Skip to the main content

7-8 Strand Understanding language and culture

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

AC9LS8EU01

  • 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.

Literacy

Personal and social capability

develop knowledge of, and use structures and features of, the Spanish grammatical and writing systems to understand and create spoken, written and multimodal texts

AC9LS8EU02

  • 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

Literacy

Personal and social capability

compare Spanish language structures and features with English, using familiar metalanguage

AC9LS8EU03

  • 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

Critical and creative thinking

Intercultural understanding

Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture

recognise how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values

AC9LS8EU04

  • 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

Personal and social capability

Intercultural understanding

Back to top of page