SACE Stage 2 Australian Languages - Additional Language key terms

The exchange of meaning between people from different cultural backgrounds, where assumptions, politeness rules and expectations may differ and must be negotiated rather than taken for granted.

The accepted conventions governing behaviour, speech and permission-seeking in a community, such as who may speak for a group or how knowledge is shared with outsiders.

Seeking guidance and permission from senior knowledge holders before using community information, recordings or language material in a school task or public presentation.

Agreement given by a person after they understand how their words, images or knowledge will be used, stored and shared, and who else may access the material.

Naming the person or group who provided language, story or cultural knowledge, acknowledging their ownership and authority rather than presenting the material as the student's own.

Presenting another person's words, ideas, recordings or translations as one's own work without acknowledgement, including copying from a language resource or another student.

Recording the sources used in a response, such as a speaker, recording, dictionary or website, in a consistent format so the reader can locate the original.

Efforts by a community to increase the use of a language that is endangered or no longer spoken fluently, through teaching, recording, naming and everyday practice.

The ongoing use of a language across generations and settings, so that it keeps functioning for daily communication rather than being replaced by a stronger language.

A gradual change in a community where speakers stop using one language in favour of another, often over two or three generations, until the first is used less or not at all.

Moving between two or more languages or varieties within a conversation or sentence, often to signal identity, group membership, emphasis or a change of topic.

The variety of language chosen for a particular situation, ranging from formal to informal, and shaped by audience, purpose and the relationship between speakers.

Words that name family and community relationships, which may be far more detailed than English terms and can determine how a speaker addresses or refers to someone.

Spoken accounts of past events and experiences passed on within a community, often recorded as a source of language, vocabulary and cultural knowledge.

Writing down spoken language exactly as it was said, including hesitations and non-standard forms, usually with a consistent spelling or symbol system.

The agreed system for writing a language, covering which letters or symbols are used, how sounds are represented and where word boundaries fall.

A distinct sound unit in a language that can change meaning between words, even though speakers may not notice the difference consciously.

Two words that differ in only one sound yet have different meanings, used to show that the differing sounds are separate phonemes in that language.

The smallest unit of language that carries meaning, such as a root, prefix or suffix, which cannot be divided further without losing meaning.

Changing the form of a word through affixes to mark grammatical information such as tense, number, person or case, without creating a new dictionary word.

Affixes or particles on nouns that show their grammatical role in a sentence, such as who performs an action and who receives it.

The usual arrangement of subject, object and verb in a language, which may be fixed or flexible depending on whether other grammar signals the roles.

The rules for how words combine into phrases and sentences, including which orders are grammatical and how clauses are joined.

A word taken from another language and used in a new one, sometimes with changed pronunciation or meaning, often reflecting contact and new technology.

The process by which one language adopts words, sounds or structures from another, usually because of prolonged contact between their speakers.

A variety of a language spoken by a particular group or region, differing in pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar while remaining largely mutually intelligible.

Providing a word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase explanation of a text in another language, often aligned with the original so structure can be compared.

Producing a written text in another language that conveys the meaning and tone of the original, choosing between literal accuracy and natural expression.

Rendering spoken or signed language into another language in real time, requiring quick decisions about meaning, register and cultural appropriateness.

A recognised category of communication such as a letter, report, interview, speech or story, each with its own structure, audience expectations and language features.

The intended readers or listeners of a text, whose knowledge, relationship to the writer and expectations shape choices of vocabulary, tone and detail.

The reason a text is produced, such as to inform, persuade, entertain or instruct, which guides its structure, content selection and language choices.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked so a text reads as a whole, achieved through pronouns, connectives, repetition and consistent referencing.

The overall logical sense of a text, where ideas follow in an order the reader can follow and each part supports the stated purpose.

Restating a source's meaning in one's own words and structure, keeping the original sense while showing independent understanding and control of language.

A shortened account that keeps the main points of a source and leaves out detail, written in the summariser's own words and organised logically.

A text in which the writer gives an informed opinion or reflection on a stimulus, supporting views with reasons and examples from their own experience or study.

The strength of a speaker's or writer's commitment to a statement, shown by words such as may, might, must or should, affecting how certain or forceful a claim appears.