VCE Chinese Language Culture Society case studies
VCE Chinese Language Culture Society · Put your knowledge to work in context.
VCE Chinese Language, Culture and Society is a Victorian senior secondary study in which students use Chinese to communicate across interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes while building knowledge and understanding of Chinese-speaking cultures and societies. It suits students who want to combine language development with cultural and social analysis rather than literature study alone. The VCE Chinese Language Culture Society case studies are 5 cases and about 2,742 words.
1The Host's Dilemma at a Mixed-Language Dinner
Lin Wei, a 19-year-old from Melbourne, is hosting a dinner for her grandmother, who speaks only Shanghainese and Mandarin, and two Australian classmates from her university Chinese class, Ben and Chloe, who are confident at textbook Mandarin but have never heard Shanghainese. Lin Wei's grandmother has just told a long, animated story in Shanghainese about a neighbour's wedding.
592 words, about 3 min2Reading a Newspaper Editorial's Stance
A Year 12 student, Priya, is analysing a 600-character editorial from a Chinese-language community newspaper in Sydney. The headline reads 《春节游行：传统还是表演？》 (Spring Festival Parade: Tradition or Performance?).
566 words, about 3 min3Choosing a Register for a School Speech
Daniel, a non-heritage learner in Year 11, must deliver a three-minute speech in Mandarin at his school's Lunar New Year assembly. The audience includes 200 students (mostly non-Chinese-speakers), eight teachers, and the Chinese consulate's education liaison officer.
516 words, about 3 min4When a Compliment Is Not a Compliment
Emma, an Australian exchange student in Chengdu, has been staying with a host family for three weeks. At dinner, her host mother says: " Emma 真是越来越胖了，脸色好多了。" Emma understands every word - 胖 means fat - and feels mortified.
498 words, about 2 min5Translating a Festival Poster for Two Audiences
A community centre has asked a student team to produce an English version of a Mid-Autumn Festival poster. The Chinese original reads: "中秋佳节，月圆人圆。欢迎各位街坊携家人共赏明月，品尝月饼，共叙乡情。" The team must produce two versions: one for a printed flyer for the general public, and one for a social media post aimed at second-generation Chinese-Australians who read little Chinese.
570 words, about 3 min