Systems of language
Experiment with the pronunciation of vowel sounds, word endings -iny, -ngat, -ool, and intonation patterns
Practise reading familiar and new words out aloud and notice which speech organs are being used to produce sounds, such as lips, tongue and voice box, for example:
- practise the retroflex sounds, feel tongue
- -rd- like saying d with tip of tongue turned back
- -rl- like saying l with tip of tongue turned back
- -rn- like saying n with tip of tongue turned back
- -rt- like saying t with tip of tongue turned back
Continue to practise sounding syllables
Classify words into syllable groups, such as one, two, three, three+ syllables; for example:
- two syllables
- dje na,
- win dji,
- moo rditj
Expand vocabulary in Noongar, with some support, through word-formation processes, and recognise and use simple language structures, including:
- noticing and using nouns in contexts such as naming the Country and compass directions djiraly, kongal, boyal, marawar (north, south, east, west); roles of family members; history and meaning of local, NAIDOC and Aboriginal flags; developing informational text on details about a plant, such as where it grows, season, type of food or medicine; developing informational text on details about an animal, bird, or fish, such as life cycle and food chains
- understanding and using some common singular, plural, demonstrative and interrogative pronouns
- becoming aware of and building on the use of quality or state adjectives (feelings), such as sad, happy, tired, hungry, thirsty; for example, winyarn, djoorabiny, koboorl-wirt, bidibaba
- understanding and using adverbs of time and place
- understanding and using verbs in the present tense and developing an increasing awareness of the imperative and the future tense
- developing an understanding of habitual continuous verb tense; for example, Ngany bilya-k kalyakoorl djiba-djobaliny
- noticing compound verbs and the use of the affix/suffix -abiny to show becoming or getting; for example, kaalangabiny (becoming warmer)
- recognising and understanding common affixes/suffixes for direction, such as to and from, purpose, with or use, such as bilya-koorl (towards the river), miy-ool (out of the house), kitj-al (with a spear), mereny-ak (for food)
- noticing and using the dual purpose of the affix/suffix -kadak (with/to have) in conversations; for example, Baal kooda-kadak waabiny. (She friend‑with playing); Naatj mereny noonook-kadak ngaarn? (What food you - have to eat?)
- noticing the use of compound verbs and the use of the suffix/affix -abiny to show becoming or getting, for example, Ngany balyanabiny. (I’m wet becoming/getting.); Baal koondardabiny. (It’s becoming cloudy.)
Recognise that the same rules of punctuation apply as in English; for example, using capital letters and full stops for sentences
Begin to develop a metalanguage in Noongar for talking about language, using terms similar to those used in English, such as noun, pronoun, suffix, tense, adjective
Recognise and understand that language features are typically linked with familiar texts; for example, the use of imperatives in games, instructions and procedures such as preparing foods, medicines and making tools, and the use of past and habitual tenses in stories
Discuss links between people, stories and Country/Place, and the social importance of connections to History