English News

It has been a busy start to the year in English with both Years 8 and 10 moving to the NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. This follows the move of Years 7 and 9 in 2014, meaning all Stage 4 and Stage 5 students are now meeting the requirements of a national curriculum. Below is a summary of the similarities and differences that have arisen from these changes.

YEARS 7–10 SIMILARITIES

Students will continue to:

·         be actively engaged in learning about language by using language in a range of contexts to shape and make meaning

·         respond to and compose texts throughout their study of English

·         study a range of different types of texts in each stage

·         reflect on and develop their individual and collaborative skills.

DIFFERENCES

Content is organised by key processes, such as:

·         engage personally with texts

·         develop and apply contextual knowledge

·         understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features

·         respond to and compose texts.

Students experience texts that provide:

·         insights about the peoples and cultures of Asia

·         aspects of environmental and social sustainability.

Source: http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/english/english-k10/guide-to-the-new-syllabus/

In our Mater Dei English classrooms, students are actively engaged in a wide spectrum of learning activities to develop skills in a range of areas. Year 8 has been studying the unit 'Two Worlds Collide' and examining the ways conflict is constructed in different types of texts. Students have just submitted an assessment task where they selected two texts and composed four analytical paragraphs on the conflicts in those texts. Students strengthened the skills they developed in TED last year by peer-evaluating another student’s work and self-evaluating their own work based on that feedback prior to the submission of their task. Year 8 students will finish the term by engaging in a creative writing cycle and compose their own piece of creative writing due in Week 2 of next term.

Year 9 is preparing for a listening task in which they will identify the literary features of an aural text and analyse the techniques used by composers to convey meaning. This is part of their ‘Writing Life’ unit in which they have examined a number of short stories and other texts. Students have created their own short story and written a persuasive proposal to a publisher highlighting the reasons why their piece of writing should be published. These activities have both expanded the students’ creative and persuasive writing skills and provided them with a solid grounding for their final round of NAPLAN testing, which will take place next term.

Year 10 students are composing a speech as part of their ‘Influential Voices’ unit. They have selected a current social issue and will be utilising a range of persuasive speaking techniques to persuade an audience of youth and young adults to act on their chosen issue. This task is due next week and in the meantime students should be seeking feedback from their class teacher to refine their drafts and prepare their final speech.

Year 11 English Studies students are engaged in a unit that will prepare them for the workforce. They are working on writing job application cover letters, composing a resume and sitting a mock job interview. Thanks to Mr O’Connell who has assisted with this process and also to Ms Jo Flanagan and Ms Cathy Le Cerf who will be assisting with the mock interviews. Standard English students are completing an Area of Study on Belonging and drafting an essay as well as a creative piece of writing. These tasks reflect the structure of the HSC Area of Study and will be valuable in preparing students for the expectations and format of that course. Our Year 11 Advanced English students are examining the concept of Journeys for their Area of Study through the Shakespearean text As You Like It. Their paragraph portfolio task and listening task are designed to prepare them for the rigorous nature of Stage 6 English and they should use the feedback from these tasks to develop and refine their writing. Extension 1 students, under the guidance of Miss Fisher, are exploring the unit ‘Before the Bomb’. In this study students are examining a variety of texts from the early twentieth century. This will lay the foundations for their HSC study of the module ‘After the Bomb’.

Our HSC students have just completed their Half-Yearly examinations; they will receive results and feedback from these tasks in the coming days which will be valuable in assisting them to prepare for their HSC Trial examinations in Term 3. Standard English students have a poetry speaking task on the poetry of Wilfred Owen due in Week 9, while Advanced students will also complete an oral task focusing instead on T.S. Eliot. Extension 1 students are studying Genre and encountering their second prescribed Sci Fi text; Dune by Frank Herbert, and are preparing an extended response on Ridley Scott's Blade Runner which is also due in Week 9. Extension 2 students are researching their topics and refining the focus of their major work. They are readying to present their Viva Voce at the end of this week. Meanwhile, our English Studies students are deep in the exploration of Australian culture and identity. Next week they will be presenting a short promotional film about Australia, focusing on a specific Australian identity and highlighting the individual beauty and wonder of our country.

This is the beginning of a great year of learning in English at Mater Dei. Students are reminded to regularly check their emails for communication from their teachers; this will help them to stay on top of their studies. We also encourage students to regularly discuss their learning with their parents or carers.

Ms Lauren Verdon

English KLA Leader