Ko te reo te tuakiri. Ko te reo tōku ahurei. Ko te reo te ora.
English is the study, use, and enjoyment of the English language and its literature, communicated orally, visually, and in writing, for a range of purposes and audiences and in a variety of text forms. Learning English encompasses learning the language, learning through the language, and learning about the language. - New Zealand Curriculum
CLICK ON THE QUESTIONS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COURSE
"I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." - Tom Stoppard
Year 11 English with a Media Lens (11MES) is an introductory course covering the role journalism plays in society. You will explore key concepts relating to media journalism and examine the relationship between media, democracy and social activism.
You will learn to tell local stories: stories about what matters to you and our community. You will learn practical skills such as written text formatting, visual and audio recording, and how to edit on professional software.
This course is designed to give you a more practical application of English by focusing more on audio-visual texts, while developing your skills across all of the English strands to ensure successful entry into Year 12 English.
You will learn:
effective communication skills such as reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening, equipping you to make appropriate written and visual language choices and apply them in a range of contexts.
How to deconstruct and interrogate a variety of texts in order to understand the power of written and visual language to enrich and shape your own and others’ lives.
To develop skills that empower you to think critically and express yourself creatively.
(Adapted from TKI)
The course is structured around planning and producing either a music video or a magazine spread which will be showcased to our community at the Media Studies Film Awards at the end of the year.
As part of this you will:
Describe and explain how creators present ideas in a range of texts. This will include written and visual texts such as films, documentaries, scripts, reviews and critical texts.
Express your understanding and critical thinking by writing structured paragraphs and reviews, using supporting evidence.
Close read unfamiliar texts to examine the effect of choices made by writers.
Produce accurate creative and non-fiction writing, using appropriate details.
Reflect on the design process.
Homework
You should be reading and viewing for pleasure. Other than that, the only homework expectations are that you complete work started in class, and perhaps work on some summative assessments at home.
Successful students in English build on their existing literacy skills by being:
Willing to listen and engage openly in the ideas of others in a range of forums.
Able to receive and provide feedback to their peers.
Curious about how others see the world.
Resilient and able to persist when dealing with challenges.
Able to work independently or collaboratively according to the task.
Able to take responsibility for themselves as learners including completing tasks and assignments independently.
This course is assessed using our WC Learning Progression Framework and provides an excellent foundation for students wishing to continue onto NCEA L2 English.
We hope you have a successful and engaging year.
You can contact the HOD:
Sarah Marchant: s.marchant@wc.school.nz