English
Introduction
In the English domain, texts and language constitute the central and essential concepts. The concept of texts focuses equally on creating and analysing texts, understanding and interpreting texts, and moving beyond interpretation to reflection and critical analysis. The concept of language includes the use of language and the development of linguistic competence, and the development of knowledge about language.
Students learn to appreciate, enjoy and use language and develop a sense of its richness and its power to evoke feelings, to form and convey ideas, to inform, to discuss, to persuade, to entertain and to argue.
The English domain is centred on the conscious and deliberate study of language in the variety of texts and contexts in which it is spoken, read, viewed and written. It is concerned with a wide range of written and spoken texts in print and electronic forms including literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry, plays and non-fiction; film and other multimodal texts; media texts; information, commercial and workplace texts; everyday texts; and personal writing.
The study of English involves students in reading, viewing, listening to, writing, creating, comparing, researching and talking about a range of text types from the simple to the complex, from texts dealing with concrete and straightforward information to those dealing with increasingly complex and abstract issues and ideas. English teachers encourage students to explore the meaning of texts and how meaning is conveyed. They introduce critical approaches to the ideas and thinking contained in texts and support students in the development of critical understanding about the ways writers and speakers control language to influence their listeners, readers and viewers.
Students develop an understanding of the way purpose, audience and situation influence the structures and features of language and learn to apply their knowledge in their reading, writing, viewing, speaking and listening. They come to understand that different kinds of texts are appropriate for different occasions and learn to appreciate the variety of English usage in different times and places. They also learn about the ways language shapes and reflects attitudes in different times and places. Students are provided with opportunities to use language effectively in a range of contexts from informal to formal.
Students learn terminology or metalanguage to describe and discuss particular structures and features of language produced in a variety of contexts. They learn to control language by applying their understanding of the grammatical structures of Standard Australian English, by learning to spell accurately and use punctuation effectively, as well as by imitating good writers and speakers.
Understanding texts and recognising how language works within them is necessary for success at school and beyond for an active, informed and fulfilling life in modern Australian society and the global community. By understanding and working with texts, students acquire the knowledge, skills and personal qualities that enable them to read, view and listen critically and to think, speak and write clearly and confidently.
Structure of the domain
The English domain is organised into six sections, one for each level of achievement from Level 1 to Level 6. Each level includes a learning focus statement and a set of standards organised by dimension. A glossary is included which provides definitions of or additional information about underlined terms.
Learning focus
Learning focus statements are written for each level. These outline the learning that students need to focus on if they are to progress in the domain and achieve the standards at the levels where they apply. They suggest appropriate learning experiences from which teachers can draw to develop relevant teaching and learning activities.
Standards
Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels and are written for each dimension. In English, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement apply from Level 1.
Dimensions
Standards in the English domain are organised in three dimensions:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking and listening.
The learning in these dimensions is interrelated. For example, Speaking and listening contribute to the development of students’ reading responses. Writing contributes to communication about texts read or viewed and to reflection and learning. To help support student progress in all three dimensions, learning contexts are diverse and include situations that are informal, formal, planned and spontaneous.
Reading
The Reading dimension involves students understanding, interpreting, critically analysing, reflecting upon, and enjoying written and visual, print and non-print texts. It encompasses reading and viewing a wide range of texts and media, including literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry and plays as well as popular fiction and non-fiction works, newspapers and magazines, illustrations, posters and charts, film and television and the texts associated with information and communications technology. Reading involves active engagement with texts and the development of knowledge about the relationship between them and the contexts in which they are created. It also involves the development of knowledge about a range of strategies for reading.
Writing
The Writing dimension involves students in the active process of conceiving, planning, composing, editing and publishing a range of texts including writing for print and electronic media and performance. Writing involves using appropriate language for particular purposes or occasions, both formal and informal, to express and represent ideas, issues, arguments, events, experience, character, emotion and information and to reflect on such ideas. It involves the development of knowledge about strategies for writing and the conventions of Standard Australian English. Students develop a metalanguage to discuss language conventions and use.
Speaking and listening
This dimension refers to the various formal and informal ways oral language is used to convey and receive meaning. It involves the development and demonstration of knowledge about the appropriate oral language for particular audiences and occasions, including body language and voice. It also involves the development of active-listening strategies and an understanding of the conventions of different spoken texts including everyday communication, group discussion, formal presentations and speeches, storytelling and negotiating.
Stages of learning
The VELS take account of the developmental stages of learning young people experience at school. While student learning is a continuum and different students develop at different rates, they broadly progress through three stages of learning. General statements about characteristics of learners in these three stages are available at Stages of learning.
The following statements describe ways in which these characteristics relate to learning experiences and standards in each of the three stages of learning in the English domain.
Learning in the domain of English takes place along a continuum; it is developmental in nature, with texts and language being central at all stages. As students progress through school, their knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening deepen as they compose, comprehend and respond to an expanding range of increasingly complex texts.
Years Prep to 4 – Laying the foundations
When children enter school, they bring a wide range of prior experiences with language in verbal, visual and written forms. The diversity of their social, cultural and linguistic experiences means that they arrive at school with different starting points. Their prior experience with language, especially oral language, provides the basis for literacy learning. They learn to connect what they read and view with their own knowledge and experience. They begin to respond to informative ideas and beliefs from contexts beyond their immediate experience.
In these years students develop foundational skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Oral language plays a key role in learning to read and write. At this stage, learning to read and use written language effectively is crucial; the development of strong literacy skills in these years provides the basis for future success in learning.
Students learn to use spoken language to establish and maintain social relationships with adults and peers in the classroom. They learn to use appropriate language, both formal and informal, in the new contexts of school and classroom. They ask and respond to questions, and participate in discussions in the classroom, learning how to take turns and listen to others.
In the first years at school students learn how sounds in English are represented alphabetically. They use their background knowledge and vocabulary knowledge in reading to obtain meaning from print. They practise reading different kinds of texts to achieve fluency. They progressively gain control over strategies for comprehension and repairing misunderstandings. With teacher support they develop personal interest in reading, and the motivation to read for a variety of purposes. They develop an appreciation of the ways reading, writing, speaking and listening provide opportunities to acquire knowledge, explore ideas, express opinions and listen to the opinions of others.
As they progress through this stage students extend their use of language for a variety of purposes in composing and responding to print and non-print texts. They begin to develop a terminology or metalanguage to identify some features of spoken and written language. They expand their spoken and written vocabulary. They learn strategies and processes for reading and writing, and begin to develop critical perspectives on texts. They enjoy opportunities to engage with a wide variety of literary and factual texts, and make connections with their own experience. The rich diversity of language experiences students engage in at home and in the community extends their literacy skills.
Years 5 to 8 – Building breadth and depth
In Years 5 to 8 students consolidate and build on their knowledge and skills related to language and texts. Typically they are independent readers and writers who take more responsibility for their learning. In these years they develop more structured and critical appreciation of the texts they respond to, comprehend and compose.
As students progress through this stage they become more observant of the world around them and more aware of the influence of socio-cultural conventions and expectations. They learn how to use informal and formal language appropriately in a wider range of social contexts and for a range of purposes, including school purposes and those relevant to their lives beyond school. They develop terminology, or metalanguage, to talk about and describe structures and features of language in their own and others’ spoken and written texts.
They read, view, write, speak and listen to an expanding range of texts that present challenging ideas and issues. Students compose, comprehend and respond to literary texts in increasingly considered and critical ways. They also compose, comprehend and respond to everyday and media texts including texts that combine modes of English, for example, the spoken, written and graphic texts that may occur in Internet websites. They engage with abstract and unfamiliar ideas, and can justify their interpretations and views of texts. They present their own ideas and arguments in both spoken and written language, and continue to develop critical awareness of context, audience and purpose. They make connections between their own experiences and ideas and the experiences and ideas they encounter in texts drawn from many contexts.
Years 9 to 10 – Developing pathways
In Years 9 to 10 students listen, speak, read and write for their own learning needs and a wide range of purposes both in and out of school. At this stage, students encounter a range of communicative conventions and language practices that apply in the workplace and the wider community. They further develop their skills in working in different kinds of groups, including informal, unstructured groups, and in formal group presentations.
Students explore and interpret multiple perspectives on complex issues, and construct spoken and written responses relating these perspectives to a personal understanding of the contemporary world. They critically examine sociocultural dimensions of language and texts. They comprehend, interpret and reflect on texts that deal with more complex and abstract themes and issues. They continue to develop a critical understanding of the contextual factors involved in the construction and interpretation of texts, including the role of the audience. They use metalanguage to discuss how written and spoken texts work, and to talk about specific technical vocabulary and words, syntax and grammar, and text structures.
Students write appropriately and effectively about their experiences, thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas in a range of forms for school and other purposes. They can construct sustained and coherent narratives, present and justify a point of view, and speak appropriately and confidently in informal and formal situations, both in school and in the wider community.
National Statements of Learning
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) incorporate the opportunities to learn covered in the national Statements of Learning (www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/statements_of_learning,22835.html). The Statements of Learning describe essential skills, knowledge, understandings and capacities that all young Australians should have the opportunity to learn by the end of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in English, Mathematics, Science, Civics and Citizenship and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The Statements of Learning were developed as a means of achieving greater national consistency in curriculum outcomes across the eight Australian states and territories. It was proposed that they be used by state and territory departments or curriculum authorities (their primary audience) to guide the future development of relevant curriculum documents. They were agreed to by all states and territories in August 2006.
During 2007, the VCAA prepared a detailed map to show how the Statements of Learning are addressed and incorporated in the VELS. In the majority of cases, the VELS learning focus statements incorporate the Statements of Learning. Some Statements of Learning are covered in more than one domain. In some cases, VELS learning focus statements have been elaborated to address elements of the Statements of Learning not previously specified. These elaborations are noted at the end of each learning focus statement.
National Literacy Benchmarks
National Literacy Benchmarks are used for reporting achievement in three aspects of literacy – reading, writing and spelling – at Years 3, 5 and 7. The benchmarks define nationally agreed minimum acceptable standards for literacy at these years.
Full details of the National Literacy Benchmarks are available in Literacy Benchmarks Years 3, 5 and 7, Writing, Spelling and Reading, Curriculum Corporation, 2000.
The benchmarks describe minimum standards. For this reason, the Year 3 benchmarks relate to Level 2 English standards, the Year 5 benchmarks relate to Level 3 English standards and the Year 7 benchmarks relate to Level 4 English standards. Links to the literacy benchmarks are located in the English standards.
Learners of English as a Second Language
Many students in Victorian schools learn English as a Second Language (ESL). They are of all ages and at all stages of learning English and have varying educational backgrounds in their first languages. While the broad objectives of English programs will ultimately be the same for all students, those learning English as a Second Language need time, support and exposure to English before being expected to reach the standards described in the English domain, and will come to this achievement via a range of pathways.
Standards have been developed to assist teachers to devise effective learning and assessment programs for ESL students. The document includes an overview of the broad stages of English language development with learning focus statements and standards for each stage.
See ESL Companion to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.
Pathways to VCE, VCE VET and VCAL
The post-compulsory years
As students approach the end of the compulsory years of schooling they begin to make choices about their preferred areas of and pathways for learning. Students choose studies from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or recognised vocational training through either a Vocational Education Training (VET) program or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).
In the post-compulsory years effective literacy skills are essential for success in all curriculum areas. The inclusion of an English study in the VCE, and Literacy Skills units in the VCAL, ensures that students can continue to strengthen their literacy skills.
Students develop greater independence in their learning, and extend their competence in using the English language in many different social and academic contexts, ranging from the personal and informal to more public occasions. They further develop their capacity to use written language accurately and have control of the conventions of writing. They develop communicative capacities adequate for meeting the demands of post-school employment, further education and effective participation in society.
They further develop their critical understanding and control of language. They communicate ideas, issues and information effectively to a range of audiences in written, visual and oral texts, in print and digital formats. They present and justify points of view coherently, logically and thoughtfully.
Students develop critical awareness by considering texts in their social context, and examining whether and how the purposes of texts have been achieved. They read, listen to and view, with comprehension, enjoyment and discrimination, a wide range of texts that challenge and extend their understanding of language, themselves and the world around them.
As active, critically aware citizens, students participate confidently in debate and discussion of ideas of social importance, demonstrating critical understanding of their own use of language and the language use of others. They interpret and make effective use of the specialist language of diverse texts, including texts relevant to academic disciplines and to workplace situations.
Post-compulsory English programs
A variety of English programs is available to students in the post-compulsory years, including VCE English studies, VET programs, and the Literacy and Numeracy Skills strand in the VCAL. There are strong connections between these programs and the English standards, as they all focus on the further development of students’ knowledge and understanding of language and texts.
Post-compulsory English programs broadly aim to extend students’ competence in using language in a diverse range of academic, workplace and social contexts, working as individuals and in teams.
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) English studies
The key concepts of texts and language in the English standards are also the central concepts in the VCE English studies. Reading, Writing, and Speaking and listening, the three dimensions in the English standards, provide continuity with all VCE English studies. The English studies aim to develop students’ critical understanding and control of the English language so that they can use it effectively in a wide range of situations. A central aim of the English studies is to extend students’ competence in using standard Australian English in order to meet the demands of study, the workplace and their own needs and interests. The English studies require students to read and comprehend, with enjoyment, and discrimination, a wide range of texts that challenge and extend their understanding of language, themselves and the world around them.
A range of English studies is available within the VCE, providing opportunities for students to choose different pathways for further study of language and texts through reading, writing, speaking and listening. In order to meet the compulsory English VCE certificate requirement, students can choose sequences of study from across the English studies.
The following studies are available within the VCE:
- English/ESL (Units 1–4) builds directly on the three dimensions of the English standards as it is structured around three areas of study: reading and responding to texts, creating and presenting texts and the use of language to persuade.
- Foundation English (Units 1–2) provides optional pathways for students to develop literacy skills to support their study of VCE English/ESL and other VCE English studies.
- Literature (Units 1–4) provides opportunities for students to undertake more specialised study of texts, and relates directly to the key discipline concept of texts in all dimensions within the English standards.
- English Language (Units 1–4) builds on students’ learning about language and provides the opportunity for intensive further study of the key discipline concept of language in all dimensions within the English standards.
Vocational education and training studies (VET)
The VCE includes a wide range of vocational education and training (VET) programs. These programs include training in language skills relevant to particular industries and particular workplace contexts. The programs articulate with the concepts of language and texts central to the English standards. Students develop further knowledge of workplace texts and apply this knowledge in the context of activities such as working in teams, job seeking, preparing of documents, reporting, and presenting information in the workplace.
Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
The VCAL has four compulsory strands, one of which is Literacy and Numeracy Skills. In their VCAL learning program, students must include literacy and numeracy subjects such as VCE English studies and Mathematics, or other accredited studies such as literacy and numeracy modules from the Certificate in General Education for Adults.
The VCAL Literacy Skills units provide opportunities for students to develop literacy skills and knowledge in four main social contexts: family and social life; workplace and institutional settings; education and training contexts; and community and civic life. Literacy is integral to all these social contexts. The VCAL Literacy Skills units are framed around two broad domains: reading and writing, and oral communication. There is direct continuity with the three dimensions of the English standards.
More information about VCE (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce)
More information about VET (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vet)
More information about VCAL (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcal)
Downloads
-
English booklet (
PDF - 255KB)
This booklet includes an introduction to this domain, a description of the structure of the domain, and the learning focus statements and standards at each level.
-
English standards table (Doc - 51KB)
This document provides the standards in this domain in table format to enable quick teacher reference. It includes descriptions of the dimensions and the standards from Levels 1 to 6. It does not include learning focus statements.
-
Victorian Essential Learning Standards by Level
Level 1 ( PDF - 702KB)
Level 2 ( PDF - 591KB)
Level 3 ( PDF - 649KB)
Level 4 ( PDF - 751KB)
Level 5 ( PDF - 755KB)
Level 6 ( PDF - 788KB)
These booklets include the information for every domain at the relevant level. Each level publication includes:- the relevant stage of learning statement
- the relevant level statement
- introductions to each of the three strands
- introductions to every domain
- learning focus statements and standards for every domain.
