English Communications
Assessment Type 1: Text analysis ( 20%)
For text analysis for a 20-credit subject, you produce two written responses and one oral response. By negotiation
with your teacher, you may develop one of the written responses as a multimodal presentation.
The texts for the responses are:
 an independently chosen extended prose text (oral)
 the film Crash directed by Paul Haggis
 the live performance of the drama text The Female of the Species written by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed
by Catherine Fitzgerald.
The written responses should total a maximum of 2000 words. The oral response should be a maximum of
6 minutes; a response in multimodal form should be of equivalent length.
Task 1: Oral response to an independently chosen prose text
Produce an oral response to an independently chosen prose text. Make sure you discuss the suitability of your
chosen text with your teacher before you begin reading.
Use one of the following suggested questions/ topics as a focus for preparing your oral:
1. How has your novel either reaffirmed or challenged your own values or morals?
2. How has your novel made you question your own beliefs or ideas about a particular issue?
3. You are asked to give a talk to future students of English Communications in Year 12 and part of your brief
is to suggest a novel for their independent reading assignment. What novel would you suggest and why?
Why is it important that a Year 12 student reads this novel?
4. How has this novel enlarged or challenged your understanding of a particular issue or event?
5. “Every person who loves reading has a novel that changed their life.” (The Weekend Australian 5 May
2007) How did your novel change your life?
6. Another topic or question selected in negotiation with your teacher.
You will be assessed according to how well you address the following criteria in your oral:

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the ideas and themes in the text.

analyse the connections between your ideas, experiences, values and beliefs and those explored in the
text.

analyse the ideas, experiences, values and beliefs explored in texts.

use evidence such as direct quotes, actions of characters, events in the text, to support your response.

speak with accuracy, clarity and fluency in an appropriate form and register.
Page 1 of 4
Stage 2 English Communications task for use from 2011
533562054 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Task 2: Crash analytical essay
Answer one of the following questions in the form of an analytical essay in response to the film Crash, directed by
Paul Haggis.
1. In the end, everyone is flawed, the racism is inescapable, and the audience feels a twinge of sympathy for
just about everyone.
Who did you feel most sympathy for in this film and why? Support your comments with close reference to
the characters, incidents and filmic treatment of them in your answer.
2. The mood of Crash is strongly influenced by the music and excellent cinematography. Select two or three
scenes which you found particularly powerful. Support your comments with close reference to the
soundtrack, editing and film techniques.
You are assessed according to the how well you address the following criteria in your essay:

knowledge and understanding of the ways Paul Haggis, the director, uses the stylistic features and
language techniques of film (e.g. editing, soundtrack etc) to make meaning.

analysis of director’s use of filmic conventions to communicate ideas and influence the viewers’ response.

the use of evidence from texts to develop and support a response.

writing with accuracy, clarity and fluency.

adopting an appropriate form and register for the identified audience and purpose.
Task 3: Female of the Species analytical essay
Answer one of the following questions in the form of an analytical essay in response to the live performance of the
Female of the Species, directed by Catherine Fitzgerald.
1. How are modern gender roles, family relationships, gender identity and Australian culture presented
throughout the play?
2. Who do you think has the right perspective? Do you agree with Molly, Margot, Frank, Bryan or Tess? Why?
3. What is the message of the play? How does the director tell the story to highlight the message? How does
the set/lighting/music reflect the director’s attitude or vision?
4. Are the characters stereotypes? Which ones? Why do you think this?
You are assessed according to the how well you address the following criteria in your essay:

knowledge and understanding of the ways the play is shaped by dramatic conventions and the nature of a
live performance.

knowledge and understanding of the ways Catherine Fitzgerald, the director, uses the stylistic features
and language techniques of drama (e.g. set, lighting, acting) to make meaning.

analysis of director’s use of dramatic conventions to communicate ideas and influence the audience
response.

the use of evidence from texts to develop and support a response.

writing with accuracy, clarity and fluency.

adopting an appropriate form and register for the identified audience and purpose.
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Stage 2 English Communications task for use from 2011
533562054 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
Performance Standards for Stage 2 English Communications
A
Knowledge and
Understanding
Analysis
Application
Communication
Detailed and comprehensive
knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which a wide variety of
texts are shaped by the
conventions of a particular form of
expression or communication.
Perceptive analysis of a range of
ways in which authors use the
conventions of different text types
to influence opinions and
decisions in familiar and
unfamiliar contexts.
Use of a wide range of language
skills and techniques to create
sophisticated and coherent texts
that address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Fluent and precise writing and
speaking, using appropriate style
and structure for a range of mainly
unfamiliar audiences and contexts.
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which creators and
readers of familiar and unfamiliar
texts use a range of language
techniques and strategies to make
meaning.
Analysis of complex connections
between personal ideas,
experiences, values, and beliefs,
and those explored in familiar and
unfamiliar texts.
Detailed knowledge and
understanding of the ideas and
themes in familiar and unfamiliar
texts.
Comprehensive and analytical
understanding of the ideas,
experiences, values, and beliefs
explored in a range of familiar and
unfamiliar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of a
wide range of ways of defining and
attracting a target audience for
familiar and unfamiliar texts and
examples of communication.
B
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which a range of texts
are shaped by the conventions of a
particular form of expression or
communication.
Knowledge and understanding of
the ways in which creators and
readers of mainly familiar texts use
some language techniques and
strategies to make meaning.
Knowledge and understanding of
some ideas and themes in familiar,
and some unfamiliar, texts.
Knowledge and understanding of a
range of ways of defining and
attracting a target audience for
mainly familiar texts and examples
of communication.
C
Analysis of a range of ways in
which authors use the
conventions of different text types
to influence opinions and
decisions in familiar, and some
unfamiliar, contexts.
Analysis of some complex and
simple connections between
personal ideas, experiences,
values, and beliefs, and those
explored in familiar, and some
unfamiliar, texts.
Analytical understanding of the
ideas, experiences, values, and
beliefs explored in a range of
familiar, and some unfamiliar,
texts.
Knowledge and understanding of
some of the ways in which texts
are shaped by the conventions of a
particular form of expression or
communication.
Descriptive analysis of a number
of ways in which authors use the
conventions of different text types
to influence opinions and
decisions in familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of a
number of ways in which creators
and readers of a narrow range of
familiar texts use some language
techniques and strategies to make
meaning.
Analysis of simple connections
between personal ideas,
experiences, values, or beliefs,
and those explored in familiar
texts.
Recounts of some of the ideas and
themes in familiar texts.
Knowledge and understanding of a
restricted range of ways of defining
and attracting a target audience for
familiar texts and examples of
communication.
Page 3 of 4
Analytical understanding of some
ideas, experiences, values, and
beliefs explored in a range of
mainly familiar texts.
Detailed and appropriate use of
evidence from texts to support
responses, with textual
references incorporated fluently.
Appropriate use of language to
convey mostly complex meaning in
a range of unfamiliar contexts.
Skills in using the structural,
conventional, and textual features
of text types for a range of
familiar and unfamiliar contexts,
audiences, and purposes.
Versatile and creative production
of texts for a variety of familiar
and unfamiliar contexts,
audiences, and purposes.
Use of a range of language skills
and techniques to create clear
and coherent texts that address
the meaning and intention of the
task.
Mostly fluent and precise writing
and speaking, using appropriate
style and structure for a range of
mostly familiar audiences and
contexts.
Use of evidence from texts to
support responses, with textual
references incorporated.
Appropriate use of language to
convey complex and simple
meaning in a range of familiar and
unfamiliar contexts.
Skills in using some of the
structural, conventional, and
textual features of text types for a
range of mainly familiar, and
some unfamiliar, contexts,
audiences, and purposes.
Production of texts for a variety of
mainly familiar, and some
unfamiliar, contexts, audiences,
and purposes.
Use of language skills and
techniques to create texts that
address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Generally fluent and functional
writing and speaking, using
appropriate style and structure for
familiar audiences and contexts.
Competent use of evidence from
texts to support responses, with
some use of textual references.
Appropriate use of language to
convey simple meaning in a narrow
range of familiar and unfamiliar
contexts.
Skills in using some of the
structural, conventional, and
textual features of some text
types for familiar contexts,
audiences, and purposes.
Production of texts for familiar
contexts, audiences, and
purposes.
Stage 2 English Communications task for use from 2011
533562054 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010
D
Knowledge and
Understanding
Analysis
Application
Communication
Knowledge and understanding of a
limited number of ways in which
texts are shaped by the
conventions of a particular form of
expression or communication.
Reference to some ways in which
authors use a range of the
conventions of different text types
to influence opinions and
decisions in familiar texts.
Use of language skills and
techniques to create texts that
partly address the meaning and
intention of the task.
Knowledge and understanding of
some of the ways in which creators
and readers of a narrow range of
familiar texts use language
techniques and strategies to make
simple or factual meaning.
Reference to simple connections
between uncomplicated personal
ideas, experiences, values, or
beliefs, and those explored in
familiar texts.
Achievement of a level of fluency in
writing and speaking in personally
relevant situations, using
appropriate style and structure for a
narrow range of familiar audiences
and contexts.
Identification of some of the ideas
and themes in some familiar texts.
Analytical understanding of the
ideas, experiences, values, or
beliefs explored in a familiar text.
Knowledge and understanding of a
way of defining and attracting a
target audience for a familiar text
or example of communication.
E
Knowledge and understanding of a
way in which a text is shaped by
the conventions of a particular form
of expression or communication.
Knowledge and understanding of
the way in which a creator or
reader of a highly familiar text uses
a language technique or strategy
to make factual meaning.
Identification of an idea or a theme
in a familiar text.
Emerging development of
knowledge and understanding of a
way of defining and attracting a
target audience for a highly familiar
text or example of communication.
Page 4 of 4
Some use of evidence from texts
to support responses, with
restricted use of textual
references.
Skills in using some of the
structural, conventional, or textual
features of a text type for a
familiar context, audience, or
purpose.
Occasionally appropriate use of
language to convey simple
meaning in familiar contexts.
Production of a limited number of
texts for highly familiar contexts,
audiences, and purposes.
Reference to the way in which an
author uses the conventions of
different text types to influence
opinions and decisions in a highly
familiar text.
Attempted use of a restricted
range of language skills and/or
techniques to create a text or
texts that attempt to address the
meaning or intention of the task.
Recognition of a simple
connection between a
straightforward personal idea,
experience, value, or belief, and
that explored in a highly familiar
text.
Restricted use of evidence from
texts to support a simple
response, with textual reference.
Development of understanding of
the ideas, experiences, values, or
beliefs explored in a highly
familiar text.
Skills in using the structural,
conventional, or textual features
of a text type for a highly familiar
context, audience, or purpose.
Emerging development of fluency
in writing and speaking in
personally relevant situations, using
appropriate style and structure for a
narrow range of highly familiar
audiences and contexts.
Occasionally appropriate use of
language to convey literal meaning
in highly familiar contexts.
Production of a text for a highly
familiar context, audience, and
purpose.
Stage 2 English Communications task for use from 2011
533562054 (October 2010)
© SACE Board of South Australia 2010