English in the Senior Years

Programme Description :

Understanding our place in the world and where we belong is an important part of growing up. Texts are a powerful tool in developing this understanding. In this course we will look at different voices within society and consider how societal issues impact us and inform our thinking. This will allow us to develop our own unique voice and convey our thinking effectively.

Through understanding the ideas in a variety of texts, students will be able to understand connections between text, society and themselves. A focus on reading, writing, creating, and viewing film will support our students developing sense of the world they live in.

Skills and Capabilities:

Making Meaning

• Selects and reads texts for enjoyment and personal fulfilment
• Recognises, understands, and considers the connections between oral, written, and visual language
• Integrates sources of information and prior knowledge purposefully and confidently to make sense of increasingly varied and complex texts
• Selects and uses appropriate processing and comprehension skills with confidence
• Monitors, self-evaluates, and describes progress, articulating learning with confidence
• Understands that authors and directors have different voices and styles and identifies and can explain these differences.

Creating Meaning

• Constructs a range of texts that demonstrate an understanding of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language and text form
• Uses a wide range of oral, written and visual language features with control to create meaning and effect and to sustain interest
• Organises and develops ideas and information for a particular purpose or effect, using the characteristics and conventions of a range of text forms
• Conveys and sustains a personal voice where appropriate
• Seeks feedback and makes changes to texts to improve clarity, meaning and effect
• Is reflective about the production of own texts; monitors and self-evaluates progress, articulating learning with confidence.

Cross Curriculum Links:

This course would suit students taking Social Studies, History and Geography, or any student with a general interest in their own society and other societies around the world. It will also suit students taking both the Visual and Performing Arts, and Business Studies.

Possibly leads to :

Thinking and literacy skills developed will enable you to unlock learning in all curriculum areas.

Assessment opportunities:

15 credits available.

Programme Description :

Much of literature throughout history has taught us valuable lessons about people and their place in the world. Through literature we gain insight into how social and political climates influence a person’s reality and their reaction to it. It is through understanding these enduring ideas that we develop our own sense of self and our own unique voice.

Students will look closely at various pieces of written and visual literature throughout time that are still relevant in the ideas they convey today. This will enable students to make connections between these texts and to consider how these texts inform their own developing personal opinions. They will also learn to develop their own voice and convey this through both written and oral texts.

Skills and Capabilities:

Making Meaning

• Selects and reads texts for enjoyment and personal fulfilment
• Thinks critically about texts with understanding and confidence
• Shows a discriminating understanding of how texts are shaped for different purposes and audiences
• Makes meaning by understanding increasingly sophisticated ideas
• Understands and analyses how text conventions work together to create meaning and effect
Identifies and understands the characteristics and conventions of a range of text forms and appreciates how they contribute to and affect text meaning.

Creating Meaning

• Constructs a range of texts that demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language and text form
• Conveys and sustains a personal voice where appropriate
• Uses an increasing vocabulary to communicate precise meaning
• Ideas will show depth of thought and awareness of a range of viewpoints
• Seeks feedback and makes changes to texts to improve clarity, meaning and effect
• Is reflective about the production of own texts; monitors and self-evaluates progress, articulating learning with confidence.

Cross Curriculum Links:

This course will suit students who love to read. It will also suit students who are interested in History and Drama.

Possibly leads to :

Critical thinking and literacy skills developed will enable you to unlock learning in all curriculum areas.

Assessment opportunities:

Level 2, 16 credits (reading 4, writing 6)

Programme Description :

Literary texts show us the power of language and offer us insights into the world we live in. This literature based course offers students the opportunity to develop their skills in critical reflection about how written, oral, and visual texts work to offer us insights. It will also enable them to use this critical reflection in articulating their own voice, both through written and oral text.

Students will access this by looking at texts from both a New Zealand context and texts set in other times and places. Of particular interest will be considering our bias’, how these are constructed and whether texts challenge these. The course is designed to set students up with the written language and presentation skills that will support their tertiary learning, as well as supporting their growth as citizens of this country and the world. Students will have the opportunity to combine Te Reo Maori with their English learning to create a body of work towards assessment.

Skills and Capabilities:

Making Meaning

• Selects and reads texts for enjoyment and personal fulfilment
• Integrates source of information, processes, and strategies purposefully, confidently, and precisely to identify, form, and express increasingly sophisticated ideas
• Understands, analyses, and evaluates how text conventions work together to create meaning and effect
• Understands that authors have different voices and styles and appreciates these differences
• Identifies particular points of view within texts and understand that text can position a reader
• Monitors, self-evaluates, and describes progress, articulating learning with confidence.

Creating Meaning

• Develops, communicates and sustains sophisticated ideas, information and understandings
• Creates coherent, planned whole texts by adding details to ideas or making links to other ideas and details
• Ideas show perception, depth of thought, and awareness of a range of viewpoints
• Uses a wide range of oral, written and visual language features coherently, cluently and with control to create meaning and command attention
• Seeks feedback and makes changes to texts to improve clarity, meaning and effect
• Is reflective about the production of own texts; monitors and self-evaluates progress.

Cross Curriculum Links:

This course will suit students who have enjoyed previous years of English. It will also suit students who enjoy History and both the Visual and Performing Arts. This context also aligns strongly with students wanting to understand the connection between literature and Te Reo Maori.

Possibly leads to :

This is a full Level 3 course designed for students intending to go on to tertiary study. However, it will also appeal to students who want to develop their understanding of their own place in the world, or who want to challenge their preconceived ideas of where they belong and the values they hold.

Assessment opportunities:

Level 3, 16 credits available (reading 4, writing 6)