This is my first anything so I don't even know if I'll get an answer but anyway...
My school has a problem with english language, well actually it's not even the school it's just the principal. I've worked my arse off to try and get it to go ahead (rounding up students and getting support from teachers, the head of english is all for it), but the other day I was talking to my principal around the school and he said 'I can't understand why you want to do it and why you're trying so hard to make it go ahead.' I'm very annoyed and stressed because I don't think it will go ahead and I don't think I could get a decent score in standard english. The decision lies with him but he doesn't believe that anyone would get a good score in it because we're not a top school. It went ahead in past years and been fine but they refuse to run it anymore because a group of students one year treated it as a complete bludge.
My older sister does english language at another school and absolutely loves it. I have a general idea of what it's about but could someone please tell me more about the subject? I understand that it can be quite hard but the students I rounded up are more than capable. Can you tell me all the good things about it so that I can use them against my principal? 
Thanks, Ruby
Year 10
Hey Ruby,
Welcome to ATAR Notes! Great to have you here.
That sucks about your situation. I think it's pretty common; a lot of schools are hesitant toward EngLang (and Lit).
How many students do you have who are interested at the moment? I really applaud you for working hard for it.
Regarding what English Language actually is, here's a brief overview. For context, I went through English Language 1/2 and 3/4, and then went on to major in Linguistics at uni. The reason I say that is that English Language should really be called Linguistics, because that's what it is. For that reason, English Language is, perhaps, the most relevant subject of them all; language is all around us every single day.
English Language Units 1/2 (Year 11)
Unit 1In Unit 1 AOS 1, you consider that nature of language, and what differentiates human communication systems from those of other animals. You look at how language results in meaning (super interesting IMO), how language is used for different purposes and in different ways (such as spoken, written, or signed), and how context impacts our language choices. You'll also be introduced to some "metalanguage" (language we use to talk about language): terms like
morpheme and
lexeme. This type of metalanguage is really important (particularly if you go on to study Linguistics), and is excellent if ever you want to teach English.
In Unit 1 AOS 2, the focus is mostly on language acquisition; that is, how we develop language proficiency. There are stages of child language acquisition, which you'll consider in some depth (again, super interesting). Development can vary between "subsystems" of language, too (basically, the five main areas of language) - and you'll learn about this in terms of phonology, morphology, lexicology, syntax and semantics. There'll further be discussion centred on differences between learning language as a child and an adult, and also differences between monolingualism, bilingualism and multi-lingualism. In an ever-globalised world, this last point is surely of particular importance.
Unit 2IMO Unit 2 is absolutely
fascinating. There's a big emphasis here on the nature of language change, and how English has developed as a language over time. In AOS 1, you look at the development of the language from Old English to contemporary English. This includes things like
why the language changed, and
what influence it's had on us as citizens. There's also a section on the relationship between English and other languages, and how they may have diverted from the same roots in the past. Further, there's a bunch of stuff on the concept of "Standard English" (very important in Linguistics), plus attitudes toward language, word addition and word loss.
Unit 2 AOS 2 sees more of a focus on the impact of language contact; that is, when languages "collide". Particularly relevant is how English is becoming one of if not the world's most dominant language, and the impact that that will have on us. You will also consider how new languages are formed, including pidgins and creoles. The relationship between language and culture is also considered, which, as you can imagine, is pretty important in today's world.
English Language Units 3/4 (Year 12)
Unit 3Unit 3 is split in halves, with those halves basically considering informal and formal language. AOS 1 looks at informal language, including key characteristics, the impact of context, stylistic features, and how and why informal language is used.
AOS 2 is essentially the same, but for formal language.
Unit 4Unit 4 AOS 1 looks more at language variation within the Australian context, including variation along geographical, national, regional and cultural axes. Standard and non-Standard English is again important, and you also consider the nature of accents.
Finally, Unit 4 AOS 2 considers the inherently intertwined (at least IMO) relationship between language and identities: both individual and group. Language variation is again a factor, this time due to personal factors (age, gender, occupation, interests, aspirations, education etc.). The concept of prestige also arises.
P.S. You can find a lot of this information in the
English Language study design.
Please keep us updated with how you get on; I'm really passionate about this!
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