English Standard

Course No: 11130 Year 11, 15130 Year 12

Course Description

The English Standard course provides students, who have a diverse range of literacy skills, with the opportunity to analyse, study and enjoy a breadth and variety of English texts to become confident and effective communicators. English Standard offers a rich language experience that is reflected through the integrated modes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and representing. Through study of the course modules students continue to develop their skills to analyse, reconsider and refine meaning and to reflect on their own processes of responding, composing and learning.

What Students Learn

In Year 11, content common to the English Standard and English Advanced courses is undertaken through a unit of work called Reading to Write: Transition to Senior English. Students explore texts and consolidate skills required for senior study. In two additional modules: Close Study of Literature, and Contemporary Possibilities students explore and examine texts and analyse aspects of meaning.

The HSC Common Content consists of one module Texts and Human Experiences which is common to the HSC Standard, the HSC Advanced and the HSC English Studies courses where students analyse and explore texts and apply skills in synthesis. Three additional modules emphasise particular aspects of shaping meaning. Students study, analyse, respond to and compose texts to extend their knowledge, skills and confidence as readers, writers and critical thinkers.

What texts will I study in this course?

In the past few years, students undertaking the English Standard course have looked at texts such as The Harp in the South, The Podcast - Serial, and the poetry of Wilfred Owen. In Year 12 texts have included The Crucible, The Castle and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. These will not necessarily be the texts that are studied in the coming years.

What are the assessment tasks like?

You will be required to complete a range of creative and analytical tasks, including a multi-modal presentation.

Do I have to study Shakespeare?

Not in this course. While you will have to study a play in Year 12, there are no Shakespearean texts studied in Standard English.

Is this an easy course?

Standard English is an accessible but rigorous course. Half of the HSC Modules that are studied in Standard English overlap with Advanced English. Therefore, a high quality of thinking, writing and speaking will be beneficial to all students who complete this course. However, with fewer texts to study you will have more time to achieve this level of sophistication, so if you’re planning on doing any extension courses or subjects with a major work then it's worth considering Standard English.

How is WCCS supporting English course choices?

From 2020, WCCS will be placing students in English courses based on their performance, with a particular focus on their Year 10 results. If students wish to select challenging courses like English Standard, then they are reminded that they need to demonstrate their capabilities in Year 10 assessments. Students who fail to demonstrate their capacity for English Standard will be required to do so for the remainder of Year 10 if they would like to be considered at the end of the year. In this way we are seeking to motivate students to work to their personal best and demonstrate readiness for this challenging course.

Important NESA Information

2 units for each of Year 11 and Year 12

Board Developed Course

Exclusions: English (Advanced); English Studies; English (EAL/D); English (Extension)

Course Description

In the English Standard Year 11 course, students learn about language and literature by exploring and experimenting with the ways events, experiences, ideas and processes are represented in and through texts. Students study a range of texts which include prose fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, film, digital and media, as well as Australian texts.

In the English Standard Year 12 course, students further strengthen their knowledge and understanding of language and literature by reflecting on and demonstrating the effectiveness of texts, including their own, for different audiences and purposes. Students study at least three types of prescribed texts drawn from: prose fiction; poetry or drama; film or media or nonfiction texts.

In this course, students will consolidate their English literacy skills in order to enhance their personal, social, educational and vocational lives.

Main Topics Covered

Year 11 Course – The course has two sections:

Content common to the English Standard and English Advanced courses is undertaken through a unit of work called Reading to Write: Transition to Senior English. Students explore texts and consolidate skills required for senior study.
Two additional modules: Close Study of Literature, and Contemporary Possibilities in which students explore and examine texts and analyse aspects of meaning.

Students are required to study:

One complex multimodal or digital text in Module A (this may include the study of film)
One substantial literary print text in Module B, for example prose fiction, drama or a poetry text, which may constitute a selection of poems from the work of one poet
A range of types of texts drawn from prose fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, film, media and digital texts
A wide range of additional related texts and textual forms.

Year 12 Course – The course has two sections:

The Year 12 Common Content consists of one module Texts and Human Experiences which is common to the Year 12 Standard, the Year 12 Advanced and the Year 12 English Studies courses where students analyse and explore texts and apply skills in synthesis.
Three additional modules which emphasise particular aspects of shaping meaning and demonstration of the effectiveness of texts for different audiences and purposes.

Students are required to study:

At least three types of prescribed text, one drawn from each of the following categories: prose fiction; poetry or drama; film or media or nonfiction texts
At least two additional prescribed texts from the list provided in Module C: The Craft of Writing
At least one related text in the Common module: Texts and Human Experiences.

Particular Course Requirements

Across the English Standard Stage 6 Course students are required to study:

A range of types of texts inclusive of prose fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, film, media and digital texts
Texts which are widely regarded as quality literature, including a range of literary texts written about intercultural experiences and the peoples and cultures of Asia
A range of Australian texts, including texts by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander authors and those that give insights into diverse experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Texts with a wide range of cultural, social and gender perspectives.

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