Levels 5 and 6

Achievement Objectives

	Reading visual and dramatic texts, including static and moving images, students should:
Level 5	respond to and discuss various meanings, ideas, and effects, describing how verbal and visual features are combined for different purposes	Viewing
Level 6	respond to and interpret various meanings, ideas, and effects, describing how verbal and visual features are combined for different purposes and audiences
	In achieving the objectives of understanding and using visual language, students should:
Levels 5 and 6	using appropriate terminology, describe the conventions of verbal and visual language in several genres, and use them to create particular effects	Exploring Language
Levels 5 and 6	identify and analyse the effects of combining verbal and visual features in different ways for a variety of purposes and audiences	Thinking Critically
Levels 5 and 6	select and interpret information from visual texts and present it effectively, using appropriate production technologies for different purposes	Processing Information

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: exploring language; thinking critically

Teaching and Learning
Context: a study of body language in interviews

Students select an advertisement from the Situations Vacant column of a newspaper and discuss information that would help them in an interview for that position.
Teacher and students discuss features of interviewing, highlighting the importance of non-verbal features of language, and using terms such as gesture, facial expression, and posture.
Students develop possible criteria for assessing an employment interview.
The teacher models the roles of interviewer and interviewee with another person. Students assess the interviews, using the criteria.

Assessment

Groups interview their own members, taking turns with the roles of employer and employee, and assess their use of language and conventions.
Students prepare for and present an interview for another position advertised in the Situations Vacant column of a newspaper.
Students discuss who might win the position, based only on criteria relevant to the interview, and how well the interviewees have combined verbal and non-verbal elements.

Links With Other Strands
Presenting, Speaking, Listening

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: thinking critically

Teaching and Learning
Context: a study of visual language associated with popular songs

Students view a range of CD covers, posters, and videos of popular songs and singers, and discuss how effectively they combine words and images to influence and appeal to the intended audience.
In groups, students analyse the impact and effects of the texts, such as mood, expectations, and themes, and discuss how these are established, through features such as symbolism, body language, colour, and use of words.
Students undertake a close reading of a video, transcribe the text, and discuss how the elements of video making, music, and text are combined to appeal to an audience.
Students discuss the implied messages in the video.

Assessment

In groups, students establish criteria for an excellent video, CD cover, and poster. The teacher notes the students' understanding of the effects of the language features.

Links With Other Strands
Speaking, Listening

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: thinking critically

Teaching and Learning
Context: a study of societies and stereotypes, through the medium of television

Students view individual scenes from two or three different television shows which are related in theme. They look for specific aspects, for example, the ways in which law enforcement officers or parents are presented in American, Australian, New Zealand, or British television dramas.
Students view two short clips from earlier periods, such as the 1940s, looking for ways the protagonists are portrayed.
In groups, students consider and discuss comparisons of social aspects such as language, dress, lifestyle, cars, technology, offices, houses, behaviour, and values, and the portrayal of different groups of people. Their reports are shared.
Guided by the teacher, students examine the visual and non-verbal features of each programme, noting, for example, camera work, pace, sound effects, and music.
Each group of students chooses one of the clips which establishes a character.
Students then make notes to the director for changing some of the features of the characterisation, such as appearance, dress, voice, mannerisms, language, background, and setting, in order to fit the character into a different period or cultural context.

Assessment

The teacher discusses the suggested changes with each group, and assesses their understanding of how the elements combine to portray certain values.

Links With Other Strands
Speaking, Listening, Writing

Achievement Objectives
Viewing: exploring language; processing information

Teaching and Learning
Context: a research project on language in the wider community

Students select a particular type of visual language, such as billboard advertising, shopping mall signs, or public notices, and in groups video or photograph as many examples of the category as possible.
Groups interpret and analyse characteristics of the selected visual language types and discuss their effects.
Groups exchange information on the characteristics of language types, and present examples and findings to other groups for comparison.

Assessment

Using a range of visual techniques, each group synthesises its information for a presentation, focusing on how the meanings and effects of the chosen language are created.
Students are assessed for their ability to interpret information from visual texts and to discuss the effects of visual language features.

Links With Other Strands
Speaking, Listening, Presenting