Year 8 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 8 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 8 Australian Curriculum: English achievement standard
Receptive modes (listening, reading and viewing)
By the end of Year 8, students understand how the selection of text structures is influenced by the selection of language mode and how this varies for different
purposes and audiences. Students explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to represent different ideas and issues in texts.
Students interpret texts, questioning the reliability of sources of ideas and information. They select evidence from the text to show how events, situations and
people can be represented from different viewpoints. They listen for and identify different emphases in texts, using that understanding to elaborate upon
discussions.
Productive modes (speaking, writing and creating)
Students understand how the selection of language features can be used for particular purposes and effects. They explain the effectiveness of language choices they
use to influence the audience. Through combining ideas, images and language features from other texts, students show how ideas can be expressed in new ways.
Students create texts for different purposes, selecting language to influence audience response. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and
group discussions, using language patterns for effect. When creating and editing texts to create specific effects, they take into account intended purposes and the
needs and interests of audiences. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary for effect and use accurate spelling and punctuation.
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 8 English standard elaborations
A
REVISED DRAFT
B
C
D
E
Effective use of relevant
ideas and information
from a variety of texts to
form interpretations and
question the reliability of
sources
Use of ideas and
information from a variety
of texts to form
interpretations and
question the reliability of
sources
Use of aspects of ideas
and information from a
variety of texts to form
interpretations
Identification of ideas and
information from a variety
of texts
Discerning explanation
supported by evidence of
the ways texts represent
different viewpoints on
events, people and
situations, including use
of different emphases
Effective explanation
supported by evidence of
the ways texts represent
different viewpoints on
events, people and
situations, including use
of different emphases
Explanation supported by
evidence of the ways
texts represent different
viewpoints on events,
people and situations,
including use of different
emphases
Explanation of different
viewpoints on events,
people and situations in
texts
Identification of events,
people and situations in
texts
Text structures
Discerning explanation of
how text structures relate
to different purposes,
audiences, modes and
contexts
Effective explanation of
how text structures relate
to different purposes,
audiences, modes and
contexts
Explanation of how text
structures relate to
different purposes,
audiences, modes and
contexts
Identification of text
structures, purposes,
audiences, audiences,
modes and contexts
Identification of aspects
of text structures,
purposes and audiences
Discerning explanation of
how language features,
images and vocabulary
are used for different
purposes, including to
represent ideas and
issues in texts
Effective explanation of
how language features,
images and vocabulary
are used for different
purposes, including to
represent ideas and
issues in texts
Explanation of how
language features,
images and vocabulary
are used for different
purposes, including to
represent ideas and
issues in texts
Description of language
features, images,
vocabulary and
purposes, including
representations of ideas
and issues in texts
Identification of language
features and purposes
Ideas and information in texts
Discerning use of
relevant ideas and
information from a variety
of texts to form
interpretations and
question the reliability of
sources
Language features
Receptive modes
Evidence of listening, reading and viewing
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
Year 8 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 2 of 6
A
B
C
D
E
Ideas and
information in texts
Discerning selection and
organisation of ideas,
images, language
features and information
for different purposes,
including to express
ideas in new ways
Effective selection and
organisation of ideas,
images, language
features and information
for different purposes,
including to express
ideas in new ways
Selection and
combination of ideas,
images, language
features and information
for different purposes,
including to express
ideas in new ways
Selection and use of
ideas, images, language
features and information
for different purposes
Use of ideas, images,
language features and
information
Text
structures
Discerning use of text
structures to achieve
different purposes,
including making
presentations
Effective use of text
structures to achieve
different purposes,
including making
presentations
Use of text structures to
achieve different
purposes, including
making presentations
Use of aspects of text
structures for different
purposes, including
making presentations
Use of aspects of text
structures, including to
make presentations
Discerning use of a range
of language features for
particular purposes,
audiences and effects.
Language features
include:
Effective use of a range
of language features for
particular purposes,
audiences and effects.
Language features
include:
Use of language features
for particular purposes,
audiences and effects.
Language features
include:
Use of language features
that vary in suitability, for
example:
Use of language features
that impede meaning, for
example:
•
•
•
•
Language features
Productive modes
Evidence of speaking, writing and creating
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
•
•
•
•
grammatical
structures
•
•
vocabulary
spoken/signed
features1
non-verbal features
visual features
3
2
•
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
•
•
•
•
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
•
•
•
•
grammatical
structures
•
•
vocabulary
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
visual features
•
•
grammatical
structures
vocabulary
spoken/signed
features
non-verbal features
visual features
visual features
visual features
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 8 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 editing
strategies that take into
account audience,
purpose and specific
effects, including:
Effective use of editing
strategies that take into
account audience,
purpose and specific
effects, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
Use of editing strategies
that take into account
audience, purpose and
specific effects, including:
•
•
•
accurate spelling
punctuation
selection of language
features
Use of editing strategies
that vary in suitability, for
example:
Use of textual features
that impede meaning, for
example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
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.
Year 8 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 8 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
Aspects
Particular parts or features
Discerning
Showing good judgment to make thoughtful choices
Effective
Capably meets the described requirements
Evidence
In an English context: ideas or information obtained from texts that are used by
students to achieve the purposes of imaginative, informative and persuasive
texts
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
Organisation; Organise*
To form as or into a whole consisting of a sequence or interdependent parts
Range
Covers the scope of relevant subject matter
Relevance; Relevant
Applicable and pertinent
Selection; Select*
Choose in preference to another or others
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 texts in the Year 8 Australian Curriculum: English
achievement standard makes clear that students should have opportunities to:
•
•
*
contribute actively to class and group discussions
explain the effectiveness of language choices they use
The asterisk (*) denotes dimensions and terms described by ACARA. Unmarked terms are described by QCAA.
Year 8 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 5 of 6
Use of
To operate or put into effect
Variety
A number of different things
Year 8 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: English
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
July 2014
Page 6 of 6