English
English is a mandatory course that is studied substantially in each of Years 7–10 with at least 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10. This is a requirement for eligibility for the award of the School Certificate.
Course Description
Students of English in Years 7–10 learn to read, enjoy, understand, appreciate and reflect on the English language in a variety of texts, and to write texts that are imaginative, interpretive, critical and powerful.
What will students learn about?
Students study books, films, radio, television, newspapers, the internet and CD-ROMs. The texts give students experience of Australian literature, insights into Aboriginal experiences and multicultural experiences in Australia and literature from other countries and times.
Students also study texts that give experience of cultural heritages, popular cultures and youth cultures, picture books, everyday and workplace texts, a range of social, gender and cultural perspectives. Students experience Shakespearean drama in Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10).
What will students learn to do?
Students develop their skills, knowledge and understanding so that they can use language and communicate appropriately and effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, in a range of contexts. They learn to think in ways that are imaginative, interpretive and critical. They express themselves and their relationships with others and the world. They reflect on their learning in English.
Course Requirements
The study of English in Stage 5 (Years 9–10) it requires experience of at least two works of each of fiction, film, non-fiction and drama, a variety of poetry drawn from different anthologies or from particular poets.
In Stage 5, the selection of texts must give students experience of Shakespearean drama.
School Certificate
Satisfactory completion of the mandatory study of English during Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) will be recorded with a grade on the student’s School Certificate Record of Achievement Part A. In Year 10, students undertaking the Board Developed Course in English sit for the English-Literacy School Certificate test.