Language and Literacy Levels across the Australian

Curriculum: EALD students

Module 1.1 Introduction

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

• The Levels replaced the ESL Scope and Scales that were used until 2013

• The Levels reflect the language and literacy students need to access the Australian Curriculum across all learning areas at their year level R-10

• Each language level is equivalent to the same ESL Scale

• The Levels reflect the language

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

1413121110987654321Senior Years

13121110987654321Middle Years

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Levels 1413121110987654321

Year level10 -

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Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

provides:

Introduction provides:• a rationale and aims plus background for the

document.

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Background explains:

• The register continuumThe movement from ‘spoken-like’ (everyday, informal) to ‘written-like” (technical, formal) language can be seen as moving along a Register Continuum.

• Relationship between Levels, Year Level and Register ContinuumThrough descriptions and examples of language and vocabulary, the Language and Literacy Levels show the gradual and continual shift in language across the register continuum expected at each year level.

• Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Introduction provides:

• various appendices which

– detail processes for assigning a Level

– provide assessment proformas

– show the range of texts (genres) from the

Australian Curriculum

– compare the new document with the

ACARA EALD Teacher Resource

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

• Four sets of Levels:

• Levels 1 – 6

• Levels 4 - 9

• Levels 7 – 10

• Levels 11 – 14

• Glossary: there is a glossary of terms

to ensure all terminology is understood.

ACARA Literacy Capability Literacy

Continuum

Informed by Australian

Curriculum Literacy

Continuum element of

Composing texts and the

organising elements:

– Text knowledge

– Grammar knowledge

– Word knowledge

– Visual knowledge – (incorporated in Text

– Knowledge)

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Composing Learning Area texts

–Oral Interactions and Presentations (only in Levels 1 – 6)

–Using visuals in multi-modal texts

–Written texts – ability to construct text types relevant to learning areas is described at each Level

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Text knowledge

–Organisational structures of learning area texts

–Text cohesion • Text and Paragraph Openers

• Text Connectives

• Sentence Openers

• Reference

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Grammar knowledge

-Sentence Structures

• Simple, compound and complex –(activity)

- Punctuation

• Sentence level, capitals, commas

- Words and Word Groups

• Processes (verbs), Tense

• Circumstances

• Noun groups and Nominalisations

Faculty of Edit this on the Slide Master The University of Adelaide

Layout of Language and Literacy Levels

Grammar Knowledge

Level 7 (Year 3) Level 8 (Year 4) Level 9 (Year 5) Level 10 (Year 6)

Sentence Structures Simple Compound o Coordinating

(linking)

conjunctions Complex o Subordinating

(binding)

conjunctions

o Relative pronouns o Non-finite clauses

By the end of Year 4

students: use simple and

compound sentence structures to describe and make connections between ideas

By the end of Year 6

students: use a full range of

sentence types, including complex sentences that elaborate or explain ideas

From: The Australian

Curriculum: Literacy continuum

across stages of schooling

Language

item

Benchmarks from AC

Literacy Continuum

Knowledge

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Grammar knowledge

–Expressing opinion and point of view

• Evaluative language

• Modality

• Expressing opinion directly and indirectly

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

Word knowledge

– Understanding learning area vocabulary

• Topic vocabulary (Levels 1- 9)

• Topic and subject specific vocabulary (Levels 10 -14)

– Spelling

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

• detailed elaboration and examples under the elements for each year level

• an overall briefer document, easier layout to access.

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

• Each year the Levels document needs to be used

by teachers to assign Levels to students’ sets of

evidence before the term 3 census to attract EALD

funding to the school for the following year.

• The funding enables intervention to be put into

place for EALD students.

• The Levels EDSAS data allows schools to prioritise

this intervention.

• The Levels can also be used to inform teaching

and learning and monitor student progress.

Language and Literacy Levels across the

Australian Curriculum: EALD Students

• Language and Literacy Levels along with

support materials (e.g. Moderated Evidence,

Recording and Tracking Resource, FAQs and

professional learning modules) are posted on

the EALD website http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/pages/esl/scope/