Thursday, September 24, 2009

International Benchmarks... and Victoria

OK, I already did Singapore, so that leaves Victoria, Australia:

The English language is central to the way in which students understand, critique and appreciate their world, and to the ways in which they participate socially, economically and culturally in Australian society.

The study of English encourages the development of literate individuals capable of critical and imaginative thinking, aesthetic appreciation and creativity. The mastery of the key knowledge and skills described in this study design underpins effective functioning in the contexts of study and work as well as productive participation in a democratic society in the twenty-first century.

The study design draws on interstate and international models and reflects recent developments in the study of English. Students will continue the learning established through the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) in the key discipline concepts of texts and language, and the dimensions of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

This study design will assist teachers to implement an English curriculum that is interesting and challenging for students with a wide range of expectations and aspirations. Teachers have the opportunity to select texts which will reflect the needs and interests of their students. The study of texts focuses on creating and analysing texts, understanding and interpreting texts, and moving beyond interpretation to reflection and critical analysis.

AIMS

This study is designed to enable students to:

  • extend their competence in using Standard Australian English to meet the demands of further study, the workplace, and their own needs and interests;
  • extend their language skills through thinking, reading, writing, speaking and listening;
  • communicate ideas, feelings, observations and information effectively, both orally and in writing, to a range of audiences;
  • extend their competence in planning, reviewing and re-shaping content of print, non-print and multimodal texts to ensure accuracy, and coherence of form, language, purpose, audience and context;
  • understand, enjoy and appreciate language in its written, oral and multimodal forms;
  • recognise the structures and features of a wide range of print, non-print and multimodal texts and demonstrate understanding of how authors choose these elements for particular purposes and effects;
  • demonstrate in the creation of their own print, non-print and multimodal texts an ability to make considered and informed choices about form, language, purpose, audience and context;
  • demonstrate an ability to use appropriate metalanguage to discuss their own and others’ texts;
  • identify and comment on the ideas or implied values that underpin texts;
  • recognise the relationship between language and ideas, and the role of language in developing the capacity to express ideas.

I don't have anything to add to that.

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