Stage 1 | Subject outline | Version control

English as an Additional Language Stage 1
Subject outline

Version 4.0
For teaching in Australian and SACE International schools from January 2024 to December 2024.
For teaching in SACE International schools only from May/June 2023 to March 2024 and from May/June 2024 to March 2025.
Accredited in May 2015 for teaching at Stage 1 from 2016.

Stage 1 | Subject outline | Assessment design criteria

Assessment design criteria

The assessment design criteria are based on the learning requirements and are used by teachers to:

  • clarify for the student what they need to learn
  • design opportunities for the student to provide evidence of their learning at the highest level of achievement.

The assessment design criteria consist of specific features that:

  • students need to demonstrate in their evidence of learning
  • teachers look for as evidence that students have met the learning requirements.

For this subject, the assessment design criteria are:

  • communication
  • comprehension
  • analysis
  • application.

The specific features of these criteria are described below.

The set of assessments, as a whole, must give students opportunities to demonstrate each of the specific features by the completion of study of the subject.

Communication 

The specific features are as follows:

C1 Clarity and coherence of written and spoken expression, using appropriate vocabulary.
C2 Demonstration of grammatical control and complexity.

Comprehension

The specific features are as follows:

Cp1 Comprehension and interpretation of information, ideas, and opinions in texts.
Cp2 Understanding of the purpose, structure, and language features of texts.

Analysis

The specific features are as follows:

An1 Analysis of personal, social, and cultural perspectives in texts.
An2 Analysis of ways in which texts are created for specific purposes and audiences.

Application

The specific features are as follows:

Ap1 Use of language features and conventions for different purposes and audiences.
Ap2 Selection of evidence and examples to support a point of view.