Advanced English Literacies

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will lead teacher candidates to increase their understanding of the advanced forms of language and literacy that are developed in the middle years of schooling.

Teacher candidates will engage with key research that indicates a significant transition in English literacy in the final years of primary school, the challenges facing teachers and school students in this phase of learning and the classroom practice that best supports middle years students’ learning.

Topics include: the multiple forms of literacy required for the comprehension, composition and production of complex texts central to English and other areas of the curriculum; the strategies that assist all school students to engage in comprehension; higher order thinking; critical analysis and inquiry around various written, visual, multimodal and technological texts; the development of academic language proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking, with a particular focus on the learning needs of ESL students.

On completion of this subject teacher candidates will be able to:

• demonstrate understanding of the multiple forms of language and literacy required in English and across all areas of the curriculum in the final years of the primary school
• analyse relevant research and current teaching practice that describe advanced forms of literacy and some of the challenges facing middle years teachers and students
• implement teaching and assessment practices that support school students to comprehend, compose and produce more complex texts, with a particular focus on ESL school students
• demonstrate an understanding of how to plan and implement their teaching of multiple forms of language and literacy in the middle years.

There are 2 assessment tasks:

• An analysis and discussion paper (1000 words) due mid semester (50%)
• An evaluation of curriculum (1000 words) due at the end of semester (50%)

There is 1 hurdle requirement:

• tasks submitted in class

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence
• Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and assessment strategies that support students’ literacy learning; and
• Communicate, effectively articulate and justify their planning of effective teaching in the middle years of schooling.