [First Language]
• analysing multiple perspectives in anticipating and solving problems
• analysing language patterns and structures
• adapting and transferring communication skills across a variety of contexts and for different purposes
• applying their understanding of the power and function of [First Language]
• reflecting on the processes involved in mediating meaning within and across languages and cultures
• questioning, appreciating, and being open to the value of different perspectives in resources
• creating spoken, written, and multimodal responses to global issues.

Personal and social capability 

In this subject students extend and apply their personal and social capability by, for example:

• appreciating that [First Language] holds cultural and social knowledge and ways of thinking for the communities who speak and identify with it
• extending their understanding that the long-term maintenance of Australian Languages as strong and viable languages is of great importance to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and non‑Aboriginal Australians, and contributes to national identity
• exploring and extending their understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of seeing the world and how these perspectives contribute to and may benefit people beyond the [First Language] community
• increasing awareness and understanding of the ways in which their own language(s) and culture(s) shape their actions, personal behaviour, thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, and identity
• extending their understanding of the importance of intergenerational collaboration and transmission in successful Australian Language learning
• extending their understanding that maintenance of [First Language] is important to retaining cultural and spiritual practices
• extending their understanding of the connections between language learning, cultural restoration, and group and individual identity
• extending their understanding that, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, learning [First Language] can be fundamental to strengthening identity and self‑esteem
• exploring and explaining contemporary expressions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, heritage, and identity
• extending their understanding of and appreciating concepts such as diversity, distribution, interdependence, and status as they apply to the state and nature of Australian Languages
• appreciating the role of language education and research in maintaining [First Language]
• interpreting and reflecting on their own intercultural experiences and considering the ways in which they might respond in the future
• reflecting on their own assumptions, beliefs, values, and perspectives
• collaborating with other learners and users of [First Language] to co‑construct, exchange, and mediate meaning
• understanding and appreciating their own role as learners, users, and mediators of [First Language].

Ethical understanding

In this subject students extend and apply their ethical understanding capability by, for example:

• extending their understanding that Australian Languages belong to Country
• understanding and applying cultural norms and protocols associated with learning, using, and researching Australian Languages
• making connections between language learning and social justice and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• contributing to social cohesiveness through better communication and understanding
• understanding the impact of government policies, legislation, and judicial processes on heritage and identity over time
• reflecting on the impact of their own assumptions, beliefs, values, and perspectives
• respecting narratives as told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, past and present
• appreciating, empathising with, and learning from diverse ways of knowing, being, and acting in different contexts.

Intercultural understanding

In this subject students extend and apply their intercultural understanding capability by, for example:

• extending their understanding that the survival of Australian Languages as strong and viable languages is of great importance to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and non‑Aboriginal Australians, and contributes to local, regional, and national identity
• contributing to the reconciliation processes through increased linguistic and intercultural competence
• extending their understanding of relationships between Australian Languages, cultures, and identities in a national and global context
• extending their understanding of how cultural concepts and practices affect ways in which people see the world, interact, and communicate with others
• considering and reflecting on their own view of the world in context, as one of many views
• responding with empathy to what the relationship between language and identity means for individuals and communities
• extending their understanding of the intrinsic relationship between language, culture, Country, and spirituality
• appreciating and understanding the diversity and importance of cultural expressions, including language, literature, painting, music, performance, and oral traditions
• noticing, comparing, and reflecting on assumptions, values, and ways of knowing
• respecting and understanding cultural protocols, including intellectual and cultural property rights
• reflecting on how others make meaning from what they say, and how they make meaning from what others say.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures, and perspectives

In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and schools and school sectors, the SACE Board of South Australia supports the development of high-quality learning and assessment design that respects the diverse knowledge, cultures, and perspectives of Indigenous Australians.

The SACE Board encourages teachers to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives in the design, delivery, and assessment of teaching and learning programs by:

• providing opportunities in SACE subjects for students to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and contemporary experiences
• recognising and respecting the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian society
• drawing students’ attention to the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives from the past and the present
• promoting the use of culturally appropriate protocols when engaging with and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.  

Learning requirements

The learning requirements summarise the knowledge, skills, and understanding that students are expected to develop and demonstrate through their learning in Stage 1 Australian Languages — First Language.

In this subject, students are expected to:

1. interact with others to exchange information, experiences, opinions, and ideas in [First Language]
2. create resources in [First Language] to express information, experiences, opinions, and ideas
3. understand and apply knowledge of [First Language] systems and structures
4. analyse and respond to resources that are in [First Language]
5. explore and analyse relationships between language, culture, and identity, and their roles in interpreting and shaping meaning and identity
6. understand and reflect on language variation and change, and consider ways to sustain, strengthen, and advocate for [First language].

The history of Australian Languages means that written materials in or about a language being studied may not be extensive. Students are encouraged to use and engage with as wide a range of resources as possible. Resources include, but are not limited to:

• spoken materials, such as talks, conversations, and interviews, whether filmed, recorded, transcribed, or experienced personally
• written materials, such as books, articles, diaries, letters, and administrative records
• artwork, music, songs, and other creative materials
• online materials.

Content

Stage 1 Australian Languages — First Language is a 10‑credit subject or a 20‑credit subject that consists of the following four focus areas:

• self — exploring identity in the context of family, community, and the wider world
• family — engaging resources of kinship to develop identity and understanding
• community — engaging resources of community and Country to develop identity and understanding
• Australia and the wider world — celebrating and embracing the cultures and languages of home communities in order to consider the future through a broader global perspective.

These four focus areas are cyclical in their development and are designed to develop and extend students’ strong understanding of identity and belonging as individuals, and in communities. The interrelationship of focus areas in the study of [First Language] is shown in the diagram. The focus areas are discussed in more detail following the diagram.

For a 10‑credit subject and a 20‑credit subject, students study all four focus areas.

Students should study a range of resources in [First Language]. The language that students use to respond to a resource or resources may be either [First Language], English, or a combination of both [First Language] and English, as specified in each assessment type.

The focus areas are broad enough to allow flexibility in school programs, but specific enough to be of practical assistance to students and teachers. Not all focus areas will require the same amount of study time.

The length of time and depth of treatment for each focus area will depend on a number of factors, including:

• particular learning requirement(s) being covered
• needs and interests of the students
• nature of the language itself
• linguistic and conceptual complexity of the resources selected for study
• linguistic and sociocultural distance between the focus area and the student’s own world and experience
• assessments (including ways in which they are structured and the conditions under which they are set)
• language of the response
• access to resources.

Self

The focus area of self enables students to explore aspects of their identity in a range of contexts, such as family, community, and the wider world. Students may focus their study on the language and culture of:

• meeting and greeting
• interests and leisure activities
• friendships and relationships
• daily life and routines
• personal identifiers (e.g. skin groups, moieties, totems)
• health, body, and spirit (e.g. feelings and emotions, healthy living, bodily premonitions) 
• hopes and aspirations
• personal opinions on local, national, and international topics.

Family

The focus area of family invites students to explore and engage with resources of kinship to develop a sense of identity and understanding of self through and with others. Students may focus their study on the language and culture of:

• family and kinship connections, including obligation and avoidance relationships
• family connections to Country
• family connections to other language groups
• family histories
• naming protocols
• mourning rites
• family art.

Community

The focus area of community supports students to engage with resources of community and Country to develop a deeper sense of identity and understanding of self through and with community practices. Students may focus their study on the language and culture of:

• community history, including links to pastoral industries, missions, railways, etc.
• past, present, and future industries of the community, including tools and implements, hunting and food collection, etc.
• community and social issues
• community projects and/or programs
• flora and fauna in and around the community, both past and present
• significant events, celebrations, and ceremonies in the life of the community
• music and art of the community
• law and lore 
• imagining future communities.

Australia and the wider world

The focus area of Australia and the wider world enables students to celebrate and embrace the cultures and languages of home communities in order to consider the future through a broader global perspective. Students may focus their study on:

• connections with other Australian Languages
• connections with indigenous language communities in other countries
• status of [First Language] in relation to other Australian Languages
• opportunities for connections and collaboration between [First Language] communities and other communities
• impact of national and international matters on [First Language] communities
• impact of language policies, including effects on language variation, change, building, and loss
• means and methods of maintaining, strengthening, advocating, and transmitting language in the modern world, including the use of ICTs
• imagining future worlds
• bilingual and multilingual practices within Australia and internationally.

Evidence of learning

Assessment at Stage 1 is school based.

The following assessment types enable students to demonstrate their learning in Stage 1 Australian Languages — First Language:

• Assessment Type 1: Creating and Responding
• Assessment Type 2: Language in Action.

For a 10‑credit subject, students provide evidence of their learning through three or four assessments. Each assessment type should have a weighting of at least 20%. Students complete:

• two or three creating and responding tasks (at least one resource creation, and at least one response to resources)
• one language in action task.

For a 20‑credit subject, students provide evidence of their learning through six assessments. Each assessment type should have a weighting of at least 20%. Students complete:

• at least four creating and responding tasks (at least one resource creation, and at least one response to resources)
• at least one language in action task. 

Assessment design criteria

The assessment design criteria are based on the learning requirements and are used by teachers to:

• clarify for students what they need to learn
• design opportunities for students to provide evidence of their learning at the highest possible level of achievement.

The assessment design criteria consist of specific features that:

• students should demonstrate in their learning
• teachers look for as evidence that students have met the learning requirements.

For this subject the assessment design criteria are:

• communicating
• awareness and analysis
• identities and ecologies.

The specific features of these criteria are described below.

The set of assessments, as a whole, must give students opportunities to demonstrate each of the specific features by the completion of study of the subject.
 

Communicating 

The specific features are as follows:

Awareness and Analysis  

The specific features are as follows:

Identities and Ecologies

The specific features are as follows:

School assessment

The school assessment component for Stage 1 Australian Languages — First Language consists of two assessment types:

• Assessment Type 1: Creating and Responding
• Assessment Type 2: Language in Action.

Assessment Type 1: Creating and Responding

For a 10‑credit subject, students complete two or three creating and responding tasks comprising:

• at least one resource creation
• at least one response to resources.

For a 20‑credit subject, students complete at least four creating and responding tasks comprising:

• at least one resource creation
• at least one response to resources.

Resource creation

Students create oral, written, and/or multimodal resources using [First Language] to communicate information, ideas, and perspectives accurately and appropriately to an intended audience.

Resources may be created for a variety of purposes and audiences. For example:

• a recount of an event or narrative
• an imaginative narrative
• a description of Country
• a biography or autobiography
• a speech
• a poem or song
• a digital curation of resources, such as a series of social media postings based on a subject that is linked to a particular context
• a blog post, email, or journal entry
• a newspaper or magazine article
• an interactive digital children’s story
• a multimedia display to educate a target group about an issue
• an artistic product (e.g. painting, drawing, 3D representation), including a designer’s statement explaining the interpretation and meaning of visual and/or physical representations.

The design of the tasks should specify:

• a context
• an audience
• the purpose of the resource (e.g. informative, imaginative, narrative, personal, persuasive, evaluative, or descriptive)
• the resource type for creation.

Resource creations may be in oral, written, or multimodal form.

Response to resources

Students respond to a resource or resources that are in [First Language] with responses predominantly in [First Language]. However, English, or a combination of [First Language] and English may be appropriate in some contexts.

Resources and responses may focus on any form of expression of [First Language] to interpret and explain meaning, and to analyse linguistic, cultural, and stylistic features.

Resources for responding to may include, for example:

• narratives, including geographic narrative resources
• imaginative resources
• online resources
• non‑fiction resources
• prose resources (or extracts)
• speeches or oral presentations
• visual resources
• dramatic resources
• advocacy resources (i.e. those seeking to change attitudes or actions)
• biographical resources
• poetry.

Responses to resources may focus on, but are not limited to, analysis of:

• language and linguistic structures
• language variation and change
• relationship between language, culture, and communities
• sociocultural representations (e.g. culture‑specific terminology)
• grammar
• resource features (e.g. tone, register, stylistic features, geographic reference).

Teachers may negotiate the form of presentation of the responses with students. Responses to resources could include, but are not limited to:

• an evaluation of a resource
• an oral presentation with visual images
• an interview
• an essay
• a digital curation (e.g. blog entry/entries, vlog, visual representations with captions)
• a performance (e.g. role‑play, monologue)
• an artistic product (e.g. painting, drawing, 3D representation), including a designer’s statement explaining the interpretation and meaning of visual and/or physical representations.

Responses to resources may be in oral, written, or multimodal form.

For a 10‑credit subject, the combined evidence from all assessments in this assessment type should comprise a maximum of 12 minutes if oral, or 2000 words if written, or the equivalent in multimodal form (where 6 minutes is equivalent to 1000 words).

For a 20‑credit subject, the combined evidence from all assessments in this assessment type should comprise a maximum of 24 minutes if oral, or 4000 words if written, or the equivalent in multimodal form (where 6 minutes is equivalent to 1000 words).

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning primarily in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• communicating
• awareness and analysis
• identities and ecologies.

Assessment Type 2: Language in Action

For a 10‑credit subject, students complete one language in action task.

For a 20‑credit subject, students complete at least one language in action task.

A language in action task has two parts:

• a language in action project
• a reflection on the language in action project.

Students work collaboratively to apply their linguistic and intercultural knowledge, understanding, and skills of [First Language] in creating a language in action project that focuses on the survival, transmission, and/or maintenance of [First Language].

Students may work in a school or community‑based group, or any other appropriate collaboration. The group may collaborate face to face or in a digital environment, including social media forums, or in a combination of both.

The language in action project may include, for example:

• developing [First Language] resources for a tourism site or a public place (e.g. an interactive story map, place names with bilingual descriptions)
• working with younger students to develop their knowledge and understanding of [First Language] (e.g. a series of language lessons, a collaboration in a performance)
• visiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and/or organisations and presenting new learning about [First Language]
• presenting an exhibition of learning that celebrates [First Language] narratives and/or issues that are of significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and/or communities
• creating an online [First Language] tool or education pack (e.g. digital dictionary, digital curation of resources, interactive game or app)
• organising a bilingual school assembly or performance.

Students should consider the context, purpose, and audience for their language in action project.

As the second part of the task, students reflect on their language in action project. The reflection may include discussion about:

• self as language learner and language user
• relationship between language, culture, and communities
• language variation and change
• issues relating to transmission and survival of [First Language] and how the project aims to address these issues
• effectiveness of the collaboration.

Each student presents individual evidence of their:

• language in action project, such as photographs and movie clips, resources, and digital products
• reflection on their own learning from the language in action project, including evidence of their contribution to planning and collaboration.

The reflection may be presented in [First Language], English, or a combination of [First Language] and English. It should be a maximum of 4 minutes if oral, 400 words if written, or the equivalent in multimodal form.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning primarily in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• communicating
• identities and ecologies.

Performance standards

The performance standards describe five levels of achievement, A to E.

Each level of achievement describes the knowledge, skills, and understanding that teachers refer to in deciding how well students have demonstrated their learning on the basis of the evidence provided.

During the teaching and learning program the teacher gives students feedback on their learning, with reference to the performance standards.

At the student’s completion of study of a subject, the teacher makes a decision about the quality of the student’s learning by:

• referring to the performance standards
• taking into account the weighting of each assessment type
• assigning a subject grade between A and E.

Performance standards

Stage 1 performance standards for Australian Languages — First Language can be viewed below. You can also download in Word format [DOC 28KB].

To learn more about what performance standards are, how they are used, and other general information, see performance standards and grades. 

Subject changes

Any changes to this subject will be recorded here.