Language That Works

Overview

In this 60-minute lesson for Year 11 students, based on the Australian Curriculum (v9) for English, the focus is on developing students' understanding and use of language that works effectively in a range of real-world and academic contexts. This lesson aligns with the Essential English strand "Language that Works," focusing on language features, metalanguage, and the impact of language choices on audiences.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Analyse how language features and text structures create meaning and position audiences in spoken, written, and multimodal texts (ACELY1744, ACELY1745).
• Use metalanguage accurately to describe language choices including vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone (in line with Australian Curriculum emphasis on metalanguage use for analysis).
• Plan and produce a persuasive text using deliberate language features to influence a specific audience and purpose.
• Reflect on how language varies across contexts for effect, considering tone, formality, and register (referencing ACELY1744 elaborations).

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Curriculum Alignment

• Australian Curriculum (v9) English
  • Language strand: Investigate how vocabulary choices, text structures, and language features influence meaning and position audiences in texts (Year 11).
  • Literacy: Use metalanguage to analyse and discuss language use.
  • General Capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard/Smartboard
• Student notebooks or digital devices
• Sample persuasive texts (print and/or digital multimodal)
• Worksheet: Language Metalanguage Chart
• Exit slip prompt cards

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Engagement and Introduction (10 minutes)

• Begin with a short multimodal video clip of a persuasive speech (e.g., an excerpt from a social campaign or political speech).
• Prompt students: "What language features made this speech effective? How did the speaker position the audience?"
• Briefly introduce the concept of Language that Works - how language choices are deliberate to achieve purpose.
• Share the learning objectives aligned with the Australian Curriculum.

2. Exploration and Analysis (15 minutes)

• Distribute samples of persuasive texts (both written and multimodal advertising or editorials).
• In pairs, students identify: key language features (tone, modality, vocabulary), text structures, and their intended audience/purpose.
• Use metalanguage terms from a curated chart (e.g., modality, connotation, syntax, rhetorical questions, figurative language).
• Whole class discussion: each pair shares one strong feature they identified and explains its effect on audience.

3. Application Activity: Creating Persuasive Texts (20 minutes)

• Provide students with a scenario (e.g., create a persuasive speech or multimodal advertisement to raise awareness about a contemporary issue such as climate change, mental health, or social justice).
• Students individually plan their text, focusing on:
  • Purpose and target audience
  • Key persuasive language features they will use (modal verbs, emotive language, inclusive language, repetition)
  • Tone and register suitable for audience and context
• Students draft either a short written speech or storyboard a multimodal presentation incorporating language that works.

4. Reflection and Sharing (10 minutes)

• Volunteer students share their draft plans or key ideas.
• Peer feedback focusing on effectiveness of language choices.
• Teacher facilitates reflection on how understanding metalanguage and language features can improve communication and persuasive impact.

5. Assessment and Closure (5 minutes)

• Exit slip: Students write one sentence using metalanguage to describe a language feature they used and its intended effect.
• Collect exit slips to assess understanding of metalanguage and application of purposeful language.

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Differentiation

• Support students by providing sentence starters and metalanguage word banks.
• Challenge advanced learners to experiment with complex sentence structures or multimodal elements.
• Use digital platforms for students who prefer typing or multimedia creation.

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Extensions / Homework Suggestion

• Students to find a persuasive text in media or online and write an analysis paragraph using metalanguage describing language that works in that text.
• Prepare a two-minute delivery of their persuasive speech for the next lesson focusing on vocal tone and presentation techniques.

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Why this lesson 'wows'

• Integrates multimodal literacy with traditional persuasive text skills, offering students diverse engagement.
• Explicit use of metalanguage deepens analytical thinking and empowers students to control and critique language.
• Scenario-based creative task connects classroom learning with real-world issues, encouraging personal voice and agency.
• Aligns neatly to Australian Curriculum v9 language outcomes ensuring relevance and rigorous content coverage.

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Australian Curriculum References

• ACELY1744: Analyse how text structures, language features, and images in texts such as newspapers, advertisements, and opinion pieces are used to position an audience.
• ACELY1745: Use metalanguage to describe and explain language choices and their effects in texts.
• Aligns with Year 11 English content descriptions for analytical skills in Language strand.

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If you would like, I can also generate a ready-made worksheet or template for the metalanguage activities or draft persuasive text plans to accompany this lesson. Just let me know!