Events to date....
I March 2010:
April 2008:
National
Curriculum
Board
established
Oct 2008:
Initial advice
paper
discussed at
National
English Forum
Nov 2008 - Feb
2009:
Consultation re
English framing
paper
May 2009:
Writing of
national English
curriculum
commences
Drafts of
national
English K-10
curriculum
available for
consultation
What’s next?
2013
I March
2010:
Drafts of
Australian
English K-10
curriculum
March - May
2010: National
consultation on
English
curriculum draft
K-10
Apr – June
2010:
11-12
August 2010:
Australian English
curriculum K-10
published
October 2010:
11-12
Jan 2011:
Implementation of
English curriculum
commences from
this month
ACARA says
implementation
should be “well
underway” by
2013
• Language
• Literature
• Literacy
The modes
• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading (& viewing)
• Writing (& creating)
page 2 English/organisation
The strands
• Language: involves learning about the English language
and how it works, including grammar, spelling and
punctuation, as well as a study of the history of the
language and its contemporary uses and value
• Literacy: involves the application of English knowledge
and skills to listen, view, read, speak and write and create a
growing repertoire of texts
• Literature: involves learning to interpret, appreciate,
evaluate and create literary texts, including narrative,
poetry, prose, plays, films and multimodal texts.

“The three strands of Language, Literature and
Literacy are interwoven and inform and support
each other.”
Language
Literacy
Literature

“While the amount of time devoted to each strand
may vary, each strand is of equal importance….”
Language
Literacy
Literature
Organisation of the curriculum
Curriculum for a particular year
Content descriptions
organised into strands
Content
elaborations
Resources
Achievement
standards
Work
samples
page 12 English draft consultation version 1.0
Australian curriculum
What should be familiar to NSW teachers
in the Australian English curriculum?

The strands of language, literature and literacy are all strongly represented
in the NSW English 7-10 Syllabus.

The modes of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and creating
(“creating” is called “representing” in NSW) are familiar.

Australian Curriculum: English requires students to engage with and
produce written, spoken and multimedia texts, as do NSW English
syllabuses.

The expectation of the Australian Curriculum: English that literacy will be
included in the teaching of other learning areas is also an expectation in
NSW.

Australian Curriculum: English is closely aligned to NSW K-6 English
Syllabus in the teaching of grammar and reading.
What may be less familiar in the Australian
English curriculum for NSW teachers?
In earlier consultations, NSW primary teachers and secondary English teachers have suggested the
following differences between NSW English syllabuses and the Australian English curriculum:

The Australian Curriculum: English strands are different to the strands in the NSW K-6 English
Syllabus, which are based on the modes of talking and listening, reading and writing. NSW
English 7-10 Syllabus does not have strands, except for Learning about and Learning to.

Australian Curriculum: English has a stronger focus on literature in K-6 than NSW K-6 syllabus.

The Australian Curriculum: English curriculum requires a more explicit and systematic approach
to the teaching of grammar in Years 7-10 than in NSW syllabus.

Australian Curriculum: English has less focus on media than the NSW 7-10 syllabus.

Australian Curriculum: English does not include specific text requirements, as does the NSW 7-10
syllabus.

The NSW 7-10 syllabus provides a more holistic guide to teaching, whereas the division between
strands in the Australian English curriculum requires teachers to decide how the strands will be
integrated in classroom teaching.

Australian Curriculum: English provides minimal or no cover of Outcomes 9 and 11, which focus
on connectedness and metacognition respectively.

The curriculum dimension about Asian literacy may provide some challenges for NSW teachers.
Note that difference is not necessarily a bad thing!

Consider all aspects of the curriculum in terms of
where students are ‘at’ developmentally in a
particular year level
◦ their conceptual and abstract thinking
◦ their prior knowledge and experiences
◦ their social and emotional development

Will this curriculum work for your students?

Choose a year (and consider a cohort of students). Look
at the strands, content, content elaboration and
achievement standards. Are they in line with your
expectations of this stage of development?
Send feedback via English 7-10 online forum: Feedback thread # 2
YEAR LEVELS

Choose a strand and then look across year levels. Is
there continuity?
Send feedback via English 7-10 online forum: Feedback thread # 3
STRANDS

Looking forward
◦ Is this curriculum everything we want it to be for students in the
21st century?
◦ Does the learning matter? Will this curriculum make a difference
for students now and in the future?

Looking back
◦ Map against our current NSW English syllabuses.
◦ Are the standards or expectations similar? Similarities and
differences in curriculum content? Anything missing? Additional or
new content?
Evaluating the Australian English
curriculum: key questions







Is the learning appropriate for the year level?
Is there adequate quality and rigour in the curriculum?
Is there continuity from one year to the next?
Does the curriculum provide adequate prescription for
teachers?
Is the curriculum inclusive of all students?
Is there sufficient flexibility to tailor curriculum to suit
students’ interests, needs and abilities?
Is this a curriculum that will prepare students for the
future?
Send feedback via English 7-10 online forum: Feedback thread # 5
GENERAL FEEDBACK
Identifying the issues - and areas where
support might be needed
Will teachers need more access to appropriate Asian literature and material to
support those texts?
 Will teachers need to tailor the new curriculum to suit the needs of particular groups
of students? Will they need support for this?
◦ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
◦ ESL students
◦ Students with learning difficulties
◦ Students with disabilities
◦ Gifted and talented students
◦ Others?
 Will teachers need ‘text requirements’ for the Literature strand?
 Will teachers need resources that show how they can integrate the three strands in
their classroom teaching?
 Will teachers need support to teach grammar more explicitly and systematically?
 Any other support required for implementation?
Send feedback via English 7-10 online forum: Feedback thread # 4 SUPPORT

Sharing your views: DET online forum
To register for the forum:
http://currk12.janison.com/curriculum/register/register.htm
 If you have any problems with registering please contact
Chris Dorbis via email or telephone 98867496.
If you have been issued a password, please click on the
following link to enter the forum.

To enter the forum:
http://currk12.janison.com/toolbox/desktop/logon.asp
 The latest version of the Australian English curriculum
and this PowerPoint are available in the forum.

Sharing your views: other avenues
Secondary English teachers may also choose to
share their views about the Australian English
curriculum via:
 English Teachers’ Association
http://www.englishteacher.com.au/
 NSW Board of Studies
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/
 or directly to ACARA
http://www.acara.edu.au/home_page.html