Intermediate
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+80 XP

Not Every Language Uses Our Writing System

Explore how languages around the world write using systems different from ours. Listen to shape words in five languages, spot non-Latin scripts, and notice letter-sound patterns in short clips.

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    1 - How Many Writing Systems Can We Name? ~5 mins

    Look at the letters on a keyboard. That is one way of writing. Today we find out that many languages use other ways of writing — not the letters on our keyboard. Japanese, Arabic, Russian and many others write in ways we cannot type on a standard Irish keyboard.

    By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

    • Spot that not every language writes with our letters
    • Compare three shape words across five languages
    • Listen for languages that use familiar letters in new ways

    2 - Three Shapes, Five Languages ~10 mins

    Watch and listen as we go across each shape row, then say the word back when invited. Notice which letters look familiar and which marks sit above or below a letter.

    Example

    Same idea, different page: some languages write "circle" with marks not on our keyboard (you do not need to say them):

    • Japanese
    • دائرة Arabic
    • круг Russian

    3 - Writing Systems Across Asia ~8 mins

    We will open the map of Asia. Volunteers may tap a country — see if you can find a place where the writing looks nothing like the letters on our keyboard. What do you spot?

    4 - Copy a New Writing System ~6 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    Open your copy. Look at the sample on the board. We will all copy this one together, matching the shapes as closely as you can. Go slowly.

    Japanese for circle

    Then finish this sentence in English: It felt ___ because ___.

    5 - What Language Do You Hear? ~10 mins

    Some languages use our letters in new ways — listen for that. Listen to each short clip twice before anyone answers. Which language do you hear? Choose from the names the board shows after each double play.

    Pupil practice
    Module 3 · How Languages Work
    Lesson 17 · Not Every Language Uses Our Writing System
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