7-8 Content Descriptions - Understanding language and culture
Understanding systems of language
apply knowledge of conventions of spoken Spanish to enhance fluency, and to respond to and create texts in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
distinguishing nuances in pronunciation of some consonants according to vowel combinations, for example, jardín, garage, gente, agua and gas, and the double consonants ll and rr compared with the single l and r
using the rhythms of the Spanish language, including intonation, tone and stress, to increase fluency and enhance expression, for example, No compro nunca en esa tienda versus ¿No compró nunca en esa tienda?
recognising where to place stress in extended sentences, for example, Vámonos ya para el concierto de Rosalía. Ven aquí y te enseñaremos a bailar salsa.
recognising that written Spanish has only 3 double consonant combinations, cc, ll and rr, for example, acción, llover, corrección
applying pronunciation rules to common tongue twisters such as Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal
apply understanding of grammatical structures and expressions to compose and respond to texts
conjugating common regular verbs and high-frequency irregular verbs such as ir, tener, ser, haber in the present, preterite and present perfect tenses, for example, Voy a la escuela todos los días, fui a la escuela el año pasado, he ido a la escuela durante dos trimestres
using present, past and immediate future tense verbs followed by infinitive, for example, Debemos dormir bien, quiero ir a casa, no pudo comer, me gustaría celebrar contigo, vamos a jugar al baloncesto
expanding their use of cohesive devices such as sin embargo, además, to create compound sentences and link ideas, for example, Los estudiantes son inteligentes sin embargo no estudian todos los días.
using adjectives to describe people and aspects of the environment, for example, Mi tía es generosa y agradable, Los Andes son más altos que los Pirineos. Lo más/menos importante es …
expressing quantity, for example, miles de personas, mucha gente, varios libros, tanto dinero, pocas ideas, bastante calor, algunos amigos
using adverbs to modify the meaning of verbs and adjectives, for example, Él nadó rápido. Nosotros casi nunca entrenamos especialmente cuando hace demasiado calor.
indicating possession by using de followed by a pronoun or noun, for example, El carro de mi mamá, Las camisas de mi hermano, Las profesoras de la escuela tienen vacaciones de verano
reflect on similarities and differences between Spanish and English language structures and features, using metalanguage
- reflecting on language appropriate to different types of texts, such as descriptive language in documentaries, reflective language in diary and journal entries, and persuasive language in advertisements, and compare these with English
collecting examples of online and print advertisements, and identifying and analysing the language features and grammatical structures used to persuade potential consumers in both Spanish and English, for example, ‘End of season sale’, ¡Compre en los almacenes ‘La Moda’, no se arrepentirá!, ¡Pague menos y lleve más!
understanding and comparing textual elements, in Spanish and English, that provide coherence at a whole text level, for example, cohesive devices, introductions and summaries, linked paragraphs, and sequencing of ideas, por lo tanto …, en primer lugar …
comparing Spanish and English sentence structure, for example, the omission of the subject in Spanish, Simón busca la información en la red, la necesita para su trabajo
collecting Spanish and English cognates, for example, fascinante/fascinating, arquitectura/architecture, doctor/doctor, enciclopedia/encyclopedia, cancelar/cancel, bicicleta/bicycle
identifying Spanish words borrowed from different languages across time and through political, historical and social changes, such as words of Arabic origin that start with the prefix al-, for example, almanaque, alcachofa, algodón, algebra and alcohol, and some common interjections such as ¡hola!, ¡ojalá! and ¡olé! also derived from Arabic
understanding the conventions of several types of texts in Spanish and comparing these with English, for example, the use of abbreviations in text messages, tq = te quiero, formulaic greetings in telephone conversations, Aquí, Hola, ¿Sí? ¿Aló?, typical phrases for greeting cards, Muchas felicidades por …, language in menus, entrada, platos de fondo/primer plato/segundo plato, postres, menú del día
Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture
reflect on and explain how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values
recognising that language and cultural practices are interconnected, for example, identifying the religious origins or connotations of many common Spanish names such as Jesús María, Dolores, and expressions such as ¡Qué Dios te bendiga!; and changes reflecting social values such as the adoption of some feminine forms of professional titles, for example, la doctora/el doctor, la abogada/el abogado, la jefa/el jefe
- comparing elements of communication, for example, body language and use of personal space and silence in different cultural contexts, and exchanges such as physical greetings, proximity when interacting and the use of ‘sorry’ in English compared with Spanish
identifying levels of formality in spoken and written texts and considering what these reveal about social relationships and processes, such as reflection of status, authority, respect or intimacy, for example, Perdone que le interrumpa, Presidenta. ¿Podría …? Disculpe, ¿podría decirme ...? Eres el amor de mi vida ...
- examining, in Spanish or English, how First Nations Australian languages have strong connections to Country/Place locations, and how these can be compared with language variations across Spanish-speaking countries and regions
- recognising that many Spanish-speaking countries have co-official Spanish languages and how this is an important aspect of identity, for example, Guaraní in Paraguay, Catalan, Galician and Basque/Euskera in Spain, and Quiché in Guatemala
noticing components of Spanish language that reflect cultural histories and influences, for example, technological and scientific terms derived from classical Latin and Greek, continente, vegetación, bacteria, biología, protocolo and mecánico
- understanding the nature of the distribution of Spanish speakers across the world, including countries such as United States and the Philippines where the Spanish language and cultures have an important presence, for example, the development of Spanglish as a dialect and influence on Tagalog/Filipino
examining language variation in relation to vocabulary and grammatical forms in Spanish-speaking communities compared with Spanish-speaking in Spain, for example, ‘strawberries’ are fresas in Spain and frutillas in Argentina; ‘bus’ is colectivo in Venezuela, ómnibus in Peru, camión in Mexico and guagua in Cuba; and the use of the pronoun vos in Central America/Argentina/Uruguay
considering the value of the influence of Spanish language and culture(s), including food, film, fashion, music and dance, on the English language and other cultures, for example, churros, tortilla, pupusas, tapas, salsa, flamenco