ENGLISH

FOUNDATION COURSE
Year 12 syllabus

2014/788v3

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Content

IntroductiontotheFoundationcourses.....................................................................................................................1
Literacyandnumeracyfocus............................................................................................................................................2
Representationoftheothergeneralcapabilities.............................................................................................................4
Representationofthecrosscurriculumpriorities...........................................................................................................5
RationalefortheEnglishFoundationcourse..............................................................................................................6
Courseaims...............................................................................................................................................................7
Organisation..............................................................................................................................................................8
Structureofthesyllabus..................................................................................................................................................8
Organisationofcontent...................................................................................................................................................8
Unit3......................................................................................................................................................................11
Learningoutcomes.........................................................................................................................................................11
Unitcontent...................................................................................................................................................................11
Unit4......................................................................................................................................................................13
Learningoutcomes.........................................................................................................................................................13
Unitcontent...................................................................................................................................................................13
Schoolbasedassessment........................................................................................................................................15
Externallysettask...........................................................................................................................................................16
Grading...........................................................................................................................................................................16
Appendix1GradedescriptionsYear12.................................................................................................................17
1
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Introduction to the Foundation courses
FoundationcoursesaredesignedforstudentswhohavenotdemonstratedtheWesternAustralian
CertificateofEducation(WACE)standardofnumeracyandStandardAustralianEnglish(SAE)literacyskills.
ThesestandardsarebasedonLevel3oftheAustralianCoreSkillsFramework(ACSF)whichoutlinestheskills
requiredforindividualstomeetthedemandsofeverydaylifeandworkinaknowledgebasedeconomy.
Foundationcoursesprovidesupportforthedevelopmentoffunctionalliteracyandnumeracyskillsessential
forstudentstomeettheWACEstandardofliteracyandnumeracythroughengagementwiththeACSFLevel3
reading,writing,oralcommunicationandnumeracycoreskills.
TheFoundationcoursesare:
AppliedInformationTechnology(ListB)
CareerandEnterprise(ListA)
English(ListA)
EnglishasanAdditionalLanguageorDialect(EAL/D)(ListA)
Health,PhysicalandOutdoorEducation(ListB)
Mathematics(ListB)
Eligibility
StudentswhohavenotdemonstratedtheminimumstandardintheliteracycomponentoftheOnline
LiteracyandNumeracyAssessment(OLNA)areeligibletoenrolintheEnglishFoundationcourseorthe
EnglishasanAdditionalLanguageorDialectFoundationcourse,andotherListAFoundationcourses.
StudentswhohavenotdemonstratedtheminimumstandardinthenumeracycomponentoftheOLNAare
eligibletoenrolintheMathematicsFoundationcourseandotherListBFoundationcourses.
RefertotheWACEManualforfurtherinformationregardingeligibility.

2
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Literacy and numeracy focus
WhilemuchoftheexplicitteachingofliteracyandnumeracyoccursintheEnglish,EnglishasanAdditional
LanguageorDialect,andMathematicsFoundationcourses,allFoundationcoursesprovideopportunitiesfor
thedevelopmentoftheliteracyandnumeracycapabilitiesidentifiedinthePreprimarytoYear10Western
Australiancurriculum.ThefollowingsetofliteracyandnumeracyskillsdrawnfromboththeACSF(Level3)
coreskillsofreading,writing,oralcommunicationandnumeracy,andthePreprimarytoYear10Englishand
MathematicscurriculumhavebeenidentifiedandarecommontoallFoundationcourses.Where
appropriate,opportunitiesforstudentstoengageinactivitieswithsignificantliteracyandnumeracy
demandsshouldbethefocusofteaching,learningandassessmentprogramsinthiscourse.
Literacy
Literacyinvolvesstudents:
developingtheknowledge,skillsanddispositionstointerpretanduselanguageconfidentlyforlearning
andcommunicatinginandoutofschoolandforeffectiveparticipationinsociety
reading,writing,viewing,speakingandlisteningwhichincludescreatingoral,print,visualanddigital
texts
usingandmodifyinglanguagefordifferentpurposesandfordifferentaudiences
understandinghowtheEnglishlanguageworksindifferentsocialcontexts.
Foundationcoursesprovidemeaningfulcontextsforlearningandpractisingspecificliteracy(L)skillsas
outlinedbelow:
L1 acquiringwordsleadingtoanappropriatelyexpandingvocabulary;forexample,using
disciplinerelatedwordssuchascardiovascularenduranceandresilienceintheHealth,Physicaland
OutdoorEducationFoundationcourse
L2 developingpronunciationandspellingofkeywords,forexample,disciplinerelatedwordssuchas
phishingintheAppliedInformationTechnologyFoundationcourse
L3 usingStandardAustralianEnglish(SAE)grammarandpunctuationtocommunicateeffectively
L4 expressingincreasinglycomplexideasusingarangeofsimpleandcomplexsentencestructures
L5 usingarangeoflanguagefeatures,includingtheuseoftone(forexample,formalasopposedto
personal),symbols(forexample,intheworkplaceand/orinwebpagedesign),simpledescription
(forexample,theuseofsimilesand/orcontrast),andfactualasopposedtoemotivelanguage
L6 organisingideasandinformationindifferentformsandfordifferentpurposesandaudiences;for
example,providinginformationindotpointformand/orprovidinginformationinanexplosionchart
L7 achievingcohesionofideasatsentence,paragraphandtextlevel
L8 editingworkforaccuracy,coherence,clarityandappropriateness;forexample,ensuringsubjectverb
agreement,thecorrectuseofapostrophesandtheappropriateuseofvocabularyandverbforms
L9 usingarangeofspeakingandlisteningskills,forexample:usingtheetiquetteofturntakingin
conversationanddiscussion;askingclarifyingquestionswhenlistening;matchingtoneofvoiceto
audience;andusingapauseforemphasis
3
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
L10 comprehendingandinterpretingarangeoftexts
L11 developingvisualliteracyskillsincludingcreatingimages,designinggraphs,readingtablesand
interpretingdiagramsandsymbols.
Numeracy
Numeracyinvolvesstudents:
recognisingandunderstandingtheroleofmathematicsintheworld
developingthedispositionsandcapacitiestousemathematicalknowledgeandskillspurposefully
increasingtheirautonomyinmanagingeverydaysituations.
Foundationcoursesprovidemeaningfulcontextsforlearningandpractisingspecificnumeracy(N)skillsand
mathematicalthinkingprocessesasoutlinedintheexamplesbelow:
N1 identifyingandorganisingmathematicalinformation,forexample,referringtostatistics
N2 choosingtheappropriatemathematicstocompleteatask,forexample,countingnumbersinasurvey
N3 applyingmathematicalknowledge,toolsandstrategiestocompletethetask,forexample,changing
rawdatafromasurveyintopercentages
N4 representingandcommunicatingmathematicalconclusions,forexample,usingtablesandcharts
N5 reflectingonmathematicalresultsinordertojudgethereasonablenessoftheconclusionsreached.
Thelevelofcomplexityofmathematicalinformationtowhichtheabovenumeracyskillsareappliedis
outlinedbelow:
wholenumbersandfamiliarorroutinefractions,decimalsandpercentages
datesandtime,including24hourtimes
familiarandroutine2Dand3Dshapes,includingpyramidsandcylinders
familiarandroutinelength,mass,volume/capacity,temperatureandsimpleareameasures
familiarandroutinemapsandplans
familiarandroutinedata,tables,graphsandcharts,andcommonchanceevents.

4
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Representation of the other general capabilities
Inadditiontotheliteracyandnumeracycapabilities,teachersmayfindopportunitiestoincorporatethe
remainingcapabilitiesintotheteachingandlearningprogramfortheEnglishFoundationcourse.Theunit
information,specificallytheunitcontent,identifiestheexpectedstudentlearningwithineachsyllabus.The
generalcapabilitiesarenotassessedunlesstheyareidentifiedwithinthespecifiedunitcontent.
Informationandcommunicationtechnologycapability
ThereisaparticularfocusintheEnglishFoundationcourseoninformationandcommunicationtechnology
(ICT)bydevelopingskillsinreading,viewing,respondingtoandcreatingdigitalandmultimodaltexts.For
example,studentsexploretheeffectsofsoundandimageastheyconsiderhowideasarecommunicatedin
digitaltexts.Theyusedigitaltechnologieswhentheyaccess,manageanduseinformationandwhencreating
theirowndigitalormultimodaltexts.
Criticalandcreativethinking
CriticalandcreativethinkingisintegraltothestudyandcreationoftextsintheEnglishFoundationcourse.
Studentsdiscussissuesandideaspresentedintexts.Studentsusecriticalthinkingwhentheyanalysetextsin
relationtotheirpurpose,contextandaudience.Theyinvestigatethewayslanguageisusedtoposition
readersandviewersandtorepresentsocialandculturalgroups.Creativethinkingenablesstudentsto
producetheirownoriginalworks.Increatingtheirowntexts,studentsdeveloparguments,useevidenceand
reachconclusions.Studentsexperimentwithtextstructuresandlanguagefeaturesastheyproducetextsfor
differentpurposes,contextsandaudiences.
Personalandsocialcapability
StudentsdeveloppersonalandsocialcapabilityintheEnglishFoundationcoursethroughcollaborativework,
cooperativelearning,smallgroupworkandclassdiscussions.ThestudyoftheEnglishFoundationcourse
helpsstudentstounderstandthemselvesandtheirownlearningstyles.Studentsexpresstheirownopinions,
beliefsandresponsesbyinteractingwitharangeoftextsandsocialsituations.TheEnglishFoundation
coursedevelopscommunicationskillsneededinlearning,work,communityandeverydaypersonalcontexts.
Ethicalunderstanding
EthicalunderstandingisexploredintheEnglishFoundationcoursebyexaminingthevaluesandattitudes
presentintextsandcomparingthesewiththeirown.Studentsengagewithethicaldilemmasrepresentedin
texts.Theydevelopcommunication,research,andpresentationskillstoexpressviewpoints.Theyengagein
ethicalresearchpractices;forexample,acknowledgingsourcesandavoidingplagiarismandcollusion.
Interculturalunderstanding
IntheEnglishFoundationcourse,interculturalunderstandingencouragesstudentstomakeconnections
betweentheirownexperiencesandtheexperiencesofothers.Throughthestudyoftextscontemporary,
fromthepastandtextsfromdiversecultures,studentsexploretheseconnections.Studentsempathisewith
theculturalbeliefs,attitudesandvaluesofothers,particularlyinanAustraliancontext.Theyrecognisethe
contributionofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesandAsianculturestoliteratureandmediain
Australia.
5
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Representation of the cross-curriculum priorities
Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesaddresscontemporaryissueswhichstudentsfaceinaglobalisedworld.
Teachersmayfindopportunitiestoincorporatetheprioritiesintotheteachingandlearningprogramforthe
EnglishFoundationcourse.Theunitinformation,specificallytheunitcontent,identifiestheexpected
studentlearningwithineachsyllabus.Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesarenotassessedunlesstheyare
identifiedwithinthespecifiedunitcontent.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
TheEnglishFoundationcoursevaluesthehistories,cultures,traditionsandlanguagesofAboriginaland
TorresStraitIslanderPeoplesandtheircentralplaceincontemporaryAustraliansocietyandculture.
Throughthestudyofappropriatetexts,studentsmaybeprovidedwithopportunitiestodeveloptheir
understandingandappreciationofthediversityofculturesandhistoriesofAboriginalandTorresStrait
IslanderPeoplesandtheircontributiontoAustraliansociety.
AsiaandAustralia'sengagementwithAsia
Therearestrongsocial,culturalandeconomicreasonsforAustralianstudentstoengagewithAsiaandwith
thecontributionofAsianAustralianstooursociety.ItisthroughthestudyoftextsfromAsiathatstudents
canengagewithourplaceintheregion.Throughstory,studentsmaybeprovidedwithopportunitiesto
developunderstandingofthediversityofAsiaspeoples,environmentsandcultures.
Sustainability
Throughtheanalysisofmediaarticles,documentariesanddigitaltexts,studentsmayhavetheopportunity
toresearchanddiscusstheglobalissueofsustainability,andlearntheimportanceofrespectingandvaluing
awiderangeofworldviews.

6
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Rationale for the English Foundation course
TheEnglishFoundationcourseaimstodevelopstudentsskillsinreading,writing,viewing,speakingand
listeninginwork,learning,communityandeverydaypersonalcontexts.Suchdevelopmentinvolvesan
improvementinEnglishliteracywhereliteracyisdefinedbroadlytoincludereadingability,verbalorspoken
literacy,theliteracyinvolvedinwriting,andvisualliteracy.Studentsundertakingthiscoursewilldevelop
skillsintheuseoffunctionallanguageconventions,includingspelling,punctuationandgrammar.Sound
literacyskillsarerequiredforcomprehendingandproducingtexts;forcommunicatingeffectivelyina
learningorworkingenvironment,withinacommunityorforselfreflection;andforestablishingonessense
ofindividualworth.
TheEnglishFoundationcourseevolvesfromanemphasisonthefivemodesmentionedabove,whichare
groupedintothreeoutcomes:Reading,Producing,andSpeakingandlistening.
Readingisanumbrellatermforbeingabletoread(literally),comprehending,analysing,understandingor
interpretingtexts,andthosetextsshouldincludewrittentextsandvisualand/ormultimodaltexts.Students
willlearntoreadnonfictionintheformoftransactionaltexts,forexample,instructionmanualsandpolicy
documents;informativetexts,forexample,websitesandnewspapers;persuasivetexts,forexample,feature
articlesanddocumentaries;fictionintheformofprosenarrative,forexample,shortstoriesandnovels;and
poetry,drama,film,televisionandonlinenarratives.Readinginvolvesthemodesofreading,viewingand
listening.Readingalsoinvolvesproducingtexts:awrittenexplanation;joiningadiscussionaboutatext;or
producingaslideshowpresentationthatillustratesanunderstandingofatext.
Producingisanotherwordforconstructingorcreatingtextsandthosetextsmightbewrittenormultimodal.
Thereisarangeofnonfictionformsthatstudentsusetoproducetexts;forexample,transactionaltexts:
listsorapplications;informativetexts:reportsorinvestigations;expositorytexts:essays;andpersuasive
texts:letterstotheeditorordocumentaries.Studentsmayproducefictiontexts;forexample,shortstories,
blogs,poetry,plays,shortfilmsorYouTubestories/uploads.
Speakingandlisteningskills,essentialforReadingandProducing,receiveaspecialemphasisinthiscourseso
thatstudentsimprovetheiroralcommunicationandpresentationperformances.Forexample,students
mightengageindiscussions,roleplays,interviewscenarios,debates,publicspeakingandslideshow
presentationsinlive,recordedandonlineenvironments.
TheEnglishFoundationcourseenablesstudentstocontinuelearning,preparesstudentsforentryinto
furtherstudyoremployment,anddevelopsinstudentsasenseofcommunityandselfworth.Itdevelopsin
studentsanincreasingconfidenceininterpretingtextsintheirlivesandarticulatingtheirideasaboutthe
lives,societiesandculturestheydesire.

7
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Course aims
TheEnglishFoundationcourseaimstodevelopstudents:
opportunitiestopractisetheirskillswithfunctionalliteracy,especiallyspelling,punctuationand
grammar
skillsinreading(understanding,comprehending,interpreting,analysing)textsforwork,learning,
communityandeverydaypersonalcontexts
skillsinproducing(constructing,creating,writing)textsforwork,learning,communityandeveryday
personalcontexts
skillsinspeakingandlisteningforwork,learning,communityandeverydaypersonalcontexts.
8
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Organisation
ThiscourseisorganisedintoaYear11syllabusandaYear12syllabus.
Structure of the syllabus
TheYear12syllabusisdividedintotwounits,whicharedeliveredasapair.Thenotionaltimeforthepairof
unitsis110classcontacthours.
Eachunitincludes:
learningoutcomesasetofstatementsdescribingthelearningexpectedasaresultofstudyingtheunit
unitcontentthecontenttobetaughtandlearned
Organisation of content
TeacherswillconstructUnit1andUnit2inYear11,andUnit3andUnit4inYear12,accordingtothe
commonunitcontentdescriptions.Thecontentdescriptionselaborateonhowreading,producing,speaking
andlisteningskillscanbedeveloped,andfocusonwhatstudentsneedtolearn.Byexploring,visitingand
revisitingthecontentsharedineachofthefourunits,theteachingofthiscourseaimstoconsolidatewhat
studentshavelearned,tofillinthegaps,tobuildonwhatstudentsknowandunderstandalready,andto
improvestudentslevelsofliteracy.Theconstructionofeachunitshouldconsiderimprovingthecore
literacyskillsdevelopedinYearsP10andoutlinedintheFoundationcourseLiteracycapability
requirements.Fromoneunittothenext,thetopicorthemeofthemoduleswillchange;thetexttypes
studentsencounterwillchange;andtheteachingandlearningstrategiesmaychange.Theopportunity
exists,therefore,forUnit3andUnit4toconsolidatethelearningachievedinUnit1andUnit2,ortoextend
studentslearning,dependingontheneedsofparticularcohorts.
Unit
Class
contact
hours
Content Contexts Modules
3 55 Reinforcedineachunit;
designedtoimprove
studentsstandardsof
literacy.
Literacyforwork Schoolswilldeliverapairofunitseach
year.
Allfourcontextsmustbeaddressed
acrossthepairofunits.
Eachunitwillconsistofthreeormore
modules.(Eachmodulemayvaryin
durationtosuitthestudentsneeds;
thesuggesteddurationis25weeks
permodule.)
Eachmodulemustaddressoneofthe
fourcontexts.
SchoolsmaynotrepeatYear11
modulesinYear12.
Schoolsmayconstructtheirown
modulesaslongasthemodule
addressesoneofthefourcontexts.
4 55
Literacyfor
community
participation
Literacyforeveryday
personalcontexts
Literacyforlearning

9
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Contextsforstudy
Literacyforwork
Suggestedmodulesinclude:
becomingworkplaceready:writingajobapplication,preparingforajobinterview,addressingselection
criteria
pathwaystoemployment:furtherstudy,studyworklinks,apprenticeships,certificates,parttimejobs
workplacestructures:likelyduties,tradespecificlanguage,toolboxmeetings,interpretinginstruction
manuals,leadershiphierarchies
workstandardsandbehaviour:acceptedworkstandards,dresscodes,punctuality,ethicalbehaviourin
workplacerelations
occupationalsafetyandhealth:policydocuments,accidentreports,investigatingproblems
worksatisfaction:employment,careerpathways,ambitions,goals,income,expenditure,fulfilment
flyin,flyout(FIFO):advantagesanddisadvantages,socialimpact,workinghours,drugandalcohol
testing.
Literacyforcommunityparticipation
Suggestedmodulesinclude:
attendingculturalevents(music/artsfestivals,markets,tidydays,funruns):aspectsofpersonalhealth
andsafety,legalissues,audienceprotocols,senseofcommunity,organisation
civicparticipation:gettingontheelectoralroll,votinginelections,rightsversusduties
supportingyourlocalcommunity:volunteerwork,animalshelters,blooddonations,HeartFoundation
accessingandutilisingorganisations:serviceandsupportorganisations,theRoyalSocietyforthe
PreventionofCrueltytoAnimals (RSPCA),Centrelink,communitylibraries,TenantsAdviceService,
SexualAssaultResourceCentre(SARC),Headspace
participatinginasportingclub:playing,supporting,organising
smallgroupresearchonacommunity/socialissue:howtoavoiddruguse;streetsafety;urban
development,parksandamenities.
Literacyforeverydaypersonalcontexts
Suggestedmodulesinclude:
usingpublictransport:timetables,fares,behaviour,safety
maintainingahousehold:budgeting,maintenance,sharedaccommodation,makingahome,cooking,
cleaning
obtainingadriverslicence:drivinglessons,permits,familyassistance,costs,practicevehicles,
responsibilities
purchasingavehicle:advertising,transferofownership,finance,licensing,insurance,maintenance,
responsibledriving
10
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
shoppingonline:convenience,availability,finance,safetyissues
travel:planningatrip,itinerary,meansoftravel,accommodation,expenditure
applyingforapassport:obtainingbirthcertificate,evidenceofcitizenship,photoID,peerID
cyberliteracy/negotiatingtheinternet:blogs,websites,chatsites,Twitter,phoneapps
movinghouse,movingstate:senseofpurpose,timingdepartureandarrival,packing,discarding,
transport,removal,unpacking
understandingyourself:learningstyle;valuesandattitudes;ambitions.
Literacyforlearning
Suggestedmodulesinclude:
applyingforfurthereducation:traineeships,postYear12entry,alternatetertiaryentry,apprenticeships
representationsinthemedia:howcertainattitudesandvaluesimbuearticles/newsitems
textanalysis:analysisofthevaluesandattitudesthatinformtextsencounteredinthiscourseand
beyond(novels,newspapers,magazines,televisionprograms,websites,filmanddocumentary)
filmmaking:howtomakeashortfilmordocumentary,camerause,filmmakingsoftware,purpose,
context,audience
researchtopic:surveys,interviews,datacollectionandanalysis,findingsandconclusions
advertising:howtoadvertise,howtointerpretadvertising,useoflanguage,conventions,visuals
writingfiction:turningfactintofictionthroughstory,storyboards,shortstories,photostories
publicspeaking:toinform,toadvise,toprotest,toentertain
graphics:exploringtheuseofcharts,diagrams,emoticons,graphs,posters,cartoons,comics,graphic
novels,computergames.

11
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Unit 3
Learning outcomes
Thelearningoutcomesreflecttheintentoftherationaleandtheaimsandare,inturn,reflectedinthe
contentandtheassessmenttypes.Thisrepetitionisdeliberate,tokeepthefocusonthese
aims/outcomes/skillsandtheneedtoimmersestudentsinthelearningexperiencesthatwilldevelopthese
skills.Theintentionisthatstudentswillbecomeincreasinglyautonomousinacquiringtheskillsthatensure
thatthelearningoutcomesaremet.
Bytheendofthisunit,studentswill:
developskillsinfunctionalliteracy,includingappropriatespelling,punctuationandgrammar
developskillsinreading(understanding,comprehending,interpreting,analysing)textsforwork,
learning,communityand/oreverydaypersonalcontexts
developskillsinproducing(constructing,creating,writing)textsforwork,learning,communityand/or
everydaypersonalcontexts
developskillsinspeakingandlisteningforwork,learning,communityandeverydaypersonalcontexts
Unit content
Thisunitincludestheknowledge,understandingsandskillsdescribedbelow.
Whenreadingtexts,studentslearn
howtextswork,forexample,theirstructures,conventions,techniques
whytextsuseaparticularform,forexample,howanewsarticlediffersfromafeaturearticle
howtextsusetheconventionsofaparticularform,forexample,ascriptversusaprosefictionnarrative
versusadocumentaryversusasitcom
howtextsuselanguageforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,totellthestory,tocreatean
image
howtextspromotevaluesandattitudes,forexample,howpeoplearerepresentedintexts
howtodiscusswhathasbeenlearnedabouthowtextswork,forexample,learningsometerms,suchas
introduction,simile,climax,resolution
howtextscanbeinterpretedindifferentways,forexample,howinterpretationsdifferdependingonthe
genderofthereaderorwriter
Whenproducingtexts,studentslearn
howtouselanguage,includingappropriatespelling,punctuationandgrammar
howtospellandpronouncewordseffectively:forexample,howtouseawarenessofphoneticqualities
tovisualiseandpronouncewords;howtotransformwordsfromsingulartoplural;andhowto
memoriseirregularspellingpatternsandirregularpronunciations
12
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
howandwhentousepunctuation:inparticular,capitalletters,lowercaseletters,commas,semicolons,
colons,fullstops,apostrophes,exclamationmarks,questionmarks,quotationmarks,singleinverted
commas,thedash,thehyphen,bracketsandellipses
howtolearnanduseconceptsofEnglishgrammar,including:howagroupofwordsbecomesa
sentence;howsubjectandverbmustagree;howtocreatesimple,compoundandcomplexsentences;
howaphrasediffersfromaclause;howclausescanbedependentorindependent;howtounderstand
thefunctionsofthepartsofspeech,includingnouns,verbs,adjectives,adverbs,pronouns,articles,
prepositionsandconjunctions;andhowtoswitchfromactivevoicetopassivevoice.
howtoshapelanguageforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,choosingtherightword,
developinganeffectivephrase
howtobrainstormideas,forexample,byusingmindmaps
howtoshapeorstructureatexttomakeitwork,forexample,bycreatingaframework
whyaparticularformisappropriate,forexample,aweeklycolumninsteadofafeaturearticle
howtousetheconventionsofaparticularform,forexample,thesportsarticle
howtopromotevaluesandattitudes:forexample,challengingthereadersvaluesversusimposingthe
writersvalues,suchascomparingtheattitudesandvaluespromotedbyacurrentaffairssegmentwith
thosepromotedbyanewsreport
howtoreflectonthestrengthsandweaknessesoftextscreated,forexample,whysometextsaremore
engagingthanothers
howtextscanbeinterpretedindifferentways,forexample,dependingontheculturetowhichthe
readerbelongs
Whenspeakingandlistening,studentslearn
howtoshapeorstructureanoraltextforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,byusinga
framework
whyaparticularformisappropriate,forexample,aspeechinsteadofamonologue
howtousethespokenlanguageconventionsofaparticularform,forexample,apaneldiscussionor
debate
howtousespokenlanguagetechniquesforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,tone,pace,
emphasis
howtolistenattentivelyandpurposefully,forexample,activelisteningtechniques
howtopromotevaluesandattitudes,forexample,theimplicitversustheexplicit
howtoengageinavarietyofspeakingandlisteningscenarios,forexample,roleplays,listeningand
reflectingonaudiotexts

13
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Unit 4
Learning outcomes
Thelearningoutcomesreflecttheintentoftherationaleandtheaimsandare,inturn,reflectedinthe
contentandtheassessmenttypes.Thisrepetitionisdeliberate,tokeepthefocusonthese
aims/outcomes/skillsandtheneedtoimmersestudentsinthelearningexperiencesthatwilldevelopthese
skills.Theintentionisthatstudentswillbecomeincreasinglyautonomousinacquiringtheskillsthatensure
thatthelearningoutcomesaremet.
Bytheendofthisunit,studentswill:
developskillsinfunctionalliteracy,includingappropriatespelling,punctuationandgrammar.
developskillsinreading(understanding,comprehending,interpreting,analysing)textsforwork,
learning,communityand/oreverydaypersonalcontexts
developskillsinproducing(constructing,creating,writing)textsforwork,learning,communityand/or
everydaypersonalcontexts
developskillsinspeakingandlisteningforwork,learning,communityandeverydaypersonalcontexts
Unit content
Thisunitincludestheknowledge,understandingsandskillsdescribedbelow.
Whenreadingtexts,studentslearn
howtextswork,forexample,theirstructures,conventions,techniques
whytextsuseaparticularform,forexample,howanewsarticlediffersfromafeaturearticle
howtextsusetheconventionsofaparticularform,forexample,ascriptversusaprosefictionnarrative
versusadocumentaryversusasitcom
howtextsuselanguageforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,totellthestory,tocreatean
image
howtextspromotevaluesandattitudes,forexample,howpeoplearerepresentedintexts
howtodiscusswhathasbeenlearnedabouthowtextswork,forexample,learningsometerms,suchas
introduction,simile,climax,resolution
howtextscanbeinterpretedindifferentways,forexample,howinterpretationsdifferdependingonthe
genderofthereaderorwriter
Whenproducingtexts,studentslearn
howtouselanguage,includingappropriatespelling,punctuationandgrammar
howtospellandpronouncewordseffectively:forexample,howtouseawarenessofphoneticqualities
tovisualiseandpronouncewords;howtotransformwordsfromsingulartoplural;andhowto
memoriseirregularspellingpatternsandirregularpronunciations
14
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
howandwhentousepunctuation:inparticular,capitalletters,lowercaseletters,commas,semicolons,
colons,fullstops,apostrophes,exclamationmarks,questionmarks,quotationmarks,singleinverted
commas,thedash,thehyphen,bracketsandellipses
howtolearnanduseconceptsofEnglishgrammar,including:howagroupofwordsbecomesa
sentence;howsubjectandverbmustagree;howtocreatesimple,compoundandcomplexsentences;
howaphrasediffersfromaclause;howclausescanbedependentorindependent;howtounderstand
thefunctionsofthepartsofspeech,includingnouns,verbs,adjectives,adverbs,pronouns,articles,
prepositionsandconjunctions;andhowtoswitchfromactivevoicetopassivevoice.
howtoshapelanguageforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,choosingtherightword,
developinganeffectivephrase
howtobrainstormideas,forexample,byusingmindmaps
howtoshapeorstructureatexttomakeitwork,forexample,bycreatingaframework
whyaparticularformisappropriate,forexample,aweeklycolumninsteadofafeaturearticle
howtousetheconventionsofaparticularform,forexample,thesportsarticle
howtopromotevaluesandattitudes:forexample,challengingthereadersvaluesversusimposingthe
writersvalues,suchascomparingtheattitudesandvaluespromotedbyacurrentaffairssegmentwith
thosepromotedbyanewsreport
howtoreflectonthestrengthsandweaknessesoftextscreated,forexample,whysometextsaremore
engagingthanothers
howtextscanbeinterpretedindifferentways,forexample,dependingontheculturetowhichthe
readerbelongs
Whenspeakingandlistening,studentslearn
howtoshapeorstructureanoraltextforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,byusinga
framework
whyaparticularformisappropriate,forexample,aspeechinsteadofamonologue
howtousethespokenlanguageconventionsofaparticularform,forexample,apaneldiscussionor
debate
howtousespokenlanguagetechniquesforparticularpurposesandaudiences,forexample,tone,pace,
emphasis
howtolistenattentivelyandpurposefully,forexample,activelisteningtechniques
howtopromotevaluesandattitudes,forexample,theimplicitversustheexplicit
howtoengageinavarietyofspeakingandlisteningscenarios,forexample,roleplays,listeningand
reflectingonaudiotexts

15
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
School-based assessment
TheWesternAustralianCertificateofEducation(WACE)Manualcontainsessentialinformationonprinciples,
policiesandproceduresforschoolbasedassessmentthatneedstobereadinconjunctionwiththissyllabus.
Teachersdesignschoolbasedassessmenttaskstomeettheneedsofstudents.Thetablebelowprovides
detailsoftheassessmenttypesfortheEnglishFoundationYear12syllabusandtheweightingforeach
assessmenttype.
AssessmenttableYear12
Typeofassessment Weighting
Reading
Reading,understanding,comprehending,interpretingandanalysingtexts.
30%
Writing
Producing,constructing,creatingandwritingtexts.
30%
Oralcommunication
Speakingandlisteningskills.
25%
Externallysettask
AwrittentaskoritemorsetofitemsofonehourdurationdevelopedbytheSchoolCurriculumand
StandardsAuthorityandadministeredbytheschool.
15%
Teachersarerequiredtousetheassessmenttabletodevelopanassessmentoutlineforthepairofunits.
Theassessmentoutlinemust:
includeasetofassessmenttasks
includeageneraldescriptionofeachtask
indicatetheunitcontenttobeassessed
indicateaweightingforeachtaskandeachassessmenttype
includetheapproximatetimingofeachtask(forexample,theweekthetaskisconducted,ortheissue
andsubmissiondatesforanextendedtask).
Allassessmenttypesmustbeincludedintheassessmentoutlineatleasttwicewiththeexceptionofthe
externallysettaskwhichonlyoccursonce.
ThesetofassessmenttasksmustprovidearepresentativesamplingofthecontentforUnit3andUnit4.
Assessmenttasksnotadministeredundertest/controlledconditionsrequireappropriate
validation/authenticationprocesses.

16
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Externally set task
AllstudentsenrolledintheEnglishFoundationYear12coursewillcompletetheexternallysettask
developedbytheAuthority.SchoolsarerequiredtoadministerthistaskinTerm2atatimeprescribedby
theAuthority.
ExternallysettaskdesignbriefYear12
Time Onehour
Format
Written
Conductedunderinvigilatedconditions
Typicallybetweenoneandthreequestions
Questionscanrequirestudentstocomprehendtextsandcomposeresponses
Content
TheAuthorityinformsschoolsduringTerm3ofthepreviousyearoftheUnit3syllabus
contentonwhichthetaskwillbebased
RefertotheWACEManualforfurtherinformation.
Grading
Schoolsreportstudentachievementintermsofthefollowinggrades:
Grade Interpretation
A Excellentachievement
B Highachievement
C Satisfactoryachievement
D Limitedachievement
E Verylowachievement
Theteacherpreparesarankedlistandassignsthestudentagradeforthepairofunits.Thegradeisbased
onthestudentsoverallperformanceasjudgedbyreferencetoasetofpredeterminedstandards.These
standardsaredefinedbygradedescriptionsandannotatedworksamples.Thegradedescriptionsforthe
EnglishFoundationYear12syllabus areprovidedinAppendix1.Theycanalsobeaccessedthroughthe
GuidetoGradeslinkonthecoursepageoftheAuthoritywebsiteatwww.scsa.wa.edu.au
Tobeassignedagrade,astudentmusthavehadtheopportunitytocompletetheeducationprogram,
includingtheassessmentprogram(unlesstheschoolacceptsthatthereareexceptionalandjustifiable
circumstances).
RefertotheWACEManualforfurtherinformationabouttheuseofarankedlistintheprocessofassigning
grades.

17
English | Foundation| Year 12 syllabus
Appendix 1 Grade descriptions Year 12

Tobedeveloped
in2015