The VCE Chinese Language, Culture and Society Study Design outlines the nature and sequence of learning and teaching necessary for students to demonstrate achievement of the outcomes for a unit. The areas of study describe the specific knowledge and skills required to demonstrate a specific outcome. Teachers are required to develop a program for their students that meets the requirements of the study design including: areas of study, outcome statements, key knowledge and key skills.
Teachers should use the study design and this support material to develop a teaching and learning program that includes appropriate learning activities to enable students to develop the knowledge and skills identified in the outcomes in each unit.
Units 1 to 4, Area of Study 1 relates to the strand Culture and Society in Chinese-speaking communities, which requires student research and performance in English. In Units 1 to 4 Area of Study 1, there is a prescribed topic related to the area of study.
Students develop the capacity to gather and evaluate a range of source material, analyse it and communicate their findings. Further, they reflect on different cultural perspectives and explain comparative approaches. Students will be required to demonstrate their understanding of social and cultural issues relevant to the Chinese-speaking world.
In Units 1 to 4, Area of Study 1, the term ‘text’ refers to article(s) or extract(s) from a range of sources. In Units 3 and 4, Area of Study 1, students will be expected to be familiar with prescribed texts. Texts for Units 3 and 4 will be prescribed annually by the VCAA and will be published annually in the VCAA Bulletin.
In Units 1 to 4, Areas of Study 2 and 3 will relate to the strand Chinese Language. In this strand, students understand the role of language and culture in shaping meaning and reflecting on the cultures of Chinese-speaking communities. There are five macro skills that inform all language use: listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing. This approach is reflected in the organisation of the outcomes, and the key knowledge and key skills associated with them. In the Chinese Language strand, teachers should ensure that students are provided with receptive experiences in Chinese as well as activities that encourage purposeful language production and use across the skills of listening, speaking, viewing, reading, writing and cultural awareness through language.
A focus on vocabulary, grammatical structures, and other elements of language is also necessary for effective student learning. Teachers should develop courses that include appropriate learning activities to enable students to develop the knowledge and skills identified in the areas of study in each unit.
Adopting an organisational focus may be helpful in planning and sequencing learning activities and assessment tasks, and the content associated with them. Prescribed topics and suggested subtopics, a text type, a skill or a text can serve as an effective organisational focus for activities.
Activities can be organised in a range of ways, ensuring that across Units 1 to 4 students can access learning that addresses the prescribed topics. Within the learning focus for each unit, students should experience a wide range of texts, text types and styles of writing.
Courses must be developed within the framework of the study design: the strands, areas of study, prescribed topics, outcome statements, and key knowledge and skills.
Some of the print resources listed in this section may be out of print. They have been included because they may still be available from libraries, bookshops and private collections.
Some of the online media resources may need to be checked carefully for suitability because they change frequently.
At the time of publication, the URLs (website addresses) cited were checked for accuracy and appropriateness of content. However, due to the transient nature of online material, their continuing accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Teachers are strongly advised to prepare their own indexes of websites that are suitable and applicable to the courses they teach, and to check these websites prior to allowing student access.
These resources are suggestions only and are not prescribed in any way, nor is the list exhaustive. Teachers are encouraged to consult with colleagues, search bookshops or look online for other resources.
For ease of reference, this list has been divided into two sections, one for each strand of the study.
Culture and Society in Chinese-speaking Communities strand
Books and book chapters
Cao, Yu (2012) The Family, (Chinese–English) China Translation and Publishing Corporation
Chan, A. & Tan, S-H. (2004) Filial Piety in Chinese Thought and History, Singapore: Routledge / Curzon
Chang, Leslie T. (2010) Factory Girls: Voices from the Heart of Modern China, London: Picador
Chen, L. (2009) Chinese Myths & Legends, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Dychtwald, Z. (2018) Young China: How the Restless Generation Will Change Their Country and the World, St. Martin’s Press
Fisher, M. P. & Adler, J. A. (2011) Living Religions, 8th edn., London: Laurence King Publishing
Gardner, D. (2014) Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction, illustrated edition, Oxford University Press
Guanzhong, L. (2018) The Romance of the Three Kingdoms,London: Penguin Classics
Hedges, P. (2010) ‘China’, in RD Hecht and VF Biondo (eds.), Religion and Everyday Life and Culture, Volume 1, Praeger Publishers, pp. 45–82
Jankowiak, W. & Moore, R.L. (2017) Family Life in China (China Today), 1st edn., Cambridge: Polity Press
Johnson, I. (2017) The Souls of China: The Return of Religion after Mao, 1st edn., New York: Pantheon Books
Miller, T. (2017) China’s Asian Dream: Empire Building along the New Silk Road, Zed Books
Mitter, R. (2016) Modern China: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press
Morrissey, J. et al. (2017) Living Religion, Cengage
Ostrowski, P., Penner, G. and Christensen, B (2022), It’s All Chinese to Me, Tuttle Publishing
Seligman, S. D. (1999) Chinese Business Etiquette: A Guide to Protocol, Manners, and Culture in the People’s Republic of China, Little, Brown & Company
Williams, C.A.S. (2017) Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs: A Comprehensive Handbook on Symbolism in Chinese Art through the Ages, Tuttle Publishing
Wu Cheng’en (2021) Monkey King: Journey to the West, translated with an introduction and notes by Julia Lovell, London: Penguin Classics
Film
Beijing Bicycle (2001) Directed by X. Wang. Sony Pictures Classics
Confucius (2010) Directed by M. Hu. China Film Group
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Directed by A. Lee. The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Mulan (1998) Directed by B. Cook and T. Bancroft. Los Angeles: Walt Disney Pictures
Mulan II (2004) Directed by D. Rooney and L. Southerland. Walt Disney Pictures
Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (1979) Directed by S. Wang. Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Shower (2000) Directed by Y. Zhang. Sony Pictures Classics
The Farewell (2019) Directed by L. Wan. Roadshow Entertainment
The Joy Luck Club (1993) Directed by W. Wang. Hollywood Pictures
The Karate Kid (2010) Directed by H. Zwart. Sony Pictures
The Nightingale (2015) Directed by P. Muyl. World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation
The Wandering Earth (2019) Directed by F. Gwo. Available at: Netflix
The Wedding Banquet (1993) Directed by A. Lee. Central Motion Pictures
Uproar in Heaven (1965) Directed by L. Wan. Shanghai Animation Film Studio
Walking to School (2008) Directed by J. Peng. Shenzhen New Classics Film Production Company
Documentary, TV and video
An Introduction to Confucianism [short film] (2022) BBC Teach
Being Chinese [documentary] (2017) ABC
Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth [documentary – 3 episodes] (2015) BBC Two
Last Train Home [documentary] (2009) Directed by L. Fan. Zeitgeist Films
ReligionForBreakfast Intro to Confucianism [short video] (2021)
Tejada, E. Buddhism Taoism and Confucianism in China [short video] (2011)
Podcast
Yu, C. (2022) Chinese Whispers [podcast] The Spectator, Apple Podcasts
Other web-based resources
China Film Archive
China A collection of TED Talks (and more) on the topic of China.
Chinese Language strand
Dictionaries
Oxford Advanced Learners English–Chinese Dictionary (2018) 5th edn., The Commercial Press
The New Oxford English–Chinese Dictionary (Chinese) (2013) 2nd edn. (Chinese Edition), Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
A New Century Chinese–English Dictionary (2004) (Chinese and English Edition) (Bilingual Edition), Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
Books
Bao, V. and Chen, D. (2018) iChinese. Cengage Learning Asia P/L
Chen, C. (2008) A+ Chinese. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press
Chen, C. and Zhang, A. (2010) Pass Chinese. Beijing: Peking University Press
Chen, L. et al. (2021) Step Up with Chinese. Singapore: Cengage
Fan, C. (2003) Chinese Listening Exercise (Second Language). Melbourne: CAE Language Centre
Fredlein, S. and Fredlein, P. (1998) Ni Hao: An Introduction to Chinese. Brisbane: ChinaSoft
Ma, Y. and Li, X. (2001) Chinese Made Easy. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Company
Ma, Y. and Li, X. (2007) Easy Steps to Chinese. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press
McAuliffe, D. (2004) I Understand. Association of Independent Schools of Victoria Inc.
Wu, B., Jin, Z. B. and Jia, H. Y. (1990) Hello! Practical Dialogues for Home, School, Social Life and Travel. Beijing: Sinolingua
Websites
CGTN, Chinese Master
Liao, D. Free To Learn Chinese, 10 short Chinese stories – 80 minutes
Liao, D. Free To Learn Chinese, 30 minutes of Chinese listening practice – Intermediate level
Other resources
Chinese Teachers’ Association of Victoria (CLTAV)
East Asian Collection, University of Melbourne
Language and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC)
Level 1 / 189 Faraday Street
Carlton VIC 3053
Phone: (03) 9349 1418
Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria (MLTAV)
Victorian School of Languages Building,
315 Clarendon Street (PO Box 1027),
Thornbury VIC 3071
Phone: 0437 130 976