Planning with Concepts: Creating Opportunities for Rich, Meaningful Language Learning in the Design of Curriculum for the Teaching and Learning of Chinese

An important element of an intercultural approach to teaching and learning languages in the current Australian context is the central role of concepts in curriculum design. There is a shift from a purely descriptive approach to one in which learning is situated within a broader and deeper conceptual exploration. Concepts such as identity, family, friendship, sustainability, harmony, belonging, celebration not only provide a framework for rich and meaningful language learning within an intercultural orientation, but they also connect language learning with learning across curriculum including Humanities and Social Science, English, and the Arts. Drawing on my experience of developing Chinese language learning modules for the learning of Chinese both as an additional language and for a bilingual program, in this chapter I explore the value, processes and challenges of working with concepts through a discussion of particular modules written for the project.