k10outline - 5-6 Strand Understanding language and culture

Understanding systems of language

use tone-syllables, intonation, stress and phrasing to express feelings and opinions

reading the lyrics of Chinese pop songs, modelled texts, tongue twisters, poems and news aloud to other learners, with attention to tones and pronunciation
using digital tools to check the correct pronunciation of Chinese and using voice-recording apps to check their own tone and intonation, to develop fluency
recognising syllable changes in speech, including change of tonal value and tone changes such as 不要 bú yào
recognising how tone marks affect pronunciation and meaning, for example, changing the tones 啊, 哦 can convey different meaning, depending on context
playing speaking games to demonstrate different emotions using features of pronunciation for effect, for example, reading the sentence 怎么是你？ or 我不相信你考了九十分。 with happiness, sadness or anger
understanding that Chinese has different regional accents such as accents spoken by people living in different provinces of China, Chinese-speaking communities in Taiwan and Southeast of Asia

identify and use components and/or characters, sentence structures, syntax and writing system features to compose and respond to familiar and some unfamiliar texts and contexts

AC9LCH6U02

Elaborations

analysing common simple and compound characters through a number of examples, 找, 提, 挑, 打 and identifying the possible placement of specific radicals and components in a compound character, for example, the placement of 扌on the left-hand side, through digital or board games
using digital tools to write a specific character, and obtaining its pronunciation by using online dictionaries
developing understanding of 6 types of Chinese characters such as pictographs 象形字 and phono-semantic characters 形声字
inferring meaning of unfamiliar words from known morphemes, for example, 学生, 学校, 小学
using appropriate punctuation in writing, including commas, full stops, question marks, semicolons, colons, inverted commas and exclamation marks
exploring and beginning to build more complex messages, using joining words 也,和,conjunction words 因为 ... 所以 ..., 虽然 ... 但是 ..., 不但 ... 而且 ..., sequence words 首先 ... 其次 ... 接着 ... 最后 ...
discriminating between the contextual meanings of characters with multiple meanings such as 家 in 家人 and in 画家, or that 冷 means cold in 冷水 and quiet in 冷清
using the function of words and structures in language, for example, 了 in the sentence 我早上看见了两只猫。 indicates the completion of an action in the past
understanding that there are different applications of grammatical rules in spoken and written language, for example, 这碗面太好吃了！这碗面非常美味！
exploring ways to express similarities or comparatives, using 和 ... 一样, ... 比 ... 更 ..., ... 比较 ..., ... 最 …

Literacy

Intercultural understanding

compare some Chinese language structures and features with those of English, using some familiar metalanguage

AC9LCH6U03

Elaborations

discussing aspects of grammar using metalanguage in Chinese or English, for example, 名词 (noun)，动词 (verb), 形容词 (adjective), 主语 (subject), 谓语 (predicate), for example, discussing 汉语名词的复数形式是什么？
identifying and comparing the language features of different text types in Chinese and English, such as the descriptive language in narratives or persuasive language in advertisements
comparing the use of passive voice and active voice in Chinese and English, for example, passive voice such as, "The glass is broken" is usually used to describe things that have happened in English, while active voice such as 他把杯子摔坏了。 could also be used in Chinese
comparing the structural features of familiar personal, informative and imaginative Chinese and English texts, for example, dates on diary entries and letters, greetings in emails or conversations, and titles of stories
comparing different types of texts such as recipes, songs, stories, recounts or conversations, to identify audience and purpose, used in both Chinese and English
creating comparative lists of vocabulary in Chinese and English which are used in different contexts, for example, the use of imperatives in a set of instructions, such as 起来！坐下！打开书！听并重复！, or the frequent use of time and place markers, such as 从前, 昨天, 今天, 明天, 下, in narratives
understanding how to create textual cohesion by using elements such as adverbs of sequence, for example, 第一个, 第二个, 下一个, 然后, 最后一个 and conjunctions, for example, 和, 或者, 因为, 但是, to sequence and link ideas, and comparing how these work in English
recognising grammatical features and how their use differs in Chinese and English, for example, recognising the lack of articles in Chinese and that adjectives can be used as verbs 老师高兴了。, using text extracts to identify parts of speech such as nouns and verbs by circling them in a nominated colour
comparing the use of tenses in Chinese and English, for example, in Chinese future tense is often expressed through time phrases 我明天去北京, 下个星期去上海 and verbs convey tense without verb conjugation, for example, explaining why 有 can mean ‘have’, ‘had’ and ‘will have’, and comparing with English

Critical and creative thinking

Intercultural understanding

Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture

recognise that language reflects cultural practices, values and identity, and that this impacts on non-verbal and spoken communication

AC9LCH6U04

Elaborations

discussing language choices expected or required in diverse contexts across languages, for example, apologising, congratulating, expressing thanks, declining, rejecting and complaining
recognising the interconnections between cultural practices and language use, for example, adding 叔叔, 老师, 阿姨 ... after surnames to show respect rather than addressing adults by their first names
noticing that language varies between regions, for example, soup spoon in Northern China is called 勺子 and 汤匙 or 调羹 in Southern China
exploring, in Chinese and English, how language and culture are expressed through First Nations Australians’ song, dance or artworks, considering similarities and differences in an aspect of the cultural expressions of Chinese-speaking people or communities
identifying ways in which Chinese language and culture influence the lives of Australians, for example, Chinese cuisine such as 北京烤鸭, and fashion such as 旗袍, 汉服
engaging with Chinese peers in diverse contexts, identifying situations in which misunderstanding or miscommunication occurs, and exploring strategies to overcome these
noticing and reflecting on how interacting in Chinese may feel different from interacting in English, and identifying ways of communicating or behaving that appear culturally specific

Critical and creative thinking

Intercultural understanding