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Video

How many versions of the English language are there?

Did you know that in Australia the way we use, pronounce and spell some words is different from the way they are used, pronounced and spelt in America? Can you list all the countries in the world where English is used? See if you can think of countries not mentioned in this clip.  

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Can We Help?: From possessive apostrophes to discombobulation!

People often worry about the use of apostrophes. See how Professor Kate Burridge answers a question about how to use the apostrophes after certain names, telling us how the rule has changed over time. She also explains the origins of the word 'discombobulate' and why the plural of house is not 'hice'.

Video

Can We Help?: Vanishing words: the process of language change

The English language is full of strange contradictions and vanishing words. Have you ever wondered why we sometimes put words together that contradict each other, such as 'pretty awful' or 'terribly good'? If we can be 'ruthless', can we be 'ruthly' as well? Watch as Professor Kate Burridge explains these curious irregularities ...

Audio

Big Ideas: Evolving English and the role of social media

How many times have you heard teenagers berated for using the term 'like'? Yet this term has existed at least since 1586 when the term, 'Yon man is like out of his mind' was written into history. The truth is, our language is constantly evolving, with new words added, others dying off and some resurfacing again. In this ...

Video

Feathers, Fur and Fins: A song about sugar gliders

Do you know any songs about Australian animals? Listen to this song about sugar gliders performed by Don Spencer. Don sings a gentle song about a gentle character. Look at the features of the sugar gliders as they glide from tree-to-tree in the Australian bush.

Audio

Radio National: Different meanings for the same word

<span style="line-height: 1.4;">You've heard people speaking English with different accents, but have you noticed that the differences in accent come down to the way words are pronounced? Listen to this interview with linguist David Crystal and find out about accents and why the same word can mean something different or ...

Interactive

Jumbled Sentences 4 - iTunes app

Learn to construct sentences by dragging jumbled words into place. You can turn on sound to hear each word spoken and hear your completed sentences read to you. With each successful sentence, you earn virtual coins to buy virtual stickers for your collection. This is one of a series of nine apps. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

Interactive

Jumbled Sentences 6 - iTunes app

Learn to construct sentences by dragging jumbled words into place. You can turn on sound to hear each word spoken and hear your completed sentences read to you. With each successful sentence, you earn virtual coins to buy virtual stickers for your collection. This is one of a series of nine apps. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

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Phonics Fun 4 - iTunes app

Learn letter sounds and rime as you tap pictures and hear letter sounds. Match the letters and sounds to the pictures. Covers 9 letter sounds (a, e, i, o, u, qu, sh, z, v), 5 rimes (ip, ot, x, at, un) in 75 words. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

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Jumbled Sentences 9 - iTunes app

Learn to construct sentences by dragging jumbled words into place. You can turn on sound to hear each word spoken and hear your completed sentences read to you. With each successful sentence, you earn virtual coins to buy virtual stickers for your collection. This is one of a series of nine apps. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

Online

TrackSAFE Education Primary School Resources: Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 English

This unit of work focuses on developing student understanding of the importance of being track safe and the key message 'Stop, Look, Listen, Think'. It builds students' familiarity with the vocabulary and key concepts related to rail safety and provides differentiated activities for writers at different stages of development ...

Video

ABC News: Julia Gillard addresses misogyny in parliament

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard's 2012 address to Parliament, in which she described the Federal Opposition's criticism of her support for controversial politician Peter Slipper as being misogynistic, proved to be one her most memorable. The speech went viral and was reported widely in international media, scoring over ...

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Jumbled Sentences 7 - iTunes app

Learn to construct sentences by dragging jumbled words into place. You can turn on sound to hear each word spoken and hear your completed sentences read to you. With each successful sentence, you earn virtual coins to buy virtual stickers for your collection. This is one of a series of nine apps. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

Interactive

SpellingCity - Google Play app

Learn and practise your spelling, grammar and vocabulary with 10 multimodal spelling games. Build customised word listsand test yourself on your spelling. SpellingCity is a companion app for the www.spellingcity.com website. Free when reviewed 7/6/15.

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Bear and Chook by the Sea

This learning object is designed around a series of videos with Lisa Shanahan, author, and Emma Quay, illustrator, including a reading experience of their collaborative work, Bear and Chook by the Sea. Taken as a whole, this sequence of lessons is a Stage 1 unit of work that results in students working in pairs to produce ...

Online

Patterns

This is a unit of inquiry made up of 12 learning sequences for year F in the English for the Australian Curriculum resource. Each learning sequence contains a series of resources, suggested activities to carry out with students and a post-activity reflection. This unit examines patterns in literature and language, with ...

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Syllabus bites: types of sentences

A web page resource with information, teacher guides and activities on types of sentences to support the Australian Curriculum in English K–10. It has detailed activities, links to resources and quizzes.

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SpellingCity - iTunes app

Learn and practise your spelling, grammar and vocabulary with 10 multimodal spelling games. Build customised word lists and test yourself on your spelling. SpellingCity is a companion app for the www.spellingcity.com website. Free when reviewed 7/6/15.

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Visual literacy

A resource with information, study guides and resources on visual literacy to support the English K-10 Australian Curriculum in English. It provides a series of activities, guidelines and tasks about visual texts from a variety of sources. Contains writing scaffolds, templates and proformas for responding and composing ...

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Syllabus bites: Exploring Asia-related texts

This resource has information, links and study guides on Asia-related texts to support the Australian Curriculum in English for Year 7, 8, 9, 10.