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The English learning area encompasses the study and use of the English language in its various forms. This includes spoken, written and visual texts of varying complexity through which meaning is shaped, conveyed and interpreted. Students of English develop the capacity to speak, listen, read, view, and write. They also learn to shape their work to make meaning with purpose and effect in a diverse range of contexts. English develops functional and critical literacy skills to enable students to take their place in the world.
Head of Learning Area |
Year 7 | The aim of the Year 7 English course is to reinforce and continue the work of the primary school in nurturing the intellectual, imaginative and emotional growth of each student by developing her personal proficiency in the skills of listening and speaking, viewing, reading and writing. This involves three dynamically interrelated elements: personal literacy, social literacy and cultural literacy. Fostering awareness in the student of the interrelationship of these skills, and of their central role in the learning and thinking processes, is an integral element of personal growth through English. Students who experience difficulty in English are placed in an Enrichment class early in first term. In the Enrichment class, teaching and learning takes place in a small group situation which allows students to be given more individual attention than is possible in a large class. A culture of reading for enjoyment is fostered in all classes through student participation in the library reading programme. |
Year 8 | Year 8 English continues to foster students’ competence in reading, writing, viewing, speaking and listening. Students study a wide range of texts including novels, auto-biography, animation, and poetry and feature film. Opportunities to write in a variety of forms are also presented and wide reading is encouraged through the library reading programme. As in Year 7, students who experience difficulty in the general English course are placed in the Enrichment class. |
Year 9 | Year 9 English is designed to engage and challenge students through an examination of a range of social and cultural perspectives. The texts studied include documentaries, feature articles, novels and poems. As in Year 8, students are encouraged to read widely through participation in the library reading programme. An Enrichment class is also available for those students experiencing difficulty in the General course |
Year 10 | Year 10 English offers Enrichment, General and Extended classes. All classes study a range of fiction, non-fiction and media texts and are introduced to Shakespearean literature in their study of a drama script. The library reading programme continues in Year 10, with the primary focus being reading for enjoyment. Literature Course of Study Units 2A and 2B This subject encourages students to experience the pleasure that reading and understanding literature brings. Students develop a close knowledge of literary texts and their language, as well as learn about the relationships between reader, writer, text and context. Students are given the opportunity to read a wide range of literary works and throughout the year will study poetry, prose and drama texts. This allows them to develop the necessary concepts and skills, refine their expressive abilities and broaden their understanding of self and others. Student achievement in the Reading and Producing outcomes provide the focus for the Literature Course of Study. |
Year 11 | English Course of Study Unit 1A The focus for this unit is skill building. Students develop their language in the context of their future needs, aspirations and areas of interest. They further develop reading, listening and speaking, viewing and writing skills to meet their specific needs and achieve their goals. They work with a variety of workplace related and engaging print, visual, oral and multimodal texts, developing confidence in accessing and sharing ideas and information and working with others. Unit 1B The focus for this unit is strengthening skills. Students continue to develop language skills and concepts in the context of post-school destinations and interests. They use language to explore, reflect and develop skills and understandings to manage the demands of modern life. The use of the conventions of Standard Australian English and reading strategies are emphasised. The focus for this unit is language and self. Students learn to use language to present themselves, their experiences, ideas, opinions and responses more effectively. They explore the way language varies according to purpose, context and audience. They develop their ability to control standard Australian English. The focus for this unit is language and society. Students explore and develop language skills relevant to activities associated with their current and future membership of society. They also develop skills in finding, accessing, using and evaluating information. The focus for this unit is language and action. Students develop language skills by exploring issues of concern or controversy, past or present, and by examining the way language is used in relation to these topics. Students apply language skills with the aim of affecting attitudes and actions, using a variety of genres and taking account of different contexts, purposes and audiences. Unit 2B The focus for this unit is language and the world. Students explore the way in which language offers particular ideas and information about topics, events or people and produce texts of their own which do the same. They learn about the way in which context, purpose and audience shape the conventions used and how language and representations differ among different texts and contexts. |
Year 12 | English Course of Study Units 1C and 1D As in Year 11 As in Year 11 The focus for this unit is language and identity. Students study the way in which identities are expressed, constructed, represented and critiqued by language. They learn to critically interpret the relationship between particular uses of language and texts on the one hand and conceptions of identity on the other. In so doing, they develop their oral, visual and written language skills. The focus for this unit is language and ideas. Students explore the way language is used to present ideas and how this varies among particular fields, genres, and discourses. They learn that different contexts require the same ideas to be presented using different forms of language. Students are also provided with a range of opportunities to demonstrate their understandings and language skills. Units 3A and 3B Year 12 Literature consolidates the skills and understandings of Year 11 Literature.Across the two units, it is expected that students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the elements of literary study. Students are also expected to respond to texts of increasing complexity through the study of poetry, prose and drama. In these units, students explore the different ways in which literary texts relate to the historical conditions, value systems and cultural life of particular societies. They explore the various contexts of particular texts and consider how literary texts sometimes challenge and at other times naturalise the ideas of the society in which they are produced, as well as influencing the judgements we make about these ideas. Response and interpretation are central to this course. |
Associated | Fremantle Youth Literature Programme This programme encourages talented young writers from our college. They, like other able students from numerous schools in the metropolitan area, attend Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre, for a whole day creative writing workshop each term. The students are guided by some of Australia’s top writers for young adults and at the conclusion of each day; each student has a well developed piece of writing. This is then included in the collection of writing the centre produces for each group, each year. Debating Mercedes has a strong tradition of involvement in the West Australian Debating League. Junior and senior teams compete each fortnight. Debating allows students to develop their research skills and gives them valuable experience in organising a cogent argument. As a result, students grow in confidence in public speaking and team work. Debating skills are also fostered in the Interhouse debating competitions. Year 8 and 9 students compete for the shield with Year 10 students acting as mentors. Senior Debaters and teachers are the adjudicators. Public Speaking Mercedes has an outstanding record of success in public speaking competitions. Frequently, Mercedes competitors make it through to semi-finals and grand-finals and we have had a number of State winners during recent years. The competitions we regularly enter are:
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