Overview

English is the most popular subject in VCE, but there is a lot of mystique surrounding how to achieve well. Fundamentally, VCE English assesses an understanding of authorial intent/bias, contextual information that influences a written piece, and ideas that present in forms of motifs and thematic ideas. These are explored in the VCE English curriculum through 3 components; text response, comparative writing and argument analysis. In the final exam, students are trained to write up three pieces corresponding to the focus areas in the curriculum.

Doing well in VCE English requires confidence in your own ideas. Students who think outside the box and have the confidence to do so will learn to adopt the skills taught in the classroom to build up and strengthen their argument. Ultimately, English teaches students an important form of self-expression, whether it aligns/misaligns with authorial intent.

In Year 12 there are five English assessments, each testing important areas and skills of the course. These assessments are as follows:

• Creative response: Requiring students to write a creative short story in response to a text
• Argument Analysis: Requiring students to analyse the language and arguments of a persuasive piece of writing.
• Text Response: Requiring students to write an essay responding to a prompt on a text
• Oral Presentation: Requiring students to write and present a speech on a topic of their choice
• Comparative Analysis: Requiring students to compare and contrast two texts in response to a prompt.

The course culminates with a final exam requiring students to write three essays in the span of 3 hours and 15 minutes.

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