Years 9-10 Spanish Syllabus
Years 9-10 Syllabus
Years 9-10 Band Level Description
In Years 9 and 10, Spanish language learning builds on each student’s prior learning and experiences. Students use Spanish to initiate and sustain interactions that communicate their own and others’ experiences of the world. They listen, speak, read and view, and write to communicate with speakers of Spanish locally and globally through authentic community and online events. They access and create spoken, written and multimodal texts, increasingly of their own choosing. They continue to receive guidance, feedback and support from peers and teachers.
Students access an increasing range of authentic and purpose-developed resources which may include textbooks, audio and video clips, feature articles, television programs and social media. They expand their knowledge and control of Spanish pronunciation, intonation, structures and features. They acknowledge that there are diverse influences on ways of communication and cultural identity, and that these influences can shape their own behaviours, beliefs and values.
Years 9-10 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 10, students contribute to and extend interactions in Spanish language in increasingly unfamiliar contexts related to a wide range of interests and issues. They interpret texts by evaluating and synthesising information, ideas and perspectives. They show understanding of how features of language can be used to influence audience response. They create texts, selecting and manipulating language for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. They apply and use complex sentences and structures to create and respond to spoken and written texts. They use a variety of tenses to sequence events and use language devices to enhance meaning and cohesion.
Students incorporate the features and conventions of spoken Spanish to extend fluency. They demonstrate understanding of the conventions of spoken and written texts and the connections between them. They apply knowledge of language structures and features to make and predict meaning. They support analysis of Spanish texts, using metalanguage. They reflect on their own cultural perspectives and identity, and draw on their experience of learning Spanish, to evaluate how this learning influences their ideas and ways of communicating.
Content Descriptions
Interacting in Spanish
initiate, sustain and extend exchanges in familiar and unfamiliar contexts related to students’ own and others’ experiences of the world, adjusting their language in response to others
applying appropriate register and modifying behaviour, language and etiquette in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar contexts, for example, meeting and greeting an important guest, as opposed to meeting a friend, ¿Cómo está usted? ¿Qué tal? Mucho gusto or muchísimo gusto. Encantado/a.
- exchanging emails with peers in a Spanish-speaking context to share views about aspects of teenage life, for example, friends, responsibilities, interests, future aspirations, and topical issues
interviewing class members to elicit opinions on personal experiences and significant events from their past, and identifying common themes or reactions, for example, ¿Estás interesado/a en …/te interesa? ¿Dónde naciste?
maintaining and extending conversations by following up on others’ contributions, for example, Creo que tú tienes razón pero … Me gustaría agregar que …
using language to achieve different purposes in interactions, for example, the use of contractions and acronyms in text messages for the purpose of speed and economy, and the use of slang, ¡holi! para=pa, pq=porque
interacting in role-plays or spontaneous skits about travelling, for example, in a lost property office, asking for directions, asking for recommendations, complaining about service, He perdido mi bolso, Por favor ayúdame a encontrarlo. Estoy perdido. ¿Dónde está la estación de tren?
playing a true and false game relating to past experiences, future aspirations or topics of interest, taking turns to say 3 statements, 2 true and 1 false, with others guessing the information that is false, for example, en el futuro quiero ser doctor, Me rompí la pierna cuando tenía 12 años, voy al gimnasio todos los dias a las 6 de la mañana
participating in a discussion, exchanging different viewpoints using strategies such as sentences starters, for example, Tienes otro punto de vista, Ese aspecto lo veo de la siguiente manera …, asking for repetition or clarification ¿Qué quieres decir …? or inviting further elaboration ¿Cómo? ¿A qué te refieres? Eso quiere decir que …
contribute to discussions that involve diverse views to negotiate outcomes, address issues and compare experiences
interacting in class discussion and debates by taking turns, expressing agreement/disagreement and providing encouragement, for example, Es mi turno ahora, Estoy de acuerdo contigo … No comparto esa opinión … Me parece una idea estupenda
negotiating arrangements, weighing up alternatives and reaching shared decisions in relation to planned activities such as competing in a travel game in a Spanish-speaking country, for example, Entonces nosotros reservamos un hotel de cinco estrellas – No, eso es muy caro, ¿Por qué no un hostal?
- participating in real or simulated transactions such as exchanging, ordering and bargaining for popular consumer items, for example, video games, books, accessories, souvenirs or clothes in a market
participating in collaborative projects such as a segment for a young people’s community radio or television program, sharing responsibility for different elements regarding news items or sports reports, and using appropriate terms to introduce and summarise, for example, Estamos transmitiendo en directo desde …, Esta edición escolar se trata de …, Ahora pasamos a las noticias del día …
using argument and expressive or persuasive language to discuss topical issues such as La sostenibilidad, Los derechos humanos, el calentamiento global, for example, como sabemos … es evidente que … nadie puede negar …
Mediating meaning in and between languages
evaluate and synthesise information, ideas and perspectives in a broad range of spoken, written and multimodal texts and respond appropriately to cultural context, purpose and audience
comparing different perspectives about an environmental issue, from a tourist company/profit perspective versus an environmental protection perspective, and incorporating information into a multimodal text to raise awareness, for example, environmental threats to the Great Barrier Reef, La Gran Barrera de Coral está muriendo, ¡tenemos que salvarla!
exploring persuasive and informative texts such as articles and reports, to recognise fact versus opinion, and presenting findings to the class, for example, Nosotros deberíamos cuidar el medio ambiente. El 30% de la población piensa que tenemos que cuidar el medio ambiente.
reading an advertisement and responding appropriately, for example, applying for a part-time job or for a student exchange program, addressing key criteria, Yo sería un buen candidato/a porque …, Estoy libre de lunes a miércoles
- listening to or reading First Nations Australians’ stories in English, and creating a profile of them in Spanish
summarising information from print or secure digital sources regarding an issue of interest, determining what information is most important/interesting, and presenting the information to others, stating their own perspectives, for example, El impacto de los medios sociales en la vida cotidiana. El vestuario y la identidad, La influencia de la música en los jóvenes
locating and researching information from reliable sources to inform decisions, by weighing up options and making an ‘advantages and disadvantages’ table about a range of topics, for example, the best time of year to visit a Spanish-speaking country, a country that may best suit them, No me gusta el frío así que me preferiría ir a Costa Rica
synthesising information from a range of sources in order to group and present ideas, themes and issues in a logical and coherent manner, for example, Los uniformes son importantes. El horario escolar debería reducirse.
adapting and changing texts to suit different contexts, purpose and audiences, such as changing a formal email to an informal message to a friend, for example, La directora dijo que tenemos que llevar el uniforme para los exámenes …
analysing published accounts of an event such as a sports match, a concert or a street party, and reporting results and highlights, for example, El Real Madrid ganó el partido con un resultado de 3-0
composing a short review of a film, story or documentary, and expressing opinions about different perspectives and viewpoints, for example, Este video no muestra la realidad de la posición de la mujer, Los personajes de este texto se sienten felices
- listening to, reading or viewing extracts from expressive contemporary texts such as songs, poems, dance, street art or musical performances, identifying elements that reflect the culture or experience of Spanish-speaking communities, and presenting findings
expressing responses to a personal or peer’s experience of an event such as a concert, party, camp, exam, job interview, using evaluative and expressive language to convey reactions such as excitement, appreciation or boredom, for example, Me encantó esa canción, ¡Aprecio tus palabras! ¡Qué aburrido! Eso suena muy dificil …
interpret and translate non-verbal, spoken and written interactions and texts to convey meaning and intercultural understanding in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
- translating short familiar texts such as advertisements, songs or film clips, comparing own translation with others, analysing and providing possible explanations for similarities and differences
reflecting on the difficulty of achieving equivalence in translations of creative texts such as poems and songs, and identifying words and phrases that require elaboration or explanation, for example, Es una tarde parda y fría de invierno …, from the poem Recuerdo infantil by Antonio Machado
- using, comparing and evaluating online translators for accuracy, efficiency and reliability, and discussing the risks of over-reliance
experimenting with translations of popular expressions or idioms in Spanish, noticing when this creates the potential for confusion, for example, En todas partes se cuecen habas (everywhere beans are cooked) = everyone has a skeleton in the closet. Meter la pata (put your leg in something) = to put your foot in it
creating bilingual texts that present aspects of culture(s) and way of life in Australia for Spanish-speaking students and parents, for example, a print leaflet or digital display about Australian national holidays, animals, and food such as Australian versions of tacos
- considering how to maintain the integrity of original texts when translating culture-specific concepts and slang words such as ‘thongs’, ‘servo’, ‘the bush’, ‘outback’, ‘chook’, ‘sausage sizzle’, ‘true blue’, or ‘fair dinkum’ to Spanish speakers
- reflecting on how meaning can be misinterpreted in intercultural interactions, for example, sharing experiences of miscommunication and strategies to deal with misunderstanding
Creating text in Spanish
create and present informative and imaginative texts for diverse contexts and purposes, selecting vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures and a range of features and conventions to engage different audiences
creating a multimodal presentation such as a Venn diagram, flow chart or digital display, comparing different perspectives of a topical issue, for example, la deforestación, los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, la tecnología, los jóvenes y el sueño
- creating visual displays of data or information gathered from personal research or overseas trips to share with peers on features of lifestyle or experiences of Spanish-speaking youth, for example, educational opportunities, outdoor and sporting activities across the seasons, or a typical weekend for a teenager
composing different types of social media texts such as blogs, advertisements, webpages, magazine articles, interviews, to present views on particular issues, using appropriate protocols to acknowledge sources of reference and commentary, for example, using reported speech El científico Dr. Sanabria dijo que hay que usar autos eléctricos
- writing a journal entry, or contributing to a school newsletter in Spanish reflecting on the impact of a visit to a significant cultural location on a First Nations Country/Place, and, with permission, referring to cultural knowledge of the site
writing the script for, and presenting role-plays or plays with characters, themes, settings and plots likely to appeal to specific audiences, for example, a magic show such as la historia del trilero, for young learners of Spanish
composing and performing speeches or dialogues that reference significant celebrations or historical events in Spanish-speaking communities or Australia, for example, El Día Internacional de la Mujer, La Feria de Sevilla, Anzac Day, Fiestas patrias, Festivales folclóricos
telling a story from several different perspectives and observations such as first-, second- and third-person points of view, for example, in third-person narration, relating the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by pronouns, for example, María fue al concierto y tardó 5 horas en autobús …
- selecting picture cards, cartoons or digital images and writing a description from the perspective of different characters in the image, for example, a picture of a park with several characters and where different things are happening – a lost ball, wind takes hat, dogs chasing ducks, sudden rain
- composing a secure online ‘cultural ID profile’ to exchange with Spanish-speaking peers, making decisions about what points of information will be of most interest and critically thinking about stereotypes
Understanding systems of language
apply features and conventions of spoken Spanish to extend fluency in responding to and creating texts in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
applying correct pronunciation to challenging letter combinations in Spanish, such as ae in aeropuerto, au in Australia, ll in ballena, r in pero, rr in perro, d in bondad, the soft t in té, and eu in Europa
understanding how tone can convey emotions, modify meaning and give clues about what is happening, for example, ¡Vamos ya! ¡Corre! ¡Tengo miedo del tigre! ¿Te gustaría ir al cine? ¡No te enojes!
- applying knowledge of pronunciation, intonation, rhythm and pace to own use of spoken Spanish, for example, when reading stories to younger children, asking questions or expressing emotions such as surprise or sadness
- experimenting with intonation and stress, improving coherence and increasing expressive range by reading out loud from unfamiliar texts, for example, newspapers, novels, reports
reciting tongue twisters to develop pace and fluency, for example, Buscaba el bosque Francisco, un vasco bizco, muy brusco, y al verlo le dijo un chusco, ¿Busca el bosque, vasco bizco?, De generación en generación las generaciones se degeneran con mayor degeneración
apply knowledge of grammatical structures to predict meaning and compose texts that contain some complex structures and ideas
understanding and using indefinite adjectives and pronouns such as alguno/a/os/as, ninguno/a/os/as, otros/as, todos/as, alguien, nadie, nada, algo, todo
applying constructions with a double negative, for example, No hay nadie en clase, No tenemos nada
understanding the difference between a reflexive verb and the corresponding non-reflexive verb, for example, Gerardo se lava la cara and Gerardo lava su carro
using modelled subjunctive mood to express doubt, uncertainty or emotion, for example, Dudo que María visite a su abuelo todos los domingos ...
expressing hypothetical events using modelled conditional voice structures, for example, Sería interesante estudiar chino or Yo viajaría, pero no tengo dinero
using cohesive devices to extend sentence complexity and sophistication, such as aunque, a pesar de, mientras que, for example, Aunque no me gustan los animales, quisiera estudiar biología.
- conjugating verbs to describe a range of events across time, for example, present, past, future tense
extending their understanding and use of symbols, acronyms, abbreviations and colloquial shortenings of words, for example, MERCOSUR, UE, ONU, OVNI, C/ – calle, EE. UU – U.S.A., d – dia, A. C. – B.C.
recognising the different usage of imperative forms such as persuading, encouraging and advising, for example, vaya a la cancha, vamos al descanso, piénsalo bien, piénselo bien
using numbers for a range of purposes and contexts, for example, in transactions or explaining historical or biographical events in time using years/dates such as a timeline, Juana La Loca nació el 6 de noviembre de 1479 en Toledo. Murió el 12 de abril de 1555
using the passive, impersonal form with se, for example, Se venden casas. ¿Cómo se dice ...?
beginning a sentence with an opening inverted exclamation mark ¡ and ending it with a question mark?, or vice versa, for statements that are questions but also have a clear sense of exclamation or surprise such as ¡Y tú, quién te crees?/Y tú !¿quién te crees?!
reflect on and evaluate Spanish texts, using metalanguage to analyse language structures and features
- developing metalanguage to extend discussion of grammatical features such as word order, tenses and subjunctive mood, and using terms such as ‘verbs’, ‘nouns’, ‘conditional’, ‘subjunctive’ and ‘simple past’
- analysing and comparing different types of texts such as television dramas or news bulletins to demonstrate how language is used to create effects, for example, emotional impact or interest
identifying common textual conventions, for example, the salutation in an email "Hola Luis", informal language in blogs, or rhetorical language in political pamphlets
- identifying key features and functions that characterise different types of texts such as voicemail, slogans, informative articles or short stories, and reflecting on how these are used for effect
- comparing the features and differences of spoken and written texts, for example, spoken versus print for advertising, face-to-face versus a scripted speech, a text message versus a formal letter
Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture
reflect on and evaluate how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values, and how these affect ways of communicating
sharing reflections on their experiences of learning Spanish and on different reactions to aspects of the language and culture, for example, Tengo problemas pronunciando la doble r, es difícil para mí …, Me gustaría poder hablar más rápidamente en español
- recognising differences in the nature and function of some elements of communication in Spanish compared with English, for example, the enjoyment of debate, disagreement and argument as social rather than confrontational activities, and greater levels of directness in exchanges such as making requests using direct imperative
understanding how language variation can reflect cultural and social identity, and inclusion or exclusion, for example, los refugiados versus/frente a los ilegales; the use of jargon or jergas, for example, currar, laburar, estar al loro, ir de marcha, mala onda, tipo, chavo, pibe to include or exclude; and the inclusive language of political speeches, for example, los ciudadanos y ciudadanas ...
- reflecting on and explaining the protocols required to authentically co-create an Acknowledgement of Country/Place with a First Nations Australian, to present in Spanish to a group of Spanish-speaking visitors at a school assembly
- researching the languages that are co-official Spanish languages, for example, Guaraní in Paraguay, Catalan, Galician and Basque/Euskera in Spain, and Quiché in Guatemala, and investigating the history and issues surrounding such relationships between languages
- reflecting on the development of Spanglish in Spanish-speaking communities and evaluating current debates and discussions around hybrid forms of languages
examining the meaning of proverbs and how they reflect historical cultural views and attitudes, for example, Lo cortés no quita lo valiente, El hábito no hace al monje, and idioms, for example, me puse las botas, no pidas peras al olmo
exploring how word choices such as selection of particular nouns and adjectives can indicate attitudes and values, for example, Ese joven no sirve para nada/Es un joven valiente. Ellos son ilegales/Ellos son los refugiados
- comparing texts created for different audiences in different Spanish-speaking regions and countries, noticing how language reflects priorities, beliefs and values of specific communities, for example, election campaigns, environmental concerns