Years 7 to 8
Languages
ASLANSPAF10Y78
Years 7 to 8 Spanish Achievement Standard
9 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 8, students initiate and maintain interactions in Spanish language in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts related to a range of interests and experiences. They use Spanish to collaborate and problem-solve, and adjust language in response to others. They interpret information, ideas and opinions in texts. They demonstrate understanding of similarities and differences between languages, in both familiar and some unfamiliar cultural contexts, by adjusting and reorganising responses. They select and use vocabulary, sentence structures and expressions to create texts.
Students apply the conventions of spoken Spanish to develop fluency. They demonstrate understanding that spoken, written and multimodal texts use different language conventions, structures and features to convey meaning. They comment on structures and features of Spanish text, using metalanguage. They reflect on how the Spanish language, culture and identity are interconnected, and compare this with their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Foundation to Year 10 sequence
The 9 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 8, students initiate and maintain interactions in Spanish language in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts related to a range of interests and experiences.
Content descriptorAC9LS8C01 Communicating meaning in Spanish
initiate and sustain exchanges in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts related to students’ experiences, feelings and views, adjusting their language in response to others
Elaborations (8)
- Elaboration using appropriate register when interacting in different situations, for example, making enquiries, offering thanks and apologies, Disculpe ¿cómo puedo llegar al museo?, ¡Muchísimas gracias por su ayuda!, Lo siento mucho
- Elaboration exchanging personal information about routines and past experiences and responding to key ideas in questions, for example, Desayuno a las 8 de la mañana. Voy a la escuela en tranvía. A mi amigo español le gusta el chocolate con nata. Yo fui a México en el 2017. ¿A qué hora desayunas? ¿Cómo vas a la escuela? ¿Qué le gusta a tu amigo? ¿Cuándo fuiste a México?
- Elaboration engaging in informal conversations, for example, conversaciones con amistades o familiares such as ¡Qué pasa, tío! ¿Cómo te va?, Abuelita ¿Cómo te encuentras?
- Elaboration developing narrative skills by exchanging accounts of significant events or milestones, for example, El año pasado fui con mis padres al Museo Nacional y me encantó porque había muchas esculturas
- Elaboration initiating and extending conversations and discussion, for example, using open-ended questions such as ¿Qué pasa? ¿Dónde pasarán las vacaciones? and connectives, such as pero, entonces, cuando, también …
- Elaboration using formulaic examples to structure arguments and to explain or justify a position such as Lo importante es ..., A mí me parece que …, for example, Pienso que debemos estudiar idiomas Indígenas porque son interesantes
- Elaboration inviting others to give opinions, share their views or make suggestions, for example, ¿Qué quieres comer?, ¿Estás de acuerdo? ¿Qué te parece esta película?
- Elaboration interacting with Spanish-speaking students in real or imagined contexts, messaging/chatting in secure online environments or in person, to convey information about Australian places or events of interest, leisure and sports activities, wildlife and environment, for example, En Australia hay wombats, son animales grandes y nocturnos
They use Spanish to collaborate and problem-solve, and adjust language in response to others.
Content descriptorAC9LS8C02 Communicating meaning in Spanish
collaborate in activities that involve the language of transaction, negotiation and problem-solving to plan projects and events
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration working together to produce class reference materials such as wall charts or visuals to display key vocabulary and structures used regularly in the classroom, and promote Spanish learning, for example, ¡No te rindas! ¡Estudia español!
- Elaboration working with peers to produce bilingual signs/flyers and posters to promote sustainability and waste reduction within the school community, for example, using key vocabulary such as papel reciclado, tacho/cubo de reciclaje, basura, basura orgánica, papel, cartón
- Elaboration planning and participating in learning experiences such as preparing a class outing or shopping for a lunch, stating preferences, negotiating, considering alternatives and agreeing or disagreeing, using modelled language, for example, Prefiero ir a la playa, no al centro commercial. Tengo ganas de ir al cine …, Estoy/no estoy de acuerdo …
- Elaboration planning and completing tasks that involve requesting, giving and following directions to real or virtual locations, for example, Sigue derecho por la calle Alta, toma el bús hasta el lago y gira a la izquierda, using resources such as secure digital tools, applications, street maps
- Elaboration participating in situations that involve transactions and the exchange of ideas and preferences, for example, role-play an airport scene where students buy souvenirs, snacks, toiletries and stationery, using phrases, ¿cuánto cuesta? ¡qué caro/barato! ¿acepta tarjeta de crédito? ¿a qué hora es el próximo …?
- Elaboration engaging in collaborative projects such as designing a class webpage or making a short video to share with others, for example, Mi comunidad or Nuestra escuela, deciding on content, dividing tasks and reflecting on what was done well and what could be improved
- Elaboration combining group ideas and efforts to collaboratively solve issues that may relate to young people, such as time management, examination preparation, nutrition, etc., contributing and listening to others’ perspectives and experiences and presenting or reporting back to the class
They interpret information, ideas and opinions in texts.
Content descriptorAC9LS8C03 Communicating meaning in Spanish
interpret information, ideas and opinions in a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts, and respond appropriately to cultural context, purpose and audience
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration listening to or reading about topics of interest to young people, for example, la música, el cine, la televisión, el medio ambiente, la identidad, la tecnología; and sharing opinions or feelings, for example, En mi opinión, la película estuvo ... No estoy de acuerdo con el autor, El autor tiene razón, No me interesa, Pienso que la televisión es necesaria para la comunicación, Creo que la tecnología es muy importante
- Elaboration exchanging personal preferences and perspectives in relation to characters, attitudes and events encountered in imaginative texts, for example, Prefiero el robot femenino …, No estoy de acuerdo con …
- Elaboration responding to different expressions of humour in texts from Spanish-speaking communities and comparing these to Australian expressions of humour, for example, using popular images/graphics to discuss context and meaning, such as comida rápida – image of hot dog running, furioso – angry bear
- Elaboration listening to, reading or viewing First Nations Australian authors’ stories in English and responding to them in spoken or written Spanish
- Elaboration exchanging videos or blogs with a Spanish-speaking class or student, comparing aspects of their community and culture such as school, local landmarks, fiestas and traditions, and presenting the information in new ways
- Elaboration accessing a range of sources of information and evaluating their reliability and accuracy, for example, comparing data or factual content from a news report with information on social media, checking multiple sources to establish validity and bias, and deciding what facts to include in informative texts
- Elaboration listening to reports such as weather, sporting results, a concert line-up, and creating an audio or text message to invite their friend to an event, incorporating information from the text(s) to persuade their friend to come, for example, El Real Madrid ganó el sábado 3 a 0. ¿Vamos a verlos este fin de semana? Estará soleado el sábado/hará sol el sábado
Content descriptorAC9LS8C04 Communicating meaning in Spanish
interpret and adjust non-verbal, spoken and written language to convey meaning in Spanish language in familiar and some unfamiliar cultural contexts
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration comparing own translation of a text with classmates, commenting on similarities and differences between versions, considering possible reasons for these, and preparing a collaborative secure online whole-class version
- Elaboration creating informative responses to cultural representations of Spanish-speaking communities in Australia, such as The Spanish Film Festival, community fiestas or artists’ exhibitions, explaining particular language or images in terms of cultural associations, for example, in vlogs, critical reviews or secure social media posts
- Elaboration interpreting short messages or communications, reflecting on challenges associated with transferring meaning from one language to another, for example, Mañana voy a estrenar mi vestido, ¿Te gustó la sobremesa? No me tomes el pelo. Me costó un ojo de la cara. Es un trabajo papaya.
- Elaboration viewing authentic material of Spanish speakers discussing their culture and language, then responding to these discussions, incorporating their own personal perspectives and opinions in a digital presentation
- Elaboration selecting and explaining individual words or phrases in Spanish whose meaning can be affected by context, for example, Tengo una pila de cosas para hacer, La pila del celular se ha acabado
- Elaboration presenting information gathered from different types of texts and modes of presentation to create an overview of a particular topic of interest such as a celebrity, popular culture, school uniforms, saving water, endangered species
They demonstrate understanding of similarities and differences between languages, in both familiar and some unfamiliar cultural contexts, by adjusting and reorganising responses.
Content descriptorAC9LS8C04 Communicating meaning in Spanish
interpret and adjust non-verbal, spoken and written language to convey meaning in Spanish language in familiar and some unfamiliar cultural contexts
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration comparing own translation of a text with classmates, commenting on similarities and differences between versions, considering possible reasons for these, and preparing a collaborative secure online whole-class version
- Elaboration creating informative responses to cultural representations of Spanish-speaking communities in Australia, such as The Spanish Film Festival, community fiestas or artists’ exhibitions, explaining particular language or images in terms of cultural associations, for example, in vlogs, critical reviews or secure social media posts
- Elaboration interpreting short messages or communications, reflecting on challenges associated with transferring meaning from one language to another, for example, Mañana voy a estrenar mi vestido, ¿Te gustó la sobremesa? No me tomes el pelo. Me costó un ojo de la cara. Es un trabajo papaya.
- Elaboration viewing authentic material of Spanish speakers discussing their culture and language, then responding to these discussions, incorporating their own personal perspectives and opinions in a digital presentation
- Elaboration selecting and explaining individual words or phrases in Spanish whose meaning can be affected by context, for example, Tengo una pila de cosas para hacer, La pila del celular se ha acabado
- Elaboration presenting information gathered from different types of texts and modes of presentation to create an overview of a particular topic of interest such as a celebrity, popular culture, school uniforms, saving water, endangered species
They select and use vocabulary, sentence structures and expressions to create texts.
Content descriptorAC9LS8C05 Communicating meaning in Spanish
create and present spoken, written and multimodal, informative and imaginative texts for specific purposes, selecting vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures, features and conventions appropriate to text type and context
Elaborations (10)
- Elaboration designing a digital poster or electronic brochure to advertise a social event in their local community related to lifestyles, social and cultural events or environmental issues
- Elaboration using digital tools to create a slideshow with audio about a planned 7-day trip to a Spanish-speaking country or region, including famous places to visit, cultural events to attend and foods to eat, for example, attending the Inti Raymi in Cuzco, Peru or visiting the Spanish region of Galicia during San Juan/San Xoan
- Elaboration reporting on own and others’ experiences of events such as a school camp, a concert or playing a new computer game, for example, Mi amiga disfrutó el campamento ...
- Elaboration creating a print or digital poster in Spanish to promote travel to a significant cultural location on a First Nations Country/Place, including what to see and do
- Elaboration composing bilingual menus, recipes or programs for Spanish-themed events, with key information in Spanish and explanatory footnotes or glossaries in English, for class parties, cooking sessions, cultural celebrations, for example, instructions to make a piñata
- Elaboration creating subtitles, captions or commentaries for texts such as brochures, slide show presentations or video clips that inform the school community, for example, open day/night, aspects of Spanish-speaking cultures, or details of the Festival de Viña del Mar
- Elaboration creating cartoons, role-plays or short stories about a past event in their own life or a dream for the future, to share in class or for a secure online wider audience, for example, sueño con ser bailarina
- Elaboration using voice recording and digital presentation software to create, perform or record imaginative texts, for example, a short play or film
- Elaboration preparing a biographical account of an influential figure in own life, for example, creating a profile of a grandparent or sports coach
- Elaboration using up-to-date and emerging terms relating to pop culture, technology and media when creating texts, for example, Chateo con mis amigos. No suelo bloguear porque tuitear es más rápido. En las redes, normalmente blogueo porque me encanta la música y me gusta mucho rapear.
Students apply the conventions of spoken Spanish to develop fluency.
Content descriptorAC9LS8U01 Understanding language and culture
apply knowledge of conventions of spoken Spanish to enhance fluency, and to respond to and create texts in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration distinguishing nuances in pronunciation of some consonants according to vowel combinations, for example, jardín, garage, gente, agua and gas, and the double consonants ll and rr compared with the single l and r
- Elaboration using the rhythms of the Spanish language, including intonation, tone and stress, to increase fluency and enhance expression, for example, No compro nunca en esa tienda versus ¿No compró nunca en esa tienda?
- Elaboration recognising where to place stress in extended sentences, for example, Vámonos ya para el concierto de Rosalía. Ven aquí y te enseñaremos a bailar salsa.
- Elaboration recognising that written Spanish has only 3 double consonant combinations, cc, ll and rr, for example, acción, llover, corrección
- Elaboration applying pronunciation rules to common tongue twisters such as Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal
They demonstrate understanding that spoken, written and multimodal texts use different language conventions, structures and features to convey meaning.
Content descriptorAC9LS8U02 Understanding language and culture
apply understanding of grammatical structures and expressions to compose and respond to texts
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration conjugating common regular verbs and high-frequency irregular verbs such as ir, tener, ser, haber in the present, preterite and present perfect tenses, for example, Voy a la escuela todos los días, fui a la escuela el año pasado, he ido a la escuela durante dos trimestres
- Elaboration using present, past and immediate future tense verbs followed by infinitive, for example, Debemos dormir bien, quiero ir a casa, no pudo comer, me gustaría celebrar contigo, vamos a jugar al baloncesto
- Elaboration expanding their use of cohesive devices such as sin embargo, además, to create compound sentences and link ideas, for example, Los estudiantes son inteligentes sin embargo no estudian todos los días.
- Elaboration using adjectives to describe people and aspects of the environment, for example, Mi tía es generosa y agradable, Los Andes son más altos que los Pirineos. Lo más/menos importante es …
- Elaboration expressing quantity, for example, miles de personas, mucha gente, varios libros, tanto dinero, pocas ideas, bastante calor, algunos amigos
- Elaboration using adverbs to modify the meaning of verbs and adjectives, for example, Él nadó rápido. Nosotros casi nunca entrenamos especialmente cuando hace demasiado calor.
- Elaboration indicating possession by using de followed by a pronoun or noun, for example, El carro de mi mamá, Las camisas de mi hermano, Las profesoras de la escuela tienen vacaciones de verano
They comment on structures and features of Spanish text, using metalanguage.
Content descriptorAC9LS8U03 Understanding language and culture
reflect on similarities and differences between Spanish and English language structures and features, using metalanguage
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration reflecting on language appropriate to different types of texts, such as descriptive language in documentaries, reflective language in diary and journal entries, and persuasive language in advertisements, and compare these with English
- Elaboration collecting examples of online and print advertisements, and identifying and analysing the language features and grammatical structures used to persuade potential consumers in both Spanish and English, for example, ‘End of season sale’, ¡Compre en los almacenes ‘La Moda’, no se arrepentirá!, ¡Pague menos y lleve más!
- Elaboration understanding and comparing textual elements, in Spanish and English, that provide coherence at a whole text level, for example, cohesive devices, introductions and summaries, linked paragraphs, and sequencing of ideas, por lo tanto …, en primer lugar …
- Elaboration comparing Spanish and English sentence structure, for example, the omission of the subject in Spanish, Simón busca la información en la red, la necesita para su trabajo
- Elaboration collecting Spanish and English cognates, for example, fascinante/fascinating, arquitectura/architecture, doctor/doctor, enciclopedia/encyclopedia, cancelar/cancel, bicicleta/bicycle
- Elaboration identifying Spanish words borrowed from different languages across time and through political, historical and social changes, such as words of Arabic origin that start with the prefix al-, for example, almanaque, alcachofa, algodón, algebra and alcohol, and some common interjections such as ¡hola!, ¡ojalá! and ¡olé! also derived from Arabic
- Elaboration understanding the conventions of several types of texts in Spanish and comparing these with English, for example, the use of abbreviations in text messages, tq = te quiero, formulaic greetings in telephone conversations, Aquí, Hola, ¿Sí? ¿Aló?, typical phrases for greeting cards, Muchas felicidades por …, language in menus, entrada, platos de fondo/primer plato/segundo plato, postres, menú del día
They reflect on how the Spanish language, culture and identity are interconnected, and compare this with their own language(s), culture(s) and identity.
Content descriptorAC9LS8U04 Understanding language and culture
reflect on and explain how identity is shaped by language(s), culture(s), attitudes, beliefs and values
Elaborations (9)
- Elaboration recognising that language and cultural practices are interconnected, for example, identifying the religious origins or connotations of many common Spanish names such as Jesús María, Dolores, and expressions such as ¡Qué Dios te bendiga!; and changes reflecting social values such as the adoption of some feminine forms of professional titles, for example, la doctora/el doctor, la abogada/el abogado, la jefa/el jefe
- Elaboration comparing elements of communication, for example, body language and use of personal space and silence in different cultural contexts, and exchanges such as physical greetings, proximity when interacting and the use of ‘sorry’ in English compared with Spanish
- Elaboration identifying levels of formality in spoken and written texts and considering what these reveal about social relationships and processes, such as reflection of status, authority, respect or intimacy, for example, Perdone que le interrumpa, Presidenta. ¿Podría …? Disculpe, ¿podría decirme ...? Eres el amor de mi vida ...
- Elaboration examining, in Spanish or English, how First Nations Australian languages have strong connections to Country/Place locations, and how these can be compared with language variations across Spanish-speaking countries and regions
- Elaboration recognising that many Spanish-speaking countries have co-official Spanish languages and how this is an important aspect of identity, for example, Guaraní in Paraguay, Catalan, Galician and Basque/Euskera in Spain, and Quiché in Guatemala
- Elaboration noticing components of Spanish language that reflect cultural histories and influences, for example, technological and scientific terms derived from classical Latin and Greek, continente, vegetación, bacteria, biología, protocolo and mecánico
- Elaboration understanding the nature of the distribution of Spanish speakers across the world, including countries such as United States and the Philippines where the Spanish language and cultures have an important presence, for example, the development of Spanglish as a dialect and influence on Tagalog/Filipino
- Elaboration examining language variation in relation to vocabulary and grammatical forms in Spanish-speaking communities compared with Spanish-speaking in Spain, for example, ‘strawberries’ are fresas in Spain and frutillas in Argentina; ‘bus’ is colectivo in Venezuela, ómnibus in Peru, camión in Mexico and guagua in Cuba; and the use of the pronoun vos in Central America/Argentina/Uruguay
- Elaboration considering the value of the influence of Spanish language and culture(s), including food, film, fashion, music and dance, on the English language and other cultures, for example, churros, tortilla, pupusas, tapas, salsa, flamenco
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Years 7 to 8 Spanish · Foundation to Year 10 sequence. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicating meaning in Spanish | Interacting in Spanish | 2 | 15 |
| Communicating meaning in Spanish | Mediating meaning in and between languages | 2 | 13 |
| Communicating meaning in Spanish | Creating text in Spanish | 1 | 10 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding systems of language | 3 | 19 |
| Understanding language and culture | Understanding the interrelationship of language and culture | 1 | 9 |
| Total | 9 | 66 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Years 7 to 8 Spanish?
By the end of Year 8, students initiate and maintain interactions in Spanish language in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts related to a range of interests and experiences. They use Spanish to collaborate and problem-solve, and adjust language in response to others. Read the full standard
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
9 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Communicating meaning in Spanish: 5, Understanding language and culture: 4).
How does this compare to Years 5 to 6?
The Years 5 to 6 Spanish standard (ASLANSPAF10Y56) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Years 7 to 8 expectations extending what was introduced in Years 5 to 6.
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.