English

The Wonderful World of English… Here is a snapshot of the rich learning and class activities that each Year Level has been immersed in this year in English… Year 7 students enjoyed a wonderful opportunity to learn skills in debating. Students were able to learn how to debate and develop better communication skills and have some fun along the way. They were taught the specific roles applicable for each speaker and the importance of rebuttal. Year 8 English students have experienced a year full of possibilities in the world of literature; exploring language, how it works and how it can captivate an audience. The Year 8 cohort examined Australia’s First People’s connection to The Land in their study of “Crow Country,” while their reading and analysis of “The Giver,” provoked much discussion and analysis of a society’s attempt to control its people. Author Alice Pung shared her own writing process in a presentation to the cohort. Alice shared her ideas on how to find inspiration for short story writing. She encouraged students to look at their own life to draw inspiration. The texts studied in Year 9 English this year have taken us on many journeys. We studied poems from different eras and places but then focused on the here and now through our study of contemporary Australian short stories. Our study of Romeo and Juliet gave us an understanding of Shakespeare’s incredible talent and insight into why his plays are still relevant today. Year 10 English students worked hard in 2019, completing course work that was modelled on the VCE English study design. Students were introduced to Rumi’s Poetry and learnt that ‘There are many ways of knowing.’ Through their reading of the play A Doll’s House, the lead character Nora inspired the girls to ‘believe that first and foremost I am an individual, just as you are.’ Students studied a wide range of texts styles in VCE this year, from short stories and graphic novels to the wonderful lyrics by Paul Kelly. VCE English Language focused on why we use the language we do, how our bodies also convey information and how we learn to speak. We also considered the positives and negatives of English being a global language and what is lost when languages like aboriginal dialects are lost.

Joanne Thompson, Deb Horbec, Suzanne Lake, Joanne Fastuca, Elisa Scoglio and Michelle Robertson ENGLISH CONVENORS