Audience and purpose
Relevance of writing to the topic
Definition
Audience is defined as “the intended group of readers, listeners or viewers that the writer, designer, filmmaker or speaker is addressing.” (English K-10 syllabus glossary)
Purposes are “in very broad terms, to entertain, to inform or to persuade different audiences in different contexts. Composers use a number of ways to achieve these purposes: persuading through emotive language, analysis or factual recount; entertaining through description, imaginative writing or humour, and so on.” (NSW English K-10 Glossary)
Teaching and learning activities
The resources below provide targeted teaching strategies to support student improvement in this skill.
Each downloadable lesson activity includes:
learning intentions
a list of required resources
a step-by-step lesson sequence
printable classroom materials
Select the download all icon to download all available activities or select each activity separately.
PLAN2 Areas of focus
An Areas of focus template has been created in PLAN2 to support targeted teaching of Text structure in your learning area.
Search for the DoE template titled ‘DoE HSCMinStd Writing: Text structure’ in the Areas of focus template library tab within the Plan menu, and customise it for your students’ needs.
For more information about using PLAN2 Areas of focus templates with this resource, visit the Using this resource with PLAN2 page.
Relevance to writing test marking
The feedback for a Level 3 performance in the HSC minimum standard online writing test states:
Individuals performing at this level typically “sequence writing to produce cohesive texts and vary language to suit the audience and purpose.”
Students’ understanding of audience and purpose contributes to the relevance of writing to the topic as they meaningfully create texts appropriate for an identified audience and purpose.
Connections with ACSF Level 3 descriptors
The relevant Level 3 ACSF descriptors for writing are shown here to demonstrate how audience and purpose are assessed in the HSC minimum standard online test. The performance features identified show what a student is able to do in order to achieve at this level and are provided to support teachers to understand what is required to achieve a Level 3 in this skill.
Writing Indicator .05: Audience, purpose and meaning-making
Focus area: Audience and purpose
Level 3 performance features:
Demonstrates the need to vary written language to meet the requirements of the audience and purpose.
Connections with National Literacy Learning Progression
The progressions describe a typical developmental sequence of literacy and numeracy learning. The literacy progression sub-elements, levels and indicators relevant to audience and purpose are provided here to assist teachers to identify students’ capabilities and needs to support targeted teaching.
Element: Writing
Sub-elements: Creating texts (CrT)
CrT7 — Crafting ideas
creates informative, imaginative and persuasive texts for a range of learning area purposes, such as to recount a sequence of events; to describe a person, thing or process; to explain a process; to argue with evidence or reasons; to express emotions
uses sources to support ideas (e.g. introduces ideas from a shared text to add detail and engage the reader)
CrT8 — Crafting ideas (imaginative, persuasive, informative)
Informative
creates informative texts for a broader range of learning area purposes (e.g. explains a life cycle of a butterfly, recounts a process, describes an artwork)
includes ideas which are relevant to the topic and purpose of the text
organises information into paragraphs to support the reader
Persuasive
creates persuasive texts for a broader range of learning area purposes (e.g. designs a healthy food campaign)
includes arguments and ideas which are relevant to the purpose of the text
organises arguments into paragraphs to support the reader
Imaginative
creates imaginative text for a broader range of learning area purposes (e.g. narrates a historical event)
includes ideas which are relevant to the purpose of the text (e.g. includes ideas to develop the simple narrative theme of good and evil)