WACE Italian Background Language ATAR key terms

The variety of language used in official or professional situations, marked by complete sentences, polite pronouns and avoidance of slang. Candidates must recognise it in written texts and produce it in formal responses.

Everyday language used with friends and family, featuring contractions, slang and direct address. Recognising shifts between formal and informal register is a common comprehension task and a frequent source of errors in production.

Addressing someone with the second-person singular pronoun tu, used with peers, children and people one knows well. Choosing between tu and lei signals social relationship and must match the situation described in a task.

Addressing someone with the polite third-person singular pronoun lei, used with strangers, elders and superiors. It requires third-person verb forms and is expected in letters of complaint or application.

Words and phrases such as tuttavia, pertanto or d'altra parte that link ideas and show contrast, cause or consequence. They are essential for cohesion in extended writing and for tracking argument in reading texts.

The way sentences are tied together through connectors, pronouns and repetition of key ideas so a text reads as a unified whole. Assessors reward it explicitly in the written production criteria.

A group of sentences developing one main idea, usually opening with a topic sentence. Clear paragraphing improves structure marks and helps the reader follow the argument in an essay or article.

A short restatement of the main points of a text, written in one's own words without copying sentences. It tests comprehension and is often required after reading an article or listening to an interview.

The central message a text conveys, distinct from supporting details. Identifying it quickly is the first step in answering comprehension questions and in planning a summary or response.

A conclusion drawn from clues in a text rather than stated directly, such as guessing a speaker's attitude from tone. Questions using inferire or si deduce require this skill rather than simple location of facts.

The attitude a writer or speaker conveys, for example ironic, critical or sympathetic. Identifying tone helps interpret persuasive texts and is often asked as a multiple-choice question about the author's stance.

The purpose behind a text, such as informing, persuading, entertaining or instructing. Recognising it guides both comprehension answers and the choice of structure and register when producing a text.

The intended reader or listener of a text, whose age, relationship and expectations shape register, vocabulary and content. Tasks often specify a destinatario, and ignoring it costs marks in written production.

Rewording a passage in different language while keeping the original meaning. It is used to demonstrate understanding and to avoid lifting phrases directly from a source text in a summary.

A short direct quotation from a text, marked with quotation marks and attributed to its source. Used sparingly, it supports an argument; overused, it replaces the candidate's own analysis.

The main claim or position a persuasive text defends, usually stated near the beginning or conclusion. Distinguishing thesis from supporting evidence is central to analysing argumentative articles.

The reasoned development of a position using evidence, examples and logical links. Strong argumentation in writing requires clear claims, relevant support and acknowledgement of opposing views.

The part of an argument that acknowledges and rebuts an opposing view. Including it strengthens an essay and demonstrates the critical thinking rewarded in the upper bands of the writing criteria.

Correspondence such as a complaint, request or application, opening with Gentile and closing with Cordiali saluti. It follows fixed conventions of layout, register and formulaic phrases that candidates must reproduce accurately.

A message to a friend or relative, opening with Ciao and closing with a warm formula, using contractions and direct address. Tasks often ask for an invitation, an account of an event or advice.

A short piece for a newspaper, magazine or school publication, with a headline, an engaging opening and organised paragraphs. It may inform or persuade, so the writer must signal purpose clearly.

The headline of an article, designed to attract attention and signal the topic, often using short phrases or wordplay. A relevant, concise title is required when a task specifies an article or report.

A structured report presenting information or findings on an event, experience or issue, often with headings and an objective tone. It differs from an article in prioritising clarity over persuasion.

A condensed version of a longer text retaining its main points in the original order. It requires selection of key information and paraphrase, and is usually limited to a set number of words.

The verb mood used after expressions of opinion, doubt, desire and certain conjunctions such as benché or affinché. Accurate use raises the grammar range score in writing and appears in cloze items.

Conditional sentences linking a hypothesis to its consequence, in three types: real, possible and unreal. The unreal type pairs the imperfect subjunctive with the conditional and is frequently tested.

The rules matching verb tenses between a main clause and a subordinate clause, for example shifting to the past conditional after a past-tense reporting verb. Errors here distort meaning and lower accuracy marks.

Reporting what someone said without direct quotation, requiring changes to pronouns, tenses and time expressions. Transforming direct speech into indirect speech is a recurring grammar task in the examination.

Pairs such as glielo, me ne or te lo, formed by combining indirect and direct object pronouns. They compress meaning and appear often in dialogue, so misreading them causes comprehension errors.

Small words such as ci, ne, mi and si that replace nouns or phrases already mentioned. Recognising what ci and ne refer back to is essential for understanding natural spoken and written Italian.

Fixed phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from the individual words, such as in bocca al lupo or prendere in giro. They enrich expression and are frequently tested in matching or completion items.

Words with similar or opposite meanings, used to vary vocabulary and to answer questions asking for an equivalent or an antonym. Building them helps avoid repetition in written production.

The sense of belonging shaped by language, family history, region and traditions. Reflective tasks ask candidates to discuss how their Italian and Australian backgrounds interact and shape their view of themselves.

Living between two cultural worlds, often described as bicultural identity, with loyalties and habits drawn from both. It is a central theme in texts about migration and in personal reflective writing.

The movement of people between countries, whether voluntary or forced, and the social and emotional consequences that follow. Texts on this theme explore departure, settlement, nostalgia and generational change.

A bittersweet longing for a place, time or way of life left behind. It recurs in migrant literature and songs and is often explored through sensory memories of food, landscape or family.

The family, regional and linguistic origins that anchor a person's sense of self. Reflective texts often use the metaphor of roots to discuss continuity between generations and attachment to a homeland.

A simplified, widely held generalisation about a group of people, often inaccurate and sometimes harmful. Analysing stereotypes in media texts is a common task in the culture and identity domain.

A preconceived opinion formed without sufficient knowledge, often negative and directed at a group. Distinguishing prejudice from stereotype, and discussing both critically, supports strong analytical responses.

The process by which newcomers become part of a host society while retaining aspects of their own culture. Debates about integration appear in articles and interviews used as reading stimuli.