English

The English Department offers stimulating and challenging courses in English subjects from Years 7 to 12. The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens.

It is through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others and with the world around them. The study of English helps young people develop knowledge and skills, and become ethical, thoughtful, informed and active members of society.

St Luke's English courses are based on the Australian Curriculum. English develops functional and critical literacy skills to enable students to take their place in the world. Students learn about the English language and how to use it effectively through their study of a wide range of written, spoken, multi-modal and visual texts. They learn to make meaning of texts of varying complexity. Our courses are designed to foster a lifelong interest in language and a love of reading and creating texts. Students learn to create texts of their own and to engage with those produced by other people. They are invited to enter competitions and listen to visiting writers, poets and guest speakers in order to extend their class studies of English.

Years 7 to 10

The Australian Curriculum: English is organised into three interrelated strands (Language, Literature and Literacy) that support students' growing understanding and use of Standard Australian English. The courses reflect a broad spectrum of topics and skills, designed to maximize students' options in the selection of subjects for Years 11 and 12.

Years 11 and 12

It is compulsory for students in Years 11 and 12 to study an English subject chosen from English or English as an Additional Language/Dialect.

English ATAR, English General, English Foundation and English as an Additional Language/Dialect are offered in Years 11 and 12.

English ATAR

The English ATAR course focuses on developing students' analytical, creative, and critical thinking and communication skills in all language modes, encouraging students to critically engage with texts from their contemporary world, the past, and from Australian and other cultures. Through close study and wide reading, viewing and listening, students develop the ability to analyse and evaluate the purpose, stylistic qualities and conventions of texts and to enjoy creating imaginative, interpretive, persuasive and analytical responses in a range of written, oral, multimodal and digital forms. This course leads to University entrance.

English General

The English General course focuses on consolidating and refining the skills and knowledge needed by students to become competent, confident and engaged users of English in everyday, community, social, further education, training and workplace contexts. The English General course is designed to provide students with the skills that will empower them to succeed in a wide range of post-secondary pathways.

The English Foundation course aims to develop students' skills in reading, writing, viewing, speaking and listening in work, learning, community and everyday personal contexts. This course is for students who have not demonstrated the literacy standard in the OLNA. Such development involves an improvement in English literacy, where literacy is defined broadly to include reading ability, verbal or spoken literacy, the literacy involved in writing, and visual literacy. Students undertaking this course will develop skills in the use of functional language conventions, including spelling, punctuation and grammar.

English as an Additional Language or Dialect

The English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) ATAR course focuses on language learning and the explicit teaching of the structure, linguistic features, and sociolinguistic and sociocultural aspects of Standard Australian English (SAE). Through close study of language and meaning, students of the English as an Additional Language or Dialect explore how learning in and through English language and literature influences their own and others' personal, social and cultural identities and thought processes. They develop skills that enable them to use different registers of spoken and written SAE so they can communicate effectively in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes in order to become effective cross-cultural users of language and dialect.

Unit 1 to Unit 4 develop students' academic English skills in order to prepare them for tertiary study.

Within each unit, students regularly use the language modes of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing to develop their communicative skills in SAE for a range of purposes, audiences and contexts.

The ATAR English as an Additional Language or Dialect course is available to students who speak English as a second language or as an additional language or dialect, and whose use of SAE is restricted.