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NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

11–12English Studies 11–12 Syllabus

Record of changes
Implementation from 2026
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Content

Life Skills

Language, identity and culture (aligned to English Standard)

For students studying English Life Skills, the focus area Language, identity and culture provides opportunities to consider how texts can represent or shape identity. Students have the opportunity to engage with ways language can be used to affirm or challenge beliefs about themselves and others. They explore ways language forms or features are used to communicate information, ideas, values or attitudes. The selection of texts for this unit could explore a range of short texts or excerpts that draw on students’ personal experiences with languages and cultures. Students experiment with language forms and features to compose texts that explore their own identity and culture.

The content below aligns to the content of the Language, identity and culture focus area in English Standard 11–12 and has been provided as a suggestion only. Further content can also be used to address this focus area and meet the individual needs of students as appropriate.

Understanding language forms and features
  • Recognise ways language forms, features or structures can create meaning in a text

  • Recognise ways language forms and features change according to purpose and audience

Responding to ideas and experiences in texts
  • Explore different perspectives on a particular topic, theme or event

  • Respond to a text by providing a personal opinion or perspective

  • Identify how a personal opinion can be changed in response to a text

Context and texts
  • Recognise that audience responses to texts can vary

  • Identify that texts represent a diverse range of lived experiences or cultural perspectives

  • Recognise how context influences audience, ideas and attitudes

Composing texts
  • Compose texts for different purposes and audiences using appropriate forms, language or visual features to communicate, including workplace and real-life texts

Using language forms and features
  • Use language forms or structures to express ideas

  • Use visual or language features to create texts

  • Experiment with language forms, features or structures to develop creativity

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