The study of English underpins all areas of study at the College.

English enables students to become confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English that students learn to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others and the world around them. Moreover, the study of English helps young people develop the literacy and analytical skills necessary for other areas of study and, as such, prepares them for tertiary education and the workplace. The study of English helps students become competent in the contemporary skills of critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication.

In order to enrich their world view, develop a broad vocabulary and gain exposure to a variety of written forms, students are encouraged to undertake a program of wide reading. The College Library has a wide variety of age-appropriate texts to suit a broad range of interests. It is located at the Vermont South Campus and the online portal can also be accessed online via the College intranet.

Within the structure of the Victorian Curriculum, English aims to ensure that students:

• learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on increasingly complex and sophisticated spoken, written and multimodal texts across a growing range of contexts with accuracy, fluency and purpose;
• appreciate, enjoy and use the English language in all its variations and develop a sense of its richness and power to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, facilitate interactions with others, entertain, persuade and argue;
• understand how Standard Australian English works in its spoken and written forms and in combination with non-linguistic forms of communication to create meaning;
• develop interest and skills in appreciating the aesthetic aspects of texts, and develop an informed appreciation of literature.

At Emmaus College, English is compulsory at Years 7-10 and all VCE students are required to study one or more of the English courses that are offered.

People Have the Power is offered as an elective at Year 9 while Literature is offered as an elective at Year 10.

In addition to the core syllabi, the following enrichment opportunities are offered by the English Department:

• The Emmaus Writers’ Guild and The Susan Randall Short Story Writing Competitions
• DAV Debating (Years 9 – 12)
• United Nations Debating
• The VCAA Plain English Public Speaking Competition

Questions about the English Learning Area should be directed to the Learning Area Leader, Mr Mark Pilson