By the late 70s the "growth through English" slogan, derived from John Dixon's account of the Dartmouth conference, had become popular around Australia. In 1980 the Sydney IFTE conference featured several Dartmouth veterans; but during that conference, Dartmouth-linked ideas from overseas mingled with lines of local influence, especially…

In the British "zone" of the English education world, which Australia largely inhabited throughout the 20th century, the key book that came out of Dartmouth was John Dixon's "Growth through English." Some in the British "zone" may not even be aware of the equivalent American book, Herbert Muller's "The Uses of…

The texts and classroom activities in this paper are a sample of those used within a unit on "The Battle for Survival". The unit brings classic Australian literary texts together with reportage on contemporary news events, and demonstrates an integrated approaches to the Literacy, Language and Literature strands of the AC:E. The unit…

Takes a "snapshot" of a senior Literature class to see how all the participants--including the teacher--developed greater sophistication in their reading skills, while simultaneously cultivating their pleasure and appreciation of more challenging texts. Explores other aspects of the "interpretive community" of the classroom,…

Generalizes about the use of literature in classrooms in South Australia, Victoria, A.C.T., Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and Northern Territory. (DF)

Representing Australia, Canada, England, the United States, and Wales, this collection of essays focuses on ways in which teachers can adapt classroom activities and modify writing assignments to encourage personal response and exploration of texts. Essays, their authors, and nationalities are as follows: (1) "The River and Its Banks:…

This book was designed to supply information on available resources in Australian children's literature and a tradition of teaching which incorporates the Australian experience in an inclusive manner. Essays and their authors consist of the following: (1) "Children's Books in Australia: Two Hundred Years of Social Life" (Maurice Saxby);…

Shows that the need to choose between literature-centered or experience-centered English instruction is a delusion, because instruction in literature also adds to the child's experience of language. (RL)

Describes a project for neophyte teachers developed at Tarramurra High School in Sydney, Australia, aimed toward finding methods of teaching poetry to which students respond. (HOD)

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the status of literature in contemporary English K-12 curriculum in a national agenda that values skills, outcomes and benchmarking. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part argues that the role of literature in the primary classroom should not be underestimated, and that educators should…

Describes an effective literature circle program from Australia that widens secondary school students' horizons. Suggests that they bond together as a community of readers as they develop new reading strategies and a positive attitude about reading. (SR)

When crucial issues of text teaching were researched from "both sides" of the teaching context in 1999, findings dramatized the demands of teaching text in years seven to ten English in Australia and suggested some ways that it could be done better. Interviews were conducted with 14 secondary English teachers and 53 of their students (in…

Notes that teaching literature in a Technical and Further Education setting presents its own special set of problems and paradoxes not usually encountered by teachers in more conventional classrooms. Discusses students and their literature experiences; impact of the canon on teaching; and influence of modern literary theory on the reader-text…

Reports on a survey of Australian English teachers in years 5, 7, 9, and 11 concerning their control over the English syllabus. (HTH)

Examines the effects of the post-Dartmouth English curriculum revolution in the Australian context. Argues the need for a reconsideration of the English curriculum in three areas: defining the subject of English, defining growth in English, and developing of curricular frameworks. (SRT)