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- Western Australian Curriculum
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- Languages
- Australian Curriculum Languages
- Aboriginal Languages - Australian Curriculum
- Aboriginal Languages - Australian Curriculum
- Aboriginal Languages - Second Language
- Years 9-10 Second Language Syllabus
- 9-10 Content Descriptions - Understanding language and culture
- 9-10 Strand Understanding language and culture
9-10 Strand Understanding language and culture
Understanding systems of language
apply features and conventions of spoken [Language] to extend fluency in responding to and creating texts in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
- applying authentic pitch, rhythm, stress, pronunciation and intonation modelled on [Language] speech in spoken texts, for example, in Ngarrindjeri the first syllable of a word is stressed
- recognising and reproducing the rhythm of extended sentences, such as the correct pausing for clauses in a complex sentence for effect
- practising complex sounds for fluency using tongue twisters
- listening to and/or viewing excerpts of authentic texts in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts, and identifying pronunciation patterns, for example, pronunciation of phonemes g or gg in Gangulu mungu munggu; rolling of r or rr in Ngarrindjeri and meaning; sound of dh and tj
- understanding the major place of articulation categories in Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages, for example, articulation at lip or soft palate, involving the flat of the tongue and position of the tongue in relation to teeth, and obstructing the air passage with tip of the tongue, and recognising their realisation across different languages and regions in Australia
- using their knowledge of alphabetic conventions for Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages to transcribe spoken texts from a range of languages, for example, those related to the [Language] or those from neighbouring regions
- understand and apply the conventions or rules for consonants, vowels (short, long blend) and diphthongs
apply knowledge of grammatical structures and features to predict meaning and compose texts that contain some complex structures and ideas
- using correct word order such as verb+tense indicator+pronoun in an information-gap activity
- understanding and using free word order or structure to make meaning, for example, subject+object+verb or object+verb+subject, using the appropriate case marker for the object/receiver of the action
- using placemats as a reference to vocabulary, phrases, expressions, and linguistic features such as nouns, verbs, suffixes
- explaining how verbs can be changed into nouns by using appropriate suffixes
- adding suffixes to verb stems to identify the action and to determine the tense and number, for example, past, present and future, and singular, dual and plural
- understanding the role of suffixes in case and case marking for nouns, pronouns and adjectives, for example, I came from Mount Morgan, The dog goes to the old tree, The boy is standing next to the tree, The vicious dog bit the little girl, or equivalent in [Language]
- taking existing words and creating new words using suffixes
- forming nouns, pronouns and bound pronouns and adjectives
- understanding and applying the rules of the different verb categories, for example, verb-stem morphology, including compound verbs, reduplicated verbs, habitual and characteristic verbs, and transitive and intransitive verbs
- understanding that verbs have different functions such as causative, inchoative, reflexive-reciprocal
- using adverbs or modifiers of time, manner, feelings, number and description
- joining clauses with conjunctions and linking devices
- researching how the process of language building, under the custodianship of Elders and/or community members, expands existing linguistic and cultural resources in the community
reflect on and evaluate [Language] texts, using metalanguage to analyse language structures and features
- analysing a range of texts, for example, in respect to declaring identity, acknowledging traditional belief systems, acknowledging Ancestors, passing on knowledge and information, mapping resources on Country/Place, and managing natural phenomena such as weather
- using metalanguage for identifying and evaluating different types of sentence structures, idiomatic expressions and imagery, and reflecting how these are used to convey cultural meaning
- analysing how texts are constructed, including cohesive devices such as conjunctions, and coherence devices such as time markers
- applying principles of text organisation when developing both oral and written texts to develop or present ideas, noticing differences in characteristic features of oral and written discourse, and comparing with English and/or other known language(s)
- linking and sequencing ideas to form a cohesive text, using appropriate grammatical forms and language features, for example, compound and complex sentences
- explaining the effect of non-verbal elements of communication such as the use of silence or eye contact in different cultural contexts and exchanges
- reflecting on ways in which written language is different from spoken language
- comparing and explaining the relative consistency of Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages and English in spelling words, and recognising that English does not capture all Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages phonemes, sound systems and linguistic structures
- understanding that languages borrow from each other and acknowledging the origin of loan words from Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages in English
- discussing how songs and storytelling function to adjust and evolve language and meaning while retaining the essence of the song or story, in ways similar to the place/role/function of literature in other cultures
Understanding the interrelationship of language, culture and identity
understand and apply protocols associated with language learning and language using in cultural contexts
- using existing structures such as suffixes to language build and create new words or phrases and to make new meaning
- understanding that the processes involved in building vocabulary, phrases and linguistic structures in [Language] and other Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages are under the Custodianship of Elders and/or community members
- understanding what resources and processes are available to build language, for example, linguistic resources and analogies from neighbouring languages, speakers and archival material
- investigating the current status of Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages, and understanding why some languages are endangered or critically endangered, some need to be reclaimed/revived and others are strong and vibrant
- investigating language reclamation and revival efforts in their own community and neighbouring regions, for example, who and what is involved, successes, challenges and protocols, and what these efforts mean to Elders and/or community members
- understanding the importance of intergenerational collaboration in reclaiming and reviving languages, and discussing some of the associated challenges and successes
- analysing, in collaboration with Custodians of [Language], the authenticity of historical sources used in language building and discuss their strengths and limitations
- researching the impact of historical events, government policies and legislation on Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages
- investigating/researching the protocols for receiving, transferring and publishing linguistic resources
- using culturally-appropriate protocols when engaging with and learning from Aboriginal Peoples and communities and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities, for example, acknowledging the cultural and intellectual property rights and copyright of the sources of their language work and cultural knowledge, such as song holders, story keepers, language informers, medicinal knowledge, composers and choreographers
- investigating programs and initiatives that reclaim and revitalise language use, such as school languages programs, bilingual education, research programs, recording and archiving of material, websites, databases and documentaries
- analysing historical documents and classifying content according to categories such as date, text genre (wordlist, letter), topic (Indigenous knowledge, environment, traditions, fishing/navigation, rules), purpose of the text and intention of the writer (to inform, prescribe, describe, assert authority); and presenting findings in chart or table form or by giving a presentation
- identifying potential avenues/domains for expansion of [Language] and gaps to be filled, with the support of Elders and/or community members and educators
- researching how the process of language building expands existing linguistic and cultural resources in the Australian community
reflect on and evaluate how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s) and Country/Place, and how these affect ways of communicating
- applying culturally-appropriate protocols when inviting Elders and/or community members to share knowledge relating to language, culture, identity and Country/Place
- analysing and discussing attitudes or emotions such as respect, embarrassment, shame, avoidance, reciprocity, obligation or responsibility and how these are culturally expressed or concealed across First Nations Peoples
- explaining the role of Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages and cultures in passing on knowledge, such as sustainable care of the environment, rules for living, ways of behaving, spiritual and cultural functions and histories
- reflecting on First Nations ways of classifying the natural and cultural world, and how this is connected with Peoples, cultural knowledge, Country/Place and identity, and comparing these with other systems of classification
- discussing that there are multiple views on and explanations for current and past events and issues concerning First Nations Peoples, and discussing ways to promote awareness, and advocating for positive action, outcomes and change for the future
- investigating how practices have changed over time, such as trading practices, transitions from traditional life to settlements, and changes in land and sea management practices, and considering how these changes affect language, culture, people and identity
- researching the role and importance of advocacy in supporting the reclamation and revitalisation of the languages, cultures, knowledge and traditional practices of the First Nations of Australia – the oldest living continuous culture in the world – for the benefit of all Australians