Spanish (Version 8.4)

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Context statement

The place of the Spanish language and the cultures of Spanish speakers in Australia and in the world
Spanish is a global language spoken by approximately 500 million people across the world. Spanish evolved from Latin on the Iberian Peninsula in around the ninth century, and travelled from Spain to the Caribbean and to North, Central and South America as a result of the expeditions of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

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PDF documents

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

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Years 5 and 6

Years 5 and 6 Band Description

The nature of the learners

At this level, students are widening their social networks, experiences and communication repertoires in both their first language and Spanish. They continue to need guidance and participate in structured, collaborative tasks that both recycle and extend language. Students are gaining greater independence and becoming more conscious of their peers and social context. They are gaining greater awareness of the world around them, and noticing additional similarities and differences between Spanish language and culture and their own.

Spanish language learning and use

Learners use Spanish with peers and the teacher for a widening range of purposes: exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, performing, and responding to experiences and resources from the Spanish-speaking world. Learners’ ability to communicate is developing in terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity. As they draw on a growing range of vocabulary resources and grammatical structures, their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing steadily improve and they use an increasing range of body language, such as hand gestures, used by Spanish speakers. Shared tasks provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. Focused attention on language structures and systems, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in Spanish. Learners use digital media and social networks to support their learning in increasingly independent ways, such as exchanging resources and information with one another, with young people of the same age in Spanish-speaking communities, and with students in other settings who are also learning Spanish. In doing this, they may access music and media resources, maintain blogs and web pages, and use online forums.

Oracy development at this level includes active listening to input from different sources (including different varieties of Spanish) and extending conversational and interactional skills. This involves initiating and sustaining conversations, turn-taking, ‘reading’ language for cultural and contextual meaning, building on others’ contributions, making appropriate responses and adjustments, and engaging in debate and discussion. Individual and group oral presentation and performance skills are developed through researching and organising information, and structuring and rehearsing presentations. Literacy development involves more independent interaction with a wider range of texts. Learners draw on their growing grammatical and lexical resources to compose and comprehend more complex language. They use a range of cues and decoding strategies to assist comprehension and to make connections between ideas and language within and between texts. They write more accurately and fluently for a wider range of purposes and audiences.

Contexts of interaction

Learners use Spanish with one another and with the teacher for an increasing range of purposes. They have some access to Spanish speakers and cultural experiences in wider contexts and communities through the use of ICT. At this level, language development and use are typically incorporated into collaborative and interactive tasks, games and learning activities. Learners begin to use more Spanish spontaneously when interacting with one another.

Texts and resources

Learners engage with a growing range of spoken and written texts, including published texts such as readers, songs and computer games, as well as teacher-generated resources such as language games, exercises and presentations. In addition, learners have some access to Spanish language and culture through texts created for young people in Spanish-speaking communities, such as websites, stories, music clips, cartoons and television programs.

Features of Spanish language use

Learners use an increasing range of vocabulary, become more confident in terms of pronunciation and continue to build grammatical and textual knowledge. They apply phonic knowledge to unfamiliar language and notice the relationship between accents and stress or intonation. They use present, past and near future tenses to describe or locate actions. They use comparative forms and apply rules of agreement between subjects and verbs and between nouns and adjectives. They use appropriate verb forms and intonation patterns to exclaim, make a statement or ask a question. They develop a metalanguage to describe patterns, rules and variations in language structures. As they use Spanish to interact in different situations, learners develop an understanding of how language and culture influence each other. They recognise how language reflects cultural values and experiences and how grammatical forms and vocabulary choices affect the meaning that is made. This offers the opportunity for reflection on their own ways of communicating and using language, and also on personal and community identities, stereotypes and perspectives. Learners begin to experience and reflect on the challenges involved in moving between languages and different ways of making meaning.

Level of support

While learners work more independently at this level, ongoing support is incorporated into task activity. Systematic feedback and review assist the interactive process of learning. Support includes provision of models, stimulus materials, scaffolded opportunities for reflection, and resources such as word charts, vocabulary lists, dictionaries and electronic reference materials. Learning tasks and activities take account of both learners’ current level of Spanish capability and their more general cognitive and social levels of development.

The role of English

While the use of Spanish in the classroom increases at this level, the use of English for discussion, reflection and explanation ensures the continued development of learners’ knowledge base and intercultural capability.


Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Socialising

Interact using descriptive and expressive language to share interests, special celebrations and leisure activities, and to express feelings, state preferences and give opinions

[Key concepts: friendship, leisure, interests; Key processes: expressing, sharing, comparing] (ACLSPC145 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • thanking, inviting or congratulating one another, for example, Gracias por tu ayuda, ¿Quieres venir a mi fiesta de cumpleaños el sábado? Enhorabuena por tu medalla
  • participating in online exchanges such as video blogs with sister schools to describe and compare routines, interests and activities, using language associated with time, sequence and location, for example, Llego a la escuela a las 8.30 de la mañana, Los jueves por la tarde juego al baloncesto. Cada día, a las 12.00, como bocadillos en el patio de mi colegio
  • expressing feelings (Estoy emocionado por la fiesta. Estoy desilusionada... ¡Qué guay! ¡Qué chévere! ¡Qué lindo!) and recounting experiences with family and friends
  • apologising and expressing concern or sympathy to friends and family members, for example, Lo siento mucho, ¡Cuídate! Te quiero
  • expressing preferences and opinions, for example, Hacer los deberes es aburrido. Prefiero comer helado. Me encanta el Barça porque es el mejor, Me fascina la música del mundo hispanohablante
  • sustaining interactions by using strategies such as asking questions and using conversation fillers, for example, ¿Y tú? Yo también; Claro; sí, sí
Collaborate with peers to plan and conduct different elements of shared tasks, transactions or activities

[Key concept: cooperation; Key processes: planning, participating, making, transacting] (ACLSPC146 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • collaborating with peers to organise class or school activities by taking responsibility for different elements, such as creating schedules, posters or programs or organising fundraising activities, using expressions related to place, time and numbers, for example,¿Qué día es hoy? ¿Dónde? ¿Cuándo? ¿A qué hora?)
  • developing interview questions to ask a Spanish-speaking guest, for example, ¿De dónde es? ¿A qué se dedica? ¿Cuándo llegó?
  • participating in real or imagined transactions that involve requesting information, considering options, buying and selling, for example, ¿Cuánto cuesta? ¿Qué colores tienen? ¿Tienen descuento? ¡Qué caro! ¡Qué chollo!
  • creating digital displays, presentations or performances for family, friends or school community to showcase their progress in learning and using Spanish
  • making simple recipes such as macedonia or churros, using appropriate language features and text structures such as imperative verb forms (añade, corta, remueve, amasa) and vocabulary for ingredients and quantities (un kilo, 300 gramos, la harina; fruta; mantequilla, un poco de...)
Interact in class activities and routines by asking and responding to questions, asking for clarification and making suggestions

[Key concepts: routine, responsibility; Key processes: participating, sharing, taking turns] (ACLSPC147 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • interacting in small groups to complete learning activities by asking questions or making suggestions, for example, ¿Qué significa…? Podemos hacer
  • stating opinions, making suggestions or indicating understanding, using modelled sentence structures, for example, No me parece bien…; ¿Por qué no...? Tienes que…; vale, de acuerdo, Sí, claro…
  • checking on own and/or others` progress during learning tasks, using comments and questions such as ¿Está bien así? ¿Ya terminaste? Terminé/No he acabado. Necesito más tiempo
  • participating in scaffolded class discussion on themes, activities or experiences, for example, El clima de Melbourne es más … que… En mi opinión…
  • asking and telling the time, for example, ¿Qué hora es? Son las cinco y cuarto
  • asking for clarification, for example, No entiendo… Tengo una pregunta… Tengo una duda

Informing

Listen to, view and read texts in order to identify aspects of life in Spanish-speaking contexts and communities

[Key concepts: lifestyle, diversity; Key processes: collating, connecting, comparing] (ACLSPC148 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Sustainability
  • reading, viewing and listening to texts such as websites, books, recorded interviews, video clips and magazine articles, extracting key points relating to aspects of life in Spanish-speaking communities, such as housing, urban and rural lifestyles, and young people’s interests, activities and daily routines, and recording key phrases and vocabulary for use in own projects and activities
  • researching topics such as recycling, the water cycle, the solar system, or the geography of Spanish-speaking countries, and reordering information to share with others, in formats such as tables, concept maps or retrieval charts
  • working with simple informative texts such as advertisements, video clips or features in teen magazines to collate and share impressions of young people’s lifestyles in different Spanish-speaking communities and contexts
Present information about aspects of language and culture in the Spanish-speaking world for specific audiences, using diagrams, charts, timelines and guided reports

[Key concepts: lifestyle, people, places; Key processes: organising, informing] (ACLSPC149 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • presenting factual information relating to cultural activities and events of significance in the Spanish-speaking world, such as las Fallas, el Día de los Muertos, carnavales in Bolivia, candombe in Uruguay, romerías, procesiones religiosas and el camino de Santiago, supporting information with a range of visual, digital and multimodal resources
  • using graphic organisers to convey information in ways that suit specific purposes and content, for example, lists or tables to show priorities, Venn diagrams to compare statistics or ideas, graphs to highlight frequency or timelines to narrate sequences of events
  • conveying information relating to significant people, places or events in different formats, for example, an advertisement or poster for an event, a profile of a Spanish-speaking celebrity or a digital guide to a place of interest
  • creating an interactive display for younger children, highlighting aspects of Spanish language and Hispanic culture

Creating

Share and compare understandings and opinions about ideas encountered in imaginative Spanish-language texts such as works of art, fables, performances and television programs

[Key concepts: plot, idea, moral; Key processes: adapting, comparing, responding] (ACLSPC150 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • recording and/or illustrating key characters, events and ideas encountered in different types of imaginative texts, for example, by responding to questions such as ¿Qué es…? ¿Por qué…? ¿Cuál es la moraleja? and ¿Qué sientes cuando…? or by creating storyboards
  • comparing favourite characters or moments in imaginative texts such as cartoons, stories or digital games, listing key words or expressions associated with their character’s role or personality (extrovertido/a, simpático/a, travieso/a, Daniel el travieso, Zipi y Zape) and explaining how they can relate to them
  • adapting a creative text, for example, by resequencing events, adding a new element, changing the location or creating an alternative ending
  • discussing key messages and cultural elements in creative texts, such as the moral of a fable/story, an idea or value in a song, or a quality of a character
  • responding to famous artworks and images, such as works by Botero, Frida Kahlo or Picasso, with simple words or phrases, for example, Este cuadro me gusta porque tiene muchos colores, Este mural es más original que el otro
Produce a variety of texts such as scripted performances, raps and digital stories using imaginary characters, places, ideas and events

[Key concepts: imagination, drama; Key processes: performing, representing] (ACLSPC151 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • producing songs, raps, short scripted plays or video clips based on modelled examples of these genres to perform to younger children who are learning Spanish
  • creating individual or collaborative poetry, experimenting with rhyme and rhythm, for example, a shape or acrostic poem or jingle, riddle or rap
  • creating, performing and recording/filming own texts such as a commercial for a new product, a photo story, a cartoon, or a poster for an imagined event
  • representing key events in imagined scenarios, using formats such as digital storyboards, cartoon maker, talking books or memes, using different voices, captions or word bubbles to capture different moods or feelings

Translating

Translate simple texts that provide comparisons between cultural aspects of meaning-making in Spanish and English and note how language cannot always be directly translated

[Key concept: meaning; Key processes: translating, comparing, explaining] (ACLSPC152 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • identifying words and expressions that do not translate directly from Spanish into English, for example, tomar el pelo, saltarse la clase de español, ¡Es pan comido!
  • collecting examples of ‘false friends’ identified when translating between Spanish and English, for example, carpeta/‘folder’, contestar/‘answer’, pie/‘foot’
  • interpreting words and expressions encountered in simple texts such as greeting cards, menus or story titles that do not translate easily into English and that reflect aspects of culture from the Spanish-speaking world, for example, Feliz día de tu Santo, Feliz Día de Reyes. ¡Buen provecho!
  • translating texts such as public signs to identify differences in elements such as levels of politeness or directness, for example, No pisar el cesped, Prohibido comer y beber, Silence please
  • creating Spanish versions of Australian school signs and notices, considering why some words or expressions require freer translation than others, for example, the sports oval, the tuck shop, out of bounds, sick room, ‘No hat, no play’
Create own bilingual texts and learning resources, such as displays, posters, word banks and glossaries for the classroom/school environment

[Key concepts: translation, explanation; Key processes: identifying, selecting, modifying] (ACLSPC153 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • composing bilingual texts such as posters for class or school assembly performances, displays or events, for example, Día del pelo loco; cuida tu planeta
  • using bilingual dictionaries and electronic translating tools to create bilingual captions, menus or timetables, comparing results and noticing problems associated with translation
  • creating parallel lists of informal Spanish and English expressions for own use in everyday interactions with friends and family, for example, hasta luego/‘see you later’, no pasa nada/‘no worries’, guay/cool’
  • creating bilingual texts for specific audiences, for example, songs, a Big Book or board game for younger learners of Spanish, or instructions for an online event/game that involves both English- and Spanish-speaking participants
  • creating bilingual signs for the classroom or school that reflect school community values and priorities, acceptable or unacceptable behaviours, for example, ¡Ponte el sombrero! ¡Recoge tu basura! Levanta la mano antes de preguntar, No te olvides de reciclar, ¡Bajad la voz!

Reflecting

Compare ways of communicating in particular Australian and Spanish-speaking contexts

[Key concepts: diversity, reaction; Key processes: observing, considering, reflecting,] (ACLSPC154 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • identifying features of observed interactions between Spanish and English speakers in specific contexts such as the classroom, the home or the shops, noticing similarities and differences
  • planning a virtual or actual visit to a school in a Spanish-language environment, deciding on strategies for successful communication, for example, how to interpret cultural information and how to be flexible in own ways of communicating
  • reflecting on instances when interactions in Spanish have felt challenging or awkward, and explaining why this might have been the case
Discuss how it feels to interact in a different language, what they understand by ‘identity’, and whether learning Spanish has any effect on their sense of self

[Key concept: intracultural understanding; Key processes: identifying, describing] (ACLSPC155 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • identifying elements of identity that may be important across all cultures, for example, family, community, location
  • monitoring their development as a learner and user of Spanish, for example, through recording progress in learning logs, blogs or journals
  • discussing whether learning and using Spanish affects their sense of identity in or out of the classroom, making reference to experiences such as eating in restaurants, playing games or communicating with Spanish speakers
  • exploring the idea of stereotypes associated with languages and identities, discussing how groups of people tend to think about themselves and others, and how stereotypes affect attitudes and communication
  • creating a self-profile such as an avatar or montage with self-introduction, making choices about the design, content and language used

Systems of language

Attend to the pronunciation of sounds and intonation patterns used in social interactions and apply writing conventions such as question and exclamation marks

[Key concepts: auditory discrimination, stress, intonation, punctuation; Key processes: listening, reading, recognising] (ACLSPU156 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • recognising how pitch, stress and rhythm assist meaning when individual words are unfamiliar, for example, ¡Qué miedo! ¡Rápido! ¡Vamos!
  • recognising the Spanish pronunciation of English loan words (bistec, jonrón, fútbol) and applying this awareness to unfamiliar loan words
  • reproducing Spanish sounds such as d/t, ce/ci, ga/gi, gue and gui
  • recognising variations in forms of spoken Spanish associated with particular regions, such as the pronunciation of j in Ecuador compared with northern Spain
  • applying phonic knowledge to spell unknown words, for example, estrella, llamar, tortilla, taxi, México
  • understanding the function of accents and learning to insert these into their own work electronically
  • understanding that accents in written Spanish indicate where the stress falls on a word, for example, mi mamá está en la fiesta and learning to insert these into their own work electronically
  • using correct writing conventions such as inverted question and exclamation marks at the start of sentences, for example, ¿qué tal?; ¡cuidado!; ¡qué onda!
Understand and use grammatical elements such as tenses, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs and noun-adjective agreements to construct simple texts for different purposes

[Key concepts: grammatical rules, patterns and irregularities; Key processes: applying rules, understanding, vocabulary building] (ACLSPU157 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • noticing that there are two verbs in Spanish for ‘to be’, ser (José es mi hermano) and estar (Estoy cansada)
  • using simple forms of present and past tenses in context (Ayer fue martes y hoy es miércoles), and describing intended actions using the near future tense ir + a + infinitive, for example, Manuel va a mirar su celular/móvil
  • using the conditional mode as a formulaic expression, for example, Me gustaría ser pintor, No me gustaría vivir en una isla pequeña
  • identifying the use and omission of subject pronouns in familiar structures, for example, Vivo en Australia, Ella es Lourdes
  • using interrogative pronouns and correct word order to ask questions and make requests, for example, ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?¿Quieres jugar en el patio?
  • building compound sentences to express opinions, preferences or reasons using words such as porque, también and pero, for example, Me gusta cantar, pero prefiero bailar porque es divertido. No me gusta ver la televisión porque es aburrido. Mi comida favorita es el pescado, pero también como carne
  • indicating frequency using adverbs, for example, siempre, a veces, nunca
  • noticing the flexibility of word order in relation to verbs and adverbs, for example, En verano, voy siempre a la playa/En verano, voy a la playa siempre/ En verano, siempre voy a la playa
  • using ordinal numbers, for example, Rosario Arjona es la primera de la lista, Luis vive en la quinta planta
  • understanding gender and number agreement between articles, nouns and adjectives, for example, Tengo un libro nuevo, Las montañas rocosas son muy bonitas
  • comparing the use of diminutives to express affection in Spanish (hermanita, periquita, gatico/gatito) to some equivalents in English, for example, ‘dear little sister’, ‘lovely little cat’
  • using comparatives based on models, for example, tan grande como …, más caro que …, menos frío que…Australia es más grande que Europa
  • recognising that some nouns do not follow the regular masculine/feminine ending pattern, for example, el mapa, el problema, la mano
  • expressing reactions as exclamations, for example, ¡qué susto!; ¡qué hermoso!; ¡qué rico!;¡qué chulo!
Identify how different Spanish texts such as comics, cartoons, magazines or emails use language in ways that create different effects

[Key concepts: genre, structure, audience; Key processes: noticing, explaining] (ACLSPU158 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • comparing features of simple spoken and written texts in Spanish, such as phone calls or cartoons, with similar texts in English
  • analysing how different types of texts in Spanish create specific effects by using particular kinds of language, such as superlatives in advertisements designed to persuade (lo mejor… el nuevo…) or the imperative form in signs designed to advise or prohibit (Prohibido patinar aquí)
  • identifying the purpose, context and intended audience of a range of familiar text types such as phone messages, sports reports or takeaway food orders
  • recognising grammatical elements associated with particular texts, for example, the use of imperatives in games (tira el dado) and time markers in stories (primero, después, de pronto…)

Language variation and change

Recognise that language use varies according to the contexts of situation and culture

[Key concepts: levels of formality, language, identity, variation; Key processes: observing, comparing] (ACLSPU159 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • finding examples of informal language used by young people in Spanish, such as shortened noun forms (la profe, la bici, la compu) or the use of emoticons, comparing with the use of similar abbreviations by young Australians (‘vegie’, ‘ta’, ‘telly’), and considering why these forms of language are used
  • understanding the importance of using appropriate forms of address when interacting with different people, for example, using when speaking with close friends, family members or other young people, and using usted for other less familiar adults
  • noticing that language use often reflects the mood, feelings or relationships of the people involved, such as the use of emotive or affectionate language between close friends and family members, or persuasive language used in advertisements
Understand that the Spanish language constantly changes due to contact with other languages and the impact of new technologies

[Key concepts: language contact, digital media; Key processes: observing, identifying, classifying] (ACLSPU160 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • investigating how media, digital technologies and popular culture have influenced the Spanish language, for example, tuitear, email, correo, electrónico, chatear, textear, bloguear, rapear, rapero, un , un selfie
  • discussing why the Spanish language borrows particular words from English and other languages, for example, chofer, carné, tenis, golf, corner, kiwi and parking, smartphone, link
  • identifying Spanish words and aspects of lifestyle absorbed into English (‘fiesta’, ‘rumba’, ‘tapas’), and considering the reasons for the adoption of particular words or expressions
  • understanding that Spanish shares a history and many similar words with other languages for example, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Tagalog/Filipino and Rumanian
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
  • understanding that some languages are growing and adapting, while others (such as indigenous languages across the world, including some in Spanish-speaking countries) are endangered, disappearing, reviving, or blending with stronger languages
Recognise that the Spanish language has different forms, roles and functions in different contexts and communities

[Key concepts: diversity, language origins; Key processes: mapping, comparing, discussing] (ACLSPU161 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • exploring the different forms and functions of Spanish in different contexts, regions and communities, for example, as an official language in more than 20 countries and as a community language in many others
  • recognising that there are many different varieties of Spanish spoken in different countries and regions, involving different accents, dialects and vocabulary
  • comparing regional variations in vocabulary for example, ‘baby’ is guagua in Chile but bebé in most other Spanish-speaking countries; ‘cake’ is pastel in some countries, and tarta or torta in others
  • comparing forms of cultural expression in different Spanish-speaking communities, such as celebrations, systems of schooling and concerns associated with young people, and comparing these with similar diversity in multicultural Australia

Role of language and culture

Reflect on own language use at home, at school and in the community, considering how this may be interpreted by young Spanish speakers

[Key concepts: norms, standpoints; Key processes: observing, reflecting, comparing] (ACLSPU162 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • describing own/one another’s ways of communicating, identifying aspects that may reflect Australian traditions, values and practices
  • choosing words or expressions commonly used in informal Australian interactions, and deciding how to interpret or explain them to young Spanish speakers, for example, ‘mate’, ‘fair dinkum’
  • noticing similarities and differences between own ways of communicating and aspects observed in interactions between young Spanish speakers in different contexts and situations, for example, the expression of politeness or turn-taking in conversations
  • identifying things they take for granted about communication in familiar cultural contexts, for example, shared understanding of gestures and tones of voice
  • noticing culturally appropriate ways of offering praise, recognition, gratitude or encouragement

Years 5 and 6 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 6, students use written and spoken Spanish for classroom interactions, to carry out transactions and to share information about personal interests, relate experiences and express feelings. They use modelled sentence structures to ask and respond to questions (for example, ¿quién?/¿quiénes?, ¿por qué?¿por dónde? sí, por supuesto), seek clarification (for example, ¿Ella dice que apaguemos la computadora?) and give advice (for example, No debes comer tantos dulces). When interacting, students use appropriate pronunciation of Spanish-specific sounds such as ci/ca and ga/gi, and intonation patterns. They gather information relating to language and culture and present it in different formats. They describe characters, experiences and ideas encountered in texts, and create short imaginative texts using structured models and descriptive and expressive vocabulary (divertido, alto, gordo, grande). They use regular and common irregular verbs in present tense (for example, estudio español, voy a mi casa), simple past tense (for example, Ayer comí helado, Fueron a la cafetería) and near future (for example, Voy a ir a la playa, Vamos a comer frutas). Students use pronouns (for example, él/ella nosotros/as ellos/ellas, usted/ustedes/ vosotros/as), prepositions (for example, debajo de, por, al lado de, cerca de), adverbs (for example, muy, poco, bien, mal, lentamente), agreement of nouns and adjectives (for example, gente simpática, juegos divertidos ), and adverbs to mark time (for example, hoy, ayer, mañana, ya, todavía) and place (for example, dentro de, encima de, a la izquierda, a la derecha). They apply rules of punctuation such as question and exclamation marks (for example, ¿cuándo?, ¡cuidado!) and accents (for example, sofá, árbol, música). They translate and interpret short texts, identifying aspects of the Spanish language and culture that are similar or different to their own and create bilingual texts for the classroom and school community. They describe their own experiences of using Spanish and identify ways in which learning and using Spanish' may impact on their own identity.

Students know that Spanish has its own rules for pronunciation and grammar and that language use must be adjusted to suit different contexts, situations and relationships (for example, ¡Hasta pronto Doña Clara! ¡Adiós chicos!). They use metalanguage to explain basic features of language, texts and grammar, making connections with English terms they are familiar with such as ‘verb’, ‘adverb’, ‘noun’ and ‘agreement’. Students identify Spanish as a global language and describe the distribution of communities of Spanish speakers in different countries and regions. They identify ways that languages change through contact with other languages and due to new technologies, and give examples of Spanish words used in English (for example, ‘patio’, ‘chocolate’) and words used in Spanish that are borrowed from other languages (for example, chofer, carné, tenis, golf, corner, kiwi, parking, gol, tiquet, chao ). They reflect on the language they use at home, at school and in the community and identify how young Spanish speakers would use language in the same contexts.


Years 5 and 6 Work Sample Portfolios