German: F–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Understanding / Language variation and change
Content description
Understand that German, like other languages, continues to change over time due to influences such as globalisation and new technologies and knowledge
Elaborations
investigating and reporting on evidence of current and historical influence of German language and culture in the local and broader Australian community, for example, German/Austrian/Swiss place names (Heidelberg, Hahndorf, Leichhardt, Grindelwald), food (restaurants, bakeries, market stalls), festivals and celebrations (German Film Festival, Swiss Festival, Weihnachtsmarkt), and organisations (Goethe-Institut, SBS German Radio, clubs, churches, companies)
understanding that German, like all languages, is constantly expanding to include new words and expressions in response to changing environments due to globalisation, technology, language shifts and exchange, and intercultural experiences, for example, googeln, skypen
understanding that English grammar used to be more similar to German grammar but that English has changed, for example, the Old English ‘What thinkest thou?’ and Was denkst du?
noting that although German grammar has not changed as much as English over the centuries, it did relatively recently undergo changes in spelling and punctuation in the official Rechtschreibreform, requiring, for example, β to be used only after long vowel sounds or diphthongs (Fuβball, Spaβ, weiβ), and ss to be used after short vowels (dass, Klasse)
