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

Abstract

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.

Keywords:

• James Moffett
• curriculum development
• English in Australia

Acknowledgement

This article is dedicated with admiration to Graham Little, who passed away while it was being written.

Notes

1. ‘Language’ in the draft national curriculum document is largely defined as grammar, spelling and punctuation (ACARA 2010, 2).

2. ‘Forms I–IV’ were then what we would refer to today as ‘Years 7–10’. Students in Years 7–10 are generally 12–16 years of age. There have always been separate syllabuses for English in NSW for Years 7–10 and 11–12.

3. The punctuation of this formulation has been slightly altered from the original publication, as has its formatting, which was originally presented in the form of a triangle.

4. For a representative summary of this work, see the chapters and accompanying bibliographies in Section V of Cashdan and Grudgeon (1972).

5. The terminology used in the Syllabus also echoes that already being used contemporaneously by Britton (1971), and which was later to appear in extended form in the Schools Council Project on the written language of 11–18 year olds (Britton et al. 1975). By this time, of course, Britton was already heavily influenced by Moffett.