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Year 8 English in the Australian Curriculum

23 content descriptions from Version 9.0. Choose "Plan this" to open a lesson plan set up for that content description.

Content descriptions

Language

Language for interacting with others

  • AC9E8LA01

    recognise how language shapes relationships and roles

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  • AC9E8LA02

    understand how layers of meaning can be created when evaluating by using literary devices such as simile and metaphor

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Text structure and organisation

  • AC9E8LA03

    explain how texts are structured depending on their purpose and how language features vary, recognising that some texts are hybrids that combine different genres or elements of different genres

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  • AC9E8LA04

    understand how cohesion in texts is improved by strengthening the internal structure of paragraphs with examples, quotations and substantiation of claims

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Language for expressing and developing ideas

  • AC9E8LA05

    examine a variety of clause structures including embedded clauses that add information and expand ideas in sentences

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  • AC9E8LA06

    understand the effect of nominalisation in texts

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  • AC9E8LA07

    investigate how visual texts use intertextual references to enhance and layer meaning

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  • AC9E8LA08

    identify and use vocabulary typical of academic texts

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  • AC9E8LA09

    understand and use punctuation conventions including semicolons and dashes to extend ideas and support meaning

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Literature

Literature and contexts

  • AC9E8LE01

    explain the ways that ideas and points of view may represent the values of individuals and groups in literary texts, drawn from historical, social and cultural contexts, by First Nations Australian, and wide-ranging Australian and world authors

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Engaging with and responding to literature

  • AC9E8LE02

    share opinions about the language features, literary devices and text structures that contribute to the styles of literary texts

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  • AC9E8LE03

    explain how language and/or images in texts position readers to respond and form viewpoints

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Examining literature

  • AC9E8LE04

    identify intertextual references in literary texts and explain how the references enable new understanding of the aesthetic quality of the text

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  • AC9E8LE05

    analyse how language features such as sentence patterns create tone, and literary devices such as imagery create meaning and effect

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Creating literature

  • AC9E8LE06

    create and edit literary texts that experiment with language features and literary devices for particular purposes and effects

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Literacy

Texts in context

  • AC9E8LY01

    identify how texts reflect contexts

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Interacting with others

  • AC9E8LY02

    use interaction skills for identified purposes and situations, including when supporting or challenging the stated or implied meanings of spoken texts in presentations or discussion

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Analysing, interpreting and evaluating

  • AC9E8LY03

    analyse and evaluate the ways that language features vary according to the purpose and audience of the text, and the ways that sources and quotations are used in a text

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  • AC9E8LY04

    analyse how authors organise ideas to develop and shape meaning

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  • AC9E8LY05

    use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring, questioning and inferring to interpret and evaluate ideas in texts

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Creating texts

  • AC9E8LY06

    plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts, organising and expanding ideas, and selecting text structures, language features, literary devices and visual features for purposes and audiences in ways that may be imaginative, reflective, informative, persuasive and/or analytical

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  • AC9E8LY07

    plan, create, rehearse and deliver spoken and multimodal presentations for audiences and purposes, selecting language features, literary devices, visual features and features of voice to suit formal or informal situations, and organising and developing ideas in texts in ways that may be imaginative, reflective, informative, persuasive and/or analytical

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Word knowledge

  • AC9E8LY08

    apply learnt knowledge to spell accurately and to learn new words

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Other Year 8 learning areas

Questions teachers ask

What do students learn in Year 8 English?
The Australian Curriculum v9 has 23 English content descriptions for Year 8. They are listed on this page with their codes.
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© Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2010 to present, unless otherwise indicated. This material was downloaded from the Australian Curriculum website (accessed 18 October 2026) and was not modified. The material is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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