English

‘FREEING THE IMAGINATION, GIVING VOICE TO OUR THOUGHTS’

The prime aim of any English program is to produce students who can read, write and manipulate those skills to function as effective members of a literate, English speaking community. The more sophisticated a student's writing skills and the more fluently she can read a wide variety of texts, the more freedom she will have as an adult to move amongst the varying language demands she will encounter.

SKILLS
Students develop the ability to be critically aware of the way language is used to position them in both literary and media

texts. They will also learn how to manipulate language to suit their own purposes by writing and speaking across a range of genres.

EXPECTATIONS
The course is designed around principles of continuity, increasing complexity of challenge, and increasing independence over the two years. The focus is on students developing their ability to be critically aware of how texts position them as well as manipulating language. This will involve students in:

• Reading and viewing a variety of text types, including literary texts
• Analysing texts
• Understanding the positioning techniques used
• Evaluating the way texts represent concepts and groups
• Synthesising their understanding by making choices which position readers

Development of the Middle School English program included the reviewing and updating of units of work to ensure that the program sees girls in Years 7 to 9 develop the range of skills required to meet the academic needs of students in the 21st century. As such, the program needs to balance the requirement to teach language basics, such as spelling and punctuation, with the need to engage students in higher order thinking.
Mrs Chris Grehan
Head of Faculty
cgrehan@sthildas.qld.edu.au