9-10 Content Descriptions - Understanding language and culture
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