LITERATURE - School Curriculum and Standards Authority · authors, readers, audiences and contexts...
Transcript of LITERATURE - School Curriculum and Standards Authority · authors, readers, audiences and contexts...
2013/29185v3
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Content
Rationale ................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Aims .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Organisation .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Structure of the syllabus .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Organisation of content ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Progression from the Year 7–10 curriculum .................................................................................................................... 5
Representation of the general capabilities ...................................................................................................................... 5
Representation of the cross‐curriculum priorities ........................................................................................................... 6
Unit 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Unit description ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Learning outcomes ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Unit content ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Unit 2 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Unit description .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Learning outcomes ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Unit content ................................................................................................................................................................... 10
School‐based assessment ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Grading ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix 1 – Grade descriptions Year 11 ................................................................................................................. 14
Appendix 2 – Recommended text lists ...................................................................................................................... 16
Appendix 3 – Glossary ............................................................................................................................................. 25
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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Rationale The Literature ATAR course focuses on the study of literary texts and developing students as independent,
innovative and creative learners and thinkers who appreciate the aesthetic use of language; evaluate
perspectives and evidence; and challenge ideas and interpretations. The Literature ATAR course explores
how literary texts construct representations, shape perceptions of the world and enable us to enter other
worlds of the imagination. In this subject, students actively participate in the dialogue of literary analysis and
the creation of imaginative and analytical texts in a range of modes, media and forms.
Students enjoy and respond creatively and critically to literary texts drawn from the past and present and
from Australian and other cultures. They reflect on what these texts offer them as individuals, as members
of Australian society and as world citizens.
Students establish and articulate their views through creative response and logical argument. They reflect on
qualities of literary texts, appreciate the power of language and inquire into the relationships between texts,
authors, readers, audiences and contexts as they explore ideas, concepts, attitudes and values.
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Aims The set of English courses aims to develop students’:
skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing
capacity to create texts for a range of purposes, audiences and contexts
understanding and appreciation of different uses of language.
In addition, the Literature ATAR course aims to develop students’:
ability to respond personally, critically and imaginatively to a range of literary texts drawn from
Australian and other historical, contemporary and cultural contexts and traditions
capacity to engage with and contest complex and challenging ideas in order to form their own
interpretations informed by a range of critical perspectives
capacity to reflect critically on connections and resonances between texts.
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Organisation This course is organised into a Year 11 syllabus and a Year 12 syllabus. The cognitive complexity of the
syllabus content increases from Year 11 to Year 12.
Structure of the syllabus The Year 11 syllabus is divided into two units, each of one semester duration, which are typically delivered as
a pair. The notional time for each unit is 55 class contact hours.
Unit 1
Unit 1 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of different ways of reading and creating literary
texts drawn from a widening range of historical, social, cultural and personal contexts. Students analyse the
relationships between language, text, contexts, individual points of view and the reader’s response. This unit
develops knowledge and understanding of different literary conventions and storytelling traditions and their
relationships with audiences. A range of literary forms is considered: prose fiction, poetry and drama. The
significance of ideas and the distinctive qualities of texts are analysed through detailed textual study.
Through the creation of analytical responses, students frame consistent arguments that are substantiated by
relevant evidence. In the creation of imaginative texts, students explore and experiment with aspects of
style and form.
Unit 2
Unit 2 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of intertextuality, the ways literary texts connect
with each other. Drawing on a range of language and literary experiences, students consider the
relationships between texts, genres, authors, readers, audiences and contexts. The ideas, language and
structure of different texts are compared and contrasted. Exploring connections between texts involves
analysing their similarities and differences through an analysis of the ideas, language used and forms of
texts. Students create analytical responses that are evidence‐based and convincing. By experimenting with
text structures and language features, students understand how their imaginative texts are informed by
analytical responses.
Each unit includes:
a unit description – a short description of the focus of the unit
learning outcomes – a set of statements describing the learning expected as a result of studying the unit
unit content – the content to be taught and learned.
Organisation of content Content descriptions in each unit in the Literature ATAR course are grouped under an organising framework
that presents key aspects of learning that underpin the course. The organising framework in the Literature
ATAR course is:
Texts in contexts
Language and textual analysis
Creating analytical texts
Creating imaginative texts
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The language modes
The processes of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing, also known as language modes, are
interrelated. Classroom contexts that address particular content descriptions will necessarily draw from
more than one of these modes in order to support students’ effective learning. To acknowledge these
interrelationships, content descriptions incorporate the processes of listening, speaking, reading (including
the interpretation of visual elements in prose fiction, poetry and drama texts), and writing in an integrated
and interdependent way.
Texts
Texts provide important opportunities for learning about aspects of human experience and about aesthetic
appeal. Teachers may select whole texts and/or parts of texts depending on units of study, cohorts and level
of difficulty.
‘Literary texts’ refer to past and present texts across a range of cultural contexts that are valued for their
form and style and are recognised as having enduring or artistic value. While the nature of what constitutes
‘literary texts’ is dynamic and evolving, they are seen as having personal, social, cultural and aesthetic value
and potential for enriching students’ scope of experience. Literary texts include a range of forms such as
novels, short stories, poetry and plays. Teachers may use other text types, for example, feature film,
documentary, critical essays, literature textbooks, literary glossaries and multimodal texts to supplement the
teaching of the literary forms mentioned.
Text requirements
Over the course of a year, students must have studied literary texts from poetry, prose fiction and drama.
Across the pair of units, students must study at least one novel.
It is also a requirement in the pair of units that students study a minimum of one Australian text: that is, one
novel or play or a selection of the work of one poet or a selection of Australian short stories.
Recommended text lists
This course has recommended text lists (refer to Appendix 2).
The text lists for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus are recommended lists; they are the same lists of texts
that appear in the Literature ATAR Year 12 syllabus as the prescribed lists. Teachers of the Literature ATAR
Year 11 course may refer to literary texts outside these lists as long as:
the text chosen assists in the teaching and learning of Literature ATAR Year 11 course content
students understand that the text chosen is not in the Literature ATAR Year 12 syllabus prescribed lists
and therefore cannot be used in the Year 12 Literature ATAR course examination as a primary reference.
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Progression from the Year 7–10 curriculum This syllabus draws upon, develops and emphasises different knowledge, understanding, skills and processes
related to the strands of Language, Literature and Literacy used in the Year 7–10 curriculum. The emphasis
differs according to the nature of each subject. While each English syllabus places a different emphasis on
the three strands, each syllabus is expected to advance skills in each of the strands. The Literature syllabus
has as its primary focus, engagement with, and analysis of, literary texts.
Representation of the general capabilities The general capabilities encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that will assist
students to live and work successfully in the twenty‐first century. Teachers may find opportunities to
incorporate the capabilities into the teaching and learning program for the Literature ATAR course. The
general capabilities are not assessed unless they are identified within the specified unit content.
Literacy
Literacy is important in the development of the skills and strategies needed to express, interpret, and
communicate complex information and ideas. In the Literature ATAR course, students apply, extend and
refine their repertoire of literacy skills and practices by establishing and articulating their views through
creative response and argument. They experiment with different modes, media and forms to create new
texts and understand the power of language to represent ideas, events and people.
Numeracy
Students use numeracy in the Literature ATAR course when they practise and apply the skills of interpreting
and analysing, comparing and contrasting, making connections, posing and proving arguments, making
inferences and problem solving as they create and respond to a range of texts. They draw conclusions from
statistical information and interpret and use quantitative data as evidence in analytical and imaginative
texts.
Information and communication technology capability
There are opportunities in literature to engage with information and communication technology (ICT)
through the use of digital texts and multimodal texts. In the Literature ATAR course, students discern the
quality of information and ideas presented in multimodal texts. They develop understanding of the relative
possibilities, limitations and consequences of using different forms of digital technologies to explore,
interpret and create literary texts. They consider the effects of the use of different media on meaning and
interpretation, particularly in new and emerging literary forms.
Critical and creative thinking
Critical and creative thinking is an integral feature of the study of and creation of texts in the Literature ATAR
course. Students analyse and evaluate issues and ideas presented in texts. In both thinking about and
creating their own texts, they recognise and develop arguments, use evidence and draw reasoned
conclusions. Students experiment with text structures and language features as they transform and adapt
texts for different purposes, contexts and audiences. Students use critical thinking when they use their
knowledge of language to analyse a range of texts in relation to their purpose, context, audience, structural
and language features, and underlying assumptions. They investigate the ways language is used to position
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individuals and social and cultural groups. Creative thinking enables students to apply imaginative and
inventive capacities in the creation of their own original works.
Personal and social capability
Students develop personal and social capability in the Literature ATAR course by enhancing their
communication skills, for example, through collaborative research, reflective practices and developing
empathy with and appreciation of the perspectives of others. Close critical engagement with texts assists
students to understand different personal and social experiences and perspectives. Students identify and
express their own opinions, beliefs and responses by interacting with a range of texts. Students work
collaboratively in teams and independently as part of their learning and research endeavours.
Ethical understanding
Through the study of the Literature ATAR course, students come to develop an increased understanding of
complex issues and the questions surrounding rights and responsibilities in our modern world. Students
develop greater empathy for the attitudes and opinions of others by interacting with and interrogating a
range of texts. Ethical understanding is explored through the selection of texts for study, for example, when
students engage with ethical dilemmas presented in texts, considering reasons for actions and implications
of decisions. They explore and question values, attitudes, perspectives and assumptions in texts, examining
how they are presented, their impact on audiences and how they are reflected in their own responses.
Intercultural understanding
In the Literature ATAR course, intercultural understanding encourages students to make connections
between their own experiences and the experiences of others. Through the study of contemporary texts,
texts from the past and texts from diverse cultures, students explore and analyse these connections.
Students understand and can express the interdependence of language, culture, identity and values,
particularly in the Australian context, and are able to appreciate and empathise with the cultural beliefs,
attitudes and values of others. They study how cultural concepts, beliefs, practices and perspectives are
represented in a range of textual forms and for a variety of purposes and audiences. They pay special
attention to the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Asian cultures to literature
in Australia.
Representation of the cross-curriculum priorities The cross‐curriculum priorities address contemporary issues which students face in a globalised world.
Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the priorities into the teaching and learning program for the
Literature ATAR course. The cross‐curriculum priorities are not assessed unless they are identified within the
specified unit content.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
The Literature ATAR course values the histories, cultures, traditions and languages of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Peoples, and their central place in contemporary Australian society and culture. Through the
study of texts, students are provided with opportunities to develop their understanding and appreciation of
the diversity of cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their contribution
to Australian society. The text lists for the Literature ATAR course include a selection of Aboriginal and Torres
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Strait Islander literature because it is often through the writings of Aboriginal authors that other
perspectives of history are taught.
Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia
There are strong social, cultural and economic reasons for Australian students to engage with Asia and with
the contribution of Asian Australians to our society and heritage. It is through the study of texts from Asia
that a creative and forward‐looking Australia can engage with our place in the region. Through story
articulated in a range of media, students may be provided with opportunities to develop understanding of
the diversity of Asia’s peoples, environments and traditional and contemporary cultures. Texts relevant to
this priority are included in the prescribed text lists for the Literature ATAR course.
Sustainability
The Literature ATAR course provides the opportunity for the development of informed and reasoned points
of view, discussion of issues, research and problem solving. In this context, teachers are encouraged to select
texts and issues for discussion connected with sustainability. Through analysis of texts, students may have
the opportunity to research and discuss this global issue and learn the importance of respecting and valuing
a wide range of world views.
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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Unit 1
Unit description Unit 1 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of different ways of reading and creating literary
texts drawn from a widening range of historical, social, cultural and personal contexts. Students analyse the
relationships between language, text, contexts, individual points of view and the reader’s response. This unit
develops knowledge and understanding of different literary conventions and storytelling traditions and their
relationships with audiences. A range of literary forms is considered: prose fiction, poetry and drama. The
significance of ideas and the distinctive qualities of texts are analysed through detailed textual study.
Through the creation of analytical responses, students frame consistent arguments that are substantiated by
relevant evidence. In the creation of imaginative texts, students explore and experiment with aspects of
style and form.
Learning outcomes By the end of this unit, students:
understand how language, structure and stylistic choices are used in different literary forms
examine the ways in which contexts shape how a text is produced then received and responded to by
readers/audiences
create oral, written and multimodal responses that explore the structure and style of literary texts.
Unit content This unit includes the knowledge, understandings and skills described below.
Investigate and reflect on different ways of reading literary texts, including:
the degree to which individual viewpoints, experiences and contexts shape readings of texts. A reading
of a text refers to a meaning that can be made of a text. In responding to a literary text, readers might
consider the context of the writer, the society and culture in which the text was produced, their own
experience of reading and their own way of thinking about the world
how the production and reception of texts is informed by an understanding of the conventions usually
associated with a genre
the differences between initial personal responses and more studied and complex responses
how there are different reading practices or strategies, such as reading with an emphasis on various
representations; or reading with a focus on different contexts; or reading intertextually, that is, reading
that focuses on connections between texts. Different reading strategies produce different readings.
Analyse distinctive features in literary texts, including:
how text structures, language features and stylistic elements shape meaning and create particular
effects and nuances, including through allusions, paradoxes and ambiguities
approaches to characterisation, including the use of archetypal figures, authorial intrusion, the
dramatisation of a character’s inner life and the use of interior monologue
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different narrative approaches, including multiple narrators, the unreliable narrator, the omniscient
narrator and the use of specific characters’ points of view
the use of figurative language, including simile, metaphor, symbolism, metonymy and synecdoche to
represent concepts; and rhetorical devices to shape texts, including irony, hyperbole and exclamation
the use of sound and visual devices in literary texts to create particular effects, including alliteration,
assonance, prosody, rhyme, imagery, typography, music, set design, properties and lighting.
Create analytical texts, including:
structuring arguments using relevant textual evidence
using appropriate linguistic, stylistic and critical terminology to respond to texts
using stylistic features to craft and articulate readings/interpretations
experimenting with different modes, media and forms.
Create imaginative texts, including:
developing connections between real and imagined experiences
drawing on knowledge and understanding of storytelling, style and the structure of texts
experimenting with aspects of style and form to achieve particular effects
reflecting on familiar and emerging literary forms for particular audiences and purposes.
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Unit 2
Unit description Unit 2 develops students’ knowledge and understanding of intertextuality, the ways literary texts connect
with each other. Drawing on a range of language and literary experiences, students consider the
relationships between texts, genres, authors, readers, audiences and contexts. The ideas, language and
structure of different texts are compared and contrasted. Exploring connections between texts involves
analysing their similarities and differences through an analysis of the ideas, language used and forms of
texts. Students create analytical responses that are evidence‐based and convincing. By experimenting with
text structures and language features, students understand how their imaginative texts are informed by
analytical responses.
Learning outcomes By the end of this unit, students:
understand how structural and stylistic choices and language patterns shape meaning in literary texts
investigate the interrelationships between texts, audiences and contexts
create oral, written and multimodal responses that draw on the conventions, connections and patterns
in texts.
Unit content This unit includes the knowledge, understandings and skills described below.
Analyse and reflect on the relationships between authors, readers, texts and contexts,
including:
the ways in which texts are influenced by other texts and by contexts
the relationship between conventions of genre, audience expectations and interpretations of texts
how the choice and combinations of mode and form transform texts
the ways in which informed reading influences interpretation of texts
how readings are constructed as a result of the reading practices or strategies that readers apply and as
a result of readers relating the text to their understandings of the world. In this way, multiple readings of
a text are possible.
Compare and evaluate the form, language and content of literary texts, including:
the ways in which text structures, language features and stylistic choices provide a framework for
audiences’ expectations, responses and interpretations
the ways in which texts resemble and/or refer to other texts, including through parody, imitation,
appropriation and transformation; and the ways in which adaptations of earlier texts allow new insights
into original texts
how aspects of literary texts have been appropriated into popular culture
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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
the ways in which different literary forms may evolve by blending and borrowing conventions from other
texts and/or genres
the use of literary techniques, including poetic, dramatic and narrative structure and devices
the use of a combination of sound and visual devices in literary texts.
Create analytical texts, including:
organising viewpoints and arguments in different ways, for example, in essays, reviews and visual
presentations
using appropriate linguistic, stylistic and critical terminology to compare and contrast texts
selecting appropriate argument and evidence to support readings/interpretations
experimenting with different modes, media and forms.
Create imaginative texts, including:
integrating real and imagined experiences by selecting and adapting particular aspects of texts to create
new texts
using analysis of literary texts to inform imaginative/creative responses
transforming texts studied in one medium or genre to another for different audiences and purposes
reflecting on the significance and effects of variations to texts.
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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
School-based assessment The Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Manual contains essential information on principles,
policies and procedures for school‐based assessment that needs to be read in conjunction with this syllabus.
Teachers design school‐based assessment tasks to meet the needs of students. The table below provides
details of the assessment types for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus and the weighting for each
assessment type.
Assessment table – Year 11
Type of assessment Weighting
Extended written response
This can include analytical, discursive and reflective responses in a number of forms, for example, long
essays, research assignments, feature articles or a collection of journal entries.
10%–20%
Short written response
This can include analytical, discursive and reflective responses in a number of forms, for example, short
essays, close readings, short responses to a series of questions or individual journal entries.
30%–40%
Creative production of a literary text
This can include writing in the three genres of poetry, prose fiction and drama, for example, poems, short
stories, scripts or the production of multimodal texts that make use of literary conventions.
10%–20%
Oral
This can include oral work in a number of forms, for example, speeches, tutorials, group discussions, panel
discussions or performances such as role play or readers’ theatre.
10%–20%
Examination
Typically conducted at the end of each semester and/or unit. In preparation for Unit 3 and Unit 4, the
examination should reflect the examination design brief included in the ATAR Year 12 syllabus for this
course.
20%–30%
Teachers are required to use the assessment table to develop an assessment outline for the pair of units
(or for a single unit where only one is being studied).
The assessment outline must:
include a set of assessment tasks
include a general description of each task
indicate the unit content to be assessed
indicate a weighting for each task and each assessment type
include the approximate timing of each task (for example, the week the task is conducted, or the issue
and submission dates for an extended task).
In the assessment outline for the pair of units, each assessment type must be included at least twice. In the
assessment outline where a single unit is being studied, each assessment type must be included at least
once.
The set of assessment tasks must provide a representative sampling of the content for Unit 1 and Unit 2.
Assessment tasks not administered under test/controlled conditions require appropriate
validation/authentication processes.
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Grading Schools report student achievement in terms of the following grades:
Grade Interpretation
A Excellent achievement
B High achievement
C Satisfactory achievement
D Limited achievement
E Very low achievement
The teacher prepares a ranked list and assigns the student a grade for the pair of units (or for a unit where
only one unit is being studied). The grade is based on the student’s overall performance as judged by
reference to a set of pre‐determined standards. These standards are defined by grade descriptions and
annotated work samples. The grade descriptions for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus are provided in
Appendix 1. They can also be accessed, together with annotated work samples, through the Guide to Grades
link on the course page of the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au
To be assigned a grade, a student must have had the opportunity to complete the education program,
including the assessment program (unless the school accepts that there are exceptional and justifiable
circumstances).
Refer to the WACE Manual for further information about the use of a ranked list in the process of assigning
grades.
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Appendix 1 – Grade descriptions Year 11
A
Demonstrates effective control, coherence and/or inventiveness in the use of language and language
features appropriate to the task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative
responses. Produces effective analyses of language and language features used in literary texts.
Demonstrates effective control and/or inventiveness in the use of generic conventions appropriate to the
task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Produces sound
analyses of genre and generic conventions used in literary texts.
Demonstrates a strong understanding of how historical, social, cultural and personal contexts affect the
reading of literary texts and the production of analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates a
strong understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.
Produces convincing readings of literary texts, demonstrating strong knowledge of the ways literary texts
connect with each other, and drawing on relevant evidence.
Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing a strong understanding of the relationship of
content to purpose and audience.
B
Demonstrates sound control of, and some experimentation with, language and language features
appropriate to the task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses.
Presents some discussion and some analysis of language and language features used in literary texts.
Demonstrates sound control of, and some experimentation with, generic conventions appropriate to the
task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some
discussion and some analysis of genre and generic conventions used in literary texts.
Demonstrates a sound understanding of how historical, social, cultural and personal contexts affect the
reading of literary texts and the production of analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates a
sound understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.
Produces logical readings of literary texts, demonstrating sound knowledge of the ways literary texts
connect with each other, with evidence to support reading.
Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing a sound understanding of the relationship of
content to purpose and audience.
C
Demonstrates adequate control of language and language features; attempts to use language
appropriate to the task, the audience and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses.
Presents some description and some discussion of language and language features used in literary texts.
Demonstrates adequate control of some generic conventions appropriate to the task, the audience and
the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some description and some
discussion of genre and generic conventions used in literary texts.
Demonstrates adequate understanding of historical, social, cultural and personal contexts when reading
literary texts and producing analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates an adequate
understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.
Produces adequate readings of literary texts, demonstrating some knowledge of the ways in which
literary texts connect with each other, and using some supporting evidence.
Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing an understanding of the relationship of content to
purpose and audience.
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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
D
Demonstrates limited control of language and language features appropriate to the task, the audience
and the purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some description of
language and language features used in literary texts.
Demonstrates limited control of generic conventions appropriate to the task, the audience and the
purpose in analytical, reflective and imaginative responses. Presents some description of genre and
generic conventions used in literary texts.
Demonstrates limited understanding of the historical, social, cultural and personal contexts when reading
literary texts and producing analytical, reflective and imaginative texts. Demonstrates some
understanding of the relationship between texts, genres, authors, readers, audience and contexts.
Attempts to produce readings of literary texts, with limited evidence and limited awareness of the ways
literary texts connect with each other.
Produces written, oral and multimodal work showing limited understanding of the relationship of
content to purpose and audience.
E Does not meet the requirements of a D grade and/or has completed insufficient assessment tasks to be
assigned a higher grade.
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Appendix 2 – Recommended text lists Texts are arranged into the three genres: poetry, drama and prose fiction.
Teachers should select texts that allow them to cover the content of the unit and to achieve the learning
outcomes.
Students are required to study at least one Australian text (i.e. one novel, or play, or a selection of the work
of one poet or a selection of Australian short stories) in each pair of units.
The lists of texts for the Literature ATAR Year 11 syllabus are recommended lists; these are the same lists of
texts that appear in the Literature ATAR Year 12 syllabus as the prescribed lists. Teachers of Literature ATAR
Year 11 course may refer to literary texts outside these lists as long as:
the text chosen assists in the teaching and learning of Literature ATAR Year 11 course content
students understand that the text chosen is not on the Literature ATAR Year 12 prescribed lists and
therefore cannot be used in the Literature Year 12 ATAR COURSE examination as a primary reference.
Poetry texts
Where a poet’s name appears without a title text next to it, teachers may use any poetry publication by that
poet that is appropriate.
* Australian writers/texts are indicated with an asterisk
Poet’s name/Editor(s) Title of Text
Adamson, Robert*
Angelou, Maya
Armitage, Simon
Barnes, J., and McFarlane, B.* Cross‐Country: A Book of Australian Verse. Richmond, Vic, Heinemann, 1988
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William The Portable Blake. Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1987
Brett, Lily*
Campbell, David*
Chapman, M., & Dangor, A. (Eds) Voices From Within. Johannesburg, Ad Donker, 1982
Chaucer, G. The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue
Cohen, Leonard Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs. New York, Knopf, 1994
Cole, R. (Ed.)* Lines to Time (4th ed.). Port Melbourne, Vic, Heinemann, 2007
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Collins, Billy
Colmer, J., & Colmer, D. (Eds) Pattern and Voice. Melbourne, Macmillan, 1981
Cosman, C., Keefe J., & Weaver, W. (Eds) The Penguin Book of Women Poets. New York, Penguin, 1980
Cummings, E.E.
Dawe, Bruce* Sometimes Gladness: Collected Poems 1954 to 2005. Melbourne, Pearson,
2006
Dennis, C.J.* The Sentimental Bloke
Dickinson, Emily
Dobson, Rosemary*
Dougan, Lucy* White Clay. Artarmon, NSW, Giramondo Publishing Company, 2008
Dransfield, Michael*
Duffy, Carol‐Ann
Dylan, Bob Lyrics: 1962–2001. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2002
Eliot, T.S. Selected Poems. London, Faber and Faber, 1982
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Poet’s name/Editor(s) Title of Text
Frost, Robert
Gardner, H. (Ed.) The Metaphysical Poets. Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1985
Gilbert, K. (Ed.)* Inside Black Australia. Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1988
Gray, Robert*
Goldsworthy, Peter*
Hamilton, E., & Livingston, J. (Eds) Form and Feeling (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 1990
Hardy, Thomas
Harwood, Gwen* Gwen Harwood Selected Poems. Auckland, Halcyon Press, 2001
Harwood, Gwen* Gwen Harwood Selected Poems. Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2001
Heaney, Seamus New Selected Poems 1966–87. London, Faber and Faber, 1990
Heaney, Seamus (Ed) Beowulf
Herbert, Zbiegniew
Hewett, Dorothy*
Horne, C., & O'Brien, M. (Eds) The Progress of Poetry. Melbourne, Heinemann, 1965
Hughes, Ted Selected Poems 1957–1981
Keats, John
Kinsella, John* The Silo: A Pastoral Symphony. Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,
1995
Lawrence, D.H.
Larkin, Philip
Leonard, John (Ed.) Seven Centuries of Poetry in English. Melbourne, Oxford University Press,
2004
McCauley, James*
McFarlane, P., & Temple, L. (Comps) Blue Light, Clear Atoms (2nd ed.). Sydney, Macmillan, 2006
McKenzie, J.A., & McKenzie, J.K. (Eds) The World's Contracted Thus. Richmond, Vic, Heinemann Educational, 1983
(out of print?)
Milton, John Paradise Lost
Moreton, Romaine
Mtshali, Oswald Sounds of a Cowhide Drum. Chicago, Third World Press, 1972
Murray, Les* New Selected Poems. Sydney, Duffy Snellgrove, 1998
Neruda, Pablo
O'Connor, M. (Ed.)* Two Centuries of Australian Poetry. Melbourne, Oxford University Press,
1996
Oliver, Mary New and Selected Poems: Volume One. Boston, Bacon Press, 1992
Parthasarathy, R. (Ed) Ten 20th Century Indian Poets. New Delhi: Oxford University Press India,
1990
Phillips, Glen and van Loon, Julienne
(Eds)*
2008 Lines in the Sand. Cottesloe, WA, Fellowship of Australian Writers
(WA)
Plath, Sylvia
Rich, Adrienne The Fact of a Door Frame: Selected Poems 1950–2001. New York, W. W.
Norton, 2002
Shakespeare, William The Sonnets
Silkin, Jon (Ed.) The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry. Camberwell, Vic, Penguin,
1997
Slessor, Kenneth*
Smith, Stevie
Soyinka, Wole
Stewart, M.* Poetry in Time. Melbourne, Nelson, 1982
Stow, Randolph*
Sutcliff, R. (Ed.) Beowulf. North Sydney, NSW, Random House, 2001
Thomas, Dylan
18
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Poet’s name/Editor(s) Title of Text
Tranter, John*
Wagan Watson, Samuel* Smoke Encrypted Whispers. St. Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,
2006
Walcott, Derek
Webb, Francis*
Whitman, Walt The Portable Walt Whitman. London, Penguin, 1977
Wordsworth, J., & Wordsworth, J. (Eds) The Penguin Book of Romantic Poetry. New York, Penguin, 2006
Wordsworth, William Selected Poems. London, Penguin, 2004
Wright, Judith* Collected Poems 1942–85. Sydney, Harper Collins, 1994
Yeats, W.B. Selected Poetry. Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 2004
Ouyang Yu
Drama texts
In addition to the plays listed below, teachers may choose to use plays by Shakespeare, George Bernard
Shaw, Henrik Ibsen and any play belonging to Greek Tragedy or Greek or Roman Comedy. The editions of
plays used is also decided by the teacher.
*Australian writers/texts are indicated with an asterisk
Playwright/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Albee, Edward The Zoo Story [Anthology title: The
American Dream and Zoo Story]
New York, Plume, 1997
Albee, Edward Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? New York, Penguin, 1983
Beckett, Samuel Waiting for Godot London, Faber, 2006
Bennetto, Casey* Keating! Contact Casey Bennetto's agent, Michael
Lynch, at Smartartists Management
www.smartartists.com.au/main.html
Beynon, Richard* A Shifting Heart Melbourne, Angus & Robertson 2003
Bovell, Andrew* Holy Day Sydney, Currency Press, 2001
Bovell, Andrew* Speaking in Tongues New York, Dramatists Play Service, 2004
Brecht, Bertolt The Caucasian Chalk Circle UK, Methuen, Student Edition, 1984
Brecht, Bertolt The Good Person of Szechuan London, Methuen, 1985
Cawley, A.C. (Ed.) Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays London, Orion, 1993
Chekhov, Anton The Cherry Orchard Methuen, 1978, or Penguin Classic, 1959.
Chekhov, Anton Three Sisters London, Methuen, 1988
Chi, Jimmy* Bran Nue Dae Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1991
Churchill, Caryl Top Girls London, Methuen, 1984
Cooper, G., & Wortham, C.
(Eds)
Everyman Crawley, WA, UWA Press, 1980
Coward, Noel Blithe Spirit London, Methuen, 2002
Cribb, Reg* The Return Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2003
Davis, Jack* No Sugar Sydney, Currency Press, 1986
Davis, Jack* Kullark/The Dreamers Sydney, Currency Press, 1982
Davis, Jack* Barungin, Smell the Wind Sydney, Currency Press, 1989
Enright, Nick* Blackrock Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1996
Frayn, Michael Noises Off New York, Anchor, 2002
Frayn, Michael Copenhagen London, Methuen, 2003
Friel, Brian Translations London, Faber, 1981
Gow, Michael* Away Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1990
Hwang, David Henry M.Butterfly Longman,1988
Kaufmann, Moises The Laramie Project New York, Dramatists Play Service, 2001
19
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Playwright/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Lawler, Ray* Summer of 17th Doll [Anthology title:
The Doll Trilogy]
Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2001
Mamet, David Oleanna London, Methuen, 1993
Mamet, David Glengarry Glen Ross London, Methuen, 1993
Marlowe, Christopher Doctor Faustus [Anthology title: Doctor
Faustus and Other Plays]
Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 10998
Miller, Arthur The Crucible New York, Penguin, 1976
Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman New York, Penguin, 1998
Miller, Arthur A View from the Bridge London, Penguin, 1987
Milroy, David* Windmill Baby [Anthology title:
Contemporary Indigenous Plays,
Vivienne Cleven et al.]
Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, c2007
Milroy, David Waltzing the Willara Sydney, Currency Press, 2011
Murray‐Smith, Joanna* Honour Sydney, Currency Press, 1995
Murray‐Smith, Joanna* Ninety Sydney, Currency Press, 2009
Murray‐Smith, Joanna* The Female of the Species 2006
Murray‐Smith, Joanna* The Gift Sydney, Currency Press, 2012
Nicholls, Peter A Day in the Death of Joe Egg London, Faber, 2001
Nowra, Louis* Inside the Island Sydney, Currency Press, 1981
Nowra, Louis* Cosi Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1994
Oxenburgh, Dickon and
Ross, Andrew*
The Merry‐Go‐Round‐in‐the‐Sea NSW, Currency Press, 2006
Rankin, Scott and Purcell,
Leah*
Box the Pony Sydney, Hodder Headline, 1999
Rayson, Hannie* Hotel Sorrento Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2002
Shaeffer, Peter Amadeus New York, Samuel French, 1993
Shaeffer, Peter Equus New York, Samuel French, 1973
Shepard, Sam True West New York, Samuel French, 1981
Soyinka, Wole A Dance of the Forests [Anthology title:
Collected Plays]
Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 1973
Soyinka, Wole Death and the King’s Horseman London, Methuen, 2006
Stoppard, Tom Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are
Dead
London, Faber, 1973
Stoppard, Tom Arcadia London, Faber,1993
Synge, John Millington Playboy of the Western World London, Methuen, 2006
Thomas, Dylan Under Milkwood London, Penguin, 2000
Thomson, Katherine* Diving for Pearls, Sydney, Currency Press, 1992
White, Patrick* The Season at Sarsaparilla [Anthology
title: Plays of the 60s: Volume 1]
Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1998
Wilde, Oscar The Importance of Being Earnest and
Other Plays
Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin Classics, 2000
Wilde, Oscar An Ideal Husband [Anthology title: The
Importance of Being Earnest and Other
Plays]
Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin Classics, 2000
Williams, Tennessee The Glass Menagerie London, Penguin, 1988
Williams, Tennessee Cat on a Hot Tin Roof New York, Signet, 1958
Williams, Tennessee A Streetcar Named Desire New York, Signet, 1986
Williams, Tennessee Sweet Bird of Youth New York, Dramatists Play Service, 1992
Williamson, David* Dead White Males Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1995
Williamson, David* Flatfoot Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 2004
Williamson, David* The Removalists Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1984
20
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Playwright/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Williamson, David* Emerald City Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1987
Williamson, David* The Club Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1978
Williamson, David* The Perfectionist Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1983
Williamson, David* Don’s Party Strawberry Hills, NSW, Currency Press, 1973
Winton, Tim* Rising Water Sydney, Currency Press, 2012
Winton, Tim* Shrine Unpublished as of September, 2012
Prose fiction texts
Short stories/anthologies/writers
Where a short story writer’s name appears without a title next to it, teachers may use any short story by
that writer that is appropriate.
* Australian writers/texts are indicated with an asterisk
Author/Editor(s) Title Publication Details
Adams, Glenda* The Hottest Night of the Century Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1988
Astley, Thea*
Bail, Murray* The Drover’s Wife and Other Stories? Melbourne, Text Publishing, 1998
Baynton, Barbara* Collected Short Stories
Bennett, B. Cowan, P. and
Hay, J. (eds)*
Spectrum One Melbourne, Longman, 1970
Bennett, B. Cowan, P. and
Hay, J. (eds)*
Spectrum Two Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 1970
Cline, C.L., (ed.) The Rinehart Book of Short Stories,
(alternative ed.)
Rinehart, 1952, (OP)
Coffey, B.R., (ed.)* Decade Fremantle Arts Centre, 1982
Disher, Garry (ed)* Personal Best Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1997 (out of
print?)
Drewe, Robert* The Bay of Contented Men Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2001
Drewe, Robert* The Rip Camberwell, Vic, Penguin Books Australia, 2008
Garner, Helen* My Hard Heart: Selected Fictions Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1998
Garner, Helen* Postcards from Surfers Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1996 (out of print?)
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins The Yellow Wallpaper
Gordimer, Nadine Once Upon A Time (1989)
published in Jump and Other Stories
New York, Penguin, 1992
Grenville, Kate*
Ikin, V. (Ed.)* Glass Reptile Breakout and other
Australian Speculative Stories
Perth, UWA, 1990
Jennings, W.R. (Ed.) Sixteen Modern Short Stories Pitman, 1982
Jolley, Elizabeth*
Kafka, Franz
Kavanagh, Michael and
Kavanagh, Mary (Eds)
Reading the Signs* Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 2003
Lawrence, D.H.
Lawson, Henry*
Lessing, Doris
Lahiri, Jhumpa The Interpreter of Maladies: Stories London, Flamingo, 2000
Lord, M. (Ed.)* The Penguin Best Australian Short
Stories
Penguin, 1991
Mansfield, Katherine
21
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Author/Editor(s) Title Publication Details
McElheny, H., and Moffett, J.
(Eds)
Points of View Mentor, 1966
Mellor, B. and Martino, W.* Gendered Fictions Cottesloe, WA, Chalkface Press, 1995
Mellor, B. and Patterson, A.* Investigating Texts Cottesloe, WA, Chalkface Press, 1996
Mellor, B. Patterson , A. and
O’Neill, M.*
Reading Fictions
Scarborough, WA, Chalkface Press, 1991
Mellor, B., O'Neill, M., and
Patterson, A.*
Reading Stories Perth, Chalkface Press, 1988
Mistry, Rohinton Tales from Firozsha Baag
Moon, B.* Studying Literature Scarborough, WA, Chalkface Press, 1990
Morgan, Wendy* Borderland
Naipaul, V.S. Miguel St. Penguin, 1971
Orwell, George
Poe, Edgar Allan
Phillips, Glen and van Loon,
Julienne (Eds)*
Lines in the Sand Cottesloe, WA, Fellowship of Australian
Writers (WA), 2008
Saki
Scott, B. (Ed.) Impressions on a Continent Heinemann, 1983
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander
Tlali, Miriam Footprints in the Quag: Stories and
Dialogues from Soweto
Cape Town, David Philip Publishers, 1989
Winterson, Jeanette
Winton, Tim* Minimum of Two Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1998
Winton, Tim* The Turning Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2006
Wolfe, Tobias The Night in Question New York, Random House, 1997
Novels
* Australian writers/texts are indicated with an asterisk
Author/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Achebe, Chinua Things Fall Apart London, Penguin, 2006
Adiga, Aravind White Tiger India, Harper Collins, 2008
Ali, Monica Brick Lane New York, Scribner, 2003
Allende, Isabelle Eva Luna London, Penguin, 1995
Allende, Isabelle The House of Spirits New York, Random House, 1985
Allende, Isabelle Of Love and Shadows London, Black Swan, 1988
Andric, Ivo The Bridge on the Drina University of Chicago Press, 1977
Angelou, Maya I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings New York, Bantam, 1997
Astley, Thea* A Kindness Cup Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1989
Astley, Thea* Drylands Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2000
Astley, Thea* It's Raining in Mango Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1989
Atwood, Margaret Oryx and Crake London, Bloomsbury, 2003
Atwood, Margaret Surfacing New York, Anchor, 1998
Atwood, Margaret Cat’s Eye New York, Anchor, 1998
Atwood, Margaret The Blind Assassin London, Virago, 2001
Atwood, Margaret The Penelopiad Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2005
Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid's Tale London, Vintage, 1996
Austen, Jane Northanger Abbey London, Penguin Classics, 2003
Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice London, Penguin Classics, 2003
Austen, Jane Persuasion London, Penguin, 2006
Boll, Heinrich The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum London Vintage Classics, 2000
22
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Author/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Boll, Heinrich The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum Minerva, UK, 1993
Broderick, Damien* Striped Holes Port Melbourne, Vic, Mandarin, 1990
Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre London, Penguin, 2006
Bronte, Emily Wuthering Heights London, Penguin, 2006
Camus, A. The Outsider London, Penguin, 2000
Camus, Albert The Plague London, Penguin, 2000
Carey, Peter* Bliss Melbourne, Vintage, 2005
Carey, Peter* The True History of the Kelly Gang Melbourne, Random House, 2005
Carey, Peter* Illywhacker Melbourne, Random House, 2005
Carey, Peter* Oscar and Lucinda Melbourne, Random House, 2005
Chatwin, Bruce On the Black Hill London, Vintage, 2005
Chevalier, Tracy Girl with a Pearl Earring New York, Penguin, 2003
Chopin, Kate Awakening and Other Stories London, Random House, 2005
Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace New York, Penguin, 2005
Coetzee, J.M. Waiting for the Barbarians London, Vintage, 2004
Conrad, Joseph Heart of Darkness London, Penguin, 2000
D’Aguiar, Fred The Longest Memory London, Vintage, 1995
Deane, Seamus Reading in the Dark London, Vintage, 1997
Desai, Kiran The Inheritance of Loss London, Hamish Hamilton, 2006
Dickens, Charles (Any title)
Drewe, Robert* The Drowner Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 2001
Emchetta, Buchi Second Class Citizen New York, George Braziller, 2002
Faulkner, William As I Lay Dying New York, Random House, 2000
Fitzgerald, F.S. The Great Gatsby London, Penguin, 2000
Flanagan, Richard* The Sound of One Hand Clapping Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 1998
Foer, Jonathon Safran Everything Is Illuminated USA, Houghton Mifflin, 2002
Foer, Jonathan Safran Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close London, Penguin, 2006
Forster, E.M. A Passage to India London, Penguin, 2005
Fowles, John The French Lieutenant’s Woman London, Vintage, 2004
Franklin, Miles* My Brilliant Career Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 2001
Fugard, Athol Tsotsi Melbourne, Text Publishing, 2006
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel One Hundred Years of Solitude London, Penguin, 2001
Gardam, Jane Old Filth London, Chatto & Windus, 2004
Garner, Helen* Monkey Grip Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1995
Goldbloom, Goldie* The Paperbark Shoe Perth, Fremantle Press, 2010
Golding, William The Inheritors London, Faber, 2005
Goldsworthy, Peter Maestro Melbourne, Harper Collins, 1995
Grenville, Kate* Joan Makes History St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,
2002
Grenville, Kate* The Secret River Melbourne, Text Publishing, 2006
Hardy, Thomas The Mayor of Casterbridge London, Penguin, 2003
Hawthorne, Nathaniel The Scarlet Letter New York, Random House, 2000
Hemingway, Ernest A Farewell to Arms London, Vintage, 1999
Hemingway, Ernest Fiesta London, Vintage, 2000
Herbert, Xavier* Poor Fellow, My Country North Ryde, NSW, Collins/Angus & Robertson,
1990
Hesse, Hermann Siddhartha London, Pan Macmillan, 1998
Hesse, Hermann The Glass Bead Game London, Ebury Publishing, 2000
Hesse, Hermann The Prodigy London, Peter Owen, 2002
Hosain, Attia Sunlight on a Broken Column New York, Penguin, 1989 (out of print?)
23
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Author/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Hospital, Janet Turner* Charades St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,
2003
Huxley, Aldous Brave New World New York, Harper Collins, 2006
Jolley, Elizabeth* The Well Ringwood, Vic, Penguin, 1987
Jolley, Elizabeth* Miss Peabody’s Inheritance St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,
1984
Jones, Gail* Sixty Lights London, Vintage, 2005
Jones, Gail* Dreams of Speaking Melbourne, Random House, 2006
Jones, Gail* Sorry North Sydney, NSW, Vintage Books, 2007
Jones, Lloyd Mr Pip Auckland, Penguin, 2006
Kafka, Franz Metamorphosis [Anthology title:
Metamorphosis and Other Stories]
London, Penguin, 2007
Keneally, Thomas* Bring Larks and Heroes Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1989
Keneally, Thomas* Towards Asmara Sydney, Hachette Livre, 2002
Kenneally, Thomas* The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Melbourne, Harper Collins, 2004
Kingsolver, Barbara The Poisonwood Bible New York, Harper Collins, 2005
Kingston, Maxine Hong The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a
Girlhood Among Ghosts
New York, Random House, 1989
Kneale, Matthew English Passengers London, Penguin, 2001
Lawrence, D.H. Sons and Lovers London, Penguin, 2006
Lazaroo, Simone* The Australian Fiance Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2001
LeGuin, Ursula The Left Hand of Darkness London, Little, Brown Book Group, 1981
Levy, Andrea* Small Island Sydney, Headline, 2004
Lewis, Janet The Wife of Martin Guerre London, Penguin, 1996
Malouf, David* Fly Away Peter London, Vintage, 1998
Malouf, David* An Imaginary Life London, Vintage, 1999
Malouf, David* Ransom Vintage, 2010
Malouf, David*. Remembering Babylon London, Vintage, 1994
Martel, Yan The Life of Pi Edinburgh, Canongate Books, 2003
McEwan, Ian The Child in Time London, Vintage, 1997
McEwan, Ian Saturday London, Vintage, 2006
McEwan, Ian Atonement London, Jonathan Cape, 2001.
McGahan, Andrew* The White Earth St Leonards, NSW, Allen & Unwin, 2005
McGahern, John Amongst Women London, Faber, 2000
Mitchell, David Black Swan Green London, Hodder & Stoughton, 2006
Modjeska, Drusilla* The Orchard Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 1995
Morrison, Toni Beloved London, Vintage, 1999
Ondaatje, Michael The English Patient London, Picador, 1992
Orwell, George Nineteen Eighty‐Four London, Penguin, 2004
Patchett, Anne Bel Canto New York, Harper Collins, 2005
Potok, Chaim The Chosen London, Penguin, 1975
Pritchard, Katharine
Susannah*
Coonardoo Pymble, NSW,HarperCollins, 2002
Pullman, Philip Northern Lights London, Scholastic, 2007
Rand, Ayn The Fountainhead London, Penguin, 2007
Rhys, Jean Wide Sargasso Sea London, Folio Society, 1993
Roy, Arundhati The God of Small Things London, Harper Collins, 1998
Rushdie, Salman Midnight’s Children London, Vintage, 2006
Schlink, Bernard The Reader London, Orion, 1998
Scott, Kim* True Country Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,
1993
24
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Author/Editor(s) Title Publication details
Scott, Kim* Benang Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,
1999
Scott, Kim* That Dead Man Dance Australia, Picador, 2010
Scourfield, Stephen* Other Country Allen and Unwin, 2007
Shelley, Mary Frankenstein Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1992
Silvey, Craig* Jasper Jones Crows Nest, NSW, Allen and Unwin, 2009
Silvey, Craig* Rhubarb Fremantle, WA, Fremantle Arts Centre Press,
2004
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich London, Penguin, 2000
Stead, Christina* The Man Who Loved Children Pymble, NSW, Harper Collins, 1994
Stead, Christina* For Love Alone Bondi Junction, NSW, ETT Imprint, 1999
Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath London, Penguin, 2000
Steinbeck, John Tortilla Flat London, Penguin, 2000
Steinbeck, John Cannery Row London, Penguin, 2000
Stevenson, R.L. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde London, Penguin, 2006
Stow, Randolph* The Merry‐Go‐Round in the Sea New York, Morrow, 1966
Stow, Randolph* To the Islands St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press,
2002
Swift, Jonathon Gulliver’s Travels London, Penguin, 2003
Toibin, Colm The Blackwater Lightship London, Pan Macmillan, 2000
Toibin, Colm The Heather Blazing London, Pan Macmillan, 2001
Tolstoy, Leo Anna Karenina London, Penguin, 2006
Wells, H.G. Island of Doctor Moreau London, Orion, 2004
Wharton, Elizabeth The Age of Innocence Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1989
Wharton, William Birdy New York, Knopf, 1992
White, Patrick.* A Fringe of Leaves London, Vintage, 1997
Wilde, Oscar The Picture of Dorian Gray London, Penguin 2006
Winton, Tim* Breath London, Picador, 2008
Winton, Tim* An Open Swimmer Camberwell, Vic, Penguin, 1998
Winton, Tim* Cloudstreet Melbourne, Penguin, 1992
Winton, Tim* The Riders Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2004
Winton, Tim* Dirt Music Sydney, Pan Macmillan, 2004
Wood, Charlotte* Submerged Cathedral Melbourne, Random House, 2004
Woolf, Virginia To the Lighthouse Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1992
Woolf, Virginia Jacob’s Room London, Penguin, 1992
Woolfe, Sue* Leaning Towards Infinity Melbourne, Random House, 1999
Zusak, Marcus* The Book Thief South Yarra, Vic, Pan Macmillan, 2005
25
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Appendix 3 – Glossary This glossary is provided to enable a common understanding of the key terms in this syllabus.
Aesthetic A sense of beauty or an appreciation of artistic expression. For example, some
poems might be aesthetically pleasing because of their sound, rhyme and rhythm
and those poems might or might not be intellectually pleasing as well, depending
on the meaning readers take from them. If we appreciate the way a text has been
put together, for example, its language, its style, its tone, its use or adaptation of
generic conventions etc., then we are possibly focusing on the aesthetic qualities
of the text. If we focus on the meaning or the theme or the ideology or our
reading of the text, then we are possibly focusing on the intellectual rather than
the aesthetic. Of course, many would argue that the aesthetic and the intellectual
are inseparable.
Appreciation The act of discerning the quality and value of literary texts.
Attitude A stance regarding a situation, idea, character, event or issue. For example, an
author or audience may be supportive of, disinterested in or antagonistic towards
something or someone.
Audience The group of readers, listeners or viewers that it is presumed that the writer, or
speaker is addressing. Audience includes students in the classroom, an individual,
the wider community, review writers, critics and the implied audience.
Author The composer or originator of a work.
Context The environment in which a text is produced or received. Context can include the
general social, historical and cultural conditions in which a text is produced or
received or the specific features of its immediate environment. The term is also
used to refer to the wording surrounding an unfamiliar word that a reader or
listener uses to understand its meaning.
Convention An accepted practice that has developed over time and is generally used and
understood, for example, the use of specific structural aspects of texts to develop
meaning. Conventions often come to be associated with particular genres.
Critical perspectives Critical perspectives are formed by students when they make meaning from
literature by engaging with aspects of the text(s) studied. In the Literature ATAR
course, students discuss and debate aspects of texts, establishing their views
through logical argument. Students reflect on the aesthetic qualities of literary
texts, appreciate the power of language and inquire into the relationship between
texts, authors, readers, audiences and contexts, thereby forming their own critical
perspectives. Critical perspectives can be informed by various reading practices
and strategies.
Dialogue Dialogue refers to the conversation between two characters in a literary text.
Dialogue also refers to the process by which readers engage with texts over time.
In the construction of meaning, readers are in a dialogue or conversation with the
text.
Discourse In general terms, the term, ‘discourse’ refers to the language or terminology used
in the discussion of a subject or field of study. For example, the terms defined in
this glossary belong to a literary discourse; laws about contracts belong to a legal
discourse; a debate about the best ways to remove a skin cancer belongs to a
medical discourse. Within literary theory, it is argued that meaning is constructed
26
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
through discourse, that nothing has any meaning outside of discourse. Every idea
belongs to at least one discourse. For example, it would be reasonable to conclude
that some ‘nature’ poems and their themes belong to a discourse of ecological
sustainability. Discourses are involved in the distribution of social power, favouring
different people, institutions and ideologies. For example, a discourse condoning
the expansion of an empire favours some people and institutions over others; it
has a very different language and ideology from a post‐colonial discourse.
Figurative language Word groups or phrases used in a way that differs from the expected or everyday
usage. They are used in a non‐literal way for particular effect
(for example, simile – ‘white as a sheet’; metaphor – ‘all the world’s a stage’;
personification – ‘the wind grabbed at my clothes’).
Forms of texts The shape and structure of texts (for example, poetry, novels, short stories, plays).
Genre The categories into which texts are grouped. The term has a complex history
within literary theory and is often used to distinguish texts on the basis of their
subject matter (for example, detective fiction, romance, science fiction, fantasy
fiction), form and structure (for example, poetry, novels, short stories and plays).
This Literature course uses the term ‘genre’ to mean prose fiction, poetry and
drama. Within those genres are other genres or ‘sub‐genres’ for example, in prose
fiction: crime fiction, romance, or the epistolary novel; in drama: absurd theatre,
comedy and tragedy; in poetry, forms like elegy, sonnet and ode.
Ideology A system of attitudes, values, beliefs and assumptions.
Intertextuality The process by which a reader makes connections between texts,
for example, texts read previously and the text being read at present. Readers
might see connections in terms of the representations of ideas or groups of
people; in terms of the generic conventions used; in terms of the language, form
or style; in terms of the ideologies promoted; or in terms of the plots or characters
or themes. Some texts allude to others, sometimes directly, sometimes subtly.
While reading one text, readers might notice resonances with another text. By
reading intertextually, we can examine how a text might position readers by
inviting them to draw on ways of thinking they have encountered in other texts.
Language features The features of language that support meaning, for example, sentence structure,
noun group/phrase, vocabulary, punctuation, figurative language. Choices in
language features and text structures together define a type of text and shape its
meaning. These choices vary according to the purpose of a text, its subject matter,
audience and mode or medium of production.
Language patterns The arrangement of identifiable repeated or corresponding elements in a text.
These include patterns of repetition or similarity (for example, the repeated use of
verbs at the beginning of each step in a recipe, or the repetition of a chorus after
each verse in a song). The patterns may alternate (for example, the call and
response pattern of some games, or the to and fro of a dialogue). Other patterns
may contrast (for example, opposing viewpoints in a discussion, or contrasting
patterns of imagery in a poem). The language patterns of a text contribute to the
distinctive nature of its overall organisation and shape its meaning.
Marginalise Alienate the views of, or underplay the significance of groups or individuals.
27
Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Medium The resources used in the production of texts, including the tools and materials
used (for example, digital text and the computer; writing and the pen or
typewriter or tablet; the resources and materials used in creating live theatre; the
technologies involved in recording and transmitting performances). Put more
simply, live theatre is a different medium from television which is a different
medium from the printed page.
Mode The various processes of communication: listening, speaking, reading/viewing and
writing/creating. Modes are also used to refer to the semiotic (meaning‐making)
resources associated with these communicative processes, such as sound, print,
image and gesture.
Multimodal text A text that combines two or more communication modes (for example, print,
image and spoken text, as in computer presentations). A multimodal literary text is
a multimodal text that is predominantly literary, for example, in its use of literary
conventions, its tone or its style. A multimodal literary text could also be referred
to as a literary text that is multimodal, as per the definition of ‘multimodal’.
Multiple readings A literary text is open to interpretation, can be read in a number of ways,
depending on the reading strategies that readers are employing. In that sense,
because different reading strategies are being used by different readers, then
multiple readings of the text are possible. For example, if the reader focuses on
the representation of gender in a text then that might lead the reader to certain
conclusions, for example, the text is ‘politically incorrect (or correct)’, ‘feminist’ or
‘chauvinist’. Another reader might focus on class, for example, the class to which
the writer belonged and the effects that had on the construction of the text; such
a reading might focus on the representation of class in the text that privileges one
class over another or that objects to the treatment of a class by the wider society.
A third reader might focus on the writer’s adherence to or adaptation of
conventions of a genre; and on the writer’s choice of language and the implied
ideologies of that language. Three very different ‘readings’ of the same text might
be created and each would be assessed on its merits. A single reader might also be
able to create more than one reading of a text, for example, by explaining, “One
reading of the text is that…..” and “Another reading of this text might be that….”
Narrative A story of events or experiences, real or imagined. In literary theory, narrative
includes the story (what is narrated) and the genre (how it is narrated).
Narrative point of view The position or vantage‐point from which the events of a story seem to be
observed and narrated to the reader. For example, the narrator might take the
role of first or third person; omniscient or restricted in knowledge of events; and
reliable or unreliable in interpreting what happens. Some texts have multiple
narrators and therefore, of course, multiple narrative points of view.
Naturalise If writers or texts frequently represent an idea or group of people in a certain
stereotypical way, then readers might assume that that’s the way things are.
Readers might jump to the conclusion that it is ‘natural’ to think of that idea in
that way or for that group of people to behave that way. For example, if
Australians are always represented as uneducated and loudmouthed, then readers
might come to expect those characteristics of Australians or Australian characters
in texts. The characteristics have become ’naturalised’. When we assume that a
particular representation of a group of people is ‘natural’ or that their behaviour is
‘natural’, we are probably forgetting that their behaviour is ‘cultural’, as in
belonging to a particular culture or sub‐culture and that there is nothing ‘natural’
about it at all. See Moon’s chapter on the culture/nature binary.
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Perspective The way a reader/viewer is positioned by the author through the text, or how a
particular ideology is embedded in a text, for example, a feminist perspective. The
term ‘perspective’ may also refer to the ideological perspective, the values and
attitudes that the reader brings to the text; and it may refer to the reading
practice or ‘lens’ used to read the text, for example, a feminist perspective,
a post‐colonial reading practice, a Marxist perspective, a psychoanalytical reading
of a text.
Point of view An opinion or viewpoint.
Reading strategies/reading practices
Reading strategies (reading practices, ways of reading) are ways readers make
meaning of texts. Often a reading strategy will involve paying attention to the
context of the writer, the language of the text, its generic conventions and/or the
context of the reader. When a reader focuses on the representation of gender,
class, race/ethnicity, cultural identity or other representations or combinations of
these representations, then the reader is employing a reading strategy.
Representation In literary texts, words, phrases or sentences that re‐present (as opposed to
‘reflect’) reality. For example, we can refer to the representation of ‘women’ in a
text; or the representation of ‘love’; or the representation of ‘pre‐war Australia’.
Resonances Aspects of texts that resound or echo for readers.
Rhetorical devices Language techniques used in argument to persuade audiences
(for example, rhetorical questions, repetition, propositions, figurative language).
Standard Australian English The variety of spoken and written English language in Australia used in more
formal settings, such as for official or public purposes, and recorded in
dictionaries, style guides and grammars. While it is always dynamic and evolving, it
is recognised as the ‘common language’ of Australians.
Stylistic choices The selection of stylistic features to achieve a particular effect.
Stylistic features The ways in which aspects of texts (such as words, sentences, images) are
arranged and how they affect meaning. Style can distinguish the work of individual
authors (for example, Jennings’ stories, Lawson’s poems), as well as the work of a
particular period (for example, Elizabethan drama, nineteenth‐century novels), or
of a particular genre or type of text (for example, recipes, scientific articles,
play‐by‐play commentary). Examples of stylistic features are narrative viewpoint,
structure of stanzas, juxtaposition, nominalisation, alliteration, metaphor and
lexical choice.
Text structure The ways in which information is organised in different types of texts
(for example, chapter headings, subheadings, tables of contents, indexes and
glossaries, overviews, introductory and concluding paragraphs, sequencing, topic
sentences, taxonomies, cause and effect). Choices in text structures and language
features together define a text type and shape its meaning. Examples of text
structures in literary texts include sonnets, monologues and hypertext.
Transformation Changing the form or shape of a text, for example, by appropriation, adaptation,
subversion or parody.
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Literature | ATAR | Year 11 syllabus
Types of texts Classifications of texts according to the particular purposes they are designed to
achieve. These distinctions are neither static nor discrete and particular texts can
belong to more than one category.
Analytical texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to identify, examine and draw conclusions about
the elements or components that make up other texts. Analytical texts develop an
argument or consider or advance an interpretation. Examples of these texts
include commentaries, essays in criticism, reflective or discursive responses and
reviews.
Discursive texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to engage the reader in a non‐fictional or
expository manner but which may digress from one subject to another and which
are not as formal or methodical as analytical texts. Such texts could include
feature articles and journals.
Imaginative texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to entertain or provoke thought through their imaginative use of literary elements. They are recognised for their form, style and artistic or aesthetic value. These texts include novels, traditional tales, poetry, stories, plays, fiction for young adults and children, including picture books, and multimodal texts such as film. Persuasive texts Texts whose primary purpose is to put forward a point of view and persuade a
reader, viewer or listener. They form a significant part of modern communication
in both print and digital environments. They include advertising, debates,
arguments, discussions, polemics and essays and articles.
Reflective texts
Texts whose primary purpose is to reflect on texts and ideas but in a less formal
way than an analytical essay. Such texts could include a series of journal entries
about a literary text or a single piece reflecting on what one hoped to achieve in a
creative production.
Voice In the literary sense, voice can be used to refer to the nature of the voice
projected in a text, for example, ‘authorial voice’ in a work of prose fiction, the
voice of a persona in a poem or the voice of a character in a monologue.
Useful references include:
M.H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms
Deborah Appleman, Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to Adolescents
Chris Baldick, The Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms
Martin Gray, A Dictionary of Literary Terms
Jeremy Hawthorn, A Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory
Brian Moon, A Glossary of Literary Terms
The New Princeton Encyclopaedia of Poetry and Poetics