Vietnamese: 7–10 Sequence / Levels 7 and 8 / Understanding / Role of language and culture
Content description
Identify connections between cultural practices and language use in intercultural exchange, recognising how meaning may be culturally specific
Elaborations
exploring how language and culture influence each other, for example, understanding the differences between Vietnamese and English name order (Nguyễn Trúc Lâm versus Truc Lam Nguyen) and its cultural significanceidentifying gestures, words and phrases with particular cultural significance in Vietnamese, reflecting traditional values such as respect for elderly people, education and social status, for example, folding arms, using both hands to offer something, and saying dạ, thưa to show respect
recognising that some Vietnamese social behaviours, for example, not saying ‘thanks’ or ‘sorry’, and not opening gifts straight away in front of guests, may be misinterpreted by Australians as lack of courtesy
examining the influence of Vietnamese culture on gestures, tone and word choices in social interactions, for example, considering how the practice of using family terms such as chú, bác to indicate informality when addressing an unrelated person reflects the value of family in Vietnamese culture
making connections between language and culture such as vocabulary and expressions related to people, lifestyles, and valuing of the environment, for example, con rồng cháu tiên; khéo ăn thì no, khéo co thì ấm; trời nắng tốt dưa, trời mưa tốt lúa
exploring how politeness is expressed differently in Vietnamese and English, for example, Vietnamese speakers use honorific words such as dạ/thưa and different personal pronouns (ông/bà, cô/chú, anh/chị), while English speakers use ‘thanks’, ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’
