AC9E1LA01 • Year 1 English

How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact...: Year 1 English topic guide

understand how language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact with others when asking for and providing information, making offers, exclaiming, requesting and giving commands

What students learn in AC9E1LA01

This unit helps students build a clear, usable understanding of How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact.... The goal is not to memorise one answer pattern. Students should be able to explain the idea, recognise it in a new example and apply it in a short practice or worksheet task.

  • Start with the main idea: understand how language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact with others when asking for and providing information, making offers, exclaiming, requesting and giving commands.
  • Use concrete examples, pictures, oral explanation and short written responses before moving to independent practice.
  • recognising the effects of words, signing, gestures and body language on the way communications are received by others viewing short films and discussing how characters use words and body language to convey emotions
  • Finish with mixed questions so students must choose the correct strategy rather than copy the last example.

Curriculum coverage and elaborations

The content description and elaborations below show the curriculum ideas taught in this unit. Items marked as teaching context support lesson planning but may not appear in the initial eight-question activity.

  • Content description: understand how language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact with others when asking for and providing information, making offers, exclaiming, requesting and giving commands
  • E1: recognising the effects of words, signing, gestures and body language on the way communications are received by others
  • E2: understanding that symbols, gestures and body language are key components of communication in First Nations Australian communities (teaching context)
  • E3: viewing short films and discussing how characters use words and body language to convey emotions
  • E4: learning the difference between closed questions; for example, “Are you ready?”, and open questions; for example, “What made this text so exciting?”

How to use this unit

Read the topic guide, use the teacher slide for instruction, then complete the Worksheet, Practice and Test. These three activities use the same eight-question unit bank.

Teacher resource

AC9E1LA01 teacher slide

Use this one-page PDF to introduce the key idea, vocabulary and teaching sequence before students begin the activities.

Open teacher slide (PDF)

Common mistakes to watch for

  • Answering from memory without using clues from the text, sentence or image.
  • Knowing the idea orally but not transferring it into reading, writing or speaking.
  • Missing punctuation, word order or vocabulary clues that change meaning.

International curriculum mapping

This table gives closest-topic mapping for search and planning. The Australian Curriculum code is exact; overseas entries are broad equivalents because each jurisdiction structures outcomes differently.

RegionCurriculumClosest mapping
AustraliaAustralian Curriculum v9.0AC9E1LA01 — understand how language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact with others when asking for and providing information, making offers, exclaiming, requesting and giving commands
VictoriaVictorian Curriculum F-10Year 1 English: closest match in Language for interacting with others. Use this page as a VIC-aligned practice and worksheet reference.
NSWNSW CurriculumStage 1 English: closest content focus for How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact... and related outcomes.
United StatesCommon Core / NGSSGrade 1 Common Core Mathematics/ELA closest topic match for How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact....
England / UKNational CurriculumKey Stage 1 / Year 1: closest programme-of-study match for How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact....
CanadaProvincial and territory curriculaGrade 1 closest topic match. Canada varies by province, so use this as a broad Ontario/BC-style learning outcome reference.
New ZealandNew Zealand CurriculumLevel 1 English: closest achievement-objective topic for How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact....
IndiaNCERT / CBSEClass 1 closest NCERT/CBSE topic match for How language, facial expressions and gestures are used to interact....

Related Year 1 English topics

Official curriculum references