This article examines synergies and gaps in the construction of English, literacy, multimodality in policy and curriculum in Australian education with a focus on current assessment practices and educational accountability in order to make recommendations for future practice for teachers and for policy-makers. The article builds on analyses of the…

Attempts to make sense of "English in the New Zealand Curriculum" and, in addition, to reflect on ways in which the document has forced teachers to make sense of or construct English. Describes flaws in the national English curriculum as represented in the document, and notes some positives. (SC)