An Introduction to Persian Background Speakers Stage 6 in the New HSC
The new Persian Background Speakers Stage 6 Syllabus replaces
the current 2 Unit Persian syllabus (1994). The new syllabus will
be implemented with Year 11 in 2001 and will be first examined in
2002.
The syllabus provides information that was formerly available in
the Languages KLA Handbook. This includes descriptions of
course requirements, assessment weightings for internal and external
assessment and examination specifications.
What is similar?
The new Persian Background Speakers Stage 6 Syllabus represents
a change to the current 2 Unit Persian syllabus. The new syllabus
is, however, similar in intent, structure, content and in method
of assessment to the current syllabuses. The macro skills of reading,
writing, listening and speaking are implicit in the four objectives
and are assessed in the internal assessment.
The prescribed themes and contemporary issues are comparable with
the themes and topics suggested in the current 2 Unit syllabus.
Texts continue to provide a focus for the study of the themes and
contemporary issues.
What are the overall improvements?
- The syllabus makes explicit what students are required to know and do.
- The syllabus objectives represent the communicative use of the language, and integrate the macro skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Special emphasis is given to the role of textual analysis.
- The language content is specified by prescribing themes and contemporary issues, with a section on texts and text types and grammar. Texts are prescribed for the HSC course.
- Assessment, both internal and external, is linked to the syllabus objectives and content.
The following changes have been made to particular sections of the course
Rationale, Aims and Objectives (pp 6, 9)
The syllabus provides a comprehensive rationale for studying Persian, and has a clear set of aims and objectives, which provide statements of the overall purpose and intent of the syllabus.
Objectives focus on the knowledge, skills, and understanding involved in exchanging information, opinions and ideas in Persian; producing original texts in Persian; analysing, evaluating and responding to texts in Persian; and understanding aspects of the Persian language and culture.
Outcomes (p 11)
The syllabus supports an outcomes-based approach to teaching and learning. The outcomes are designed so that students of Persian for Background Speakers can demonstrate what they know and can do as a result of teaching and learning in the course. The outcomes are derived from the objectives.
Content (pp 14–24)
The syllabus prescribes both themes and contemporary issues as the organisational focus of the language content.
The four themes in the new syllabus are:
- Society of Persian-speaking countries
- Culture of Persian-speaking countries
- History and geography of Persian-speaking countries
- Persian literature and poetry.
Each theme has a number of prescribed contemporary issues that demonstrate
the particular focus of the themes.
While students will encounter a wider range of texts and text types
than those listed in the content section, the syllabus makes explicit
those text types students may be expected to produce in the external
examination.
Grammatical elements which students are expected to know are identified,
with examples provided.
There are prescribed texts in the HSC course. These will be published
on the Board’s website (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au).
Assessment (pp 27–40)
The assessment is aligned to the syllabus objectives and content.
Students will be required to demonstrate achievement of the full
range of outcomes across the internal and external assessment components.
The internal assessment specifies the components to be assessed
and their weightings, as well as suggesting a variety of tasks that
may be undertaken. This ensures that a student’s achievement
can be measured against a wider range of syllabus content and outcomes
than may be covered by the external examination alone.
In the external assessment, students will be assessed on their ability
to:
- exchange information, opinions and ideas in response to a written text
- express ideas through the creation of an original text in Persian
- analyse, evaluate and respond to spoken and written texts, including prescribed texts.
What will be needed to teach this subject?
- Persian Background Speakers Stage 6 Syllabus
- Persian Background Speakers course prescriptions, sample assessment items, and draft performance scale.
Current resources are appropriate for use with the new syllabus
although there may need to be some adjustment in the way teachers
use them.
Texts currently recommended for the 2 Unit syllabus may continue
to be used to support various aspects of the syllabus content. For
example, these texts may illustrate themes and contemporary issues,
the use of particular structures, or demonstrate the conventions
of a particular text type or discourse form.
Text books and resource materials that support language learning
will continue to apply as the themes and contemporary issues, grammatical
items, text types and tasks are similar to those in current syllabuses.
A list of a limited number of resources will be placed on the Board’s
website
(http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au).