St Peter Chanel Catholic School

LEARNING LANGUAGES

By learning an additional language and its related culture(s), students come to appreciate that languages and cultures are systems that are organised and used in particular ways to achieve meaning. Learning a new language extends students’ linguistic and cultural understanding and their ability to interact appropriately with other speakers.

This learning area provides the framework for the teaching and learning of languages that are additional to the language of instruction. Level 1 of the curriculum is the entry-level for students with no prior knowledge of the language being learned, regardless of their school year.

This learning area puts students’ ability to communicate at the centre by making Communication the core strand. This strand is supported by two further strands, which are directed specifically at developing the linguistic and cultural awareness needed for communicating effectively.

• Communication strand - students learn to use the language to make meaning. As their linguistic and cultural knowledge increases, they become more effective communicators, developing the skills of listening, reading, and viewing and the skills of speaking, writing, and presenting or performing.
• Language knowledge strand - students study the language in order to understand how it works. 
• Cultural knowledge strand - students learn about culture and the interrelationship between culture and language. 

At St. Peter Chanel, all students learn te reo Māori as part of our school curriculum. Students are taught in a variety of ways, such as through karakia, waiata, kapa haka and informal opportunities throughout the day. Teachers also plan for a communicative unit that teaches students key vocabulary and phrases that enable them to communicate an aspect of everyday life e.g. asking someone what the time is and responding, or asking what day it is and responding.