The paper will focus on the language dimensions of school subjects (history, sciences), arguing that these language dimensions – defined as necessary requirements and claims of learners alike – have to be identified and described explicitly in all curricula and taught as such, as part of subject competence. Otherwise they would remain a hidden curriculum on the language of schooling. This would pose disadvantages to those groups of learners who are not aware of these implicit demands and do not bring with them the assets to access and master academic language (Vollmer 2009; Vollmer/Thürmann 2013; Becker-Mrotzek/Schramm/Thürmann/Vollmer 2013). A four-dimensional model for describing subject literacy will be presented, related to curriculum and lesson planning of subject teaching and learning, based on language functions, text types, discourse strategies plus knowledge and mastery of the linguistic and semiotic repertoires. All of them interact in specific ways for understanding, processing and solving subject-specific tasks. We will also draw on the formulation of communicative aspects in the national educational standards of Germany and the newer subject curricula following them (e.g. NRW 2011). Overall, we are dealing here with nothing less than acquiring subject-based discourse competences, to which every student is entitled.