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English
The Australian Curriculum: English provides the opportunity for students to study written, spoken and visual language. Students learn about appropriate and inappropriate communication and the power of language to build and strengthen respectful relationships. Students use English in all its variations and develop a sense of its richness and power to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, and facilitate interaction with others, online and offline. They also learn about the potential for language to be destructive and harmful and to recognise how texts can be used to manipulate thinking and behaviour.
Students deconstruct print, aural and digital texts to recognise and understand their social purpose in local, national and global contexts. They understand that patterns of language interaction vary across social contexts and types of texts and the ways that language functions and features may signal social roles and relationships. Students analyse how points of view are generated in visual texts and use literature as a lens to both reflect on and challenge historical and current social and cultural norms and values. Students develop the skills to recognise texts that are attempting to influence their beliefs about identity, power and relationships.
Students learn about literal and implied meaning of texts and how texts present different perspectives on an issue or event. They are guided to make informed decisions and to use digital media responsibly and ethically.
Interacting with others
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Use interaction skills including listening while others speak, using appropriate voice levels, articulation and body language, gestures and eye contact (ACELY1784)
- learning how to use different voice levels appropriate to a situation, for example, learning about 'inside voices' and 'outside voices'
- participating in speaking and listening situations, exchanging ideas with peers in pairs and small groups and engaging in class discussions
- listening to others and contributing ideas
- listening and responding to oral and multimedia texts including rhymes and poems, texts read aloud and various digital texts
- asking and answering questions using appropriate intonation
Language for interaction
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Understand that language varies when people take on different roles in social and classroom interactions and how the use of key interpersonal language resources varies depending on context (ACELA1461)
- exploring how terms of address are used to signal different kinds of relationships
- exploring the differences between giving a presentation and talking to friends
- exploring culturally specific greetings and expressions of politeness
Language for interaction
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Understand that language can be used to explore ways of expressing needs, likes and dislikes (ACELA1429)
- recognising some of the ways emotions and feelings can be conveyed and influenced by visual representations, for example in advertising and animations
Interacting with others
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Use interaction skills including listening while others speak, using appropriate voice levels, articulation and body language, gestures and eye contact (ACELY1784)
- learning how to use different voice levels appropriate to a situation, for example, learning about 'inside voices' and 'outside voices'
- participating in speaking and listening situations, exchanging ideas with peers in pairs and small groups and engaging in class discussions
- listening to others and contributing ideas
- listening and responding to oral and multimedia texts including rhymes and poems, texts read aloud and various digital texts
- asking and answering questions using appropriate intonation
Language variation and change
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Understand that people use different systems of communication to cater to different needs and purposes and that many people may use sign systems to communicate with others (ACELA1443)
- recognising how and where signs and symbols are used and placed in students' community
Language for interaction
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Understand that language is used in combination with other means of communication, for example facial expressions and gestures to interact with others (ACELA1444)
- recognising the effect of words, symbols, gestures and body language on the way communications are received by others
Understand that there are different ways of asking for information, making offers and giving commands (ACELA1446)
- learning the difference between questions and statements, requests and commands
- learning the difference between closed questions, for example 'Are you ready?', 'Did they enjoy their holidays?' and open questions, for example 'What made this text so exciting?'
Explore different ways of expressing emotions, including verbal, visual, body language and facial expressions (ACELA1787)
- extending students' vocabularies for the expression of feelings and emotions
- considering how others might respond before students express their views and how students might respond to others' views in civil and constructive ways
Language for interaction
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Understand that language varies when people take on different roles in social and classroom interactions and how the use of key interpersonal language resources varies depending on context (ACELA1461)
- exploring how terms of address are usedto signal different kinds of relationships
- exploring the differences between giving a presentation and talking to friends
- exploring culturally specific greetings and expressions of politeness
Interacting with others
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Use interaction skills including initiating topics, making positive statements and voicing disagreement in an appropriate manner, speaking clearly and varying tone, volume and pace appropriately (ACELY1789)
- discussing appropriate conventions to use in group discussions
- exploring ways to comment on what others say, including using sentence starters such as 'I like the way you…', 'I agree that…', 'I have a different thought…', 'I'd like to say something different...'
- participating in pair, group and class speaking and listening situations, including informal conversations, class discussions and presentations
- demonstrating appropriate listening behaviour, responding to and paraphrasing a partner's contribution to a discussion, such as think/pair/share activities
- asking relevant questions and making connections with personal experiences and the contributions of others
- brainstorming topics, contributing ideas and acknowledging the ideas of others
- speaking clearly and with appropriate intonation
Language variation and change
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Understand that people use different systems of communication to cater to different needs and purposes and that many people may use sign systems to communicate with others (ACELA1443)
- recognising how and where signs and symbols are used and placed in students' community
Creating texts
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Construct texts that incorporate supporting images using software including word processing programs (ACELY1664)
- creating digital images and composing a story or information sequence on screen using images and captions
- adding images to digital written communications such as emails with pictures of self, classmates or location
Creating texts
Content descriptions with elaborations:
Construct texts that incorporate supporting images using software including word processing programs (ACELY1664)
- creating digital images and composing a story or information sequence on screen using images and captions
- adding images to digital written communications such as emails with pictures of self, classmates or location