Structuring the New English in Australia: James Moffett and English Teaching in New South Wales

James Moffett's influence in Australia is shown here manifested in a particular Syllabus for Years 7-10 from the 1970s. Moffett is discussed in terms of the totalising nature of the theory presented in Teaching the Universe of Discourse and it is argued that not only the details of Moffett'...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Changing English 2010-09, Vol.17 (3), p.285-296
Main Author: Sawyer, Wayne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Change Agents
Curriculum Design
Curriculum Development
Educational Change
Educational Practices
Educational Strategies
English curriculum
English in Australia
English Instruction
English language
English literature
English teaching
Foreign Countries
Instructional Innovation
James Moffett
Language Acquisition
Literacy
Moffett (J)
Moffett, James
National Curriculum
National Curriculum Project (Australia)
Rhetoric
Secondary education
Secondary School Curriculum
Teaching Methods
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Summary:James Moffett's influence in Australia is shown here manifested in a particular Syllabus for Years 7-10 from the 1970s. Moffett is discussed in terms of the totalising nature of the theory presented in Teaching the Universe of Discourse and it is argued that not only the details of Moffett's theory, but also its totalising nature were both reflected in that Syllabus. This approach to curriculum is briefly contrasted with the current draft National Curriculum for English (K-10) in Australia, which presents a model of the subject effectively disintegrated into separate strands of language, literature and literacy. Finally, the author's own experience with Moffett's Active Voice in schools is discussed as an example of operationalising theories of language development and rhetoric within a longitudinal curriculum.
ISSN:1358-684X
1469-3585
DOI:10.1080/1358684X.2010.505448