Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Content description VCZHC135

Chinese: Background Language Learner F–10 Sequence / Levels 3 and 4 / Communicating / Translating
Content description
Identify common spoken Chinese expressions and discuss examples of actions, words and phrases that do not readily translate into English
Elaborations
  1. differentiating between word-by-word meaning and intended meaning when translating from Chinese into English, for example, the word-by-word translation of 我喜欢一个人看书 is ‘I like one person to read’, but it means ‘I like to read alone’
  2. designing bilingual signs (characters/Pinyin/English) to post on key buildings and rooms around the school that convey short messages such as descriptions of the place or the rules in that place
  3. recognising the role that gesture plays in oral interaction, including emblematic (hand) gestures, gesturing for emphasis and inclusivity, and taboos within Chinese communication, such as pointing directly at someone
  4. identifying Chinese symbols in print and digital texts (for example, the longevity symbol), and developing ways to convey the culturally attached value when expressing the meaning of these symbols in English
  5. comparing own translation of short texts (such as brand names, signs, slogans and billboard advertisements) to others’, and evaluating the effectiveness of own translation
  6. developing strategies for using bilingual (Chinese–English and English–Chinese) dictionaries in both print and digital forms to assist with translation
  7. explaining in English features of gestures used in Chinese, for example, hand gestures for numbers
  8. comparing versions of a common text across languages and identifying issues in conveying meaning, for example, how to render 小心轻放 into English
Code
VCZHC135
Curriculum resources and support
Find related teaching and learning resources in Arc*
Find related curriculum resources on the VCAA resources site
*Disclaimer about use of these sites

Go to Chinese curriculum

Scroll to the top of the page