APPLICATIONS
The applications give students the opportunity to choose one aspect of language and communication and to
spend time putting into practice strategies that will allow them to demonstrate their understanding of what they
have observed. They will be drawing on knowledge, skills, strategies, and understanding gained through their
studies in order to demonstrate their ability to use language for particular purposes.
Students are required to develop a product and to reflect on the process of development.
This assessment component is designed to assess primarily Learning Outcomes 1 to 6, as appropriate.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the program in English Communications students should be able to:
1. show an understanding of the relationship between audience, purpose, and form in a range of
communication modes in a number of contexts;
2. identify the language structures and conventions of texts, and the way the language in texts represents
ideas, power relationships, values, and interests;
3. clarify and articulate their own ideas and values through critical engagement with texts and language;
4. demonstrate their understanding of the conventions of a variety of textual forms and the purposes to which
texts may be put by composing their own texts in a range of forms and modes;
5. compose texts that are relevant to the context and achieve their purpose;
6. show critical awareness of how their own texts may be interpreted or used.
Writing for Publication
In the writing for publication application students apply the skills they have developed in the composition of texts
by choosing a particular form of writing and carrying it through to publication stage. Although it is expected that
students will understand publication standards, the publication may be real or imagined (e.g. paperback,
magazine, or electronic communication). The process will involve considering the needs of the intended
audience.
Students, in collaboration with their teacher, will choose one of the following options:
 A short story (e.g. a crime, romance, science fiction, or horror story).
 An anthology of original poems.
 A film, play, or other performance script.
 Review (film/prose/concert/restaurant etc.).
 Writing for children.
 A personal memoir.
 A chapter or section of a biography.
 A section of a newspaper or magazine (e.g. sports section, travel section, front page, or school magazine).
 A brochure or pamphlet.
 An article for a technical or special-interest journal.
 A lecture, speech, or essay.
Students will need to undertake a study of the format and publication requirements for the particular form of
writing (e.g. a pamphlet, a scientific article, or an anthology of poems). In their own writing students should
demonstrate an understanding of the literary and textual conventions associated with the chosen form, as well
as an ability to use these clearly and accurately. Observation of the conventions will determine the vocabulary
that is used and the attention that should be paid to punctuation, grammar, syntax, and spelling. When visual
elements are incorporated (e.g. diagrams, photographs, or illustrations), students should be aware that it is
necessary to communicate clearly and that the focus should be on how the visual elements contribute to the
meaning of the printed text.
Students will use the oral mode to reflect on the process of developing their writing to publication standard.
Extracts from the SSABSA 2009 English Learning Area Manual
1
Assessment
Writing for Publication
Students will produce and submit a piece of writing ready for publication and an oral presentation in which
they reflect on their purpose or intentions in writing the piece, language decisions made, and the processes they
used in its production. The piece of writing should be up to a maximum of 1000 words. (Refer to page 35 for
information on the SACE Word-count Policy.) Students should provide evidence of the development of their
pieces of writing. Students will also use the oral mode to reflect on the process of developing their writing to
publication standard. The oral presentation should be up to a maximum of 6 minutes.
Criteria for Judging Performance
The student’s performance in application will be judged by the extent to which he or she demonstrates:
understanding
 How well does the student recognise the conventions, structures, and features of the chosen form of
expression or communication?
 To what extent does the student demonstrate an understanding of how the conventions of a particular form of
expression or communication shape texts or the communication process?
application
 How effectively does the student apply skills in producing an example of a chosen form of expression or
communication?
 How effectively does the student engage in a process that requires participation in a form of expression or
communication?
 How imaginative and original are the texts produced by the student?
 How versatile is the student in producing texts for different contexts, audiences, and purposes?
evaluation
 To what extent does the student evaluate how effectively he or she applied the conventions of the chosen form
of expression or communication?
communication
 How accurate and fluent is the student’s expression?
 How appropriate are the student’s form and register for the audience and purpose?
SACE Word-count Policy
The SACE Word-count Policy states that all words used in the body of the text are counted for assessment
purposes. This includes all words that the assessor reads, from the beginning of the introduction to the end of
the conclusion.
The word-count includes:
 headings
 direct quotations
 in-text references
 footnotes that are used as explanatory notes
The word-count does not include:
 the title/question page
 the contents page
 words in tables, flow charts, graphs, and diagrams
 the reference list or bibliography (including footnotes that are used as references)
 appendixes
Extracts from the SSABSA 2009 English Learning Area Manual
2