YEAR 10 ELECTIVE DESCRIPTIONS

Languages

Italian (2 units)

Year 10 Italian is an elective subject for students who have achieved a satisfactory standard in Year 9 Italian. It is a two semester elective. It introduces more complex grammatical concepts and provides greater depth to the students’ oral and written comprehension while expanding their knowledge of Italian culture. The course gives students a sound preparation for VCE Italian.

Students will focus on themes that cover teenage experiences such as friendship, technology, work, travel and school life. They will also study how Italian is utilised within the sphere of their own world and that of the wider community. Students will participate in various activities using the four main skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each area of study will include reading and listening comprehension tasks, an oral and a writing task. These will form part of the assessment together with a vocabulary and unit test. They will also be required to complete a semester examination. Students in Year 10 will be able to join the study tour to Italy, which occurs in alternate years. Successful completion of Year 10 Italian is compulsory to enable students to do Year 11 Italian.

Japanese (2 units)

Year 10 Japanese is a subject where our language studies really comes alive and allows for some real communication in Japanese. Activities to promote communication are organised online and in person with Japanese schools and other local schools studying Japanese.

Each topic studied has a link to teenage life in Japanese and Australia and allows for language acquisition and also traditional cultural and pop cultural concepts. Some topics covered are: Manga, Homestay, Sports Heroes, and Festivals.

Students enrolled into Year 10 Japanese will be expected to have successfully completed the Year 9 course in Japanese. A fluency in the two basic scripts of hiragana and katakana is a prerequisite. It is a two semester elective. Each unit will include reading and listening comprehension, writing and an oral task. Students will do a semester examination. Students in Year 10 are encouraged to get involved in the Student Exchange Program with our sister school in Osaka in Japan, either as Mazenod Hosts or as participants in the Mazenod Language Study.

Our students are encouraged to continue with a language until VCE as there are many benefits. Besides the many skills in communication, problem solving and analysis learning a language gives, studying a language in senior years increases confidence and appeals to university entrance criteria as well as opens the employment market in the future considerably.

Chinese (Mandarin) (2 units)

Year 10 Chinese is an elective subject for students who have successfully completed the Year 9 course in Chinese. It is a two semester elective.

Year 10 Chinese introduces more complex grammatical concepts and provides greater depth to the students’ oral and written comprehension while expanding their knowledge of Chinese culture. Hanzi characters learnt in Year 9 are revised and newer Hanzi is introduced. ICT activities are undertaken to create an interactive learning environment for the development of the four main skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Students will study cultural celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. They will also be required to complete a semester examination. In Year 10, students may have the opportunity to participate in the Chinese Language Study tour, which is offered in alternate years. Successful completion of Year 10 Chinese is compulsory to enable students to take up Chinese at VCE level.