Years 7-8 Syllabus
Years 7-8 Band Level Description
In Years 7 and 8, students are beginning their learning of Spanish language, and this will be influenced by prior learning and experiences of language learning. Students use Spanish language to describe their personal worlds and interact and collaborate with teachers and peers within and beyond the classroom. Listening, speaking, reading and viewing, and writing activities are supported by modelling, scaffolding and feedback.
Students access authentic and purpose-developed spoken, written and multimodal resources which may include conversations, audio and video clips, textbooks, advertisements, blogs and magazines. They use their English literacy knowledge of metalanguage to reflect on similarities and differences between Spanish and English language pronunciation, structures and features. They recognise that language choices reflect cultural identity, beliefs and values.
Years 7-8 Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 8, students use Spanish language to interact and collaborate with others, and to share information and plan activities in familiar contexts. They respond to others’ contributions, and recognise familiar gestures, questions and instructions in exchanges. They recognise relationships between spoken and written forms. They locate and respond to information in texts and use non-verbal, visual and contextual cues to help make meaning. They respond in Spanish or English, and demonstrate understanding of context, purpose and audience in texts. They use familiar language, and modelled sentence and grammatical structures to create texts.
Students approximate pronunciation and intonation in spoken Spanish. They demonstrate understanding that Spanish has conventions and rules for non-verbal, spoken and written communication. They comment on aspects of Spanish and English language structures and features, using metalanguage. They demonstrate awareness that the Spanish language is connected with culture and identity, and that this is reflected in their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Content Descriptions
Interacting in Spanish
interact with others using modelled language to exchange information in familiar contexts about self and personal worlds
exchanging greetings with others using appropriate formal or informal language, for example, ¡Buenos días, clase!, Buenas tardes, señor Rodríguez, ¿Cómo está usted? Hola, ¿qué tal Pedro? adiós señora, ¡Hasta luego, amigos!
introducing and describing themselves, others and posessions, for example, Me llamo David y vivo con mi padre. Mi hermana tiene 24 años y trabaja de abogada, Mi amigo tiene muchos animales en su granja/finca
expressing likes, dislikes and preferences using simple modelled structures, for example, Me gusta jugar con el ordenador/computador. No me gusta la sopa. Me encanta la música. Mi deporte favorito es la natación.
interviewing others about their families, pets, likes and dislikes, hobbies and leisure time activities, for example, ¿Tienes hermanos/as? ¿Tienes animales? ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?
responding to questions about feelings, for example, ¿Cómo está(s)? ¿Qué tal? Estoy estresada ..., estoy contenta ..., estoy cansado ..., estoy aburrido ...
conversing with others about routines, events and leisure activities using language associated with time and place, for example, Me levanto a las 7. Los fines de semana voy a la playa con mi familia. Mi fiesta de cumpleaños es el domingo.
discussing significant or special events in their lives with peers or Spanish-speaking teenagers, for example, En mi cumpleaños ceno con mis amigos. Celebro el fin de año con mi familia.
develop language to interact in exchanges, routines, tasks and responsibilities related to classroom and interests
responding appropriately to commands or requests, for example, escuchen por favor, haz click sobre la imagen del monumento, escoge la palabra correcta
following and giving instructions, for example, abran el libro, lee la página 20, escuchad, salgan de clase, escribid en los cuadernos
asking for help, information or permission, for example, ¿Me puede ayudar …?, ¿Cómo se dice … en español? ¿Puedo ir a beber agua? perdón, lo siento, gracias ¿Puede/s repetir? ¿Puedo ir al baño? ¿Cómo se escribe ...? No entiendo.
expressing opinions and thoughts using set phrases, for example, ¡qué sorpresa!, de acuerdo / no estoy de acuerdo, prefiero ..., and inviting others to give opinions or suggestions, ¿estás de acuerdo? ¿qué piensas? yo sí / yo no
assisting the teacher with classroom routines and duties such as roll call, distributing work, giving instructions to peers, assisting with technology, for example, Aquí está tu libro, ¿Está María presente? Luis no está aquí pero Miguel si está aquí
developing the use of spontaneous interjections, expressions and gestures to maintain simple interactions such as sí sí, bueno …, vale, vale … ¡Bravo!
playing games and completing activities with peers incorporating language to share, praise, encourage and take turns, for example, tu turno, ahora te toca a ti, ¡bien hecho!, inténtalo de nuevo
making a simplified Spanish board game to reinforce learning vocabulary and grammatical points while playing with others, for example, Turista Mundial, Scrabble En Español, Lotería, Mirar y Recordar memory game
playing a true and false game relating to routines, interests and personal details, in groups or pairs, taking turns to say 3 statements, 2 true and 1 false, with others guessing the information that is false, for example, Me gustan las serpientes. Me despierto a las 6 de la mañana. No desayuno.
engage in modelled non-verbal, spoken and written exchanges with peers to organise activities relating to daily life and school environment
working with peers to produce bilingual signs/flyers and posters to promote sustainability and waste reduction within the school community, for example, labelling bins and containers, reciclaje, basura, basura orgánica, papel, cartón
working together to produce class reference materials such as wall charts or visuals, to display key vocabulary and structures used regularly in the classroom, and promote Spanish learning, for example, ¡No te rindas! ¡Estudia español!
participating in imagined scenarios such as an Amazing Race, Cluedo, asking for and giving directions, information and assistance, for example, ¿dónde está la biblioteca? A dos cuadras a la derecha, necesito un mapa de la escuela, sigue hacia la izquierda
participating in real or simulated transactions such as purchasing food or tickets, for example, ¿cuánto cuesta? ¡qué caro/barato! ¿acepta tarjeta de crédito? ¿a qué hora es el próximo …?
emailing, messaging or using secure online applications to chat about plans and daily life experiences using present tense, for example, El/los lunes juego al tenis, El/los viernes compramos la comida de la semana, El/los domingo/s visitamos a mi familia
Mediating meaning in and between languages
locate and process information and ideas in familiar spoken, written and multimodal texts, responding in ways appropriate to cultural context, purpose and audience
- identifying details and key points of information from authentic resources or teacher-created texts, for example, using weather reports, news/sport reports, real estate descriptions or menus, and deciding which points to incorporate in a new text type such as a floor plan or a promo poster for foods from a menu
- locating, classifying and summarising information collected from sources such as menus, notices, timetables, packaging or retail catalogues, for example, creating a shopping list and recording prices of items, noting vegetarian options on a menu, classifying items by colour, shape, type, etc.
conducting simple surveys or interviews with others about familiar topics such as pets, likes/dislikes, hobbies, then interpreting the results and recording in a graph, table or graphic, for example, Siete personas en la clase tienen gato, 90% tiene perros
- listening to, reading or viewing First Nations Australian authors’ stories in English and responding to them in spoken or written Spanish
- identifying key points of information in short spoken or recorded texts such as phone messages, announcements or television advertisements, and transposing them to note form for own reference or to communicate to others
identifying and describing characters and events in a movie, story or comic such as Manolito Gafotas, by responding to structured questions, for example, ¿Cómo se llama el chico de verdad? ¿Por qué tiene ese mote?, ¿Cuántos años tiene? ¿Cómo es su familia? ¿Quiénes son sus amigos?
navigating secure online applications such as digital maps or timetables to find out about transport and services in a Spanish-speaking country, using information in a simulated conversation with a taxi driver or person in a hotel, for example, ¿Dónde está la farmacia? Está enfrente del banco. Toma la primera calle a la derecha.
locating specific information about a person, place or event, describing characters ¿Quién? ¿Qué?, events ¿Qué pasa? ¿Cuándo?, settings ¿Dónde?, and key ideas ¿Por qué?, and establishing sequence, for example, primero … luego … después … por fin/finalmente …
develop and begin to apply strategies to interpret, translate and convey meaning in Spanish in familiar contexts
translating short texts such as public signs or community notices from Spanish to English, and vice versa, identifying problems encountered and noticing similarities and differences in how the messages are conveyed, for example, the Spanish use of impersonal se in signs compared with the English use of imperatives, for example, se prohibe fumar
using print and online dictionaries to assist in the translation of simple texts, noticing that some words are pronounced or written the same way but may have different meanings, for example, ay/hay, cien/sien, hola/ola
recognising cognates and the possibility of encountering ‘false friends’ when translating between Spanish and English, for example, carpet/folder, contester/answer, deporte/sport, pie/foot, and that these may hinder translation or create misunderstanding and confusion
- identifying Spanish/English cognate patterns that can be used to predict meaning or obtain gist, for example, in verb endings, suffixes/prefixes, and similar words
- developing techniques to infer meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary and structures in a text, for example, highlighting known and unknown words in different colours and discussing strategies to predict meaning or fill gaps without relying on a translator
understanding the distinction between literal and non-literal translation, and identifying expressions in Spanish or English that may make no sense when translated literally into the other language, for example, pasarlo bomba, tomar el pelo, meter la pata, ‘she’ll be right’, ‘a piece of cake’
recognising that abbreviations are used in both Spanish and English texts, for example, tq=te quiero, pq=porque, CU=See you, LOL= jajaja, and considering the use and effects of abbreviations for a range of audiences
- observing live or recorded Spanish language interactions in different contexts, and recognising that communication extends beyond spoken language, including body language, gestures, levels of politeness and tone
noticing variations in language use based on the age, gender and social relationships of speakers and the context and purpose of interactions, for example, selecting appropriate greetings and terms of address for people of different ages or status, Hola, ¿qué tal, Diana? Buenas tardes, Señor Méndez, Diga, ¿quién llama?
Creating text in Spanish
create spoken, written and multimodal, informative and imaginative texts using appropriate vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures, and some textual conventions
preparing a presentation by following a format that includes a greeting, introduction and sequenced ideas, for example, Buenos días. Hoy voy a hablar de los koalas. Voy a compartir su descripción física, su dieta y dónde viven. Los koalas son animales muy simpáticos.
composing and performing a role-play based on a real or imagined scenario, for example, meeting a new student, ¿cuál es tu asignatura favorita? or going to the shops, ¿dónde está la panadería?
producing informative texts that combine print, digital or visual elements for specific audiences, for example, creating a brochure or video about their school or community for a Spanish-speaking audience, Esta es la biblioteca donde hay libros; a digital personal profile for class peers, Mi música favorita es el rock; or a presentation of their dream home, Mi casa ideal es/está …
- creating a print or digital poster in Spanish to promote travel to a significant cultural location on a First Nations Country/Place, including what to see and do
creating resources such as posters or displays to create awareness of relevant issues, for example, the environment, la basura a la papelera; use of technology, respeta online/en línea; and school etiquette, camina por la izquierda
writing a story by composing captions for a sequence of pictures or images, for example, Hay una familia. La familia está en el parque. El parque tiene un lago con patos …
creating characters, situations or events in a range of texts designed to entertain others, such as a short narrative, digital photo story, comic strip, or a page of a big book for younger students, for example, Mi monstruo vive en el espacio y come estrellas
writing the first part of a short narrative, and exchanging with a peer to write the next section, repeating until the text is complete and reading aloud, or folding the paper so the next person cannot see what was previously written to create a funny story, for example, Es martes por la tarde y …, Las dos chicas están en el colegio …
- planning and presenting a performance for non-Spanish speakers, with bilingual and explanatory commentary
Digital literacy
Understanding systems of language
recognise and use features of the Spanish sound system, including pitch, rhythm, stress, pronunciation and intonation, and demonstrate understanding of how these are represented in familiar contexts
recognising that many of the letters of Spanish and English have the same sounds, with some exceptions and additions, such as ñ
- understanding that in Spanish there is only one sound for each vowel
recognising and practising the different Spanish vowel and consonant sounds through simple rhymes, for example, silent h, j, g, x, and ll
spelling their name aloud in Spanish, for example, M-a-r-t-í-n /eme-a-erre-te-i-ene
recognising variations in intonation required to form statements, questions and exclamations, for example, Eres de Australia ¿Eres de Australia? ¡Eres de Australia!
listening to statements, exclamations and questions read aloud, using intonation cues and transcribing what they hear with appropriate exclamation or questions marks where relevant, for example, ¡Comes mucho! ¿Comes mucho?
using own phonetic notes to help their pronunciation and intonation, for example, Vi series y pelis /bee seh-ree-ehs i peh-lees/, inglés /in- glehs/
applying pronunciation rules to common tongue twisters such as Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal.
develop knowledge of, and use structures and features of, the Spanish grammatical and writing systems to understand and create spoken, written and multimodal texts
- recognising that Spanish has 22 consonants and 5 vowels
noticing and applying the different rules of capitalisation in Spanish and English, for example, lunes, marzo, matemáticas
- identifying and applying graphic symbols, such as ñ, tildes, ¿…? ¡…! on keyboards and in writing systems
understanding and applying grammatical gender rules such as o and a at the end of nouns, and common exceptions, for example, mano (feminine), día (masculine)
developing awareness of additional gender patterns in word endings, for example, el/la -ista, el/la -ante, la -ción, la -dad, el -or, el -aje, el -ero/la -era
using appropriate definite and indefinite articles that agree in gender and number to noun, for example, el, la, los, las, un, una, unos, unas; noticing some common exceptions to the rule, for example, el día, la mano, el lápiz/ los lápices
understanding that adjectives and possessives agree in number and gender with nouns, paying attention to word order, for example, la casa amarilla, las niñas divertidas, los perros rápidos, el estudiante trabajador/la estudiante trabajadora, mi familia, mis amigos/as, tu estuche rojo, su ordenador/sus ordenadores nuevo/s
developing knowledge of number and gender agreement with demonstratives, for example, este, ese, aquel/esta, esa, aquella; ordinal numbers, for example, primero/a, segundo/a, tercero/a; and basic quantifiers, for example, mucho/a/os/as, bastante/s, poco/a/os/as
understanding the form and function of subject pronouns yo, tú, vos, él, ella, usted, nosotros/as, vosotros/as, ellos/as, ustedes, and how they determine verb endings in conjugations, for example, esta es María, la hermana de Juan. Ella está en la escuela primaria y él está en el año 8
understanding and using the 3 conjugations for the present tense of regular verbs -ar/-er/-ir, and commonly used irregular verbs, for example, ser, estar, tener, ir
recognising that there are multiple versions of the verb ‘to be’ in Spanish such as ser and estar, and identifying the main uses of each, for example, soy Alicia (permanent), estoy bien (temporary), somos peruanos (nationality), estamos en clase de español (location)
using verb conjugations in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms, for example, ¿Cuál es tu nacionalidad? Soy china-australiana ¿Y tú, qué idiomas hablas? Yo no hablo chino, pero hablo inglés y español.
seeking information using interrogatives, for example, ¿qué ...? ¿cómo ...? ¿cuándo ...? ¿quién ...? ¿dónde ...? ¿cuántos/as ...? ¿por qué ...? ¿cuál ...?
using prepositions of place, for example, está entre los árboles, and the contractions al (a + el) and del (de + el), such as está al lado del patio
linking ideas using connectives, for example, y (e), o(u), pero, porque
recognising the functions of elements such as prefixes and suffixes, and their importance in word building and changing meaning, for example, repasar, repaso, casa, casita, caserón, casero, jugar, un juego, jugador
compare Spanish language structures and features with English, using familiar metalanguage
developing awareness that different verbs are used in Spanish and English for certain expressions, for example, tengo 12 años (I am 12 years old) ¿tienes hambre? (Are you hungry?) Hace frío (It is cold)
identifying do/does as an interrogative/negative auxiliary in English and how it differs in Spanish, for example, “Do you live in Costa Rica?” ¿vives en Costa Rica? “I don’t live in Costa Rica” no vivo en Costa Rica
- understanding the difference in expressing decimal points in Spanish and English, for example, $2,000 (2.000€) and 1.75m (1,75m) height; observing that in some English-speaking countries the imperial system is an alternative to the decimal system, for example, 3 feet (0,91m)
recognising that register shifts according to familiarity and social position, for example, using different pronouns and the corresponding verb endings in formal or informal interactions such as ¿cómo se llama usted? ¿cómo te llamas?
building metalanguage to understand and discuss grammatical structures and vocabulary in Spanish and English, for example, infinitivo, presente, género, masculino, femenino, número, singular, plural, adjetivo, sustantivo, forma negativa e interrogativa, and comparing with equivalent terms in English
comparing key structures and features of familiar Spanish and English texts by identifying the intended purpose and audience, such as in recipes, announcements, road signs or instructions, for example, Primero, se pelan las patatas .... Señores pasajeros, el tren con destino ..., SE RUEGA SILENCIO. Escribir la respuesta a las siguientes preguntas ...
discussing Spanish and English word order and syntax, noticing similarities and differences, for example, noun before adjective in Spanish; showing possession, for example, using apostrophe ‘s in English, using preposition ‘de’ in Spanish
comparing the ways to express ‘you’ in Spanish, for example, tú, usted, ustedes, vosotros, vosotras, vos and ‘you’ in English
recognising the influence of Spanish language and culture(s) on English and other languages by identifying loan words such as patio, tango, taco, chocolate, tomato, guacamole and siesta, noting how they are pronounced by English speakers
Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture
recognise how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values
- viewing interactions between Spanish-speaking people and recognising register as well as comparing culturally determined manners or behaviour, for example, kisses on the cheek or formal/informal address
listening to and reading traditional texts such as leyendas, fábulas, rimas y refranes, identifying key messages, beliefs and values, and comparing aspects that may be similar or different across cultures
- identifying that a sense of identity and belonging is important across all cultures and discussing how it may be expressed, for example, through family or community, actions, behaviours or self-perception
- 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
exploring language features that reflect and embody cultural values and history, for example, regional differences in naming conventions such as the use of apellidos, composite names and religious based name order María José/José María
- identifying elements of ways of communicating and behaving in Spanish that may be unfamiliar to people from different contexts and cultures, for example, ways of expressing wishes, social interactions, celebrating events, or rituals associated with sports
considering language use depending on the context and relationship, for example, calling someone gordito as a term of endearment, not insult
understanding that languages and cultures change continuously due to contact with and influences from other languages and cultures, and in response to new ideas and developments, for example, tuitear, globalización, chatear, bloguear, cliquear, presionar control click
collecting examples of Spanish word borrowings from other languages, for example, fútbol, shopping, básquetbol, canguro, chófer, pizza, chau
observing that many Spanish speakers may be multilingual and can move between languages to achieve different purposes, and to draw on additional communicative resources, for example, Gallego, Euskera, Catalán, Guaraní and Aimara
examining what is most important to them and their way of life, for example, creating a personal slogan/motto and crest to reflect aspects of their identity using Spanish words, phrases, expressions such as siempre sé positive, and symbols