Students are placed in an English class based on their data, needs and eligibility. The three potential class options are:
- General English
- Enrichment English
- English as an Additional Language (EAL)
All English and EAL classes pathway into VCE General or VCE Vocational Major, and students strengthen their reading comprehension, extended writing, analytical, evaluative and communication (oral and written) skills.
In Year 10 English, students develop their analytical skills by studying various texts, from films to novels. These analytical skills are further consolidated through their study of media texts. Students also complete reading tasks during Book Club and present persuasive speeches.
EAL classes at Years 9 and 10 are combined to allow students to be grouped according to their English language proficiency. Students are placed into different levels based on how well they understand and use English. These levels are explained at the bottom of this page.
General English
Of Mice and Men
In My Blood It Runs
Term 1
- Forms of writing
- Authentic voice
- Writing for audience
- Reflective writing
Term 2
- Identifying contention and arguments
- Analysing argument development
- Determining audience impact
Term 3:
- Identifying authorial choices and messages
- Analysing how ideas are conveyed
- Determining the purpose of a text
Term 4
- Identifying authorial choices and messages
- Relating personally to a text
- Analysing how ideas are conveyed
Enrichment English
MacBeth
Frankenstein
Term 1
- Forms of writing
- Text structure
- Creating hybrid texts
- Authentic voice
- Writing for audience
- Reflective writing
Term 2
- Identifying contention and arguments
- Analysing argument development
- Determining audience impact
Term 3
- Identifying authorial choices and messages
- Analysing how ideas are conveyed
- Determining the purpose of a text
- Analysing adaptations of literary works
Term 4
- Identifying authorial choices and messages
- Relating personally to a text
- Analysing how ideas are conveyed
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Of Mice and Men
In My Blood It Runs
Term 1
- Reading for understanding based on a mentor text
- Applying reading techniques with support
- Engaging with First Nations voices through literature
Term 2
- Applying knowledge of narrative structures in writing
- Creating symbolic texts
- Learning and applying visual literacy to a text of their own creation
Term 3
- Engaging with classic, abridged literature
- Understanding the ways in which meaning is made in plays
- Identifying authorial choices and messages
Term 4
- Writing hybrid texts for a specific purpose and audience
- Persuading audiences using a variety of verbal and non-verbal techniques
Summary of Skills
- How to use purposeful vocabulary
- How to convey a message through writing
- How to write analytically
- How to articulate opinions and ideas
- Annotating texts
- Planning, writing, editing and redrafting texts
- Reading, analytical and critical thinking strategies
- Presenting to specific audiences
- Verbally presenting ideas
Assessment Tasks
- Frameworks of Writing
- Argument Analysis Essay
- Persuasive Speech
- Book Club Review
- Analytical Text Response Essay
- Personal Response Essay
- Class participation
Future School Pathways
VCE General
- English as an Additional Language
- English
- Literature
VCE-VM Vocational Major
VCE VET Certificates
- All VCE VET Certificates require a minimum literacy standard.
EAL Assessment Levels
New Arrival Program
For recently arrived students who are new to learning English.
CL
Students are beginners, focusing on basic English skills.
C1
Students use formulaic language and basic grammatical structures.
EAL Classes within the year level structure
C2
Students demonstrate stronger language skills in familiar settings.
C3
Students begin to use English in a wider range of contexts.
C4
Students apply their language skills in complex academic and social situations.
International Students
International students are placed in a level based on their IELTS test or equivalent results, and sometimes extra testing is used to help find the best class for them.
In order to continue studying English as an Additional Language for Units 1-4, a student must satisfy both of the following conditions:
- The student has been a resident in Australia for a period not more than seven (7) calendar years immediately before the 1st of January of the year in which EAL Unit ¾ is undertaken.
- English has been the student’s primary language of instruction for no more than seven (7) years before the commencement of the year in which EAL Units 3 and 4 are undertaken.
