English The Australian Curriculum: English identifies three strands for the study of English from Foundation to Year 10: the study of language, literature and literacy. The three strands seek to develop students’ understanding of the English language, the analysis and appreciation of texts and the grammatical knowledge needed to communicate effectively.
ELIZABETH VENZ
Head of English
The Junior English program at The Southport School seeks to contextualise these strands within a syllabus that responds to the needs of young male learners, while also responding to the broader strategic aims of the School. Therefore English has sought to continually refine the use of online and audio-visual technologies to situate learning within a contemporary context, while also embedding schoolside programs such as the Habits of Mind and Habits of Wellbeing within the syllabus. The embedding of these programs has helped to create an innovative and engaging program that has developed a passion for English in our students, while also providing a foundation from which they can excel in the Senior years. An emphasis on media and its role in reflecting and shaping contemporary society has been a major focus of the English programs in the Secondary School. Year 10 boys have been introduced to the documentaries and mockumentaries text types. They have questioned whether the documentary is an objective or subjective text type, asking if it is possible for film-makers to capture reality or to merely interpret it in a manner that is subjected to the filmmakers’ attitudes and values. This has led students into exploring the devices used by documentary film-makers to position audiences to accept certain interpretations of the world and world events. Year 11 students explored the role of media in contemporary culture, extending their understanding and appreciation of the role played by ideas,
attitudes and values in underpinning texts and the ways that these shape and are shaped by language and visual choices that influence audiences. They evaluated representations in order to gain an appreciation of how readers/viewers are positioned to read meaning. Year 12 students, through exploration of representations in news reports, developed an understanding of relevant current affairs and how these are represented by those with differing points of view. They have explored the strategies used to position the reader to receive and accept the invited reading, and have extended their understanding of the power of gaps and silences in texts. In this unit, students focused on international issues. In 2014, the English for ESL Program offered an alternate way for our nonEnglish-speaking background students to satisfy their English language requirements for tertiary education. By completing work that does not require familiarity with Australian culture, they are able to better demonstrate their English ability over a range of written and spoken tasks. The nature of the program also serves as a sound preparation for the types of assessment the students will face once they reach tertiary education. In the 2014 cohort, all students were able to achieve grades that allowed them to enter tertiary education after graduating from TSS. The English Communications students have produced some outstanding pieces of assessment this year and have been engaged in dynamic units such as, ‘Films in review’, ‘Careers and employment’ and ‘Panel interviews’. Students in Year 12 have been able to gain accreditation in first aid and barista courses and focus on future employment opportunities in and out of the classroom. Boys in Year 11 have prepared for their transition into Year 12 exploring similar genres and assessment instruments in this formative year.
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL SOUTHPORTONIAN 2014
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