The Rock Central School

Teamwork, Respect, Care, Success

Telephone02 6920 2132

Emailtherock-c.school@det.nsw.edu.au

English

English study is mandatory in NSW from Kindergarten to Year 12.

In English, students learn about the study and use of the English language in its various textual forms. These encompass spoken, written and visual texts through which meaning is shaped, conveyed, interpreted and reflected. Complexity increases as students progress through their schooling.

Developing proficiency in English enables students to take their place as confident communicators; critical and imaginative thinkers; lifelong learners; and informed, active participants in Australian society. Their understanding of English through knowledge and skills acquisition is essential to their intellectual, social and emotional development.

The study of English should develop a love of literature and learning and be challenging and enjoyable. It develops skills to enable students to experiment with ideas and expression, to become active, independent and lifelong learners, to work with each other and to reflect on their learning.

In Year 11 and 12, the study of English is mandatory. Courses offered include:

  • English Extension 2
  • English Extension 1
  • English Advanced
  • English Standard
  • English Studies
  • English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)
  • English Life Skills.

English involves the study of a variety of texts and how they are pieced together in order to communicate about the socio-cultural world (and worlds) we live in. Inside the classroom, English is about learning the various skills that go into communicating through language in speaking, writing, listening and information technology.

Texts studied in English are poetry, film, fiction, non-fiction and drama. Each stage covers two years which means the students study two works from each category.

In year seven students this year studied, as only one of their texts, the novel Hitler's Daughter for fiction. Throughout this they were learning how to write book reviews, how to use the Internet to research Germany during WWII and compose a factual text, how to write personal reflections as well as deconstruct a visual text for meaning and effectiveness and argue a point of view.  As well as studying how Jackie French has used language to create her story, this is just one example of how students interact with texts in order to create new ones.

Students in year nine studied Shakespeare's Macbeth for Drama this year. During this unit students were exposed to the differences between verse and prose and attempted to compose their own texts using Elizabethan language.  They created a promotional poster for a film, changed one act of the story into a text for a novel, argued their points of view regarding culpability for Macbeth's actions, and then studied how the film adaptation from the BBC's Shakespeare Retold series was composed for a modern day audience.

English is a wonderful study as it gives students the opportunity to think about the English language and the different ways it is used everyday in our ever-changing world.