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English K-12

Stage 1 Speaking and listening

Relevant NSW K-10 English syllabus speaking and listening outcomes and content points have been identified. Not all outcomes and content points are listed here as students work towards achieving the outcomes over a two-year period.

Listening opportunities allow students to attend to instruction and become increasingly proficient at building meaning from a variety of spoken texts. Active listening processes are explicitly taught so students can access and understand the increasingly sophisticated language structures of spoken texts.

Speaking opportunities allow students to become increasingly proficient at selecting language to express and share ideas for a range of audiences and differing purposes. Drawing on their own experiences, their imagination, ideas and shared understandings, students communicate through fluent, coherent, cohesive speech, and persuasive language to express a point of view is supported.

Interacting opportunities allow students to communicate using active listening, strategic and respectful questioning on familiar and new topics. They use language to share information and negotiate meaning and outcomes, exploring increasingly sophisticated and specific vocabulary. Students interact across an increasing range of curriculum contexts and purposes in pair, group or whole-class oral interactions.

EN1-1A – communicates with a range of people in informal and guided activities demonstrating interaction skills and considers how own communication is adjusted in different situations

  • engage in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours, showing interest, and contributing ideas, information and questions
  • describe in detail familiar places and things
  • contribute appropriately to class discussions
  • use role play and drama to represent familiar events and characters in texts
  • explore different ways of expressing emotions, including verbal, visual, body language and facial expressions

EN1-6B – recognises a range of purposes and audiences for spoken language and recognises organisational patterns and features of predictable spoken texts

  • listen to, recite and perform poems, chants, rhymes and songs, imitating and inventing sound patterns including alliteration and rhyme
  • demonstrate active listening behaviours and respond appropriately to class discussions
  • recognise and respond to instructions from teachers and peers
  • retell familiar stories and events in logical sequence, including in home language

EN1-10C – thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts

  • respond to a wide range of texts through discussing, writing and representing
  • express a range of feelings in response to a text
  • recognise the way that different texts create different personal responses

EN1-11D – responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experiences

  • discuss characters and events in a range of literary texts and share personal responses to these texts, making connections with students' own experiences
  • discuss the place of Dreaming stories in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life
  • identify, explore and discuss the morals of stories from a variety of cultures, e.g. Asian stories, and identify their central messages

EN1-12E – identifies and discusses aspects of their own and others’ learning

  • identify helpful strategies during speaking, listening, reading, writing, and/or viewing and representing activities, e.g. writing conferences, class charts
  • discuss the roles and responsibilities when working as a member of a group
  • discuss some of the ways that story can be reflected in a variety of media, e.g. film, music and dance

Some students will communicate using augmentative and alternative communication strategies to demonstrate their skills. This may include digital technologies, sign language, braille, real objects, photographs and pictographs. It is important to take account of the individual communication strategies used by these students within the context of the English K–10 Syllabus and the learning opportunities below.

English K-10 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2012.

National literacy learning progression

The National Literacy Learning Progression describes the observable behaviours as students gain proficiency in using Standard Australian English language.

When working towards achieving the outcomes:

  • EN1-1A, the sub-elements (and levels) of Listening (LiS4–LiS5), Interacting (InT3–InT5), Speaking (SpK3) Understanding texts (UnT3–UnT5) and Creating texts (CrT4), describe observable behaviours that can assist teachers in making evidence-based decisions about student development and future learning.
  • EN1-6B the sub-elements (and levels) of Listening (LiS5), Interacting (InT4), Speaking (SpK3–SpK4) and Understanding texts (UnT4–UnT6), describe observable behaviours that can assist teachers in making evidence based decisions about student development and future learning.
  • EN1-10C the sub-elements (and levels) of Listening (LiS5), Speaking (SpK3–SpK4), Understanding texts (UnT5–UnT6) and Creating texts (CrT4–CrT6), describe observable behaviours that can assist teachers in making evidence-based decisions about student development and future learning.
  • EN1-11D the sub-elements (and levels) of Listening (LiS5–LiS6), Interacting (InT4), Speaking (SpK4), Understanding texts (UnT4–UnT6) and Creating texts (CrT4–CrT6), describe observable behaviours that can assist teachers in making evidence-based decisions about student development and future learning.
  • EN1-12E the sub-elements (and levels) of Listening (LiS5), Interacting (InT4–InT5), Speaking (SpK3) and Understanding texts (UnT4–UnT5), describe observable behaviours that can assist teachers in making evidence-based decisions about student development and future learning.

National Literacy Learning Progression © Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)

ESL scales

Identified syllabus outcomes in this unit:

  • EN1-1A The level on the ESL scales needed to achieve this English syllabus outcome is Oral Interaction level 5. The teaching focus and pathway of learning will be mainly within the Communication ESL scales strand organiser. See ESL scales outcomes 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1.
  • EN1-6B The level on the ESL scales needed to achieve this English syllabus outcome is Oral Interaction level 5. The teaching focus and pathway of learning will be mainly within the Communication and Language and cultural understanding ESL scales strand organisers. See ESL scales outcomes 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2.
  • EN1-10C The levels on the ESL scales needed to achieve this English syllabus outcome are Writing level 3, Reading and Responding level 3 and Oral Interaction level 5. The teaching focus and pathway of learning will be within the Communication ESL scales strand organiser. See ESL scales outcomes for Oral Interaction: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1; Reading and Responding: B1.1, B2.1, B3.1, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5; Writing: B1.5, B2.5, B3.5, 1.9, 2.9, 3.9.
  • EN 1-11D The levels on the ESL scales needed to achieve this English syllabus outcome are Writing level 3, Reading and Responding level 3 and Oral Interaction level 5. The teaching focus and pathway of learning will be within the Language and cultural understanding ESL scales strand organiser. See ESL scales outcomes for Oral Interaction: 1.3, 2.3, 3.3, 4.3, 5.3; Reading and Responding: B1.3, B2.3, B3.3, 1.7, 2.7, 3.7; Writing: B1.7, B2.7, B3.7, 1.11, 2.11, 3.11.
  • EN1-12E The levels on the ESL scales needed to achieve this English syllabus outcome are Writing level 3, Reading and Responding level 3 and Oral Interaction level 5. The teaching focus and pathway of learning will be within the Strategies ESL scales strand organiser. See ESL scales outcomes for Oral Interaction: 1.4, 2.4, 3.4, 4.4, 5.4; Reading and Responding: B1.4, B2.4, B3.4, 1.8, 2.8, 3.8; Writing: B1.8, B2.8, B3.8, 1.12, 2.12, 3.12.

All resources listed in the activities are included at the end of this page. You are encouraged to source additional or alternate resources to suit the interests, needs and abilities of your students.

Narrative

Narrative is fundamental to thinking. When we think, we think in narrative form. Narrative can refer to a story itself or to the conventions by which we communicate and understand it. These conventions are the way we construct a world that sets up and depends on expectations of human behaviour to amplify it.

Stage 1 English concept statement – Students understand that through narrative they enter and create other worlds. They learn that stories:

  • are constructed for particular audiences and purposes
  • are usually made up of a sequence of events
  • have patterns that set up expectations and allow predictions of actions and attitudes
  • can have messages and evoke feelings
  • can be varied in the telling
  • present a view of their world.

Vocabulary to explore – narrative, Aboriginal, positional language (such as left and right), strange, tension.

1. Retelling of events

After listening to a text, students retell the story to the class or a peer.

Teacher to make links to the importance of oral storytelling in Aboriginal culture.

Students are encouraged to retell events in a logical order.

[Learning across the curriculum content: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures]

Opportunities for assessment
  • retells familiar stories and events in logical sequence
Resource
  • picture book

2. Finish my narrative

Discuss the structure of a narrative making connections to familiar narratives.

The teacher provides the students with the orientation of a narrative.

As a class, students nominate potential complications for the narrative, and then, based on a chosen complication, the students create a resolution for the narrative.

Students then mimic this process with a partner using the same orientation.

[Learning across the curriculum content: critical and creative thinking]

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses some extended sentences
  • extends their own and others’ ideas in discussions
Resource
  • narrative beginnings

3. What is it and where is it?

Working in pairs, one student chooses an object in their proximity and describes that object in detail without naming it.

Students are encouraged to use adjectives (descriptive words) and positional language (prepositions) to describe where the object is and what it looks like.

The other student uses the clues to name the object and its location.

Students swap roles.

Opportunities for assessment
  • provides supporting details
  • elaborates on ideas
  • takes turns as speaker and listener
Resource
  • classroom objects

4. My favourite place

Students describe in detail a familiar place using descriptive language.

This place could include a holiday destination, a shop, cubby house, bedroom, local park or backyard. Students make connections to places in familiar texts that are similar or dissimilar to the place they describe.

Teachers to make links to the connection to Country and importance of the land to Aboriginal people. Teachers may like to include a picture of their local area as a resource.

[Learning across the curriculum content: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures]

Opportunities for assessment
  • actively listens to stay on topic in group discussions

5. Setting similarities

After sharing a quality text, students discuss the setting/s.

In small groups, students discuss other texts that have similar settings. For example: if the setting was a forest, students may discuss that Little Red Riding Hood and Into the Forest by Anthony Browne, also took place in a forest. Discuss the impact setting has on a narrative.

Opportunities for assessment
  • compares settings in and between texts
  • engages in conversations and discussions, using active listening behaviours, showing interest, and contributing ideas, information and questions

Resources

  • quality text

6. Through the window

Students are to imagine they are looking out the window and they see something very strange.

Students describe to their partner what they are seeing.

Students are encouraged to use descriptive language, include characters and setting.

[Learning across the curriculum content: critical and creative thinking]

Opportunities for assessment
  • elaborates on ideas using a short sequence of sentences
  • uses a range of adjectives

7. Think tank

Discuss with students that the first ideas are usually the ‘ordinary’ ideas because those are the ones everyone else thinks of too, so come up with ten ideas to find just one great idea.

In small groups, students have five minutes to brainstorm ten different ways to approach a story about ‘gold’.

If necessary, use the following prompts to assist groups:

  • a wedding ring found on the beach
  • a gold nugget discovered on a school excursion
  • golden sunsets, sand and memories from a holiday
  • a wedding proposal that went horribly wrong

After groups have discussed ten approaches, the group must decide on one approach and share with the class why they selected this one.

[Learning across the curriculum content: creative and critical thinking]

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses interaction skills including initiating topics, making positive statements and voicing disagreement in an appropriate manner, speaking clearly and varying tone, volume and pace appropriately
  • uses turn-taking, questioning and other behaviours related to class discussions

8. Tension discussion

As a class, view the image of the man base jumping.

Discuss the tension that has been created. Why and how does this image create tension?

Class discuss the scene using the ‘five + 1 senses’ (see, hear, touch, taste, smell and feel).

Opportunities for assessment
  • contributes appropriately to class discussions
Resource

9. Tension

In small groups, students select one of the following topics:

  • a haunted house
  • a football match (or netball, tennis, basketball or similar)
  • a storm
  • a bungy jump.

Students have five minutes to discuss ideas for their tension scene using the ‘five + 1 senses’ for their chosen topic (see, hear, touch, taste, smell and feel). Using their bodies, students to create a still ‘tension image’.

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses a range of evaluative language to express opinions or convey emotion

10. Barrier game

Students work in pairs. Each student has a copy of the same picture and they sit with a barrier between them. The picture may be of a setting from a previously shared story (for example the farm in ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ by Julia Donaldson).

One student adds additional details to their base picture by drawing (for example: draws a sun above the tree, a cloud to the right of the sun, a bird between the sun and cloud).

The other student then listens carefully as their partner describes the position of the things they have drawn (for example, draw a sun shining above the tree).

Students add to their picture by following the instructions of their partner and drawing onto their picture baseboard. Students compare their final pictures to see if they are the same.

Opportunities for assessment
  • describe in detail familiar places and things
  • recognise and respond to instructions from teachers and peers
  • rephrase questions to seek clarification
Resource
  • picture or background image (sourced by teacher)

Character

Character is an important concept in narrative as a driver of the action, a function in the plot, a way of engaging or positioning a reader or as a way of representing its thematic concerns. The way character is read is an indication of particular approaches to texts, be it through personal engagement or critical response.

Stage 1 English concept statement – Students understand that characters are composed of imagined thoughts, words and actions. They learn that characters:

  • are constructed through different modes and media
  • reflect lived experience
  • invite positive or negative responses.

Vocabulary to explore – character, speak, emotions, persuade, appearance, movement.

1. The way we speak

Discuss the different words we use to describe the ways people speak, for example, yell, whisper, shout, cry, with a shrill voice, in an intimidating voice.

Teacher to read a selected passage from a text where a dramatic rendition can be created, for example, Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches’ where the Grand Witch speaks. Discuss expression and tone, and the impact it can have when reading aloud.

Focusing on expression, students will say ‘How are you today?’ as a different person/character.

For example the Queen, a school principal, their best friend, a very old person, a toddler, the Prime Minister.

Encourage students to think about their facial expression, tone and body language.

Note – teachers to be aware of and respectful of students using Aboriginal English.

Opportunities for assessment
  • adjusts register to suit audience and purpose
  • joins in small group and whole-class discussions
  • uses role play and drama to represent familiar events and characters in texts2.

2. Bounce descriptions

Using a familiar character from a movie or book student will play ‘Bounce’ with a peer until all options have been exhausted.

Taking turns, the player will use a word or short phrase to describe the character (for example bossy, messy, sad, lonely).

Students will take it in turns until one person can no longer think of a word.

Opportunities for assessment
  • takes turns as a speaker and a listener
  • uses simple adjectives to describe
  • speaks audibly and clearly.
Resources
  • Illustrations of familiar characters (teacher identified)

3. Feelings

Teacher reveals to the student an emotion card. Students demonstrate and discuss:

What would your face look like if you were feeling this emotion?

What would your body look like?

What is something you might say when you are feeling this emotion?

Connect this emotion to a character in a text.

For example: “My character felt this way when...”

Note – Teachers to be sensitive to the different ways of expressing emotions which may impact student involvement and contribution. For example, student use of non-verbal responses, common use of silence, lack of eye contact and feelings of shame.

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses appropriate volume
  • uses a range of opinion adjectives
  • uses some extended sentences
Resources
  • emotion cards

4. Character conversations

Explicitly discuss the features of conversation – topic introduction and maintenance, turn-taking, body language, active listening and appropriate interpersonal conventions.

After the class has listened to a narrative, identify the characters and discuss the relationships to each other. Students are to imagine and then act out a conversation between the characters. This dramatization may occur before the story began, after the story finished, the first time the characters met or at the point of conflict.

Opportunities for assessment
  • understand how to communicate effectively in pairs and groups using agreed interpersonal conventions, active listening, appropriate language and taking turns
Resources
  • teacher identified narrative

5. Character detective

Student chooses a character from a list that the teacher provides (characters from texts which have been shared with the class and all students are familiar with).

Student describes the physical features, one feature at a time.

The rest of the class try to guess the character using only the clues.

For example – My character has long hair. My character’s smile is huge. They have big teeth.

Opportunities for assessment
  • interacts using appropriate language in pairs or a small group to complete a task
Resources
  • character list or illustrations of familiar characters. (teacher identified)

6. Who is better?

Students will identify two known characters from familiar texts.

Using persuasive language, students will attempt to convince a peer using 3 reasons why one character is more interesting than the other.

[Learning across the curriculum content: critical and creative thinking]

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses some persuasive language to express a point of view
  • communicates with increasing confidence

7. Create a character

In small groups, students are shown a picture of an interesting person or animal.

Around the circle or group, students take turns to describe this character’s appearance, movements, speech or sound and personality.

Each student either creates their own sentence or builds on the sentence of the person before them.

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses adjectives to describe
  • extends their own and others’ ideas in discussions
Resources
  • character illustrations (teacher identified)

8. Celebrity heads

A name of a familiar character will be placed on the student’s head (or written on the board behind the student).

The student will ask the class questions to help identify who the character is.

The class can only answer with yes or no responses.

Opportunities for assessment
  • rephrases questions to seek clarification
  • asks relevant questions

9. Hot seat

One student chooses a character from a familiar text (one which has been shared by the class).

In pairs, students think of questions they would like to ask the character about their thoughts, feelings and motivations.

Students ask the ’character’ questions, and the student in the ‘hot seat’ answers as that character.

Opportunities for assessment:
  • extends their own and others’ ideas in discussion
  • actively listens to stay on topic in group discussions10.

10. Read a text

Read a text to the class where the main character’s personality changes during the story such as, ‘The Rainbow Fish’. Discuss questions with the students: How would you describe the rainbow fish as a character? Does the fish change over the course of the story?

Why do their feelings change? Is this change due to external events or internal conflict?

Why does an author construct a character a certain way?

Have you read other books where the character changes during the story?

Opportunities for assessment
  • includes details and elaborations to expand ideas
  • responds to texts
Resources
  • The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, published by North-South Books

Connotation, imagery and symbol

Words and images can signify more than what they denote, extending us beyond their literal everyday meanings to understand and experience one thing in terms of another. This extension of meaning may, through connotation, evoke associated feelings or, through imagery and symbol, lay down new traces of images, sounds, senses and ideas.

Stage 1 English concept statement: Students understand that language can appeal to the senses. They learn that:

  • use simple figurative language and word play
  • recognise some cultural symbols.

Vocabulary to explore – connotation, imagery, symbol, emotion, senses, onomatopoeia, feel, rhyme.

1. How I feel

Present a word to students and students explain how the word makes them ‘feel’.

For example:

Teacher – How do you feel when I say the word sun?

Student – I feel happy.

Teacher – Why?

Student – Because when the sun is out it is warm outside and I can play.

Possible words – beach, forest, ice cream, park, home, rain, flowers

[Learning across the curriculum content: personal and social capability]

Opportunities for assessment
  • provides details
  • elaborates on ideas

takes turns as speaker and listener

2. Favourite room

Students describe their favourite room in their house.

Students use their senses + one (where appropriate) to describe the room.

Encourage students to describe what the room looks like, feels like, smells like and sounds like and how it feels when they are in there.

Opportunities for assessment
  • organises key ideas in logical sequence
  • uses simple adjectives to describe
  • speaks clearly

3. 5 senses

Using their 5 senses + 1 and imagination, students verbally describe:

  • the outback
  • a horse
  • a handful of lollies
  • a roller-coaster
  • street of a town
Opportunities for assessment
  • uses appropriate volume
  • uses a range of adjectives
  • makes short presentations on familiar topics

4. Name game

Students form small groups.

Using adjectives and alliteration, students name group members.

Examples could include Neat Natasha, Smart Sam, Clever Catherine.

[Learning across the curriculum content: personal and social capability]

Opportunities for assessment
  • interacts using appropriate language
  • responds to simple statements
  • uses figurative language

5. Onomatopoeia

Challenge students with a theme and ask them to list as many onomatopoeic words as they can.

Themes can include:

  • animal sounds (baa, woof)
  • fire (snap, crackle)
  • wind (whoosh, whirl)
  • wrestling (bam, pow).
Opportunities for assessment
  • interprets creative use of language (onomatopoeia)

6, Tongue Twisters

Share some tongue twisters (alliteration) with students.

Challenge students to produce and share their own tongue twisters.

For example – The slithering snake slid sideways silently.

[Learning across the curriculum content: critical and creative thinking]

Opportunities for assessment
  • joins in small group and whole-class discussion
  • uses figurative language (alliteration)

7. Visual image

Share images with students that contain vivid colour.

Examples could include: a setting sun, Chinese New Year, New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Students describe this image to a partner. Students to include in their description: adjectives, nouns, and how the colours make them feel. Can they relate personally to the image? Why or why not?

[Learning across the curriculum content: critical and creative thinking]

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses some extended sentences
  • uses adjectives to describe

8. Clouds

Students view images of clouds (online, class paintings or outside).

In pairs or small groups, describe the appearance of a cloud using a simile.

For example, ‘The cloud is long and skinny like a greyhound dog’.

[Learning across the curriculum content: personal and social capability]

Opportunities for assessment
  • uses similes
  • extends their own and others’ ideas in discussion

9. Symbols

Discuss with students: symbols are objects that stand for more than just themselves. They can represent feelings and thoughts.

Some animals and birds are central to Aboriginal culture through the Dreaming Creation stories where they symbolise another meaning. For example, the willy wagtail brings a message.

Discuss with students what the following animal may symbolise in a text:

  • wolf/fox (sneakiness)
  • dove (peace)
  • snake (evil)
  • owl (wisdom)

Students to share connections with these animals and various texts.

For example – ‘The wolf in ‘The Three Little Pigs’ is sneaky because he is trying to eat the pigs, and he wrecks their houses. I don’t think I have read about a nice wolf in a story’.

[Learning across the curriculum content: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures]

Opportunities for assessment
  • makes connections within and between texts
  • actively listens to stay on topic in group discussions

10. Rhyme and rhythm – innovation on a text

Share simple nursery rhymes that contain a strong rhyme and rhythm and innovate upon a particular feature. Students work in pairs to come up with a new spoken text innovating on the rhyming word. Other features of the text such as characters and verbs can be substituted.

For example, in the text ‘Oi Frog’ by Kes Gray and Jim Field:

  • Dogs sit on logs could be - Dogs sit on hogs

or

  • Dogs play with frogs, Cats play with hats, Bees play with fleas

The rhyme: ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’

Hickory Dickory Dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck two

The mouse said ‘Boo’

Hickory Dickory Dock

Once students have created their spoken innovation, they could present to the class like a nursery rhyme or song using instruments, images and their voices

Opportunities for assessment
  • identify, reproduce and experiment with rhythm and rhyme in story, rhymes, songs and chants

Resources

Narrative sample 1

It was early in the morning. The sun was just rising, and the rest of my family were still in bed, fast asleep. I could hear my brother snoring loudly in his bedroom. My favourite thing to do on Saturday morning was to get up before my family and quietly turn on the tv. Then I could watch my favourite shows, with no one disturbing me. As I walked toward the loungeroom I walked past the front door. Through the window I could see a large brown box, sitting on our front step. We weren’t expecting any packages. A million thoughts rushed through my head.

Narrative sample 2

It was freezing and as my Pop would say, the wind would blow a dog off a chain. Whose idea was it for us to spend quality time together as a family, camping? It surely wasn’t me. I’d much rather be tucked up warm in my snuggly bed, but here we were, camping in the South Coast wilderness. No wifi, no electricity. Then the rain came. And I don’t mean a few drops.

Narrative sample 3

Tom tried really hard. He tried to be the best at soccer. He tried to be the best at reading. He tried to be just a little bit good at dancing. No matter what, Tom tried really hard, he gave it all he had, all the time, until one day....

Examples of emotions:

  • happy
  • excited
  • scared
  • silly
  • frustrated
  • surprised
  • shocked
  • nervous
  • proud
  • angry

Sample location images:

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