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Can We Help?: Borrowed words: the processes of language change

Do you know any words from another language? Chances are, you know more than you think you do! English is a polyglot language; one that borrows words from other languages. In this Professor Kate Burridge discusses the origins of the phrases 'short-shrift' and 'lily-livered'.

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Heywire: Fortissimo frogs frustrate family

How could words convey the nightly racket of hundreds of croaking frogs outside your bedroom window? Can you think of ways to engage readers' senses so that they 'experience' the frog chorus? A use of imagery is one of them. It's something we'll explore in this humorous story about the perils of frogs. Could you write or ...

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Heywire: It's all in the tone

Feel the effect of David Martyr's skilful use of tone in this Heywire audio story of life in a mining camp. How does he create it, and what is its effect on how we respond to his subject matter? Could you write or record a similar story about yourself and/or your community? The ABC's Heywire competition calls for stories ...

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Heywire: Sussing out the similes in a footy game

If you've ever tried to describe an experience to a friend and said, 'It was just like', you were using a simile. Similes and their close pals metaphors are figures of speech that writers of all sorts of texts use. As you listen to this Heywire audio story, explore Taylor Smith's use of them in his recount of a Saturday ...

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Heywire: Tension in the air

In this Heywire audio story, explore how Marguerite Donaldson builds tension as she recounts a nerve-wracking incident that happened while she was flying one day. Find out what this incident has revealed to her and how she shares her thoughts. Could you write or record a similar story about yourself and/or your community? ...

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Heywire: To disconnect or not to disconnect?

How often are you ever truly alone? Today's technology can mean that we're in constant contact with friends and family. In this Heywire audio story, Dayna Duncan shares a time when she both needed to be connected and to balance her use of social media with other priorities in her life.<br /><br /> Could you write or record ...

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How to write fiction that comes alive

This short video for students shares some vividly illustrated tips on how to use language to make your fiction really come alive using metaphors, sensory imagery, onomatopoeia and avoiding cliches.

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Interviews With 10 Australian Authors, Ch 4: Poetry with Robert Adamson

Australian poet Robert Adamson speaks to Tom Tilley about his extraordinary life, including his experience of being sent to a boys' home as a teenager, of his life-changing discovery of Bob Dylan, and of the spiritual connection he feels with the Hawkesbury River. The Golden Bird is a collection of his poems written throughout ...

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Interviews With 10 Australian Authors, Ch 5: In conversation with David Malouf

David Malouf is an internationally-acclaimed Australian author, poet and essayist. In this conversation with radio host Tom Tilley, Malouf discusses his The Complete Stories, a collection of thirty-one short stories published since 1982. What emerges in this compilation is a diverse range of representations of Australian ...

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Interviews With 10 Australian Authors, Ch 7: Playing with Hannie Rayson

It was while Hannie Rayson was at acting school that she realised she wanted to be a playwright. In this interview led by Tom Tilley she talks about how she began writing plays, why she became interested in the notion of Anglo Australian art and culture, and how all her characters are in some way an embodiment of herself.

Interactive

Kanji wheel of discovery 2

Solve word puzzles in a quiz show. Choose a key kanji such as 同, 学 or 明. Then spin the wheel to make new compound words using your key kanji. Use the meanings of the individual kanji to work out the meaning of each compound word and score points. Solve the meaning of enough compound words to win a prize. Review all the ...

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Poetry from the Poetry foundaton - iTunes app

View poems from classic and contemporary poets. From William Shakespeare to T.S. Eliot to Emily Dickinson this app turns your device into a mobile poetry library. Free when reviewed 5/6/15.

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Radical hunt: island hunt [Japanese]

Search an island for clues to find a rare bird. Find kanji hidden near the things they represent. Notice the kanji are compound kanji that share a common radical. Discover the related meanings of each set of kanji. Identify the general pattern that the meaning of a radical will contribute to the meaning of a compound kanji. ...

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Riddle of the black panther: evidence against

Build a TV report for a current affairs program. Tell the story that there is a false rumour of a black panther roaming around a town terrorising the people. Make the viewers feel that people in the town are safe. Examine photos, sounds, witness reports and video clips. Choose footage to fit your storyline. Edit and arrange ...

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Romeo and Juliet: Galloping towards tragedy

Have you ever waited for someone with such anticipation that you felt you might burst? That's exactly the feeling experienced by Juliet, played by Miranda Tapsell of Bell Shakespeare, in this soliloquy as she calls on night to arrive and bring her new husband. Shakespeare's masterful use of dramatic irony puts the audience ...

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Romeo and Juliet: Growing up in a hurry

Act 3.2 in 'Romeo and Juliet' is a pivotal moment in Juliet's character development. Shakespeare manages to compress months of growing up into a single potent scene. Join James Evans as he explores Juliet's soliloquy from the beginning of this scene, and what it reveals about her coming of age, with Miranda Tapsell and ...

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Romeo and Juliet: The language of true love

There are moments of extraordinary light and beauty amid the tragedy of 'Romeo and Juliet'. Join James Evans and actor Damien Strouthos from Bell Shakespeare as they discuss Act 2.2. Damien explains how Shakespeare's use of language reveals the intense passion, as well as frustration, experienced by Romeo and Juliet.

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Romeo and Juliet: True love's passion

One of the most famous love scenes of all time is when Romeo and Juliet pledge their love for each other. Shakespeare's imagery evocatively captures the passion of two young lovers torn apart by their feuding families. Explore this pivotal scene as it is brought to life by Miranda Tapsell and Damien Strouthos of Bell Shakespeare.

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Samuel Wagan Watson

This sequence of videos is an interactive resource for Stage 4/5 English and or Stage 4/5 Aboriginal Studies. It assists students to develop knowledge and understanding about Indigenous cultures of Australia. Students will respond to the poet, his texts, and at least one other Aboriginal poet, as well as composing at least ...

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Syllabus bites – responding to literature

A web page with information, teacher guides and resources on responding to texts. This resource supports the NSW English K-10 syllabus.