At Cranbourne East Secondary College, our LOTE (language other than English) subject endeavours to provide students not only with the Mandarin language skills, but also a cultural awareness of the Chinese speaking community.
At CESC, Mandarin is taught and practiced through a variety of topics, such as:
- Greeting and Farewell
- Self-introduction
- Family
- Numbers
- Jobs
- Arts and Crafts
- Sports
- Festivals
- Food
LOTE is a compulsory subject in Years 7 and 8. From Year 9 onwards, LOTE (Mandarin) is an elective, where students can extend their study of the Chinese language, social structures, traditions and contemporary cultural practices of diverse Chinese-speaking communities.
Through various classroom activities we aim to develop students’ language proficiency and promote intercultural understanding. What is more, our goal is to prepare our students with a global outlook, who have deepened knowledge and understanding of Australia’s engagement with Asia.
Why LOTE?
“Communication is a human imperative. Irrespective of which language is being used, communication involves interacting with others to convey meaning, imagination, creativity and a broad understanding of ourselves and others. Language learning provides students with opportunities to engage with the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world and its peoples. It prompts students to reflect on their experience in various aspects of social life, including their own participation and ways of being in the world. Learning one or more languages broadens students’ horizons in relation to their personal, social and cultural worlds. It can expand opportunities for employment in an increasingly interconnected world. The interdependence of countries and communities means people in all spheres of life are required to negotiate experiences and meanings across languages and cultures. While English has the status of a world language, when students develop bilingual or plurilingual capabilities they may expand their future opportunities in Australia and around the world. “
