The year 12 Standard English course is a rigorous and enjoyable course. It is designed to make students critical and sophisticated users of English. The course provides diverse approaches to texts so that students may become flexible and critical thinkers, capable of appreciating the variety of cultural differences that make up Australian society.
Students study Jumpa Lahiri's The Namesake for the' Area of Study' ‘Belonging' and a range of other texts. In Module B, students closely study Wilfred Owen's poetry and in Module A, ‘Distinctively Visual', they study ‘Run Loa Run' where they identify and explain how visual language is used to shape meaning. In Module C, students examine how attitudes and belief systems are reflected in particular societies in the play ‘Educating Rita'.
Advanced
Year 12 Advanced English is a challenging course, designed to assist students to become critical, sophisticated users of English who appreciate reading and creating a range of demanding texts. It is intended to help them to become more aware of the place of ideas which can be found both in their own lives, and in the world around them, and the ways these are reflected in literary works.
Students study a wide range of texts from classics like Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which they will compare with the cult film classic "Blade Runner". They also study the work of a modern Australian poet, Peter Skrzynecki and other connected texts, including photographs and film clips, in the context of understanding ideas about the ways belonging can be represented. Additionally, they study the 9/11 Memorial Website from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History as one way of thinking about the ideas of History and Memory.
Extension 2
In HSC English Extension 2 students have the unique opportunity to develop an extended composition to an exemplary level. English Extension 2 allows students to apply and extend their knowledge and skills developed in the English (Advanced) and Extension courses. Students are expected to conduct ongoing, systematic and rigorous research into a chosen area of personal interest to the student. This process is documented in a journal that serves as a record and demonstration of the student's creative process. Therefore, a successful English Extension 2 candidate is a talented, creative, motivated, and self-disciplined student who has the ingenuity and commitment to produce an innovative and challenging major work. The skills in extensive, independent investigation and sustained composition prepare students for the research and writing demands of tertiary study.