FSLL001 - English Language and Literature

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Unit rationale, description and aim

Students wishing to undertake an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Education and Arts need to be able to identify different forms, features and structures of spoken, written and visual texts in English and to understand how texts are composed in response to different purposes, audiences and contexts.  

In this unit, students will gain skills in interpretation, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of texts, demonstrating understanding of, and expressing ideas and perspectives on a variety of textual forms, features and structures. All students will identify, analyse and critically reflect on the ways texts are composed in response to influences such as purposes, audiences and contexts.  

This unit aims to develop students’ skills in critical reading through acting on their knowledge of textual forms, features and structures, and in composing their own imaginative and analytical texts. Additionally, the literacy and language needs of the students will be analysed, and guidance given for correction to fundamental errors in literacy. 

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Demonstrate detailed and thorough knowledge, perceptive understanding and effective evaluation of the ways meanings and ideas are shaped and changed by context, medium of production, audience and the influences that produce different responses to texts (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8) 

LO2 - Display a well-developed ability to describe, analyse and use a broad range of language forms, features and structures of texts and explain the ways these shape meaning and influence responses in a variety of texts and contexts (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8, GA9) 

LO3 - Present a personal response showing well-developed skills in interpretation, analysis, synthesis and evaluation and use of texts and textual detail (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8, GA9) 

LO4 - Compose imaginatively, interpretively and critically with originality and control for a variety of audiences, purposes and contexts in order to explore and communicate ideas, information and values (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10)  

LO5 - Engage critically and creatively with a variety of texts in all language modes through the study of literature, media and language features (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10). 

Graduate attributes

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

• How language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects and can empower or disempower people 
• Evaluation of texts and the influence of value systems, the context, purpose and mode of communication 
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of a wide range of sentence, clause, phrase, vocabulary and abstract nouns in a variety of texts and on particular audiences 
• Composition of sophisticated imaginative, interpretive and analytical texts  
• Language forms, features and structures of: 
• Non-fiction texts (such as biography, autobiography, documentary, newspaper and advertisements) 
• Visual and multimodal texts (such as picture books, postmodern picture books, graphic novels and manga, e-books, and film and book trailers) 
• Narrative texts (such as short stories, novels and young adult novels) 
• Poetry 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Mode for International Students: Attendance on campus: 5 hours per week 

Mode for Domestic Students: Multi-mode: attendance on campus: 3 hours per week plus 2 hours online learning.  

Duration: 10-week Term 

Students are required to actively participate in all lectures, tutorials and assigned learning activities to achieve the learning outcomes. Aspects of the course will be delivered online with online lectures and reading groups to assist in understanding the texts assigned. Other aspects will be workshopped on camps. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit and participate in all assessment tasks. Students are also required to bring their own smart (ability to connect to the Internet) devices to tutorials. Devices can also be borrowed from the library. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Print Texts: 

Cheng, M. (2019). Room for a stranger. Melbourne: Text Publishing  

Book of selected readings from: 

Beneba Clarke, M. (Ed.) (2015). Growing up African in Australia. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc. 

Heiss, A. (Ed.) (2018). Growing up Aboriginal in Australia. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc. 

Conway, J.K. (1989). The road from Coorain. London: Heinemann 

Pascoe, B. (2019). Dark emu: A truer history. Broome, WA: Magabala Books 

Pascoe, B. (2016). Mrs Whitlam. Broome, WA: Magabala Books 

Payalic, A., & Divaroren, D. (Eds.) (2019). Growing up Muslim in Australia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. 

Pung, A. (2018). Close to home. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc. 

Pung, A. (Ed.) (2008) Growing up Asian in Australia. Carlton, Vic: Black Inc. 

Reed, J., & Wake, C. (Eds.) (1964) A book of African verse. London: Heinemann Education. 

Seth, V. (2011). The rivered earth. London: Hamish Hamilton. Penguin Books 

Online texts 

Burrow, K. (2016, Dec 17). Donkey [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRP3b4NntM 

Darling, I. (2015, Dec 17).  

Paul Kelly: Stories of Me [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnhYma2Jfpc 

NFB Canada.(2016, Dec 17).Highrise [Documentary]. Retrieved from http://universewithin.nfb.ca/mobile/index.html  

Pearson, N. (2015, Dec 17).  

Noel Pearson’s Funeral Oration for Gough Whitlam. [Speech]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsXmYHiuJ8s  

The Atlantic. (2015) How the World Perceives the New American Dream [Poster]. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/10/american-dream-world-diplomacy/410080/