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Rationale

Active and effective participation in Australian society depends on the ability to speak, listen, read, view and write with confidence, purpose and enjoyment in a wide range of contexts. The study of English, and the broader concept of literacy, is about the appropriate and effective use of language, the use of language as a means of learning and the development of knowledge about language. Through language use, students convey and discover information, work through ideas and express feelings. Students learn how language works and how to use it well.

Learning about texts and language is important to the personal and social development of the individual. Students need to understand and control the English language to develop the confidence and competence to meet the demands of school, employment and further education. The knowledge and skills of English are essential to people who contribute to political, social and cultural life and are active and informed citizens.

In English, students are actively involved in reading, viewing, writing, comparing and talking about texts. Students are encouraged to explore and engage with a range of literature, everyday and media texts from their own and different cultures, to take pleasure in using texts to explore ideas and to think critically about their world and the global community. Knowledge about how language functions and how it both reflects and shapes social attitudes assists students to achieve a better understanding of themselves, their culture and the contemporary world. They are then able to use the texts they read and listen to as resources in creating and constructing their own.