Tetum 2
UndergraduateANU-TETM10032025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Build on your knowledge of Tetum, and further engage with the society, culture and history of Timor-Leste. Expand your vocabulary and gain the ability to talk about daily life, including chatting about people, transport, and work.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 13 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 14 weeks
- Price from
- $1,700
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Tetum 2
About this subject
On satisfying the requirements of this subject, students will have the knowledge and skills at an Advanced Beginner level of Tetum to:
- Use an active vocabulary of about 2000 items.
- Recognise and produce phrase and sentence structures to conduct simple conversations and the reading, writing, and translation of texts on a wide range of topics.
- Communicate in speaking and writing on a range of everyday topics, including animals, hospitals, transport, health, meetings, cars and accidents, describing people, education systems, and jobs.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the culture and everyday life of Timor‐Leste, including such topics as interpersonal relationships, the education system, and work life.
- Bathroom
- Cooking
- Transport
- Health
- Animals and Birds
- Describing People
- Education
- Job roles
- Violence
- Traffic and accidents
- Meetings
Tetum is the language of Timor-Leste. The study of Tetum is essential for anyone wishing to understand Timor-Leste's diverse society, vibrant culture and dynamic history. Timor-Leste is a close neighbour of Australia and ties between these two countries are increasing through bilateral initiatives and international security, trade and development projects.
Tetum is a spoken language, because prior to independence in 2002 most Timorese did not have access to education and literacy rates was low. Reading and writing in Tetum are important of course, but mainly to give students a strong foundation in speaking skills, and the emphasis in the course will be developing oral skills because Tetum is primarily an oral language.
The ANU offers a rare opportunity to complete a minor in Tetum. Students completing a minor in Tetum will be uniquely placed to engage with the Timorese people, state, and society.
The four courses needed to complete the minor are only offered online so can be studied from any location, but classes will be delivered on a weekly basis throughout the semester comprising of three-hour session. Students who complete this language minor will reach an Intermediate level of Tetum skills and knowledge.
In this course, students will build on the skills learned in Tetum 1. As in the preceding course, student will gain a practical command of basic spoken Tetum and a capacity to read in Tetum. By the end of this course, students should have a vocabulary of around 2000 of the most frequently used and useful Tetum words. Students will deepen their command of the main features of Tetum grammar, and learn how to discuss topics such as animals, people, transport, work and traffic.
Via face-to-face video at a set time prescribed by the University. Please be aware of potential time zone differences.
This is a fast paced academic course at a University level.
- Any chosen topic (Oral presentation) (10%)
- The four tests are worth 5% each or a total of 20% of your final assessment (20%)
- Oral test: any topic from lessons in Tetum 2 (20%)
- A translation to be done over the mid semester break (10%)
- Oral test: any chosen topic (30%)
- Class participation and activities (10%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Prior study
To help set you up for success before you start this subject, we suggest completing or having equivalent knowledge in:
Others
Completion of TETM1003 Tetum 1 or demonstration of equivalent level through completion of a placement test. Students with prior knowledge of the language will be required to take a placement test. Students are not permitted to enrol in a subject that is lower than the level they achieve in the placement test, or a lower level than a subject they have already completed.
Students without the appropriate level of proficiency for ANU-TETM1003 (Tetum 2) will be withdrawn from this subject and we will recommend an alternative subject at the correct level.
Additional requirements
- Equipment requirements - To successfully engage in this subject students will need the following: • Laptop or computer • Computer camera (either inbuilt or webcam) • Headset or headphones with microphone • Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome browser • Reliable internet access • Access to a scanner or smartphone
- Other requirements - In order to achieve these learning outcomes, each week students are expected to study for five hours as follows: 90 minutes, before online class, working on the written and audio materials for the week, and, memorising the written and spoken forms of that week’s vocabulary 120 minutes, participating in class in the virtual class room 60 minutes, completing online follow-up exercises regarding listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and vocabulary 30 minutes, completing weekly assessment and quiz. It is also expected that students should spend at least 5 hours of individual study practising the week’s written and spoken language forms and vocabulary and reviewing feedback on their work.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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