Communication Level 5 (Years 7 and 8)
Learning focus
As students work towards the achievement of Level 5 standards in Communication, they develop a range of strategies for listening attentively and extracting meaning from communications, including taking notes and small group discussion to record and summarise main messages. They reflect on how the explicit body language of a speaker influences their enjoyment and understanding of a presentation, and practise modifying their own body language to show interest and respect when listening to a speaker.
Students respond to a wide variety of aural, written and visual media; for example film, radio, the Internet, billboards, multimedia, and text messages. They explore both implicit and explicit meaning, how the author has structured and presented ideas, and whether they have used specialised language or symbols to communicate their message. Students share the meaning they have constructed with others and discuss any differences. They continue to challenge assumptions, use questions to clarify understanding, and justify their own interpretations while acknowledging that others may have different interpretations. They reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of media in communicating a similar message, considering accuracy, inclusiveness and the techniques used to shape audience response.
Students expand their knowledge of specialised language used across the curriculum to communicate specific meanings and gain practice in using specific forms of communication; for example, practical reports in Science or fieldwork reports in Geography.
Students regularly present information, ideas and opinions for a variety of purposes, to a range of audiences, in both formal and informal settings. They focus on identifying the key messages they wish to communicate and structuring their ideas logically and coherently. They experiment with a range of presentation forms and seek feedback from their audience as to the effectiveness of their communication. Students work together to develop criteria which can be used to evaluate presentations.
National Statements of Learning
This Learning focus statement incorporates aspects of the National Statements of Learning for Civics and Citizenship, Year 7.
Standards
Listening, viewing and responding
At Level 5, students modify their verbal and non-verbal responses to suit particular audiences. They interpret complex information and evaluate the effectiveness of its presentation. When responding, they use specialised language and symbols as appropriate to the contexts in which they are working. They consider their own and others’ points of view, apply prior knowledge to new situations, challenge assumptions and justify their own interpretations.
Presenting
At Level 5, students use the communication conventions, forms and language appropriate to the subject to convey a clear message across a range of presentation forms to meet the needs of the context, purpose and audience. They provide and use constructive feedback and reflection to develop effective communication skills.
Downloads
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Communication booklet (
PDF - 222KB) - Communication standards table (Doc - 38KB)
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards Level 5 ( PDF - 755KB)
