A Syllabus for the 21st Century Reflections of a Syllabus Implementation Officer

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MEANJIN Professional Development Ipswich Boys
Grammar School 29 April 2006
English Syllabus Coming ready or not! Kay Bishop
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GOALS

• 1. What is it about? - the intent of the
  syllabus
• 2. Whats new?
• 3. What are the issues the strengths and
  weaknesses?
• 4. What does this mean for schools and teachers?

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The intent of the ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus

• English is the study of language, of texts and of
  the associated literacy practices.
• Through the study of language in subject English,
  students are able to appreciate the social,
  imaginative and aesthetic uses of language and
  how it is used selectively in our culture.
• (ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus p.1)

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Language and literacy

• Language is the generic term, and can be taken as
  either the abstract code of the particular
  language, as oral language, or as covering the
  whole range of uses in language, whether oral or
  written, and whatever medium.
• Misson R. The Origin of Literacies.
• How the fittest will survive in English in
  Australia the Journal of the Australian
  Association for the Teaching of English Autumn
  2005 p.38

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Language and literacy

• Literacy is traditionally the ability to read and
  write the language, but the term tends to be used
  in rather broader ways these days. Whereas one
  just acquires ones native language by living in
  the particular linguistic community, literacy is
  a secondary phenomenon and so something that has
  to be taught.
• Misson R.. The Ori gin of Literacies.
• How the fittest will survive in English in
  Australia the Journal of the Australian
  Association for the Teaching of English Autumn
  2005 p. 38

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Language

• Through the study of English students come to
  understand that language varies according to
• Context
• Purpose
• Audience
• Content
• (ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus p.1)

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A framework for the systematic study of the
English language

• This syllabus allow students to explore and
  examine ways of knowing, being, doing, thinking,
  feeling and interacting in diverse situations,
  times and places within and beyond their direct
  experiences
• (ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus p.2)
• It is about discourse and Standard Australian
  English

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As Shakespeare wrote

• All the worlds a stage,
• And all the men and women merely players
• They have their exits and their entrances,
• And one man in this time plays many parts
• ( As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7, line 139)

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Texts

• The syllabus acknowledges that literary,
  mass-media and everyday texts are significant in
  our lives and it is through these that we
• 1. Tell the stories of cultures and promote
  shared understandings
• 2. Contribute to the shaping of personal, group
  and national identities
• 3. Explore ideas, feelings and ethical questions
• 4. Reflect on knowledge, values and practices
• 5. Actively participate in the community
• (ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus p.2)

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A socio-cultural critical model of language
underpins this syllabus

• The syllabus therefore targets
• The social context through register subject
  matter, roles and relationships, and mode and
  medium
• The cultural context for language use
• Critical literacies

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Other approaches

• The syllabus also draws on key features of
• Cultural heritage
• Personal growth
• Skills (including phonics, spelling and
  punctuation )
• Genre and critical approaches
• Multiliteracies
• (ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus p.2-3)

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Approaches to teaching English (QSA Open Trial
Conference )
Genre
Skills
Critical
Cultural heritage
Personal growth
Multiliteracies
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Four resources
Three dimensions

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Structure of the syllabus

• The framework is structured in three strands
• Cultural making meaning in contexts
• Operational using language systems
• Critical evaluating and reconstructing meanings
  in texts

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In support of Greens model

• The study of English through these three
  interrelated strands encourages students to
  develop a range of literacy practices to help
  them become multiliterate, active and informed
  citizens able to participate as lifelong learners
  in a rapidly changing world.
• (ENGLISH Years 1 to 10 Syllabus p.3)

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Another view

• Ian Hunter says of English as an Australian
  school subject
• It teaches linguistic competencies of certain
  kinds it inculcates an aesthetic use of
  literature and it oversees a certain affective
  or personal development of students.
• Subject English is not a fixed body of knowledge.
  It is a relatively new field of study that
  encompasses three sorts of pedagogy traditionally
  called rhetoric, literary criticism and ethics.
• Hunter, I. After English Towards a Less Critical
  Literacy in Constructing Critical Literacies
  Teaching and Learning Textual Practice. Eds.
  Muspratt, S., Luke, A. Freebody, P.

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Whats new?

• A focus on grammar
• Critical literacies
• Multimodal texts and other language systems

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Grammar

• Grammar is the organising system for using
  language to make meaning.
• The functional model of language links texts with
  contexts. The language we use is related to
• our purpose for using the language
• the nature of the social activity taking place
• the roles and relationships holding between the
  interactants
• the nature of the text and the role language
  plays in it
• (The State of South Australia, Department of
  Childrens Services and The South Australian
  Commission for Catholic Schools. Language and
  Literacy Classroom applications of functional
  grammar, DECS Publishing, 2004. p.25)

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Functional grammar

• Genre
• Register
• - Subject matter
• - Roles and relationships
• - Mode and medium

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Subject Matter (Field)

• Everyday specialised
  highly
• 
  technical
• (The State of South Australia, Department of
  Childrens Services and The South Australian
  Commission for Catholic Schools. Language and
  Literacy Classroom applications of functional
  grammar, DECS Publishing, 2004. p.60)

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Roles and Relationships (Tenor)

• Informal neutral Formal
• Familiar Unfamiliar
• Novice Expert
• (The State of South Australia, Department of
  Childrens Services and The South Australian
  Commission for Catholic Schools. Language and
  Literacy Classroom applications of functional
  grammar, DECS Publishing, 2004. p.62)

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Mode and Medium (Mode)

• Most Most
• Spoken Written
• spoken text written down
• written texts spoken aloud
• (The State of South Australia, Department of
  Childrens Services and The South Australian
  Commission for Catholic Schools. Language and
  Literacy Classroom applications of functional
  grammar, DECS Publishing, 2004. p.64)

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A focus on grammar shows that

• There is vocabulary specific to field, tenor and
  mode
• That there are patterns of language used in our
  culture
• Different genres use different language patterns
• Expanding meaning is most effectively achieved
  through nominal groups
• Providing students with a metalanguage to talk
  about language improves participation and
  outcomes

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Links to Productive Pedagogies

• Metalanguage
• Are aspects of language, grammar and technical
  vocabulary being given prominence?
• Explanation
• High-metalanguage instruction incorporates
  frequent discussion about talk and writing, about
  how written and spoken texts work, about specific
  technical vocabulary and words, about how
  sentences work or dont work (syntax/grammar),
  about meaning structures and text structures
  (semantics/genre), and how discourses and
  ideologies work in speech and writing. Teachers
  choose teaching moments within activities,
  assignments, readings, and lessons to focus on
  particular words, sentences, text features,
  discourses and so on.
• (A guide to Productive Pedagogies Classroom
  reflection manual p.7)

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Critical literacy

• Critical literacy is a particular kind of
  teaching practice that aims to help students see
  the inherently social nature of language and the
  ways in which texts can position them
  ideologically.
• (Morgan, W. Beyond the Pleasure principle?
  Confessions of a Critical Literacy Teacher in
  English In Australia The Journal of the
  Australian Association for the Teaching of
  English 144. Summer 2005)

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Why is it important?

• It is about empowerment
• It addresses social justice issues
• It provides a powerful tool in educating children
  for a better world

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The gendered nature of language

• Man N. man, male, he manhood c. 131
  gentleman, sir, master, yeoman, swain, fellow,
  guy, blade, chap, bloke husband c. 903 Mr,
  mister, señor, signor boy c. 129.
• Cock, drake, gander, dog, boar, stag, hart, buck,
  horse, stallion tomcat he-, Billy-goat, ram,
  bull, -ock, capon, ox, gelding, steer.
• Adj. male, he, masculine, manly, virile
  un-womanly, -feminine.
• (Rogets Thesaurus Penguin 1964 p117)

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The gendered nature of language cont.

• Woman N. woman, she, female, petticoat, skirt
• Feminality, feminity, muliebriety womanhood c.
  131 feminism gynaecology
• Womankind fair -, softer-sex, weaker vessel the
  distaff side
• Dame, madam, madame, mistress, Mrs, lady, matron,
  dowager good-woman, -wife squaw wife c. 903
  matron-age, -hood
• Venus, nymph, wench, grisette, little bit of
  fluff girl c. 129.inamorata c. 897 courtesan
  c. 962
• Spinster, old maid, virgin, bachelor girl, new
  woman, Amazon
• Hen, bitch, sow, doe, roe, mare, she-,
  Nanny-goat, ewe, cow, lioness, tigress, vixen
• Gynaecaeum, harem, seraglio, zenana, purdah
• Adj. female, she feminine, womanly, ladylike,
  matronly, maidenly, womanish, effiminate, unmanly
• (Rogets Thesaurus Penguin 1964 p.117)

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On women and anger

• Dominant constructions of gender difference have
  made the expression of anger unacceptable for
  women. Sanctions apply through language
  harridan, virago, termagent, tartar, shrew,
  scold and more recently dragon, spit-fire,
  bitch and nag.
• our language does not have one unflattering
  term to describe men who vent their anger at
  women. Even such epithets as bastard and son
  of a bitch do not condemn the man but place the
  blame on a woman his mother!
• (Lerner, H. 1992 p..2) in Court M.
• Good Girls and Naughty Girls Rewriting the
  Scripts for Womens Anger
• in Limerick, B. and Lingard, B (Eds). Gender and
  Changing Educational Management ,
  Hodder.Eduication, 1995,
• Limerich B. Lindgard B. (Eds) Gender and
  Changing Educational Management Hodder 1995
  (p.151)

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Critical literacy approaches enable students to
become better

• researchers of language
• social change agents to transform inequitable
  situations
• aware of how change becomes problematic
• conscious and deliberate users of the genre of
  power
• aware of minority language and literacy practices
• texts analysts
• clear thinkers
• Education Queensland Why wait A way into
  teaching critical literacies in the early years
  2000

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Critical literacy is

• When teachers and students are engaged in
  critical literacy, they will be asking
  complicated questions about language and power,
  about people and lifestyle, and morality and
  ethics, about who is advantaged by the way things
  are and who is disadvantaged. On the basis of
  their analysis theyll also be taking action to
  make a positive difference.
• (Comber, B. Critical Literacy What is it all
  about? 1998. Literate Futures CD Rom )

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Critical literacy is not

• being negative and cynical about everything
• political correctness
• about censoring the bad books and only reading
  the good books
• indoctrination
• developmental
• identifying racism, sexism, prejudice and
  homophobia somewhere else or in texts that have
  little relevance for the readers
• not whole language with social justice themes
• (Comber, B. Critical Literacy What is it all
  about? 1998. Literate Futures CD Rom )

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The role of critical literacy

• Teachers who subscribe to critical literacy have
  a stake in social change no matter how small -
  and aim to encourage students to investigate,
  question and even challenge relationships between
  language and social practices that advantage
  particular social groups over others.
• (Gilbert Taylor, 1991)

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Multimodal texts

• Over the past decade there has been a rapid
  growth in electronic texts and a shift to the
  visual domain
• These draw upon linguistic as well as visual,
  spatial, gestural and audio language (semiotic)
  systems
• The framework of functional grammar can be
  applied to multimodal texts.

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Register and multimodal texts

• Subject matter - the way visual and spatial
  resources work together with linguistic resources
  to develop subject matter
• Roles and relationships established through a
  range of visual resources i.e. size of frame,
  camera distance, movements, angles, colour
• Mode and medium ways of joining sequences
  (cohesion) in film and visual images to convey
  ideas, establish pace, create emotion etc.
• Troy Movie

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Analysing a multimodal text

• In this text the nominal groups identify two
  conflicting discourses
• Footy culture the boys, footy trip and stuff,
  Dougy Eagles last season, one of the blokes
• High culture Southern Turkey, the ruins of
  Ephesus, Mozart trail from Prague to Vienna,
  Salzburg, Schloss Hellbrunn, Vincent van Gogh
• Which discourse is privileged?
• How do the visual, gestural, spatial and audio
  resources contribute to our reading of this text?

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Strengths of the syllabus

• We have a syllabus that takes on the challenge of
  providing teachers with a framework that will
  guide them in providing the best learning
  opportunities for their students.
• It addresses the model of language and the
  associated skills of speaking and listening,
  reading and viewing, and writing and shaping in a
  systematic and thorough way.
• It is structured in a sequential manner.

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Strengths of the syllabus

• There is alignment with Prep and the Year 2 Net
• The syllabus does not stand alone but aligns with
  Literacy the Key to Learning Framework for
  Action 2006-2008, Literate Futures, Inclusive
  policies, etc.
• The four resource model promoted through the
  Literate Futures initiative assists with
  identifying the knowledge and practices students
  require to become literate citizens.
• Effective application of the four resource model
  will assist the teacher of English with
  developing a balanced program that draws on a
  range of practices in order to teach the literacy
  demands of this KLA.

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Strengths of the syllabus

• The National Statements of Learning provide a
  description of the English language and literacy
  capabilities of students at Years 3, 5, 7 9.
• These are embedded in our syllabus and are
  designed to ensure consistency across the states.
• QCAR Essentials aim to identify what is essential
  learning at strategic junctures.

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Weaknesses of the syllabus

• What to do with literature limited detail is
  provided to guide teachers with the teaching of
  the aesthetic appreciation of novels, plays,
  poetry or film.
• It does not include pedagogy pedagogy derives
  from the underlying approach being adopted.
• Some information about assessment is included but
  more is required.

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Weaknesses of the syllabus

• It demands in-depth knowledge of many fields and
  skills but it cannot address teachers learning
  - there is not a fixed body of English knowledge
• As always, we must remember that we are working
  with a contested field. There will always be
  debate and the syllabus will be challenged.

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What does this mean for Education Queensland?

• There is need for professional development in
• Assessment
• Grammar
• Critical literacy
• The teaching of reading
• Issues
• Federal government intervention testing,
  reading, phonics Vs whole language
• Data interpretation OECD, Which boys?
• Media reports

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What does this syllabus mean for teachers?

• It is essential that teachers
• Understand the intent of the syllabus
• Refer to the syllabus when planning and designing
  assessment
• Engage in professional dialogue that focuses on
  student work with colleagues

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What does this mean for schools?

• It is important for schools
• to develop processes that align curriculum,
  pedagogy and assessment in English across the
  whole school
• to allow time for collaborative practices i.e.
  planning, moderation, peer coaching, mentoring
• To ensure that data collection and interpretation
  is strategic and accurate

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The challenge

• At the 2003 IFTE conference Alan Luke
  provocatively suggested that English is in a
  state of crisis as it is experiencing great
  difficulties in defining itself. Is it literacy?
  Is it Cultural Studies? Is it about personal
  growth? Or is it about social conformity? What is
  its purpose in the curriculum?

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Purpose

• The purpose of English in the curriculum is to
  develop individuals who know, question, and
  challenge how they are socially and culturally
  situated, and who can use language to effectively
  fulfil an expanding range of social roles, while
  also giving shape and realisation to their
  social, cultural and economic interests.
• ( Howie, M. English in Australia The journal of
  AATE, Autumn 2005 p.58)

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The AATE Principles of English teaching (Draft
Set)

• We respect the enduring values and traditions of
  Australias cultural heritage.
• We believe students come to understand themselves
  and their world through engaging with a range of
  cultures and the ways that these represent human
  experience in different language modes and
  textual forms.
• We value the power of the imagination and
  literary expression to provide pleasure and
  enrich our lives.

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The AATE Principles of English teaching (Draft
Set)

• We are committed to developing powerfully
  literate citizens who are able to effectively
  participate and realise their goals and
  aspirations in the 21st century.
• We use research and evidence to inform our
  practice and improve the learning outcomes of our
  students.
• We are committed to our own professional
  development as teachers.