English

​Proficiency in and understanding of English allows people to share in and contribute to current and future local, national and global communities and cultures.  Effective communication is integral to our society. New technologies, the influences of globalisation and restructured workplaces require students to be able to interpret, construct and make judgments about meanings in texts and, in preparation for lifelong learning.

Literacy is a major focus in every unit with an emphasis on grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading comprehension. 
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In Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 students engage with the Australian Curriculum studying novels, plays, poetry and the media.  Assessment occurs in both written (assignments and tests) and spoken (performances and presentations) modes. Over the four years students will study a wide range of both modern and traditional texts from Australian and global contexts.

 In Year 11 and 12 students are offered a choice of:

• English (a QCAA Authority Subject)
• English Communication (a QCAA SAS Subject)

Typically, students who intend to pursue a university pathway and an OP, study English. Its subject matter and assessment is academic, preparing students for the demands of tertiary study.

Those students who wish to follow a vocational pathway most often choose English Communication which has a considerable component which prepares students for the world of work.

Subject Information

Junior Secondary English

In Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret, evaluate and perform a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media texts including newspapers, magazines and digital texts, early adolescent novels, non-fiction, poetry and dramatic performances and multimodal texts, with themes and issues involving levels of abstraction, higher order reasoning and intertextuality references. Students develop their understanding of how texts, including media texts, are influenced by context, purpose and audience.

Students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts. 

English Communication

English Communication can establish a basis for students’ further learning as well as developing essential communication skills to enhance employment opportunities.

This study area specification offers students opportunities, within the contexts of work, community and leisure, to use language to perform tasks, use technology, express identity, and interact in groups, organisations and the community. It focuses on developing students’ understanding and use of language systems to communicate effectively. Students will have the opportunity to:

• make meanings in and of everyday, mass-media and literary texts, understanding the influence of cultural contexts and social situations

• develop abilities in speaking, listening, reading, viewing, writing and shaping practices, responsive to and effective in diverse social contexts

• become confident, effective and critical users of texts and language, making judgments to accept or challenge meanings.

Students will be involved in learning experiences that allow them to develop their interpersonal skills, to learn and function in various situations, and to acquire specific knowledge and skills relevant to future life and further training and employment. Students are supported in developing the capacity to learn from and about spoken, written and visual texts.

English Authority

Students studying English will learn to:

• examine a range of literary and non-literary works in English, in various modes and mediums across diverse cultures and periods

• interpret, analyse, evaluate, respond to and construct a wide range of texts through reading, listening, viewing, speaking, writing and shaping

• communicate effectively in Standard Australian English for various social and cultural purposes and audiences

• make choices about generic structures, language, textual features and technologies to convey intended meaning

• control language (written and spoken), using grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and spelling.

There will be a range and balance in the texts that students read, listen to and view. Australian texts by Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers will be included as will texts from different times, places and cultures. Texts will encompass traditional, contemporary and translated works. Texts will include:

• novels, short stories and poetry

• scripted drama and drama performed as theatre

• reflective texts such as biographies, autobiographies and journals

• popular culture, media and multimodal works

• spoken and written everyday texts of work, family and community life.

If you would like more information regarding the English Curriculum, please don't hesitate to contact our English Head of Department, Mrs Robin Martin, on (07) 3480 4777 or rmart185@eq.edu.au.