Two new documents have been published relating to the development of Heritage languages courses in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian and Korean. Both are available on the National news page.

These are:

• Draft Framework for Heritage Languages Courses at Senior Secondary Level - Consultation report
• Framework for Heritage Languages Courses at Senior Secondary Level 2009

The Office of the Board of Studies will continue its languages eligibility monitoring program in 2010. Schools participating in the 2010 program will be notified in Term 4, 2009.

The purpose of the program is to monitor the implementation of the Board's policies in relation to the eligibility criteria for Beginners languages courses and Continuers courses in languages where there are Background Speakers courses.

In Term 2 of 2009 the monitoring program was conducted with several government and non-government schools. The following were identified as 'best practice' in implementing the Board's policies. Schools should consider adopting these practices to ensure they have effective procedures for determining a student's eligibility to undertake a Beginners course or a Continuers course in a language that has a Background Speakers course.

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Curriculum Writers for Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian and Korean Syllabus Development

To assist with the development of syllabuses in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian and Korean for Heritage Language speakers at the senior secondary level, the Office of the Board of Studies is creating a register of curriculum writers for tasks at various stages of the syllabus development process. Depending on their current employment, selected writers will be contracted or deployed (subject to employer's approval) to undertake the writing tasks.

Expressions of interest for inclusion on the register are particularly sought from people with advanced proficiency, skills, experience and/or expertise in the writing of either Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian or Korean curriculum materials.

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The 2009 Higher School Certificate Languages Oral Examinations Timetable is now available.

This document has important information for students, including dates and other arrangements for the oral exams.

It also explains what students may and may not bring to Board of Studies exam centres.

The Languages Oral Examinations will be conducted from 13 August to 26 September 2009.

Download the PDF of the 2009 Higher School Certificate Languages Oral Examinations Timetable.

BOS 33/08 (Vol 17 No 3)

The Board wishes to advise teachers and students of the following amendments to the Japanese Background Speakers HSC course prescriptions for 2009-2013.

• The following chapters in the text, Otokodatera ni onnanaki, are prescribed for study:
'Wakagumi no nakademo hassou' and 'Otokonaki no bigaku'.
• The publisher of the text, Chiisaki mono e, is Shinchosha.


Effective

Commencement of 2009 HSC course

Contact:

Dr Margaret Silink
Inspector, Languages
(02) 9367 8152
margaret.silink@bos.nsw.edu.au

BOS 32/08 (Vol 17 No 3)

Amendments to Stage 6 Languages Extension syllabuses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek and Spanish

The Board wishes to advise teachers of minor amendments to the Stage 6 Languages Extension syllabuses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek and Spanish.

The amended syllabuses and a summary of changes will be available by the beginning of Term 3 2008 on the Board of Studies website.

The amended syllabuses will be effective for the HSC course and examination in 2009.

The website will contain:

• the original syllabuses approved in 2000 (which remain current for the HSC course and examination in 2008)
• the amended syllabuses (for the HSC course and examination in 2009).

Effective: 2009 HSC course and examination

Contact:
Dr Margaret Silink
Inspector, Languages
(02) 9367 8152
margaret.silink@bos.nsw.edu.au

BOS 31/08 (Vol 17 No 3)

Amendments to Stage 6 Languages Continuers syllabuses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish and Vietnamese

The Board wishes to advise teachers of minor amendments to the Stage 6 Languages Continuers syllabuses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish and Vietnamese.

The amended syllabuses and a summary of changes will be available by the beginning of Term 3 2008 on the Board of Studies website.

The amended syllabuses will be effective for the HSC examination in 2009.

The website will contain:

• the original syllabuses approved in 1999 (which remain current for the HSC course and examination in 2008)
• the amended syllabuses (for the HSC examination in 2009).

Effective: 2009 HSC examination

Contact:
Dr Margaret Silink
Inspector, Languages
(02) 9367 8152
margaret.silink@bos.nsw.edu.au

BOS 30/08 (Vol 17 No 3)

Amendments to Stage 6 Languages Background Speakers syllabuses in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean

The Board wishes to advise teachers of minor amendments to the Stage 6 Languages Background Speakers syllabuses in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean.

The amended syllabuses and a summary of changes will be available by the beginning of Term 3 2008 on the Board of Studies website.

The amended syllabuses will be effective for the HSC examination in 2009.

The website will contain:

• the original syllabuses approved in 1999 (which remain current for the HSC course and examination in 2008)
• the amended syllabuses (for the HSC examination in 2009).

Effective: 2009 HSC examination

Contact:
Dr Margaret Silink
Inspector, Languages
(02) 9367 8152
margaret.silink@bos.nsw.edu.au

A specimen paper package for Arabic Beginners is now available on the Board's website. The package includes an introduction, an HSC specimen paper, a listening transcript in Arabic, an English translation of the Arabic listening transcript, an HSC specimen mapping grid, the marking guidelines for the oral examination, sample marking guidelines and an explanation of the performance bands.

BOS 29/08 (Vol 17 No 3)

Minor Amendment to Malay Background Speakers Stage 6 Syllabus – Rotation of Prescribed Themes

The Board wishes to advise teachers and students of an amendment to the rotation of the prescribed themes for the Malay Background Speakers course for the 2009 Higher School Certificate.

The prescribed themes for the 2009 HSC, and until further notice, are ‘cultural change’ and ‘socioeconomic change and development’.

Please replace section 8.1.1 Prescribed Themes on page 15 of the syllabus with the following:

See the Board’s website (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au) for the resource list which includes the Required Reading List.

Effective: Immediately