English / Year 4 / Language / Language variation and change

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand that Standard Australian English is one of many social dialects used in Australia, and that while it originated in England it has been influenced by many other languages (ACELA1487)

Elaborations
  • identifying words used in Standard Australian English that are derived from other languages, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, and determining if the original meaning is reflected in English usage, for example example ‘kangaroo’, ‘tsunami’,’ typhoon’, ‘amok’, ‘orang–utan’
  • identifying commonly used words derived from other cultures
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
ScOT terms

Language conventions,  Standard Australian English

Video

Count to 10 in Gomeroi

Learn how to count to 10 in Gomeroi! Community cultural leader Matthew Priestley has been teaching students at Moree East Public School how to speak the traditional Gomeroi language. Listen as the students teach you.

Video

ABC Open: Learn to count in Kaurna!

Presenter Taylor Power-Smith helps us learn to count to ten in Kaurna, the Indigenous language of the Kaurna people of Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains. 

Video

Learn a Dhurga greeting

Walawaani! Learn this Dhurga greeting by listening to teacher Kerry Boyenga and the students of St Mary's Primary School in Moruya. Walawaani means "We hope you've had a safe journey here", or "We hope you have a safe journey home". Dhurga is the first language of the NSW far south coast between Wandandean, Braidwood and ...

Video

Name parts of the body in Dhurga

Watch and listen as students of St Mary's Primary School in Moruya teach you how to name eight body parts in Dhurga. Dhurga is the first language of the NSW far south coast between Wandandean, Braidwood and Wallaga Lake.

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.  

Video

The Buyungurra who didn't listen

Listen as Bianca McNeair shares the story of "The Buyungurra who didn't listen". This is a traditional story that Bianca's mother told her when she was growing up. Bianca uses words from the Malgana language, which is spoken in the area around Shark Bay in Western Australia.

Video

Discover the diversity of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

Marrin Gamu is a special video created by First Languages Australia to show the diversity and beauty of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. There are five languages featured in this clip: Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Warrgamay, Nywaygi, Yugambeh and Wiradjuri. Across Australia there are hundreds of traditional ...

Online

Whose Country: exploring First Nations peoples languages map (7-13yrs)

Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages can help children build their understanding of land, water and people. This activity helps to assist the identification of the language group/s on which the school, youth group or home is situated. To understand local perspectives and support these activities, ...

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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BBC Bitesize: travelling pronouns - worksheet

This is a simple printable worksheet for students to complete once they have finished the interactive resource 'Travelling pronouns'. It consists of four sentences, each of which contains at least one pronoun choice to make. Students make their choices by colouring in their preferred option. This resource is one of a series ...

Online

Message sticks: rich ways of weaving Aboriginal cultures into the Australian Curriculum

This is a resource about Aboriginal message sticks. Written by Narinda Sandry and intended for teachers, it describes how message sticks were inscribed with symbols and signs to allow messages to be understood by different Aboriginal groups and language speakers. It outlines the cultural contexts within which message sticks ...

Interactive

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.

Interactive

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.

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Active and passive voice

A web page with information, teacher guides and activities on writing sentences using the active and passive voice. This resource supports the BOS NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum in English K–10.

Image

Landmarks: people and places across Australia

This resource features the Landmarks gallery, which traces a broad history of Australia since British colonisation in the late 18th century. The exhibition explores ten big themes in the country's past through the stories of Australian places and the people who have lived there. It examines how people have engaged with ...

Text

Through a child's eye: an especially joyous exhibition of mandalas

This is a presentation of seven slides displaying a small exhibition of children's stories, related drawings and background information about mandalas. The stories and drawings illustrate selected fables as an expression of Buddhist teachings. The presentation was created as a result of an art project to commemorate the ...

Video

A school's history of sustainability

Discover the history of sustainability at a local primary school as two generations of past students reflect on their time at the school. View this clip called 'The past of our present', created by young reporters from North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making ...

Video

ABC Open: Preserving the Badimaya language

The Badimaya language covers areas ranging from Paynes Find, Ninghan Station and Mount Magnet in Western Australia, but the language is in danger of becoming extinct. How important is it to preserve a language? Watch this video to find out the importance of language to identity and culture.

Video

How to get better at writing in rhyme

What does author Tony Wilson suggest doing to improve your rhyming skills? Why do you think reading might help? Are you familiar with the books and authors Tony mentions? Dame Lynley Dodd is the author of the Hairy Maclary books and Julia Donaldson is another successful author who uses rhyming in her books. Look them up ...

Video

Planning and writing

How do you write? Do you get an idea and jump right in and start writing, or do you plan and think about your idea before you start? Everyone has their own writing style that works for them. Watch Lili Wilkinson talk about how she writes, and the importance of editing and being flexible with your original plan.