Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

The intent of the Standard

This Achievement Standard assesses the student’s ability to communicate information, ideas, and opinions about events or experiences in Chinese (Mandarin) for a chosen purpose. Students are encouraged to explore how use of spoken Chinese (Mandarin), written Chinese, or a combination of both addresses the context, purpose, and audience of their work. Teachers can support students in deciding to submit evidence in spoken Chinese (Mandarin), written Chinese, or a combination of both. This inclusive and flexible way of assessment is reflective of how people communicate in an authentic setting.

The nature of this Achievement Standard allows students to reflect on their own identities and explore cultural conventions. For example, using appropriate registers and body language. This will contribute to their developing language skills and cultural competencies. Students can draw from their own kete of knowledge and experiences, and use Chinese (Mandarin) to communicate information, ideas, and opinions that are meaningful to them. This Achievement Standard provides the opportunity for students to use language to express their pūkengatanga and rangatiratanga.

Encouraging students to express their own views in Chinese (Mandarin) builds their capability to communicate information, ideas, and opinions confidently and independently. This will empower students to continue communicating about topics of significance to them in any language.

This Achievement Standard draws on the following Big Ideas:

• Learning languages is about connecting and communicating within and across cultures and communities
• Language, culture, and identity are inextricably linked
• Language learning is an empowering process that involves risk-taking and fosters resilience and perseverance.

This Achievement Standard draws on the following Significant Learning:

• be exposed to, practise, and enjoy experimenting with a wide range of spoken, written, and visual communication in Chinese (Mandarin)
• build a growing awareness of the processes involved in additional language acquisition, including sustained, repeated practice, risk taking, and learning from mistakes
• grow intercultural awareness by questioning assumptions and stereotypes, and exploring how language and culture affect, and work together in, communication
• explore language commonly used to express personal information, ideas, and opinions in everyday contexts with reference to events or experiences in the present, as well as the past or future
• develop one-way communicative skills to express simple information, ideas, and opinions
• recognise values and practices of Chinese-speaking cultures and the values and practices of their own cultures and communities.

Making reliable judgements

The Achievement Standard supports the student’s learning development and evaluates their linguistic proficiency in an authentic context. This reflects the idea that language acquisition requires working with an emerging skill set rather than demonstrating perfection.

At higher levels of achievement, students will demonstrate greater variety and control of language to enhance their communication.

Collecting evidence

The evidence submitted for this Standard may not also be assessed for AS 91952 (1.1) Interact in spoken Chinese (Mandarin) to share and respond to information, ideas, and opinions.

Leading towards the assessment of this Standard, students should be taught and have sufficient practice writing in Chinese characters and speaking in Chinese (Mandarin).

If students choose to submit spoken evidence only, they may draft written scripts to prepare for the assessment. The drafted written scripts will not be assessed.

If students choose to submit a combination of spoken and written evidence, the spoken and written language content must be complementary to each other. For example, a piece of work about a guided house tour could include a map with written descriptions for each room, a video recording of the student describing their family members, and a written paragraph referring to an event or experience with the family.

Assessors must follow the Conditions of Assessment for collection of evidence.

Possible contexts

The context used to assess this Achievement Standard will reflect the chosen purpose. The purpose should be selected by the student with teacher guidance where appropriate.

A chosen purpose refers to the intention of the communication, where the audience and the context are taken into consideration.

Examples include:

• sharing your interests
• preparing for an event
• communicating about an experience.

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.