ENGLISH

How do I help my Year 10 student choose the right English subject for Year 11?

Students have four options in VCE English:        

1. VCE English

2. VCE English as an Additional Language

3. VCE English Language

4. VCE Literature

Strong and engaged English students may choose to complete two English subjects, as both can count in their primary four subjects. In this instance, VCE English is recommended as a pairing with either VCE Literature or VCE English Language.

What do all English subjects have in common?

• Analysis of language
• Essay-writing and extended responses
• 3-4 hours homework and revision per week
• Reading
• An expectation that students will develop and use accurate Standard Australian English

Independent and critical thinking about key concerns and ideas

How do I choose the right one?

English

• Most similar to what is studied in years 7-10 English
• Broad variety of tasks including text-response, language analysis and creative writing
• Suits students who would like to do ‘a bit of everything’ in English instead of focusing on one particular area
• Suits students who are uncertain of their strengths, as they will be given a variety of opportunities in different skills
• Assessment: formal essays, oral presentations, creative responses, comparisons of texts

English as an Additional Language

Entrance requirements based on experience in learning English:

See Mrs Charalambous for advice on eligibility

English Language

• Highly analytical and requiring intensive learning of new metalanguage, grammar and linguistic concepts
• More content-based than other Englishes (how language works)
• Suits students who prefer reading and working with non-fiction rather than fiction
• Suits students who like being objective and dealing with concrete facts and ideas
• Can suit students who prefer maths/science to traditional English
• Assessment: formal essays, short-answer tests, analytical commentaries, oral presentations, resource folio

Literature

• Highly analytical and creative
• Suits students who love reading and writing, particularly fiction
• Involves exploring and discussing the ‘big ideas’ such as life, death, love, meaning etc.
• Suits students who are particularly confident in their text response and creative writing skills
• Completing this subject with English can be a good idea for strong English students, as the skills assessed in these subjects are compatible
• Assessment: formal essays, close analysis, imaginative responses, reviews

Fiona Cowan

English Teacher