Languages Other Than English Domain P-10

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Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Domain

The LOTE Domain supports the teaching of a second language to all primary and secondary school students.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development expects that schools provide Languages other than English from Prep to Year 10. A quality program offers classes for 150 minutes per week taught by a qualified LOTE teacher.

Why learn a language other than English?

Learning a language:

  • develops an understanding of how languages work which leads to improved literacy skills, including English literacy
  • helps students develop critical thinking, analysis and problem solving skills
  • teaches students about other peoples, their ideas and ways of thinking
  • inspires interest in and respect for other cultures
  • enhances employment and career prospects
  • contributes to social cohesiveness through better communication and understanding
  • contributes to economic, diplomatic and strategic development.

22 languages are taught in Victorian government primary schools and 19 in secondary schools.

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About the LOTE Domain

  • Policy and funding for government schools - Information about national and state policies in relation to the learning and teaching of languages, funding provided to schools and the elements of an effective program
  • Learning and Teaching Support - Links to websites, online resources and tools that provide learning and teaching support for teachers
  • School Programs - Information on the Victorian School of Languages, Centres of Excellence in Languages, bilingual programs and community languages schools
  • Assessment and Reporting - Information, resources and tools to help teachers make a consistent and balanced assessment of student achievement
  • Professional learning - Information and resources to help teachers with professional learning and schools with teacher training
  • Research and data - Contains LOTE reports based on data from the annual LOTE survey of government schools conducted in August, and research on the underlying value of language learning.
  • National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP) - Increase opportunities for school students to become familiar with the languages and cultures of our Asian neighbours, namely China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea.
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The Government's Plan for a Multicultural Victoria

The Government’s Plan for a Multicultural Victoria includes a strong, long term commitment to improve languages education in Victorian schools. Under the Plan, the Government has committed to:

  • Revolutionise languages education in Victoria by creating one of the world’s most diverse and effective languages programs
  • Introduce compulsory languages classes in every Victorian primary school, with a long-term plan to provide languages education for every government school student from Prep to Year 10 by 2025
  • Build a cohort of language teachers qualified and trained to world’s best practice standard
  • Increase the number of qualified language teachers by introducing scholarships of $20,000 for undergraduate teachers and $50,000 for qualified teachers to study languages
  • Enhance and support the role of community languages schools, including by increasing per student funding for community languages schools from $120 to $190 per year
  • Invest $1 million in ‘start up’ grants to schools taking up LOTE for the first time to purchase specialist texts, DVDs and IT resources etc.
  • Strengthen the sister-school program within the Department.

The Victorian Government's Vision for Languages Education was launched by the Minister for Education and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship on Monday 7 November, 2011. It outlines the Government’s commitments to languages education and explains why it has made this a priority. See: The Victorian Government's Vision for Languages Education

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More information

LOTE-related websites and resources can be found by using the advanced search feature on the FUSE Teacher Resources page.

Contact Student Learning: studentlearning@edumail.vic.gov.au for more information.

LOTE and the Victorian Essential Learning Standards

Introduction, learning focus statements and standards for the LOTE domain - Provides the introduction to the domain and information on structure, transition, background speakers, the learning focus statements and standards for LOTE Pathway 1 and Pathway 2.

Progression Measures for LOTE – Prep – Year 4 - Lists the progression measures for LOTE for students in Years Prep – 4.

Standards and Progression Points for LOTE – Pathway 1 - Lists the standards and progression points for LOTE – Pathway 1 for Levels 4-6 and beyond.

Standards and Progression Points for LOTE – Pathway 2 - Lists the standards and progression points for LOTE – Pathway 2 for Levels 5-6 and beyond.

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