English Studies
2 unit course
Course Summary
The English Studies course is designed to provide students with opportunities to become competent, confident and engaged communicators and to study and enjoy a breadth and variety of texts in English. English Studies focuses on supporting students to refine their skills and knowledge in English and to enhance their personal, educational, social and vocational (work) lives. The course is distinctive in its focus on the development of students’ language, literacy and literary skills. It explores texts from a range of everyday, social, cultural, academic, community and workplace contexts. It has a structured and focused approach to responding to and composing texts. The English Studies course also provides diverse approaches to texts so that students may become flexible and critical thinkers, capable of engaging with, understanding and appreciating the variety of cultural heritages and differences that make up Australian and global societies. It also encourages the continued development of skills in literacy, individual and collaborative processes and reflective learning (taken from NESA, 'Rationale for English Studies' in Stage 6 Curriculum).
ENGLISH STUDIES: ATAR AND NON-ATAR PATHWAYS
The English Studies course offers students an ATAR and non-ATAR pathway.
Students can opt to sit ONE external HSC Examination for English Studies, and will be reported on a common scale with the English Standard and English Advanced courses. The paper is 2.5 hours and comprises four sections. The first two sections have elements that are common to the English Standard and English Advanced courses. The third and fourth sections are unique to the English Studies course. To be eligible for an ATAR, students studying the English Studies course must complete the optional HSC Examination and complete a further 8 units of Category A courses in their pattern of study.
Please note: if a student is planning tertiary study and requires an ATAR, it is our recommendation that the student chooses the English Standard course.
Students choosing not to sit the English Studies HSC Examination will still be eligible for the HSC if they have satisfactorily completed courses that comprise the pattern of study required by NESA.
What, if any, skills are needed?
- willingness to participate in class discussions with maturity, and take responsibility for learning
- literacy skills in reading, writing and comprehension
- proactive efforts to seek help and clarification from the teacher
- ability to follow structures and scaffolds provided to complete writing tasks
- ability to discuss ideas that emerge from the study of a range of accessible texts.
Course Modules
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Mandatory Module: Achieving through English
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Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences
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Elective Module D: Digital Worlds: English and the Web
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Elective Module E: Playing the Game
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Elective Module H: Part of a Family
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Elective Module A: We are Australian
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Elective Module F: MiTunes and Text
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Learning Experiences
- Study days
- Author talks, as available
- Mock job interview
- Family tree research
Novels, Texts, Podcasts & Films
Year 11
Year 12