Italian (Version 8.4)

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Context statement

The place of the Italian language and culture in Australia and the world
Italian, also known as Standard Italian or italiano standard, is the official language of Italy, the Vatican City, San Marino and parts of Switzerland.

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PDF documents

Resources and support materials for the Australian Curriculum: Languages - Italian are available as PDF documents. 
Languages - Italian: Sequence of content
Languages - Italian: Sequence of Achievement - F-10 Sequence
Languages - Italian: Sequence …

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Years 7 and 8

Years 7 and 8 Band Description

The nature of the learners

Students are beginning their study of Italian and typically have had little prior exposure to the language and associated cultures. Many will have learnt an additional language in primary school, some have proficiency in different home languages and bring existing language learning strategies and intercultural awareness to the new experience of learning Italian. Students’ textual knowledge developed through English literacy learning supports the development of literacy in Italian. Skills in analysing, comparing and reflecting on language and culture in both languages are mutually supportive. Students may need encouragement to take risks in learning a new language at this stage of social development and to consider issues of how the experience impacts on their sense of ‘norms’ associated with their first language and culture.

Italian language learning and use

Students work with different modes of communication and with different text genres, with reference to their own social, cultural and communicative interests. They learn to use modelled and rehearsed language in familiar contexts and begin to use the language to create and communicate their own meanings. They work with others collaboratively to plan, problem-solve, monitor and reflect on aspects of their learning. They learn how to make observations about the relationship between language and culture, particularly through comparing what they learn in Italian to their own language(s) and culture(s). They identify cultural references in texts and consider how language reflects practices, perspectives and values. They reflect on the process of moving between languages and cultures and developing their capability as learners of Italian.

Contexts of interaction

Opportunities for interaction in Italian are provided through working with the teacher and peers in class, and using resources and materials, including online resources as appropriate; there is also some interaction beyond the classroom with members of Italian communities. Italian is used by the teacher in classroom routines, structured interaction and learning tasks.

Texts and resources

Students listen to, read, view and interact with a range of texts for a variety of purposes, such as personal, social, informational, transactional, imaginative and expressive. They develop skills in planning, drafting and presenting descriptive and informative texts and participate in collaborative tasks, games and discussions. They compose and present simple texts such as stories, poems, songs/raps, blogs, advertisements, reports and journal entries. They develop metalanguage for referring to Italian language and learning, and use processing strategies, such as comparing and categorising, that draw on their developing understanding of text conventions and patterns. They learn to identify how cultural values and perspectives are embedded in texts and become aware that language choices determine how people and circumstances are represented.

Features of Italian language use

Students become familiar with the pronunciation and sound system of Italian, noting similarities and differences with English. They build a vocabulary relating to people and objects in their immediate worlds. They learn how to use definite and indefinite articles. They learn how to form singular and plural nouns, to recognise patterns of noun categories and to understand the general rule of gender and agreement. Students learn simple sentence construction (subject–verb–object), which is enriched by the use of adjectives. They create their own texts mainly using the present tense of regular and common irregular verbs. They gradually build more extended texts, using cohesive devices. Students develop language for interacting with the teacher and each other. They learn to distinguish between formal and informal register. They develop a metalanguage to describe and discuss features of Italian.

Level of support

Students require support to build on existing language-learning strategies and knowledge, such as using mnemonic devices and developing a metalanguage to talk about language and culture and about language learning. Scaffolding is continuously provided by the teacher and by support materials such as word banks, focused language activities, and interactive models of language use and analysis.

The role of English

English serves two main functions in the Italian class: it represents a point of reference for Italian learning by enabling students to compare structures, features, and cultural meanings in both languages; and it is used when appropriate for explanation, reflection and discussion.


Years 7 and 8 Content Descriptions

Socialising

Socialise with peers and adults to exchange greetings, good wishes, factual information and opinions about self, family and friends, routines, shared events, leisure activities, interests, likes and dislikes

[Key concepts: naming, friendship, family, celebration, leisure, neighbourhood; Key processes: interacting, exchanging, describing] (ACLITC096 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • greeting others, introducing themselves, expressing state of health and wellbeing, appreciation and good wishes, and leave-taking, using appropriate familiar or formal language, for example, Mi chiamo … e tu? Come ti chiami? Ho 12 anni. Sono Carla. Ciao Giorgio, come stai? (Sto) bene/male, e tu? Mi dispiace. Ci vediamo domani. A domani. Buongiorno, ArrivederLa. Come si chiama? Buongiorno professoressa, come sta?
  • describing and comparing friends and family, for example, using [subject + verb + adjective]: Il mio amico è simpatico
  • describing routines, events and leisure activities (for example, Ogni weekend vado al cinema … Mi piace/non mi piace + [infinitive verb]. Gioco a/pratico il), and comparing these to similar events for Italian peers
Participate in individual or collective action, both orally and in writing, by making arrangements, inviting, planning, deciding and responding

[Key concepts: activity, rules, politeness; Key processes: arranging, negotiating alternatives, deciding, responding] (ACLITC097 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • exchanging details about events, such as time, day, place, activity and participants, for example, Vieni a … con me? Sì/no. D’accordo. A che ora? Quando? Dove? Con chi? Che tempo fa?
  • negotiating and making arrangements for social or sporting events by using texts such as messages, emails, invitations and text messages, and using expressions of possibility, need and obligation [modal verb + infinitive] in set phrases, for example, Vuoi venire a … Non voglio venire …, Voglio/non voglio … Posso/non posso venire …, Forse sì/forse no
Participate in spoken and written transactions, including purchasing goods and services, and give and follow directions and instructions

[Key concepts: social exchange, etiquette; Key processes: negotiating, describing, transacting, ordering] (ACLITC098 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • participating in real and imagined transactions such as purchasing a ticket for an event or choosing a gift for someone, for example, Quanto costa [+ definite article or demonstrative + noun]? Cosa prendi? … un caffè … e tu?
  • asking for, giving and following directions, for example, Dov'è? Qui/là. Dove si trova? A destra/sinistra. Vicino a/lontano da; sotto/sul
Develop language to interact in classroom routines and tasks, for example, posing questions, asking for repetition, rephrasing, explaining, asking how to say something in Italian, expressing opinion, and giving and following instructions

[Key concepts: class routine, responsibility, community; Key processes: questioning, negotiating] (ACLITC099 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • posing questions (for example, Perché? Come si scrive? Può/puoi ripetere? Come si dice …? Come? Come si fa? Secondo me … Penso di sì/penso di no … Di chi è?) and explaining, for example, È mio/è di Luisa
  • requesting information and permission (for example, Posso andare in bagno? Mi presti la matita?), asking for explanation, and following instructions

Informing

Identify factual information from a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts, and process and represent meaning through, for example, classifying, sequencing and summarising

[Key concepts: concepts drawn from selected texts and from learning areas across the curriculum; Key processes: locating, ordering, classifying, comparing, tabulating] (ACLITC100 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • identifying context, purpose and audience of modified authentic texts such as conversations, advertisements, weather reports, instructions, timetables, recipes and signs
  • listening/reading for key ideas across a range of familiar subject matter presented in different formats, for example, geography (Italy’s place in Europe), home, travel, leisure and sport
  • sequencing instructions or actions by using temporal markers such as Prima … poi … dopo … alla fine
  • sharing interpretations of a range of texts, considering their understanding of Italian cultural dimensions in texts, and comparing own interpretations with those of others
Convey factual information and ideas through a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts, using information from a range of sources

[Key concepts: society, event, fact, opinion; Key processes: describing, comparing, presenting] (ACLITC101 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • describing a person, place, object or event in their local environment using [article + subject + verb + adjective], including negative expressions, for example, è/non è simpatico/cattivo; di legno/di ceramica; è interessante/difficile
  • comparing aspects of daily life across cultures, for example, fare la passeggiata, eating habits, school life and routines and presenting results in class in oral presentations or written descriptive texts
  • surveying classmates on their daily routines, such as mobile phone/internet use, text messaging habits, television viewing or hours of sport played and presenting the data in various forms, for example, (cinque persone non hanno un cellulare; tanti/pochi … la maggior parte …; il 15 per cento; due su venti…)
  • collecting, collating and presenting data in Italian using online survey software

Creating

Participate in listening to, reading and viewing imaginative texts and make connections with characters, events, actions, settings, and key ideas and messages

[Key concepts: moral/message, sequence, performance, identity, imagination, character; Key processes: understanding, connecting; Key text types: description, narrative, cartoon] (ACLITC102 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • describing characters (Chi? Com’è? Come fa?), events (Cosa succede? Quando?), settings (Dove?), and key ideas (Perché?), and establishing sequence, for example, prima … poi … dopo
  • listening to and reading stories, songs and poems, noticing aspects of meaning and style, for example, use of rhythm, rhyme, choice of key words
  • reinterpreting and performing stories and songs in spoken or written form, by retelling the sequence, reordering the events in a story, or creating an alternative representation or ending
  • comparing aspects of theatre across cultures, focusing on the purpose, origins and values
Create imaginative texts that present events, characters and emotions from their own experiences

[Key concepts: imagination, message; Key processes: expressing, connecting; Key text types: narrative, description] (ACLITC103 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • creating texts such as raps, poems, lyrics, photo stories, cartoons and short stories based on personal experiences
  • producing and presenting digital stories for younger learners, for example, using characters such as Pulcino Pio
  • creating additional characters and storylines or alternative endings for familiar stories

Translating

Translate phrases and short texts from Italian to English and vice versa, identifying how cultural concepts are embedded in language and explaining differences in meanings

[Key concept: equivalence; Key processes: translating, interpreting, comparing] (ACLITC104 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • translating short texts, recognising when literal translation is or is not possible (for example, in idiomatic expressions such as In bocca al lupo!), and discussing reasons for equivalence or non-equivalence
  • making and using glossary lists for different purposes and people , for example children, international students, visitors, and learning how to use print and digital dictionaries
  • describing the local environment, lifestyle and events, considering what will require explanation, elaboration or illustration to be understood by an Italian audience, for example, BBQ, suburb, distances
  • identifying Italian–English cognates (for example, dizionario/dictionary, farmacia/pharmacy, intelligente/intelligent, mercato/market) and using them to predict meaning
  • developing awareness of Italian–English ‘false friends’ and reflect upon how they assist or inhibit meaning, for example, parenti = relatives (not parents), libreria = bookstore (not library), crudo = uncooked (not crude), bravo = good (not brave)
Create bilingual texts related to experiences in contexts where Italian and Australian realities might differ [Key concepts: bilinguality, appropriateness; Key processes: noticing, comparing] (ACLITC105 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating texts with bilingual captions, such as picture dictionaries and photo stories
  • creating digital texts such as annotated maps or building plans to highlight aspects of culture such as school life, for example, aula magna, bidello/a, mensa, andare a scuola in motorino/in microcar
  • creating captions and labels related to immediate environment (for example, producing bilingual school timetables and signage such as la mensa, il campo sportivo, le scale), and explaining how the translated labels do not necessarily capture differences in worldviews

Reflecting

Reflect on own and others’ responses to intercultural experiences and interactions

[Key concepts: agreement/disagreement, positioning, norms, comfort/discomfort; Key processes: comparing, noticing, reflecting] (ACLITC106 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • listening to and viewing interactions between Italian speakers (for example, in short video clips), noticing social norms such as levels of formality in opening and closing conversations
  • reflecting on how interactions are conducted in Australia and in Italy (for example, at school or while shopping), comparing aspects such as the exchange of social niceties or the efficiency of the interaction, for example, Buongiorno. Mi dica … /Desidera?
  • participating in guided bilingual discussion of intercultural experiences and personal reactions, noticing challenges and adjustments, for example, Cosa noti di diverso? Cosa pensi? Penso che … Che differenza c’è tra fare un acquisto in Italia e in Australia? Secondo me …
Reflect on own identity, including identity as a user and learner of Italian, through connecting observations made about experiences over time

[Key concepts: membership, sequence; Key processes: connecting, exchanging, reflecting] (ACLITC107 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating texts to identify and describe significant events or experiences, including membership of groups (for example, sporting or cultural groups), that have shaped personal identity
  • describing orally or in writing a significant person in their life, discussing their personal qualities, why this person is important, and how they are similar to this person, for example, Anch’io;… è importante per me perché; io sono come …; assomiglio a
  • creating personal profiles to share with others, considering which aspects of their identity to reveal to people in different contexts
  • presenting aspects of personal experience using digital photo stories with audio
  • creating timelines of significant events in their life, particularly events that have shaped their identity them, including visual representations such as photos and illustrations
  • comparing and contrasting own experiences as a learner of Italian, for example, by comparing journal entries recorded over time

Systems of language

Develop awareness of features of the Italian sound system, including pronunciation, syllable stress, rhythm and intonation, and how these are represented in written form (ACLITU108 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • listening to and producing the sounds of Italian, and noticing sound–symbol correspondence, for example, consonant combinations (for example, famiglia, gnocchi, chiesa, barche), vowel combinations (for example, buono, chiave, ciliegia) and double consonants (for example, sono and sonno)
  • using the Italian alphabet, making connections between spoken and written forms, understanding the effect of grave and acute accents (for example, città, perché)
  • recognising differences in tone and rhythm between statements, questions, exclamations, requests and commands, for example, Vai a casa? Vai a casa!
  • noting differences between Italian and English use of capital letters, and using rules of capitalisation when creating own texts, for example, omission of capitals with weekdays, months of the year and nationalities
  • checking pronunciation of words using sound files and text-to-speech software
  • recording individual words to create a talking dictionary
Understand and use key features and patterns of the Italian grammatical system, including definite and indefinite articles, gender and agreement, present tense of regular and common irregular verbs, and simple sentence construction (ACLITU109 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • learning how to use:
    • nouns to identify people and objects — singular and plural regular forms, gender, some exceptions; developing awareness of various categories of nouns with common endings such as -ista, -zione, -tore and -trice (for example, il/la dentista, la stazione, il vincitore/la vincitrice) and comparing them to their English equivalents
    • definite and indefinite articles — use and omission
    • adjectives to describe things (including agreement and exceptions); and possessive adjectives, for example, Il mio libro
    • demonstratives, for example, Questo è il libro
    • interrogatives, for example, Chi, che, cosa, quale, come?
    • subject pronouns, for example, io, tu, lui, lei
    • numerals — cardinal, ordinal, dates, time
    • prepositions of time and place to describe when and where
    • articulated prepositions with a, da, in, di, su (for recognition only)
    • commonly used adverbs to qualify verbs and adjectives
    • verbs describing state (essere), possession (avere) and regular verbs describing actions in the present tense (for example parlare, cantare)
    • sentence structure to construct simple sentences in Italian ([subject]–verb–object); making statements, asking questions and giving/receiving instructions (verb + object), for example, Chiudi il libro!
    • negation to form negative statements and questions, for example, Non ti piace il gelato
Understand the features of common spoken, written and multimodal texts (ACLITU110 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • understanding and using cohesive devices such as conjunctions (for example, e, ma, perché, anche, o, invece) to help sequence ideas and to link ideas and actions
  • listening to or reading simple Italian texts and recognising the conventions of particular text types, for example, postcard, letter, email, card, blog and conversations (face to face and phone)
  • analysing simple spoken, written and digital texts to identify different kinds of language use (such as personal, descriptive or informative) and ways to achieve textual cohesion, for example, use of fillers in spoken texts (insomma, beh, boh, allora)
  • talking about language features and word order using relevant metalanguage such as ‘verbs’, ‘adjectives’, ‘nouns’ and ‘pronouns’ (for example, know if this non/adjective singolare o plurale? Perché?), and comparing grammatical features in Italian and English

Language variation and change

Analyse variable linguistic features present in the learning contexts and texts to develop an understanding that language use varies depending on participants, their roles and relationships, and according to the contexts of situation and culture (ACLITU111 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • noticing patterns in language use based on gender, age, social status, and purpose of interaction, for example, discussing appropriate greetings for people of different ages and/or status, such as a neighbour or teacher
  • comparing register in a range of texts and explaining the use of language such as polite and familiar forms
Analyse and understand the dynamic nature of the Italian language, and of languages in general (ACLITU112 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • exploring the influence of technological change on the Italian language, such as:
    • the borrowing and adapting of technical terms, for example, cliccare, il mouse, la password, chattare
    • observing the changes to language when used in abbreviated forms in multimedia communications, for example, 6 = sei, x = per, + = più, - = meno, TVTB = ti voglio tanto bene, ke = che
    • understanding the influence of other cultures on Italian, for example, the use of borrowed words such as il make-up, il bebé, un tailleur, il wurstel, il krapfen
    • recognising that Italian is used in diverse communities and that it changes in response to local cultural contexts
Analyse and understand the place of Italian locally and internationally, including the relationship between Standard Italian and regional dialects, and Italian in the ecology of languages in Australia (ACLITU113 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • understanding that differences exist between Standard Italian, regional varieties and dialects, for example, by noticing lexical differences and comparing gestures and accents
  • recognising that Standard Italian is used in diverse communities throughout the world and that many speakers of Italian may also speak a regional and/or local dialect
  • examining the presence of Italian in the Australian linguistic landscape, for example, through signage, the culture of coffee, food, art and music, and in newspapers, television and radio, and the interpreter service
  • exploring the changing profile of languages in Australia by, for example, comparing maps of languages over time, developing a class language tree, examining the Australian Languages map, conducting a survey about languages spoken at home or in the community, or examining census data
  • presenting connections between languages and dialects

Role of language and culture

Reflect on the role of language and culture in interaction and how language constructs and reflects assumptions and values (ACLITU114 - Scootle )
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • reflecting on how cultural assumptions and values are embedded in choices in language use, for example, fare bella figura; fare brutta figura; Buon appetito — Grazie altrettanto
  • examining how their own communication carries assumptions and values that impact on interpretation and understanding
  • developing language to discuss, question and share understandings with others non-judgementally


Years 7 and 8 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 8, students engage in social interaction to exchange greetings and to share ideas and information related to their personal, social and school worlds. They use known phrases to exchange ideas and opinions, for example, Non mi piace la pallacanestro. They use language to interact and to respond to classroom instructions, questions and directions. They approximate Italian sound patterns such as consonant combinations, clear vowel sounds and unaspirated consonants. They use gesture and some formulaic expressions to support oral interaction. Students use well-rehearsed language related to their personal experiences (for example, stating preferences in sports, leisure activities and entertainment), in both spoken and written forms, and predominantly in the present tense. They demonstrate understanding of information from a range of factual and creative texts. They use learnt structures to create texts such as, captions, descriptions, conversations and correspondence, providing information about themselves, their personal worlds and immediate needs, interests and preferences. They produce simple descriptions with appropriate use of definite and indefinite articles, adjectives and adverbs. They connect ideas using conjunctions such as e, ma, però, anche, perché- and invece to create simple texts using known vocabulary and structures.

Students identify similarities between Italian and English and understand that they are related languages which borrow from each other. They know that that literal translation between languages is not always possible. They reflect on how culture is evident in experiences, images and texts. They understand and use metalanguage to explain aspects of language and culture, and use simple statements to identify features of different text types. They know that language reflects contexts of situation and culture, and identify differences between standard, dialectal and regional forms of Italian. They analyse the impact of technology and media on communication and language forms, the influence of Italian and English on one another, and the interrelationship of language and culture. They reflect on how they interpret and respond to aspects of Italian language and culture, and to intercultural experience, and identify how their response may be shaped by their own language(s) and culture(s).


Years 7 and 8 Work Sample Portfolios