General Aims

This statement builds on the shared aims and philosophies of the primary school language and the secondary school English syllabuses. It affirms the following general aims for the teaching of English at all levels of the school curriculum. These aims are reflected in and achieved through each of the three strands of the English curriculum—oral language, written language, and visual language.

Students should be able to:

• engage with and enjoy language in all its varieties;
• understand, respond to, and use oral, written, and visual language effectively in a range of contexts.

To achieve these aims, students will:

• develop control over the processes associated with using and responding to English language purposefully and effectively through reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and presenting;
• develop an understanding of the grammar and conventions of English;
• develop an understanding of how language varies according to the user, audience, and purposes;
• respond personally to and think critically about a range of texts, including literary texts
• use language skills to identify information needs, and find, use, and communicate information;
• understand and appreciate the heritages of New Zealand through experiencing a broad range of texts written in English.