E N G L I S H

Students in English have opportunities to:

• read widely for pleasure;
• write effectively in a range of forms;
• speak formally and informally for different purposes and audiences;
• listen reflectively to others;
• think, reflect, analyse, research and create;
• learn to use and value different literacies, such as critical literacy and visual literacy
• work independently and in groups;
• share their ideas and skills with each other'
• participate in a range of activities such as writing competitions, Writers' Camp and debating competitions; and attend theatre performances        

Students are grouped into like cohorts in year 7 and are streamed into levels 1, 2 and 3 in years 8 – 10, which enables students to work at their own pace with the appropriate levels of challenge and support. In years 9 and 10, students can enrol in the English Extension elective, which focuses on higher order thinking and analysis, literature appreciation and refining essay-writing skills.

Paragraphing is emphasised in year 7 and students are introduced to essay-writing in year 8.  Essay-writing skills are developed in years 9 and 10, when formal literary analysis and seminar presentations are also learned. By the end of year 10, students have been equipped for smooth transitions to secondary colleges, CIT and the workforce.

We use a wide variety of texts including novels, poetry, short stories, newspapers, advertising materials, film, video and live performances.  Novels cover a range of topics, issues and settings of particular interest to adolescents, including cyber-bullying, environmental concerns, and personal journeys.  We have taken advantage of opportunities to purchase multi-cultural texts and seek to maintain a diverse collection from modern classics to recent Australian fiction.

There is a strong focus on best practice in the use of ICTs in English, with students accessing the library and the internet.  They become discriminating users of the Microsoft suite of programs, which are used both to build skills and to enhance their learning.  Our classrooms are well-equipped with wall-mounted DVD/VCR players.  One classroom has an interactive whiteboard, which teachers share, and we plan to purchase more in the near future.

English develops each student as a learner, a person, a community member and a contributor to society!