Subject description

English is a 20-credit subject at Stage 2.

In English students analyse the interrelationship of author, text, and audience, with an emphasis on how language and stylistic features shape ideas and perspectives in a range of contexts. They consider social, cultural, economic, historical, and/or political perspectives in texts and their representation of human experience and the world.

Students explore how the purpose of a text is achieved through application of text conventions and stylistic choices to position the audience to respond to ideas and perspectives. An understanding of purpose, audience, and context is applied in students’ own creation of imaginative, interpretive, analytical, and persuasive texts that may be written, oral, and/or multimodal.

Students have opportunities to reflect on their personal values and those of other people by responding to aesthetic and cultural aspects of texts from the contemporary world, from the past, and from Australian and other cultures. 

Capabilities

The capabilities connect student learning within and across subjects in a range of contexts.

The SACE identifies seven capabilities.

Literacy

Literacy is critical in the development of the skills and strategies needed to express, interpret, and communicate complex information and ideas. In English students apply, extend, and refine their repertoire of literacy skills and practices as they examine how meaning is communicated and as they engage in creative response and argument. Students compare texts and consider how they are created for specific purposes, audiences, and contexts.

Numeracy

Students develop their numeracy capability in English as they practise and apply the skills of interpreting and analysing, comparing and contrasting, making connections, posing and proving arguments, making inferences, and problem-solving as they create and respond to a range of texts. For example, students use numeracy skills when they create and interpret sequences and spatial information in non-fiction texts, or consider timing and sequence when developing photo stories. They draw conclusions from statistical information, interpret and use quantitative data as evidence in persuasive texts, and evaluate the use of statistics in media and other reports.

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

There is a particular focus in English on ICT through the use and analysis of digital texts and the creation of multimodal texts. For example, students explore the effects of sound and image as they consider how ideas are communicated in digital texts. They use digital technologies when they access, manage, use, and critically analyse information and when creating their own texts, including those texts in digital form. They develop skills in reading, viewing, and responding to multimodal texts and analysing the effects of the use of different mediums on meaning and interpretation.

Personal and social capability

Students develop their sense of self, and understand their role and place in communities, through the development of their language skills. They develop their personal and social capability in this subject by extending their communication skills, teamwork, and understanding of verbal and non-verbal modes of interaction.

Students develop their personal and social capability in English by enhancing their communication skills, teamwork, and capacity to empathise with and appreciate the perspectives of others. Close study of texts assists students to understand different personal and social experiences, perspectives, and challenges. Students identify and express their own opinions, ideas, and responses by interacting with a range of texts. English actively assists students in the development of communication skills needed for analysis, research, and the expression of viewpoints and arguments. Students work collaboratively and independently as part of their learning.

Ethical understanding

Ethical understanding is explored in English through the selection of texts for study; for example, when students engage with ethical dilemmas presented in texts, and consider reasons for actions and implications of decisions. They explore and question ideas, information, and perspectives in texts, examining how they are presented, their impact on audiences, and how they are reflected in students’ own responses. Through the study of English, students come to appreciate and develop greater empathy with the rights and opinions of others. They develop increasingly advanced communication, research, and presentation skills to express viewpoints. Students develop an understanding of the importance of acknowledging the ideas and views of others through appropriate referencing.

Intercultural understanding

Intercultural understanding in English encourages students to make connections between their own experiences and the experiences of others. Through the study of contemporary texts, texts from the past, and texts from diverse cultures, students explore and analyse these connections. Students understand and can express the interdependence of language, culture, identity, and values in the Australian and other contexts, and are able to appreciate and empathise with the cultural beliefs, attitudes, and values of others. They study how cultural concepts, beliefs, practices, and perspectives are represented in a range of textual forms and for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures, and perspectives

In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and schools and school sectors, the SACE Board of South Australia supports the development of high-quality learning and assessment design that respects the diverse knowledge, cultures, and perspectives of Indigenous Australians.

The SACE Board encourages teachers to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives in the design, delivery, and assessment of teaching and learning programs by:

• providing opportunities in SACE subjects for students to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and contemporary experiences
• recognising and respecting the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian society
• drawing students’ attention to the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives from the past and the present
• promoting the use of culturally appropriate protocols when engaging with and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.  

SACE literacy requirement

Students who complete 20 credits of Stage 2 English with a C– grade or better will meet the literacy requirement of the SACE.

Learning requirements

The learning requirements summarise the knowledge, skills, and understanding that students are expected to develop and demonstrate through their learning in Stage 2 English.

In this subject, students are expected to:

1. analyse the relationship between purpose, context, and audience in a range of texts
2. evaluate how language and stylistic features and conventions are used to represent ideas, perspectives, and aspects of culture in texts
3. analyse how perspectives in their own and others’ texts shape responses and interpretations
4. create and evaluate oral, written, and multimodal texts in a range of modes and styles
5. analyse the similarities and differences when comparing texts
6. apply clear and accurate communication skills. 

Content 

Stage 2 English is a 20-credit subject.

The content includes:

• responding to texts
• creating texts.

In Stage 2 English students read and view a range of texts, including texts created by Australian authors. In comparing texts students analyse the relationships between language and stylistic features, text types, and contexts. Recognising and analysing the language and stylistic features and conventions of text types in literary and everyday texts influences interpretation. Through close study of texts, students explore relationships between content and perspectives and the text and its context.

In the study of English, students extend their experience of language and explore their ideas through creating their own texts, and reading and viewing the texts of others. Students consider the powerful role that language plays in communication between individuals, groups, organisations, and societies. There is a focus on ways in which language defines, shapes, and reflects relationships between people.

Students appreciate how clear and effective writing and speaking displays a depth of understanding, engagement, and imagination for a range of purposes, audiences, and contexts.

A suggested text list is available on the subject minisite.

Responding to texts

Students demonstrate a critical understanding of the language features, stylistic features, and conventions of particular text types and identify the ideas and perspectives conveyed by texts. This includes how language conventions influence interpretations of texts, and how omissions and emphases influence the reading and meaning of a text. Students reflect on the purpose of the text and the audience for whom it was produced.

The evaluation of the different ideas, perspectives, and/or aspects of culture represented in texts is achieved through the analysis of purpose, context, and language features through, for example, comparing a feature article or the reporting of current events from different newspapers in diverse cultural communities. Students may also evaluate the use of language features to create meaning, and consider how their own perspectives might influence their responses.

When responding to texts, students compare and contrast the distinctive features of text types from the same or different contexts. This may be done by analysing and evaluating how different authors employ the language features, stylistic features, and conventions of texts when exploring similar themes, ideas, concepts, or aspects of culture. Students compare the contexts in which texts are created and experienced. They also consider how the conventions of text types can be challenged or manipulated.

Students focus primarily on a shared reading of a variety of texts, but may also include an independently chosen text. Texts may be treated separately or linked. 

Creating texts

Students create a range of texts for a variety of purposes. By experimenting with innovative and imaginative language features, stylistic features, and text conventions, students develop their personal voice and perspectives. They demonstrate their ability to synthesise ideas and opinions, and develop complex arguments.

Accurate spelling, punctuation, syntax, and use of conventions should be evident across the range of created texts. Students benefit from modelling their own texts on examples of good practice in the same text type. In creating texts students extend their skills in self-editing and drafting.

Evidence of learning

All Stage 2 subjects have a school assessment component and an external assessment component.

The following assessment types enable students to demonstrate their learning in Stage 2 English:

School assessment (70%)

• Assessment Type 1: Responding to Texts (30%)
• Assessment Type 2: Creating Texts (40%)

External assessment (30%)

• Assessment Type 3: Comparative Analysis (30%).

For a 20-credit subject, students should provide evidence of their learning through eight assessments, including the external assessment component.

Students complete:

• three responses to texts
• four created texts (one of which is a writer’s statement)
• one comparative analysis.

Assessment design criteria

The assessment design criteria are based on the learning requirements and are used by:

• teachers to clarify for the student what they need to learn
• teachers and assessors to design opportunities for the student to provide evidence of their learning at the highest possible level of achievement.

The assessment design criteria consist of specific features that:

• students should demonstrate in their learning
• teachers and assessors look for as evidence that students have met the learning requirements.

For this subject the assessment design criteria are:

• knowledge and understanding
• analysis
• application.

The specific features of these criteria are described below.

The set of assessments, as a whole, must give students opportunities to demonstrate each of the specific features by the completion of study of the subject.

Knowledge and Understanding

The specific features are as follows:

Analysis 

The specific features are as follows:

Application 

The specific features are as follows: 

School assessment

The school assessment component for Stage 2 English consists of two assessment types:

• Assessment Type 1: Responding to Texts
• Assessment Type 2: Creating Texts.

Assessment Type 1: Responding to Texts (30%)

Students produce three responses to texts. Two of the responses must be written, and one must be oral. Either the oral response or one of the written pieces may be replaced by a multimodal response.

The texts on which the responses are based must be chosen from at least three of the categories listed below.

One of the three responses could be a comparison of two or more texts from within or across these categories.

The categories are:

1. an extended text such as a novel, a graphic novel, a collection of short stories, a biography, or other non-fiction prose text
2. a selection of poetry texts such as a poet study, anthology, theme study, song lyrics
3. a drama text or performance
4. a film or episode of a television miniseries
5. media texts from newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the internet, or other digital sources such as advertisements, talkback radio programs, technical articles, news presentations, sports reports, political commentary or cartoons, editorials, websites, social media, blogs, podcasts, or gaming.

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.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• knowledge and understanding
• analysis
• application. 

Assessment Type 2: Creating Texts (40%)

Students create written, oral, and/or multimodal texts for procedural, imaginative, analytical, persuasive, and/or different purposes.

Students create:

• three texts
• one writer’s statement.

At least one of the created texts should be written.

The three texts should total a maximum of 3000 words, and the writer’s statement should be a maximum of 1000 words; an oral and/or multimodal text or writer’s statement should be of equivalent length.

The three created texts must demonstrate variety in text type, purpose, and/or audience. The texts may achieve different purposes, such as to entertain, persuade, interpret, or communicate information. They may be created for different audiences, for real and/or imagined contexts, and/or be appropriate for specific publications. Two or more texts could be linked.

Students produce a writer’s statement for one or more of the three created texts. In the writer’s statement they:

• explain and justify the creative decisions made in the process of writing one or more of their texts
• explain how they used language features, stylistic features, and conventions to meet the expectations of the intended audience(s) and achieve the stated purpose(s).

Where the writer’s statement is for more than one created text, students may compare and contrast the choices they made to meet the expectations of the different audiences and/or purposes.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• knowledge and understanding
• analysis
• application.

External assessment

The external assessment component for Stage 2 English consists of a comparative analysis.

Assessment Type 3: Comparative Analysis

Students complete a written comparative analysis of two texts and evaluate how the language features, stylistic features, and conventions in these texts are used to represent ideas, perspectives, and/or aspects of culture, and to influence audiences.

These texts can be selected from one or more of the following categories:

• extended texts
• poetry
• drama texts
• film texts
• media texts.

In completing their comparative analysis students may draw on learning from, but must not use, texts read or viewed in other parts of the assessment program. However, students may use texts that are similar in type and purpose.

The comparative analysis must be a product of independent study, but it is appropriate for teachers to advise and support students in choosing texts to compare. Students must not complete the comparative analysis as a shared exercise.

The comparative analysis should be a maximum of 2000 words.

All specific features of the assessment design criteria for this subject are assessed in the comparative analysis. 

Performance standards

The performance standards describe five levels of achievement, A to E. 

Each level of achievement describes the knowledge, skills, and understanding that teachers and assessors refer to in deciding how well students have demonstrated their learning on the basis of the evidence provided. 

During the teaching and learning program the teacher gives students feedback on their learning, with reference to the performance standards.

At the student’s completion of study of each school assessment type, the teacher makes a decision about the quality of the student’s learning by:

• referring to the performance standards
• assigning a grade between A+ and E– for the assessment type.  

The student’s school assessment and external assessment are combined for a final result, which is reported as a grade between A+ and E–.

Performance standards

Stage 2 performance standards for English can be viewed below. You can also download in Word format [DOC 260KB].

To learn more about what performance standards are, how they are used, and other general information, see performance standards and grades. 

Glossary

Audience

The group of readers, listeners, or viewers that the writer, film-maker, or speaker is addressing. Audience (real and implied) includes an individual, students in the classroom, and the wider community.

Context

The environment in which a text is responded to or created. Context can include the social, historical, and cultural conditions in which a text is responded to and created (the context of culture) or the specific features of its immediate environment (context of situation).

Convention

An accepted practice that has developed over time and is generally used and understood, for example, the use of specific structural aspects of texts, such as in report writing, sections for introduction, background, discussion, and recommendations.

Intertextuality

The shaping of a text’s meaning by the reading of other texts or the interrelationship of texts, such as when an author borrows from or transforms another text or a reader’s referencing of one text in reading another. Texts gain meaning through their reference to or evocation of other texts.

Language features

The features of language that support meaning (e.g. sentence structure, vocabulary, punctuation, figurative language, framing, camera angles). These choices vary according to the purpose of a text, its subject matter, audience, and communication mode.

Literary text

Literary texts refer to past and contemporary texts across a range of cultural contexts. They are valued for their form and style and are recognised as having enduring or artistic value.

Medium

The resources used in the production of texts, including tools and materials (e.g. digital text and the computer, writing and the pen, typewriter).

Metalanguage

Specialised language used to refer to technical aspects of the study of English, for example, language used to discuss film or literary study (e.g. mise-en-scène, symbolism, characterisation) or language used to talk about grammatical terms (e.g. ‘sentence’, ‘clause’, ‘conjunction’).

Mode

The various processes of communication: listening, speaking, reading/viewing, and writing/creating. Modes are also used to refer to the semiotic (meaning-making) resources associated with these communicative processes (e.g. sound, print, image, gesture).

Multimodal text

Combination of two or more communication modes (e.g. combining print, image, and spoken text in film or computer presentations).

Perspective

What a reader/viewer brings to a text, or the way in which a reader/viewer is positioned by the author through the text, or how a particular ideology is embedded in a text (e.g. a feminist perspective).

Stylistic features

The ways in which aspects of texts (e.g. words, sentences, images) are arranged and how they affect meaning. Style can distinguish the work of individual authors (e.g. Henry Lawson’s poems), as well as the work of a particular period (e.g. Elizabethan drama), or of a particular text type (e.g. recipes, scientific articles). Examples of stylistic features are narrative viewpoint, structure of stanzas, juxtaposition, nominalisation, alliteration, metaphor, and lexical choice.

Text types

Examples of text types include reports, essays, speeches, narratives, recounts, infographics, films, stories, poems, novels, podcasts. These text types can be further classified according to the particular purposes they are designed to achieve (e.g. informational, imaginative, interpretive, analytical, or persuasive).

Subject changes

Any changes to this subject will be recorded here.