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Your search returned 56 results

Listed under:  Language  >  Natural languages  >  English language
Interactive

Rainforest: read a brochure

  • TLF-IDL345

Read a six-page brochure about the climate of a temperate rainforest in Victoria. Look at maps of Australia showing patterns of temperature and rainfall. Find out what clothing to bring and how to get to the rainforest from the airport. As you go, look up the meaning of tricky words.

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Video

Sculpting ideas into stories with Andy Griffiths

  • TLF-IDM020463

Watch this clip to learn how Andy Griffiths turns his ideas into stories. In particular, listen to the way Andy describes how his collaboration with illustrator Terry Denton works. Now team up with a friend or family member and take on the roles of author and illustrator. What ideas can you come up with by working together? ...

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Video

Andy Griffiths' tips for starting your story

  • TLF-IDM020462

Get some tips from Andy Griffiths on what to think about when you start to write a story. What does he say about plot? Why not take Andy's advice and start a story by thinking about something that has happened to you and then exaggerate it somehow. Concentrate on writing a short, dramatic moment by using lots of detail ...

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Video

Sally Rippin on authors and illustrators

  • TLF-IDM020133

Watch this clip to find out about the relationship between authors and illustrators. What role does the publisher play in this relationship? What does Sally Rippin say about the role of illustrations in books for young children?

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Video

Changing the ending with Michael Gow

  • TLF-IDM020013

Have you ever watched a play or read a book and been dissatisified with the ending? Michael Gow talks about how he changed the ending to his play Away once and how angry his audience was. What do you think about authors and playwrights re-writing their stories and plays to give them different endings?

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Video

Rebecca Lim and her writing process

  • TLF-IDM020111

How long does it take to write a YA book? Rebecca Lim fills us in and explains the role reading plays in the writing of her books. Why does she say that having an editor is important? Try challenging yourself to write a story in 100 words.

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Video

Andy Griffiths on writing songs and stories

  • TLF-IDM020465

What's the difference between writing song lyrics and writing a story? Andy Griffiths thinks they are quite similar. Why does he think this? How important is rhythm in Andy's stories? Next time you write a story, try reading it out loud and listen for the rhythm of the words. Can you make your story's rhythm sound even better?

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Video

David Malouf on short story writing

  • TLF-IDM019971

Some writers can write a short story in one sitting, whereas for others – like David Malouf – it can sometimes take a bit longer to figure out where a story is going. Watch as David explains that although writing is about an "enthusiastic rush", it is also about patience.  Have you ever written a story that you didn't know ...

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Video

Evolving English: Where do new words come from?

  • TLF-IDM017545

What do you think the term Spanglish might mean? Or Chinglish? Or Franglais? Our language is constantly changing and one way in which it does so is by 'borrowing' words from other languages. In this clip, learn about our evolving language.

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Video

Four Corners: Pronunciation wars

  • TLF-IDM017844

How much attention must broadcasters pay to the pronunciation of words? Watch language experts and ABC staff discussing the preferred pronunciation of 'Don Quixote', a fictional Spaniard who appears in the novel bearing his name and in several significant artistic works. This clip reveals the importance placed upon the ...

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Video

BTN: What is debating?

  • TLF-IDM020584

Well, come along to round six of the 2015 National Schools Debating Championships to find out! What are the rules of debating? And what are the speakers judged on? As BTN reporter Carl Smith explains, in order to make a good argument, you need to try to prove that your ideas are right and your opposition's ideas are wrong. ...

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Video

BTN: Meet a young author

  • TLF-IDM020631

Do you love writing stories? Learn how Hannah Chandler got a book published at the age of 12! Why don't you make your own book? Once you're happy with your story, find yourself an illustrator (a friend, family member or even yourself!) and start designing your pages. Once they're ready attach them all together. Don't forget ...

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Video

Developing characters with Leigh Hobbs

  • TLF-IDM020663

How can drawings of characters give readers clues about who they are? What are some of the clues Leigh Hobbs gives us about Old Tom's character through his drawings of him? Do you have a character in your head that you've been thinking about for a while? As you draw or write about your character, remember what Leigh says ...

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Video

Where did English come from?

  • TLF-IDM021384

This short video for students traces English from the present day back to its ancient roots, showing how English has evolved through generations of speakers

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Video

Can We Help?: Conquest: the process of language change

  • TLF-IDM015525

When the Normans conquered England in 1066, they brought a lot more than fancy clothes and castles; they also brought the French language. Discover the impact that this momentous event continues to have today.

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Video

Can We Help?: Borrowed words: the processes of language change

  • TLF-IDM015541

Do you know any words from another language? Chances are, you know more than you think you do! English is a polyglot language; one that borrows words from other languages. In this Professor Kate Burridge discusses the origins of the phrases 'short-shrift' and 'lily-livered'.

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Video

Creating characters with Sally Rippin

  • TLF-IDM020130

Listen as Sally Rippin talks about how her characters come to life. What does she say about the link between the writer and the characters they create? Why does she say that imagination is like a muscle?

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Video

Tom Keneally and 1960s Australia

  • TLF-IDM020073

Have you heard of the 1967 Referendum, Vincent Lingiari or the Freedom Ride? The late 1960s was a period of great social upheaval with many young Australians unhappy with the treatement of Indigenous Australians and with Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. How effective is Thomas Keneally's parallel between the ...

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Video

Guulaangga, The Green Tree Frog

  • TLF-IDM020010

Listen to author and artist Aunty Gloria Whalan, as she tells the story of Guulaangga, the Green Tree Frog. Gloria is an elder of the Morwell community, though she grew up in Lithgow, NSW. Her people are the Wiradjuri, from around the Blue Mountains in NSW. This story is inspired by Gloria's experiences growing up on a ...

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Audio

Radio National: Re-awakening Australian Aboriginal languages

  • TLF-IDM015585

Did you know that before colonisation there were about 250 distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait lslander languages being spoken across Australia? Today, however, the majority of these languages are endangered. Listen to a number of significant Australians discussing the Aboriginal language situation in Australia today. ...

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