English

About English

As the country’s national language, English is central to the lives, learning and development of all people living in Australia. By studying English, students learn to communicate, understand and interact with others and with the world around them. Studying English enables all students to become confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens.

In the Victorian Curriculum F–10, the English learning area includes both the English curriculum area and the English as an Additional Language (EAL) curriculum area.

English

When studying English, students develop knowledge, understanding and skills across the 3 interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Each strand contributes its own distinctive goals, body of knowledge, history of ideas and interests, and each focuses on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in the language modes of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing.

English as an Additional Language

The English as an Additional Language (EAL) curriculum is designed for students who are learning English as a second or additional language. The EAL curriculum supports students to build functional English language skills across 3 strands: Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, and Writing. Content in each strand is arranged into 3 consistent sub-strands: Communication, Text structures and linguistic features, and Plurilingual and cultural strategies. Students expand their linguistic repertoires through structured communication in a range of social and academic contexts, supported by EAL-informed explicit teaching of the English language system. This enables students to build their English knowledge and skills to engage with and learn in all other curriculum areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10.