Callaghan College Waratah Campus

Collaborating to empower learners

Telephone02 4968 1939

Emailwaratah-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

English

The study of English is an active pursuit where students develop their control of language to become imaginative and confident users of the language. Complexity increases as they progress through their schooling.

Developing proficiency in English enables students to take their place as

  • confident communicators
  • critical and imaginative thinkers
  • lifelong learners, and
  • informed, active participants in Australian society.

As students’ command of English grows, they are able to question, assess, challenge and reformulate information and use creative and analytical language to identify and clarify issues and solve problems.

Students ‘respond’ when they read, listen to or view texts. They make personal and intellectual connection with texts. Responding typically involves:

  • shaping and arranging textual elements to explore and express ideas, emotions and values
  • identifying, comprehending, selecting, articulating, imagining, critically analysing and evaluating.

Students ‘compose’ when they produce written, spoken or visual texts. Composing typically involves:

  • shaping, making and arranging textual elements to explore and express ideas, emotions and values
  • processes of imagining, drafting, appraising, reflecting and refining
  • knowledge, understanding and use of the language forms, features and structures of texts.

Stage 4 (Years 7 & 8)

  • Stage 4 students respond to a variety of texts critically, imaginatively and interpretively and compose accurate, clear and coherent texts, with increasing control and understanding of the form and features of language and structures of texts, and with increasing awareness of purpose, audience and context.
  • Students make connections between texts, they recognise the main ideas and points of view, and the ways in which texts seek to position responders.
  • They can express a personal point of view, give words and images to their imaginings and compose logical argument. They plan, draft and edit to produce polished texts.
  • They respond to imagery and symbolism in verbal and visual forms. They engage with print, film and digital texts with an informed awareness of the language forms and features and structures of those texts.

Stage 5 (Years 9 & 10)

  • In Stage 5, students continue to develop their critical and imaginative faculties and broaden their capacity for cultural understanding.
  • They examine the contexts of language usage to understand how meaning is shaped by a variety of social factors.
  • As students’ command of English grows, they become imaginative and confident users of the language.
  • These skills and understandings allow them to develop their control of language in ways that will help them in lifelong learning, in their careers and in life.

English in Senior High School

In year 11 and 12, the study of English is Mandatory. Courses offered include: 

  • English Advanced 
  • English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) 
  • English Extension 1 
  • English Extension 2 
  • English Standard 
  • English Studies 
For more information visit our English Faculty webpage at Jesmond Senior Campus.