SACE Stage 2 Australian Languages - Additional Language cheat sheet

School assessment in SACE Stage 2 Australian Languages (Additional Language) typically comprises 70% of the final grade, with the external assessment contributing 30%.

Assessment Type 1: Folio (30%) includes a range of oral, written, and multimodal responses in the target language, demonstrating interaction and production skills.

Assessment Type 2: In-depth Study (20%) requires students to research a topic related to the target language culture and present findings in the target language, often in both written and oral forms.

Assessment Type 3: Interaction (20%) involves an oral interaction (e.g., conversation or interview) in the target language, assessed for communication and language accuracy.

Performance standards are described by five levels of achievement (A to E) across three criteria: Communication, Knowledge and Application, and Language Accuracy.

The school assessment grade is determined by the quality of evidence collected across the three assessment types, with each type weighted as specified in the subject outline.

Moderation processes ensure comparability of school-assessed grades across schools; evidence must be retained and may be externally moderated.

Plagiarism and collusion are prohibited; students must sign a declaration that work is their own, and teachers must verify authenticity.

Students should use the target language predominantly in assessments, with English used only where explicitly permitted (e.g., in research notes for the In-depth Study).

The external assessment for SACE Stage 2 Australian Languages (Additional Language) is an examination worth 30% of the final grade.

The examination assesses students' ability to comprehend and respond to texts in the target language, and to produce texts in the target language.

The exam typically consists of three sections: Listening and Responding, Reading and Responding, and Writing in the target language.

Listening and Reading sections may include multiple-choice, short-answer, and extended-response questions based on authentic texts.

The Writing section requires students to produce a coherent text in the target language (e.g., an article, letter, or report) of approximately 250–300 words, depending on the language.

Dictionaries (bilingual or monolingual) may be permitted in the examination; students should confirm the specific rules for their language.

The examination is marked by external assessors using the same performance standards as school assessment, with criteria focusing on communication and language accuracy.

Students must manage time effectively across sections; the examination duration is typically 2 hours plus reading time.

Past examinations and marking guidelines are available from the SACE Board to help students understand expectations and format.