Spanish: 7–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Understanding / Role of language and culture
Content description
Recognise the interconnected relationship between language and culture
Elaborations
identifying how ways of communicating in Spanish and English differ and how people outside each culture may understand these features differently, for example, attitudes to time reflected in language and social interactions; expressing thanks or appreciation more or less directly
considering how differences between ways of using language reflect cultural influences, for example, the adoption of varying systems of apellidos in different Spanish-speaking communities
identifying words or expressions that reflect values and ways of thinking about the world in Spanish, English and other languages, for example, the religious and cultural associations of relationships such as compadrazgo, names such as Jesús María, Dolores, Concepción and Asunción, and expressions such as la bendición, ¡Que Dios te bendiga! and ¡Adiós!; the connotations of ‘mateship’ in Australian English; or the significance of Country in Aboriginal culture
considering how Spanish language and interaction patterns around familiar routines such as mealtimes reflect practices and values associated with family life, food and social relationships, for example, sobremesa
noticing cultural variations in the expression of concepts such as respect or politeness in different languages, for example, the more direct use of imperative forms in Spanish when making a request compared to less direct ways in English (Dame el libro versus ‘Can you give me the book, please?’)
