Level 4 – Victorian Essential Learning Standards
The English domain of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards consists of three dimensions:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking and listening
The Communication domain of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards consists of two dimensions:
- Listening, viewing and responding
- Presenting
- Communication standards level 4
- Introduction to the Communication domain
- Communication learning focus level 4
English standards level 4
Reading
At Level 4, students read, interpret and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday and media texts in print and in multimodal formats. They analyse these texts and support interpretations with evidence drawn from the text. They describe how texts are constructed for particular purposes, and identify how sociocultural values, attitudes and beliefs are presented in texts. They analyse imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting. They use strategies such as reading on, using contextual cues, and drawing on knowledge of text organisation when interpreting texts containing unfamiliar ideas and information.
Writing
At Level 4, students produce, in print and electronic forms, a variety of texts for different purposes using structures and features of language appropriate to the purpose, audience and context of the writing. They begin to use simple figurative language and visual images. They use a range of vocabulary, a variety of sentence structures, and use punctuation accurately, including apostrophes. They identify and use different parts of speech, including nouns, pronouns, adverbs, comparative adverbs and adjectives, and use appropriate prepositions and conjunctions. They use a range of approaches to spelling, applying morphemic knowledge and an understanding of visual and phonic patterns. They employ a variety of strategies for writing, including note-making, using models, planning, editing and proofreading.
Speaking and listening
At Level 4, students plan, rehearse and make presentations for different purposes. They sustain a point of view and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events. They adjust their speaking to take account of context, purpose and audience, and vary tone, volume and pace of speech to create or emphasise meaning.
When listening to spoken texts, they identify the main idea and supporting details and summarise them for others. They identify opinions offered by others, propose other relevant viewpoints and extend ideas in a constructive manner.
Introduction to English domain
In the English domain, texts and language constitute the central and essential concepts. The concept of texts focuses equally on creating and analysing texts, understanding and interpreting texts, and moving beyond interpretation to reflection and critical analysis. The concept of language includes the use of language and the development of linguistic competence, and the development of knowledge about language.
Students learn to appreciate, enjoy and use language and develop a sense of its richness and its power to evoke feelings, to form and convey ideas, to inform, to discuss, to persuade, to entertain and to argue.
The English domain is centred on the conscious and deliberate study of language in the variety of texts and contexts in which it is spoken, read, viewed and written. It is concerned with a wide range of written and spoken texts in print and electronic forms including literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry, plays and non-fiction; film and other multimodal texts; media texts; information, commercial and workplace texts; everyday texts; and personal writing.
The study of English involves students in reading, viewing, listening to, writing, creating, comparing, researching and talking about a range of text types from the simple to the complex, from texts dealing with concrete and straightforward information to those dealing with increasingly complex and abstract issues and ideas. English teachers encourage students to explore the meaning of texts and how meaning is conveyed. They introduce critical approaches to the ideas and thinking contained in texts and support students in the development of critical understanding about the ways writers and speakers control language to influence their listeners, readers and viewers.
Students develop an understanding of the way purpose, audience and situation influence the structures and features of language and learn to apply their knowledge in their reading, writing, viewing, speaking and listening. They come to understand that different kinds of texts are appropriate for different occasions and learn to appreciate the variety of English usage in different times and places. They also learn about the ways language shapes and reflects attitudes in different times and places. Students are provided with opportunities to use language effectively in a range of contexts from informal to formal.
Students learn terminology or metalanguage to describe and discuss particular structures and features of language produced in a variety of contexts. They learn to control language by applying their understanding of the grammatical structures of Standard Australian English, by learning to spell accurately and use punctuation effectively, as well as by imitating good writers and speakers.
Understanding texts and recognising how language works within them is necessary for success at school and beyond for an active, informed and fulfilling life in modern Australian society and the global community. By understanding and working with texts, students acquire the knowledge, skills and personal qualities that enable them to read, view and listen critically and to think, speak and write clearly and confidently.
English learning focus level 4
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in English, they consolidate and build on their foundational learning in English related to texts and language.
Students compose, comprehend and respond to an expanding range of texts in print and audiovisual and electronic forms that contain increasingly unfamiliar concepts, themes, information and issues. With guidance, they reflect on reading, viewing, writing, speaking and listening in ways that develop considered and critical approaches to a range of texts. These include extended literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry and non-fiction; everyday texts; and media texts including newspapers, film and websites.
Students explore the relationship between the purpose and audience of texts and their structures and features, for example: sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, figurative language and organising structures in print texts; features of visual texts; and sound effects, characterisation and camera angles used in film. They develop their knowledge of how texts are constructed for particular purposes, and examine and challenge generalisations and simplistic portrayals of people and social and cultural issues. They learn how to draw evidence from texts to support their points of view. They experiment with several strategies when interpreting texts containing some unfamiliar ideas and information, for example, reading on, using diagrams, and differentiating between statements of fact or opinion.
Students write texts for a range of purposes that demonstrate their developing understanding of the way imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting contribute to the meaning of written and multimodal texts. They use this reflection, and their developing knowledge of the generic structures of different types of texts (such as narratives, reports and arguments), as the basis for composing an increasing range of written and spoken texts. Students become more systematic in their use of strategies for writing (including note-making, using models, planning, editing and proofreading) and make decisions about appropriate structures and features of language in texts for different purposes and audiences. They develop terminology or metalanguage to talk about and describe particular structures and features of language. They develop a multi-strategy approach to spelling, applying morphemic knowledge and an understanding of visual and phonic patterns, and select vocabulary for precise meaning.
Students engage in exploratory talk to share and clarify their ideas, to formulate simple arguments and to seek the opinions of others. They participate in oral interactions for different purposes, including entertaining, informing and influencing others. Students learn to sustain a point of view, and provide succinct accounts of personal experiences or events.
They experiment with spoken language features such as pace, pitch and pronunciation to enhance meaning as they plan, rehearse and reflect on their presentations. They build their capacity to combine verbal and visual elements in texts to communicate ideas and information by using, for example, presentation software or overheads.
When listening, students practise identifying the main idea and supporting details of spoken texts and summarising them for others. They begin to identify opinions offered by others, propose other viewpoints, and extend ideas in a constructive manner.
Communication standards level 4
Listening, viewing and responding
At Level 4, students ask clarifying questions about ideas and information they listen to and view. They develop interpretations of the content and provide reasons for them. They explain why peers may develop alternative interpretations. They describe the purpose of a range of communication strategies, including non-verbal strategies, and evaluate their effectiveness for different audiences.
Presenting
At Level 4, students summarise and organise ideas and information, logically and clearly in a range of presentations. They identify the features of an effective presentation and adapt elements of their own presentations to reflect them. Using provided criteria, they evaluate the effectiveness of their own and others presentations.
Introduction to the Communication domain
Communication is central to the capacity to construct meaning and to convey information and understanding to others in a range of ways and in a variety of settings. Successful communication requires students to be familiar with the forms, language and conventions used in different contexts and employ them to communicate effectively.
The Communication domain focuses on developing students who communicate clearly and confidently in a range of contexts both within and beyond school. It aims to assist students to develop awareness that language and discourse differ across the curriculum and that there is a need to learn literacies involved in each subject they undertake. To communicate successfully students need to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that empower them to respond to, make meaning of, and deconstruct a range of communication forms. They also need to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to effectively present information, ideas and opinions in a range of forms, including verbal, written, graphic, multimedia and performance, appropriate to their context, purpose and audience.
Communicating learning focus level 4
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in Communication, they use their understanding of communication conventions to communicate effectively with peers and to respond appropriately when they are part of an audience; for example, by waiting for the communication of others to be completed before responding. They practise listening attentively to identify and communicate main points to others. They reflect on the implicit messages received through body language and begin to understand that verbal and non-verbal messages do not always correspond. They practise sending consistent messages during their interactions.
Students experience a variety of aural, written and visual communication forms in both formal and informal settings; for example electronic communication, performance and oral presentations. With support, they interpret these forms and begin to understand that their interpretation may be influenced by their own knowledge, values and beliefs, by persuasive devices such as emotive language, and by the opinions of others. When making meaning, students continue to develop skills in asking clarifying questions and seeking validation of their interpretations from their peers. They compare and contrast differing interpretations and explore why they differ.
Students begin to recognise the purpose of specialised language across the curriculum and to use this appropriately in their own communication; for example, ‘the system known as the Earth and Moon operate within the solar system’ or, when describing characteristics of a music composition, ‘I used dotted rhythms and lots of staccato to give a feeling of energy’.
Students develop their skills in organising ideas and information logically and clearly to suit their purpose and the needs of their audience. For formal presentations they begin to select appropriate forms for sharing knowledge and influencing others; for example, adding sound to presentation software.
In response to audience feedback, students experiment with ways to improve their communication; for example, projecting their voice to be heard clearly and making sure that the audience can see any visual aids. With support, students use provided criteria to evaluate and reflect on the effectiveness of their communication and to provide feedback on the communication of others.
Related Materials
Previous key concept - Victorian Essential Learning Standards stages of learning: Building breadth and depth
Next key concept - Zone of Proximal Development & Scaffolding (Vygotsky, Bruner, Rogoff)