What is it and why should I do it?
English Language is often quite different from the kinds of things you have done in English classes from Years 7 to 10. It is the study of the structures and functions of language itself. We analyse the many different ways words and sentences are structured in both spoken and written English. We explore how children learn to use the incredibly complex rules and patterns of language with little apparent effort. We look at how the English language has evolved over 2000 years from its Germanic roots and the vastly different varieties of English used around the world today. We question the relationship between the kinds of English people use and their access to social and political power.
Click here to watch Sasha discuss English Language with Ewan Grover and Marcus Mannering.
What will I do in class?
The study of language involves a highly specialised vocabulary and every week we will learn new technical words which we then need to use to describe the nature and functions of English. For example, in Term 1 there are over 100 specialist words used and although some, like “noun”, might be familiar many if not most will be entirely new. Although we do not study entire novels we read hundreds of shorter texts of every variety, question their function or purpose and analyse how they use language to achieve this purpose.
How much homework will I have?
A great deal of class time is needed to cover the content of the subject so a lot of analytical writing has to be done for homework. It will require at least an hour per week just to maintain and revise a glossary of all the technical vocabulary and key terms. In addition to this there will typically be one or two writing tasks to complete for homework each week ranging from one to five paragraphs in length.
How do I satisfactorily complete the unit?
Maintain and revise a glossary of the technical vocabulary required. Use this specialist language in your own written analyses.
Complete learning tasks each week. These include; completing a set of sentences, writing paragraphs, presenting research, practice essays and adding notes and comments to a text.
Participate in class discussions.
Satisfactorily complete all School Assessed Coursework (SACs). These are;
- Short answer tests (x2)
- Analytical Commentaries (x2)
- Essays (x2)
- Exam (short answer and extended response) (x2)
- Written transcript with annotations
- Oral presentation