Hierarchies in Diversities: What students' examined responses tell us about literacy practices in contemporary school English

Abstract

This paper interrogates the diverse literacy practices of current curriculum in school English from the point of view of linguistic analysis of students' texts. In particular, it explores the semantic features of responses to an open question about an unseen narrative. Systemic functional analysis revealed three orientations to meaning, or 'three readings, immanent in students' responses at different levels of achievement in Year 10 examinations: a 'tactical reading' (in lower ranges of achievement), a 'mimetic reading' (in mid-ranges of achievement) and a 'symbolic reading' (amongst high range of achievement). The paper explores the implications of these differently valorised readings for contradictions between the diverse literacy practices of current curriculum and the hierarchies at work in formal assessment of such practices.