Year 10 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
The Australian Curriculum achievement standards are an expectation of the depth of understanding, the extent of knowledge and the sophistication of
skills that students should typically demonstrate at the end of a teaching and learning year. In Queensland, the Year 10 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 10 Australian Curriculum: English achievement standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 10, students evaluate how text structures can be used in innovative ways by different authors. They explain how the choice of language
features, images and vocabulary contributes to the development of individual style.
They develop and justify their own interpretations of texts. They evaluate other interpretations, analysing the evidence used to support them. They listen for ways
features within texts can be manipulated to achieve particular effects.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students show how the selection of language features can achieve precision and stylistic effect. They explain different viewpoints, attitudes and perspectives
through the development of cohesive and logical arguments. They develop their own style by experimenting with language features, stylistic devices, text structures
and images.
Students create a wide range of texts to articulate complex ideas. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, building on
others' ideas, solving problems, justifying opinions and developing and expanding arguments. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, vary vocabulary
choices for impact, and accurately use spelling and punctuation when creating and editing texts.
Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum v6.0 English for Foundation–10, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Curriculum/F-10
The standards elaborations (SEs) should be used in conjunction with the Australian Curriculum achievement standard and content descriptions for the
relevant year level. They provide additional clarity about using the Australian Curriculum achievement standard to make judgments on a five-point
scale.
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The SEs for English have been developed using the Australian Curriculum content descriptions and the achievement standard.
They promote and support:
 aligning curriculum, assessment and reporting, connecting curriculum and evidence in assessment, so that what is assessed relates directly to what
students have had the opportunity to learn
 continuing skill development from one year of schooling to another
 making judgments on a five-point scale based on evidence of learning in a folio of student work
 planning an assessment program and individual assessments
 developing task-specific standards and grading guides.
Year 10 English standard elaborations
A
REVISED DRAFT
B
C
D
E
Ideas and information in texts
Discerning use of
relevant ideas and
information from a variety
of texts to develop
appropriate and justified
interpretations
Effective use of relevant
ideas and information
from a variety of texts to
develop appropriate and
justified interpretations
Use of ideas and
information from a variety
of texts to develop
justified interpretations
Use of ideas and
information from a variety
of texts to form
interpretations
Identification of ideas and
information from a variety
of texts
Discerning analysis and
evaluation of evidence
used to support
interpretations of texts
Effective analysis and
evaluation of evidence
used to support
interpretations of texts
Analysis and evaluation
of evidence used to
support interpretations of
texts
Explanation of
interpretations of texts
Identification of events,
people, situations and
issues in texts
Text structures
Discerning evaluation of
how text structures are
used to achieve different
purposes and effects
Effective evaluation of
how text structures are
used to achieve different
purposes and effects
Evaluation of how text
structures are used to
achieve different
purposes and effects
Explanation of text
structures and different
purposes
Identification of aspects
of text structures and
purposes
Discerning explanation of
how choices of language
features, including
images and vocabulary,
achieve different
purposes, effects and
style
Effective explanation of
how choices of language
features, including
images and vocabulary,
achieve different
purposes, effects and
style
Explanation of how
language features,
including images and
vocabulary, achieve
different purposes,
effects and style
Description of language
features, purposes and
effects
Identification of language
features, purposes and
effects
Language features
Receptive modes
Evidence of listening, reading and viewing
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
Year 10 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 2 of 6
A
B
C
D
E
Selection and
organisation of ideas and
information for different
purposes, and
audiences, including:
Selection and
combination of ideas and
information for different
purposes, including:
Use of ideas and
information, including to:
Ideas and information in
texts
Text structures
Productive modes
Evidence of speaking, writing and creating
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
Discerning selection and
organisation of a variety
of relevant ideas and
information for different
purposes, and
audiences, including:
Effective selection and
organisation of a variety
of relevant ideas and
information for different
purposes, and
audiences, including:
•
•
•
•
justifying opinions
explaining different
viewpoints, attitudes
and perspectives
justifying opinions
explaining different
viewpoints, attitudes
and perspectives
Discerning use of text
structures to achieve
particular purposes,
including:
Effective use of text
structures to achieve
particular purposes,
including:
•
•
•
•
•
making presentations
developing logical and
cohesive arguments
articulating complex
ideas
•
•
•
justifying opinions
•
•
explaining different
viewpoints, attitudes
and perspectives
expressing opinions
Use of aspects of text
structures for different
purposes, including:
making presentations
•
•
developing logical
and cohesive
arguments
•
•
•
•
developing logical and
cohesive arguments
state opinions
identify viewpoints
describing different
viewpoints
Use of text structures to
achieve particular
purposes, including:
making presentations
•
•
Use of aspects of text
structures, including to
make presentations
making presentations
developing arguments
expressing ideas
articulating complex
ideas
articulating complex
ideas
Year 10 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 3 of 6
Language features
Productive modes
Evidence of speaking, writing and creating
Understanding and skills dimensions
Discerning use of a range
of language features to
achieve different
purposes and specific
effects. Language
features include:
Effective use of a range
of language features to
achieve different
purposes and specific
effects. Language
features include:
Use of a range of
language features to
achieve different
purposes and specific
effects. Language
features include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
grammatical
structures
•
•
vocabulary
stylistic devices,
including images
•
spoken/signed
features1
non-verbal features
2
visual features3
•
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
stylistic devices,
including images
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
visual features
Discerning use of editing
strategies for precision
and stylistic effect,
including:
Effective use of editing
strategies for precision
and stylistic effect,
including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
•
•
•
•
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
stylistic devices,
including images
spoken/signed
features
Use of language features
that vary in suitability, for
example:
Use of language features
that impede meaning, for
example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
grammatical
structures
•
•
vocabulary
stylistic devices,
including images
•
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
visual features
•
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
stylistic devices,
including images
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
visual features
non-verbal features
visual features
Use of editing strategies
for precision and stylistic
effect, including:
Use of editing strategies
that vary in suitability, for
example:
Use of textual features
that impede meaning, for
example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
Note: Colour highlights have been used in the table to emphasise the qualities that discriminate between the standards.
1
For example: pronunciation; pace, phrasing and pausing; audibility and clarity
For example: facial expressions, gestures, proximity, stance, movement
3
For example: graphics, still and moving images
2
Year 10 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 4 of 6
Notes
The SEs describe the qualities of achievement in the two dimensions common to all Australian
Curriculum learning area achievement standards:
 understanding
 skills.
Dimension*
Description
Understanding*
The concepts underpinning and connecting knowledge in a learning area,
related to a student’s ability to appropriately select and apply knowledge
to solve problems in that learning area
Skills*
The specific techniques, strategies and processes in a learning area
The following terms and key words are used in the Year 10 English SEs. They help to clarify the
descriptors and should be used in conjunction with the ACARA Australian Curriculum English
glossary: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/Glossary
*
Term
Description
Analysis; Analyse*
Consider in detail for the purpose of finding meaning or relationships, and
identifying patterns, similarities and differences
Appropriate
Fitting, suitable to the context
Aspects
Particular parts or features
Development; Develop*
To elaborate on or expand on in detail; to create or construct
Discerning
Showing good judgment to make thoughtful choices
Effective
Capably meets the described requirements
Evaluation; Evaluate
In an English context: establish the value, quality, importance, merit,
relevance or appropriateness of information, data or arguments based in
logic as opposed to subjective preference
Explanation; Explanatory;
Explain*
Provide additional information that demonstrates understanding of
reasoning and/or application
Identification; Identify*
Establish or indicate who or what someone or something is
Interpretation; Interpret*
Explaining the meaning of information or actions
Organisation; Organise*
To form as or into a whole consisting of a sequence or interdependent
parts
Perspectives
Ways of regarding situations, facts and texts
Range
Covers the scope of relevant subject matter
Relevance; Relevant
Applicable and pertinent
Selection; Select*
Choose in preference to another or others
The asterisk (*) denotes dimensions and terms described by ACARA. Unmarked terms are described by QCAA.
Year 10 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 5 of 6
Text*
The means for communication. Their forms and conventions have
developed to help us communicate effectively with a variety of audiences
for a range of purposes. Texts can be written, spoken or multimodal and in
print or digital/online forms.
Information about spoken texts in the Year 10 Australian Curriculum:
English achievement standard makes clear that students should have
opportunities to:
•
contribute actively to class and group discussions, building on others’
ideas, solving problems
Use of
To operate or put into effect
Variety
A number of different things
Year 10 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 6 of 6