Information regarding Literature

To be eligible for an ATAR, students must satisfactorily complete an English learning area subject. For
most students, this will involve satisfactory completion of a General Senior Syllabus, which can be either
English, or Literature. These subjects share common features that include the continuing development of
students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, speaking, reading, viewing, designing and
writing. Differences between the subjects lie in the emphasis on how language and skills are developed
and the contexts in which they are applied.
The College offers Literature as an alternative subject to English from Semester 2 of Year 10. Literature
may be an appealing option for those students who enjoy reading literary texts and wish to extend their
skills and understanding in this area. Students can also choose to study both English and Literature.
The information that follows is designed to assist you in appreciating the relative merits of Literature as a
course of study, particularly compared to the subject English.

Literature
The subject Literature focuses on the study of literary texts, developing students as independent,
innovative and creative learners and thinkers who appreciate the aesthetic use of language, analyse
perspectives and evidence, and challenge ideas and interpretations through the analysis and creation of
varied literary texts.
Students have opportunities to engage with language and texts through a range of teaching and learning
experiences to foster:
• the skills to communicate effectively in Standard Australian English for the purposes of
responding to and creating literary texts
• the skills to make choices about generic structures, language, textual features and technologies
to participate actively in the dialogue and detail of literary analysis and the creation of
imaginative and analytical texts in a range of modes, mediums and forms
• enjoyment and appreciation of literary texts and the aesthetic use of language
• creative thinking and imagination by exploring how literary texts shape perceptions of the world
and enable us to enter the worlds of others
• critical exploration of ways in which literary texts may reflect or challenge social and cultural
ways of thinking and influence audiences
• empathy for others and appreciation of different perspectives through studying a range of literary
texts from diverse cultures and periods, including Australian texts by Aboriginal writers and/or
Torres Strait Islander writers.

Literature and English – How do they differ?

Literature and English have the same rationale, syllabus objectives, literacy foci and 21st Century Skills
foci. In short, both syllabuses aim to achieve the same goals, just by different pathways. English and
Literature differ primarily on the basis of the texts studied: English considers literary and non-literary texts,
whereas Literature considers literary texts only. This distinction is an important one. In short, ‘literary’ as
used in the Literature syllabus refers to a way of reading texts rather than a set of qualities in a text that
exist independently of how a text is read. The focus is on how students engage with texts. English has the
same focus, but less of an emphasis in this area. In summary, interested and able students have greater
opportunity for independent thinking, imaginative response, and analysis in Literature relative to English.
In terms of the assessment techniques, there are two imaginative responses in Literature, and only one in
English. Literature thus has a relative emphasis on creating imaginative texts compared to English,
granting interested and able students greater opportunity to develop their skills in constructing meaning
through language. One need only look to the popularity of platforms such as Netflix to appreciate the
demand for unique creative content in contemporary society, and thus why a student may choose to
develop their imaginative writing skills.
Further, the relative weightings of the three dimensions is different in Literature, with greater emphasis on
Knowledge Application and Organisation and Development compared to Textual Features (which focuses
more on the mechanics of writing). Students who excel in these areas serve to benefit more from studying
Literature compared to English.
In summary, Literature offers (relative to English):
1. More scope for independent thinking, analysis and imaginative response
2. Additional opportunities for developing skills in creating imaginative texts
3. Opportunity to exploit dimension weightings to maximise ATAR scores

We trust that the above summary, and the Course Structure comparison and Assessment comparison on
the following pages are informative for you and enable you to consider the potential benefits of studying
Literature at the College. If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Caldwell, Head of Department –
English at r.caldwell@ormiston.qld.edu.au.
Course Structure Comparison
Assessment Comparison
Assessment
English
Technique
Extended response — written response for a public audience (25%). 1000–
1500 words. Marks available: Knowledge Application – 9; Organisation and
Development – 8; Textual Features – 8.
This assessment requires students to analyse representations of concepts,
IA1
identities, times or places in two different types of texts, one of which must
be a literary text from the prescribed text list. In the form of a written
response for a public audience, students offer a considered perspective,
positioning the reader to think about the texts in particular ways and in
relation to one another.
Extended response — persuasive spoken response (25%). 5–8 minutes.
Marks available: Knowledge Application – 8; Organisation and
Development – 8; Textual Features – 9.
IA2 Students are to respond to the representation of a contemporary social
issue in media texts and construct a persuasive argument of their own that
adds to the public dialogue or ‘conversation’ about the issue.
Examination — imaginative written response (25%). 2 hours + 15 minutes
planning. 800–1000 words. Marks available: Knowledge Application – 9;
Organisation and Development – 8; Textual Features – 8.
IA3 Students produce an imaginative response to a literary text from the
prescribed text list in which they draw on their knowledge of the craft of
writing to prompt critical and emotional responses in the reader.
Examination — analytical written response (25%). 2 hours + 15 minutes
planning. 800–1000 words.
The examination is an analytical response to a literary text from the
EA prescribed text list in the form of an analytical essay for an audience with a
deep understanding of the text. The purpose is to communicate an informed
and critical perspective in response to an unseen question or task on the
text studied in-depth in Unit 4.
Literature
Examination — analytical written response (25%). 2 hours + 15 minutes
planning. 800–1000 words. Marks available: Knowledge Application – 9;
Organisation and Development – 9; Textual Features – 7.
Students write an analytical essay in response to a seen question or task
under supervised conditions for an audience with a deep understanding of the
studied text/s. The question or task must relate to how a particular literary text,
selected from the prescribed text list, addresses issues and ideas related to
culture and identity, and must allow students to critique others’ interpretations
or responses to literary texts.
Extended response — imaginative spoken/multimodal response (25%). 5–8
minutes (spoken) or 6–9 minutes (multi modal). Marks available: Knowledge
Application – 9; Organisation and Development – 9; Textual Features – 7.
Students produce an imaginative spoken/multimodal response to at least one
literary text from the prescribed text list (the base text). In this assessment,
they draw on their knowledge of the relationship between language, culture
and identity to reinterpret ideas and perspectives in the base text to create a
reimagined text for a new cultural context.
Extended response — imaginative written response (25%). 1500–2000 words.
Marks available: Knowledge Application – 9; Organisation and Development –
9; Textual Features – 7.
Students independently develop and compose an original, imaginative written
text in which they purposefully manipulate aesthetic features and stylistic
devices to shape representations and perspectives and achieve particular
effects. Students may respond in any imaginative form that is predominantly
prose and allows them to demonstrate the assessment objectives.
Examination — analytical written response (25%). 2 hours + 15 minutes
planning. 800–1000 words.
The examination is an analytical response to a literary text from the prescribed
text list in the form of an analytical essay for an audience with a deep
understanding of the text. The purpose is to communicate an informed and
critical perspective in response to an unseen question or task on the text
studied in-depth in Unit 4.